The magic has begun in Mexico

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Thursday 16th June - Where are we ... and where are the bags ?

We expected to arrive at Mexico City TAPO bus terminal at 09:20

At around 06:30 I woke in the dark as the bus pulled into a large bus station. 'It must be Puebla', I thought, the last major town before Mexico City (or DF as it's known).

As we puled out it became clear that it was TAPO, on the eastern side of DF. So now we are heading for 'Norte' the Northern bus terminal. No big deal, we'll get off there.

We disembark at Norte and there are no rucksacks.

We follow a young man to the ADO counter (why ADO, we were on an OCC bus ?) and sure enough they took our bags off at TAPO but left us on the bus.

What are the options ? A young lady with as much English as I have Spanish says we can wait three hours for the bags to be sent up to Norte or we can go to TAPO and collect, about 40 mins by metro. I elect to take the metro to TAPO.

We make our way to the metro, fortunately unencumbered by rucksacks. It is surprisingly cheap, 2 pesos to anywhere, that's approx 10p sterling. Navigating is not so obvious for first-timers but we arrive at TAPO and make our way to the OCC arrivals area.

The man recognises our ticket numbers, they are on the list of items sent to Norte ! But but but makes no difference, they have been sent on. I try to explain that at Norte we took the option to come to TAPO and collect etc. I'm not sure he understood and initially his attitude was a little like 'shit happens' but I still do not know how to say that in Spanish. With help from two Mexican bystanders he called Norte and arranged for the bags to be returned to TAPO on a bus passing through at 0900. It was then around 07:45. Fine.

We disappear for coffee. We return at 0850 and wait until 0920 when the rucksacks appear - at the time we had originally expected to arrive !.

Taxi to Colonia Narvarte, Hostel Cactus. Address la Quemada number 76. Unfortunately our taxi driver finds Quemada but the numbers only go down to 214. We stop at the roadside and he seems to have given up. I get the PC out of the boot and boot it up. I confirm the address. No 76 between Xola and La Morena. A light goes on in his head. Apparently the road continues after a slight intermission due to other roads.

We arrive at Quemada and it is one way and we are at the wrong end. He starts to reverse down it but there is too much traffic (fortunately ?). We agree we can walk from here.

It is still only around 1030 and our beds are not available but coffee is - brilliant.

We hang around the hostel for the rest of the day, find the local Oxxo shop , buy beer and food, and settle in.

It is a relatively quiet suburban area with metro 10 and 15 mins away with lots of smal shops, beauty parlours (particularly for nails) and car repair workshops. Not many bread or veg shops but it is fine as a base.

We have four beds of a 6-bed room but there are no plans to put others in with us.


Friday 17th June - Zocalo

Off to the centre of centres with Deb and Rory.

We arrive at the main square but it is difficult to appreciate the size as the central square is occupied by dozens of marquees. We wander around past the Palacio Nacional without realising it (that's where the Diego Rivera murals are). Then past the cathedral. Past the man in a white coat offering on-the-spot blood pressure testing for 10 pesos. Past the hawkers who are suddenly covering up their wares as if a raid is imminent.

We make our way rond to the 4th side then across to the central area. It is not clear what the marquees are in aid of. There are lots of craft stalls, lots of (Made in China ?) tat, and second-hand stuff, plus a stage and sound system not yet in use (at 1100).

We leave the square looking for a WC and almost get lost in the streets by the Palacio Nacional which are full of stalls and roadside hawkers. Again, following strange whistling sounds everyone begins to cover up their goods. Whatever the reason we saw no raid during the day.

Deb pays 3 pesos for a decent WC. Then we find a real supermarket (most mini-markets are confectionery, salty snacks and sweet fizzy drinks) and buy porage oats, fantastic !

A traipse round x more steets leads me to a bank and much-needed cash.

Lastly we return to the Palacio Nacional but they wil not let us in as we have no ID. I resolve to return another day.

Enough is enough and we take the metro (past the beggars - man in wheelchair, old people with cups, young mothers with babies, or just young children) back to the Cactus.

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