Mexico – a visual feast ! (and surprisingly VERY modern).

Mexico is amazing, my flight arrived late at the airport (which I am going to rank as new favourite airport) putting Koh Samui now in 2 and Southampton in 3. I rank based on ease and speed of getting from the front door to being seated and vice versa (I don’t count plane delays or Southampton with fly maybe would not be up there) …  Mexico City airport is modern, efficient it took 10 mins to get off, go through customs, grab luggage, another customs check, drugs check (due to Sth America trip) and out the door, brilliant. 

I then went to a taxi transfer stand, booked  a trip downtown $205 pesos (circa £10).  The man grabbed my luggage we went out and waited for a cab, but there was none from his firm, waited 5 mins while he went off somewhere, turns out he went to another cab firm, so off I went in cab company number two, when I hopped in the man handed me an envelope, which I opened in the back of the cab it was $10 pesos with a note that said the second company was cheaper than his, and here was the difference back.  I could not believe it.  Honest folk those Mexicans.

 The airport is 10kms from the centre of Historic Centro (where I was staying), I was amazed at how commercial, how busy, how friendly, how quite new everything was… (General street snaps & amazing modern Mexico City).

Arrived at the hotel (30 sec walk to main plaza) checked in and went for a stroll around the area and around the plaza, sooo busy, home to National Palace, and other iconic buildings and at the  moment also home to an ice skating rink, a massive christmas tree, amazing christmas decorations, stalls, markets and about a million Mexicans. (plaza pics )

I decided to stick close to the hotel, as I am not familiar with the area, it is Mexico and it is now about 10pm. This place does not sleep, the shops are open all late, there a tonnes of folk milling about, music being played on every corner, sweets, pastries and popcorn being sold from mobile vans everywhere, Mexcio City has gripped me.  Almost next door to hotel, I stumbled across the most amazing treat shop ….  Check em out ( yummy treats here), one thing about Mexico City is the vibrancy and colours everywhere …  an absolute visual feast.

There is so much to do and see here, and time is limited so I have decided to book a local guide for a 10 hour tour (bargain price of £30) … Mexico is also cheap ..  will update on that post event.

Given I have decided to use a guide for the Historic Centro, I decided to move just outside the City today to a place called Chapultepec Park, a huge park (there are tonnes of green areas in Mexico City), the park is home to the Musuem of Anthropology, Museum of Modern Art, National History Museum (housed in the old Palace), and a really freaky history of Mexico gallery, with extremely odd sculptures, ( freaky sculpture pics), everything is in Spanish, no audio, no English language guides in any of these places, the visuals do paint a picture (also one of the reasons for me taking a local guide tomorrow).  Aside from the freaky sculpture pics, you can check out the park and pics of the Castillo de Chapultepec at this link. (Chapultepec Park and National Museum - old palace )  a day was not enough to see everything !!

Will update again in the next couple of days

CBT - x