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Catedral
The amazing but noisy Catedral my hostel was next door to. Mexico City
Hola! Mexico is certainly one of those places worth visiting. Although perhaps not right now with the influenza possible pandemic situation. How excellent is my timing.
Mexico City is certainly not as polluted, dirty or rife with crime as everyone says. Although, the friendly locals always warned that not under any circumstance ahould I wander outside the streets they suggested. The only thing I would warn anyone going to Mexico City about, especially girls, is to NOT wear short shorts on the metro. Or anywhere in the City. It is not worth the looks and the gropes from desperate Mexicans who obviously can't get a girlfriend. That aside. The place is cool...
I stayed in what seemed like an excellent hostel due to its close proximity to the Zocalo and Catedral. That is, until I realised the catedral bells ring every fifteen minutes. Which is exactly what a jetlagged traveller needs. I didn't spend too much time in town as to me all cities are pretty much the same... I did get to hang out with a lovely local girl who insisted on taking me (and other backpackers) around - for no reason other than she
Aztec Dancing
Everynight groups would get together outside the Templo de Major to engage with the spirits of their people. loves her city. Having a personal translator on my first day in Mexico and at one of the biggest museums in town was a definate bonus. I highly recommend a trip to the Museo de Antropologia to see all those awesome artefacts missing from the actual building, temple or pyramid that you trekked out to see... Although some appear to be permanently housed in other museums across the world. I am still trying to understand why a musem in Vienna Austria owns Montezuma's amazing headdress.
A trip out to Teotuhaucan is an essential for anyone who wants to see the famous Aztec City. The pamphlet I had as an english speaking guide proudly anounced that the Piramide de Sol (Temple of the Sun) is the third largest in the world. It forgets to mention however that it is still only about half the size of the largest pyramid in Egypt... Being a brave backpacker I made my own way there on public transport and I highly recommend it. The tour for tourists was US$28. I think I paid maybe $10 maximum. One benefit was meeting other gringos on the metro out there. Which meant that we made our own
Teotihaucan
Aztec ruins outside of Mexico City and home to the third largest pyramid in the world. The Piramide de Sol is the one you can see in the distance, I´m sitting on the Piramide de Luna. little tour group!!
Oaxaca
Moving south I headed to Oaxaca on the day the influenza became a big news story. It took me at least a day to work out why everyone was wearing blue medical masks. The town was a lot bigger than I expected, but still retained an amazing atmosphere. I was dropped at the Zocalo in the middle of some kind of kindy kid parade. Chaotic would describe it well.
Given the fear of a pandemic continued to build, I spent a day wandering the town and another out at the local ruins. The town retains much of its spanish colonial influence and was geared towards high end tourists. Something I sadly (or gladly) am not... The ruins were fun apart from the fact they didn´t want you to climb on them. Which is exactly the only thing I want to do at an archaelogical site. Ruins are a dime a dozed here so I´m sure it won´t be long until I find another site that allows me to explore!
San Cristobal de las Casas
The next town on my list a short night bus away. (Well it would be short if the
Montezuma´s Headress
But the original is in Vienna... road was more than two lanes, it wasn´t windy and steep, and if towns didn´t build speed bumps to slow down the traffic or better still get them to slow down in order to sell something.) San Cristobal was COLD in comparison - I wore a beanie. And it rained and hailed... So very un-Mexican feeling. I did manage a trip out to two local Mayan towns and the chance to see the locals participate in what seems like bizarre religious rituals involving copious amounts of coca cola, chickens, mobile phones, candles and pine needles. Its difficult to explain, but coca cola is considered sacred and depending on the problem, the sacrifice of a chicken (or two for the people I saw - clearly a mucho grande problemo) are the key to getting the saints (who are slightly bases on Catholic saints) to solve your problem. It was definately an experience...
Palenque
Moving south again, I headed to Palenque - but rather than staying in town, caught a cab into the middle of the jungle where I´d heard it was awesome. And it was. The area has a variety of hostels and restaurants all hidden in the jungle, joined
by paths and bridges. It felt very alive, and the notion that perhaps there were wild animals out there was not helped by the ten foot fence around the camping area to keep out the jaguars... I never saw the howler monkeys but boy did I hear them!!
Problem with this jungle paradise was that by now, everything worth doing had been closed down by the Mexican Government. Including waterfalls and ruins in the middle of nowhere. Except for the jungle... it was open. A few sneaky conversations with locals and I found myself a colectivo further into the jungle to one of the many cascadas in the area. Except this one hadn´t been closed. A lovely Mexican mama decided to feed me, and the other travellers I headed out there with, her picnic lunch. Luckily she had cooked more than enough for the ten of us and the ten people in her family. It made the trek to the jungle worth it, but very disappointing I couldn´t see more out there.
Given the increasing pandemic fear, and the growing lack of things to do in Mexico, I made the decision to leave Mexico earlier than planned and
head to Guatemala... As has nearly every other traveller I´ve met on the road south from Mexico City!!! It´s a pity because Mexico has so much to offer, and so many people depend on the tourist peso. So that´s it. One country complete and many many more to go!
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fred
non-member comment
I feel sad I am not there with you!!! Good blogging :)