Dear Olive,
Flying into the biggest city of the world*, for the last leg of our Mexican holiday, was daunting to say the least. How large it loomed beneath our plane! We had bid a sad farewell to the last few of our fellow wedding party in Oaxaca, and to tell you the truth, it was somewhat of a lonely couple of days adjusting to being back to just the three of us. But on the cab ride from Mexico City airport to our flat, I started feeling really excited. Really, really excited. I remembered how much I love cities! And how cool the street names were - viva la Avenue Revolucion! We dropped our bags off at our flat**, and immediately set out for a walk in search of lunch. It all felt kind of familiar, and yet, excitingly different. Amazing food ... check. Good coffee ... check. Organic supermarket ... check, check, check! But on top of all those things you expect from a big city, were the beautiful, uniquely Mexican side of things - people in uniforms sweeping parks with brooms made from sticks, incredible looking street food, and serious plumbing problems. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there - and we managed to cram a lot into our week. The Frida Kahlo Museo was a big highlight, wandering through the Chapultepec (the Mexican City version of, say, Central Park - which houses most of the big galleries and zoo and museums, complete with thousands of friendly squirrels) was also great, and you loved the Zoologica. We ate amazing food (lots of non-Mexican, actually - Japanese has never tasted so good!), and we did what you do in all big cities ... we walked and walked and walked. I have a lovely friend living there who came over with a map and some great tips over red wine on our first night and we felt really looked after. (Hi Roxy!) It was unreal. Shane and I were rather sad to leave when it was time to start our long journey home. (Not to mention, not looking forward to the long journey itself. An 8 hour layover at LAX comes highly unrecommended.) You, of course, were excited to leave, having gotten pretty homesick. But that long journey was pretty challenging to say the least. (If anyone was on board a recent LA-Syd Virgin flight with a child sitting on the back of the chair hysterically screaming "Pepper", I apologise. I really, truly, apologise.
The funniest moment of the week (again) goes to Shane: sweating, and doubled over with cramps, he frantically stopped our cab in the middle of the road and ran across five lanes of a Mexico City freeway in desperate search for a bathroom. He made the toilet. But he will never live it down. Montezumas revenge strikes again!
Pretty much only photos I have left are of the series I started (when I still had my camera) of Mexican signage. And thrown in for good measure, our family portrait from Mexico City. Adios, Mexico! Thanks for the good times.
Flying into the biggest city of the world*, for the last leg of our Mexican holiday, was daunting to say the least. How large it loomed beneath our plane! We had bid a sad farewell to the last few of our fellow wedding party in Oaxaca, and to tell you the truth, it was somewhat of a lonely couple of days adjusting to being back to just the three of us. But on the cab ride from Mexico City airport to our flat, I started feeling really excited. Really, really excited. I remembered how much I love cities! And how cool the street names were - viva la Avenue Revolucion! We dropped our bags off at our flat**, and immediately set out for a walk in search of lunch. It all felt kind of familiar, and yet, excitingly different. Amazing food ... check. Good coffee ... check. Organic supermarket ... check, check, check! But on top of all those things you expect from a big city, were the beautiful, uniquely Mexican side of things - people in uniforms sweeping parks with brooms made from sticks, incredible looking street food, and serious plumbing problems. We thoroughly enjoyed our time there - and we managed to cram a lot into our week. The Frida Kahlo Museo was a big highlight, wandering through the Chapultepec (the Mexican City version of, say, Central Park - which houses most of the big galleries and zoo and museums, complete with thousands of friendly squirrels) was also great, and you loved the Zoologica. We ate amazing food (lots of non-Mexican, actually - Japanese has never tasted so good!), and we did what you do in all big cities ... we walked and walked and walked. I have a lovely friend living there who came over with a map and some great tips over red wine on our first night and we felt really looked after. (Hi Roxy!) It was unreal. Shane and I were rather sad to leave when it was time to start our long journey home. (Not to mention, not looking forward to the long journey itself. An 8 hour layover at LAX comes highly unrecommended.) You, of course, were excited to leave, having gotten pretty homesick. But that long journey was pretty challenging to say the least. (If anyone was on board a recent LA-Syd Virgin flight with a child sitting on the back of the chair hysterically screaming "Pepper", I apologise. I really, truly, apologise.
The funniest moment of the week (again) goes to Shane: sweating, and doubled over with cramps, he frantically stopped our cab in the middle of the road and ran across five lanes of a Mexico City freeway in desperate search for a bathroom. He made the toilet. But he will never live it down. Montezumas revenge strikes again!
Pretty much only photos I have left are of the series I started (when I still had my camera) of Mexican signage. And thrown in for good measure, our family portrait from Mexico City. Adios, Mexico! Thanks for the good times.
*I just googled and it's listed on World Atlas at number 3, after Tokyo and Seoul. But the third biggest city in the world, well, it just didn't have the same ring, never let the truth get in the way of a good story, right. 9Sydney sits at a paltry number 73 if anyone's interested.)
**No meant feat - our flat was up three flights of stairs and my bag alone was 7kg's oversize departing Oaxaca! A quick reshuffle and we were back under limits, needless to say we nearly broke our backs with our hand luggage. Overpacking is so uncool.
10 comments:
That last photo cracks me up!
As for the screaming little one on the flight I always find that less irritating than the princess types that I somehow get seated next to.
Lila
Amazing stories, Kellie! What an adventure!
We were exactly the same with the hand luggage (we actually needed a second trolley in the airports just for hand luggage!). Everytime I tell myself I'll travel light next time! I never learn!
LOVE the family portrait... hysterical. And the signage makes for a very cool series!
Was Pepper as happy to see Olive as she was to see him?
x
That family photo is priceless!
These pictures are so lovely, I'm so enjoying seeing your trip around Mexico through your eyes xx
Beautiful holiday. I can only imagine.
It must be nice to go to a place where even the everyday signs are beautiful.
Love the Mexico series Kel. All the photos are gorgeous and you manage to look super stylish in every picture. I am actually a pretty light packer when we go on holidays but then the downside is I look like a total and utter slob! Btw, I need bag details. Where, when, how much?!
Love the family photo. Hilarious!
Poor Shane. Not so hilarious. xx
i am such an overpacker, and husband is such an underpacker. it's a problem! love the shot of you all in your sombreros :) x
LOVE that last photo! SO MUCH! x
i get really excited about cities too. i love travelling. miss it.
yeah overpacking is so uncool. why can't i travel light? i realy really try!
that last pic is hilarious. x
What a great account of your trip. The signage photos are wonderful and the family portrait is that awesome that it took me a few minutes to realise that the horses, were in fact, not real!!
x Laura
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