Welcome to Mexico City

North America » Mexico » Distrito Federal » Mexico City » La Condesa
August 7th 2010

Published: August 7th 2010

Edit Blog Post

blancheque

San Angel

City center

Sunday
5 am August 1st, and we are off to the airport. Nice flight into Chicago, and all is well. We were delayed 2 hours in Chicago, plane ready, crew ready and passengers waiting. We found out after Aero Mexicana is on strike, they grounded 30 flights Sunday, some of Linda's fellow teachers were stranded and only came in the next day. Nice flight, very good food and free liquor, maybe that's why they are declaring bankruptcy. We made it!!! We cleared customs and were immediately met by Ana Rosa, the American School Foundation (ASF) rep and she brought us to PF Suites, a 5 star hotel with a kitchen, bathroom and king size bedroom. Very nice.

Monday and Tuesday
We met Rennie, a teacher and welcoming committee member who spent all day with us apartment hunting. We looked at 11 or 12, most crappy, decent ones and some crazy expensive. Course, we had to stop at several outdoor cafes for refreshments. On Tuesday though, we found 2 nice clean unfurnished apartments and landed up with a 2 bedroom 1 bath large living-dining room apartment in a private home, our landlady and her 92 year old mother live

Hotel Suite

our suite

on the bottom floor, we have rented the second floor and we don't know who yet rents the upper floor. Once we had met and looked through it a second time, the landlady informed us she had about half the furniture we would need, and moved it back into the apartment for us. Sweet!! Nice furniture, and it means we have lots less to buy. Our apartment is just around the corner from a lovely strollway in the center of the streets, and must have a hundred restaurants within a 10 minute walk. It is a very yuppie, trendy area with shops, reminds us of Broadway in Saskatoon.......less any bugs!!!

Wednesday and Thursday
School days! On the bus to school at 7:20 am, and orientation lasting until 3PM, Visa pictures, health forms, signing landlord agreements, tour of the huge school grounds, picking up new Apple computer,etc. Overload and very tired. 2600 students and a staff of 570 are involved with ASF, the oldest international school in the world and the second largest. Thursday evening we were invited to a lovely supper and evening with drinks at the Director's home, there were about 50 people there and lots of

Suite

more of our suite

fun meeting and socializing with other new hires and ASF administrators.

Friday
Linda off to school, more meetings and orientation. I find my classroom in the PM, and unstick the cupboards, hang a poster or 2, find the book building ( it's huge) and then take the bus back to the hotel. Maurice has the day to shop for bedding, catch up on emails, phone work etc. We rest and then supper in the crowds around the cultural city center which is only a 5 minute walk from the hotel. We finally take the time to enjoy the parisian feel of architecture, tree lined strolling walkways, the fantastic short sleeve weather and the beginning crowds of a Friday night. Love is in the air where ever you look. We have found Mexico City clean and safe. The altitude is interesting, we find that our throats are slightly sore, eyes slightly reddish (but maybe it's the beer), climbing stairs is an effort. When we get to the top of 5 flights, it is hard to fill your lungs. So we take the elevator, and that gives us enough energy to find nice little mexican outdoor bars with cheap beer.