Colonial Gems

Colonial Gems 2018

September 23  Arriving in Mexico City

The Atlanta people have an early morning flight into Mexico City.  Even though we come in different cars, we end up all together in security at the airport.  Good start! 

We are to meet Helen in baggage claim at the Mexico City airport.  She is flying in from Seattle.  Our baggage comes in on a little one carousel room.  Oh dear, this does not look good.  I ask someone and he informs this is a Delta carousel and that United is at the other terminal!  I get a text from Juan.  His airplane has been delayed for several hours!  We meet up with the transportation people.  They take the Atlanta people to the hotel and go over to the other terminal in search of Helen.  Juan will take a taxi to the hotel whenever his plane gets in.  Oh dear, this is not the way for a trip to start. 

We get to the hotel and I’m looking at everyone wondering if they are Suga and Switch.  No one looks like likely suspects.  It’s lunch time so we decide to go out to the zocolo and eat lunch on terazo of the majestic hotel on the zocolo.  As we’re walking to the restaurant, I get a call from the bus driver.  He puts Helen on the phone.  She’s at the hotel and so are Suga and Switch!  Yeah!  Now we’re only missing Juan. 

The view from the Majestic is wonderful.  

Overlooking the zocolo, the cathedral, the governor's palace and the huge Mexican flag.  In the past, the food and service has always been good.  Not so much today.  After quite a long wait, the food came out cold.  Much better after they took it back and brought us new food that was hot.

Since the governor's palace closes at 5:00, I decided that was the one we should go to first even though we didn’t have Juan to give us the history of the Diego Rivera murals.  A guide was standing by the door so we hired him.  Not a Juan by any means but better than a Ginger. 

After the tour, we were all tired so went back to the hotel.  Juan arrives shortly after.  YEAH!  We’re complete. 

On the way to dinner, we walk past the ruins of Tenochtitlan where Juan explains what we’re seeing.  We thought we would visit the cathedral also but it was closed to tourists.  We’ll do that tomorrow. 

For dinner we went to Tacuba which is a well-established restaurant with beautiful tiles on the walls.  They gave us a sample of a cocktail with Jamaica and tequila.  Several us ordered full sized ones.  It was Kathy’s birthday so the mariachi band played Las Mananitas.  They were quite good and Kathy had a big smile on her face. How is it that I don't have a picture of that?

It has been a long day!  Hard to believe we were in Atlanta in the morning!