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Published: December 7th 2008
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Finally found a hostel with internet, so here goes again! Am so behind might try and do a mammoth session now to get up to date. Am in an internet cafe in Merida eating almond M&Ms.
Back to last Thursday, 27th November, still in Mexico City. We had intentions of getting up early and going to the National Anthropological Museum as the guide book said you´d need two days to see everything properly. We ended up having a bit of a lie in, and went for a wander through Chapultepec Park next to the museum first as was such a nice day. We bought some chips (crisps for you brits) that were bright red, as we´d seen them everywhere and were intrigued - they were weird, and not a good weird. Even the birds we tried to feed them to didn´t want them!
The Anthropological Museum was huge. It was really interesting, set out by the different regions / cultures. Was cool seeing the huge carvings down to the wee figures. Oh and the pond in the middle with loads of turtles in it was a bonus! We managed to wander through the whole museum in a few hours
and still got to see it all without rushing. Most info was in Spanish so we didn´t have as much to read.
We then went and had lunch in the park and got a large tortilla (the english translation) with chorizo and it was pretty large - good too. Was ready for a siesta after finishing it! In the afternoon we went to San Angel which is a suberb in Mexico City, as Lorna´s guide book had recommended walking round it. We spent ages trying to find the Museo de El Carmen and even the locals and policeman didn´t know where it was! Got there finally and it wasn´t too bad. Had some furniture and paintings from 17th & 18th Century and then some mummified bodies down in the crypt you could look at. Some still had skin and fingernails, others not so much! Couldn´t take photos though.
The next day, 28th, was my birthday so we went to Teotihuacan. That was a lot easier to get to than the butterfly place! Our intention to go early again didn´t quite go to plan so it was quite busy and hot when we got there. Loads of school groups
and they´d bought the stupid noise things you blow and it sounds like an animal is being slaughtered! Teotihuacan was pretty cool, was spread out so was good exercise. We walked along the Avenue of the Dead and went up the Pyramid of the Sun, which in the sun was a mission. Totally worth it though, the views from the top were good. We had our lunch up there and I had my tin of NZ tomato and basil tuna I´d brought along for my birthday lunch - sad I know but it was yum! And some jet planes, thanks bro!
We then went up the Pyramid of the Moon which was smaller but steeper steps, and that gave a good view of the sun pyramid. I did give in to one of the persistant ambulantes (wandering vendors) and bought a turtle ornament but I figured it could be my birthday present so was ok, and I got the price down too.
When we got back to Mexico City we went to the Zona Rosa and walked along the Paseo de la Reforma which had the statue of the golden angel (El Angel) and a fountain with the
Greek goddess Diana. There were also loads of funky seats all the way along, each one was different. One was a hand and you sat in the palm, one like a pack of cards, animals, random shapes etc.
The next morning (Sat 29th) we got a bus to Oaxaca, after having pancakes for breakfast at the hostel. Oaxaca was more like what I imagined Mexico to be like. We got a collectivo aka old bus out to El Tule which has the world´s largest tree, at is about 2000 years old. It was pretty big, more width than height but still impressive. There were animal bushes in the garden by the tree which entertained us more than the big tree!
The return "bus" dropped us back into Oaxaca but as it was now pitch black (gets dark about 6ish) and we didn´t recognise anything. We tried asking for directions from a market vendor, and then bought some fruit and veg from him. When I asked for a lime, which is lima, the man goes oh you want to go to Peru! I ened up getting a lemon cos that´s what a lime is here but they call it
a lemon. Yellow ones (our lemons) are called sour oranges. Got back to the hostel, after stopping and buying a roasted chicken, and had some jelly for my birthday pudding since the night before we´d just had the free dinner at the hostel. I even had a match to blow out as a candle - thanks Lorna : )
Sunday 30th we spent the morning walking the streets of Oaxaca. It was a beautiful place. The Santo Domingo was cool from the outside, was massive. There was a protest of some sort in the main square that we´d find in the next few places we went to. Was for women´s rights and stopping violence against woman from what we could understand. That afternoon we just chilled at the hostel and planned our route ahead before our 12 hour overnight bus ride to San Cristobal.
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Gerrad
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Awesome Pics!
Looks like you're having an awesome time! I'm so jealous, hahaha ;-)