Continued from Mexico City Day 2 Part 2.

Today I woke up at around 9, just like yesterday. What a day yesterday was. My legs are sore from walking/climbing/dancing. I think I’ll take it a little easier today…maybe.

To my disappointment, they didn’t have carnitas for breakfast this morning. I guess I’ll probably just get some real lunch today outside of the hotel after this mediocre breakfast.

I quickly ate my breakfast and came back to my room to finish blogging and return some emails. While on my computer,JM messages me on gchat, and he only has the faintest idea on what he might be doing Friday. Well, I guess that’s better than nothing. I also communicated with the groom RT, who is flying into Mexico City today. I don’t have a working phone(well, I didn’t want to pay roaming), so we set up tentative plans to meet up later tonight for drinks. I’ll have to check my messages later on in the day to work out where and what time to meet. How did people survive without cell phones?

I didn’t get out the door until after 11. I had written down some subway instructions to get to Coyoacán, a borough in Mexico City. Yup, I’ll be taking the subway today. I don’t think most wealthy Mexicans take the subway. Some online reviews I’ve read talked about being packed like sardines and how it was so terrible and smelly etc. etc. Is that really true, or are they being a little whiny bitch about it because they’ve been spoiled with traveling only in first world countries? I’ll be the judge of this, soon.

Another beautiful day here in Mexico City.

This is the smallest food stall that I saw. It’s literally the width of a hallway.

OK, the subway entrance is somewhere on this road.

Found it. The lines are marked by number and color.

For a set price, you can ride anywhere in the system. I love these one price systems the best for their simplicity. The best part is that the stub is not needed to exit, so you insert the ticket at the entrance and that’s it. I forgot how much the tickets were, I think $3 pesos each. Anyhow, it’s super cheap.

Got on a train right away. Look, it’s more or less just like any other subway I’ve been to in my life. I love subways. Those whiny bitches complaining about subways.

All the stations also have a corresponding picture. The system is designed with illiteracy in mind.

By the way, it’s much more evident standing inside a subway train, but I am basically the tallest person around these parts at 5’10. I am easily in the top 95 percentile if not higher for height. GR, you’d be downright a freak if you visited Mexico City. I hear the circus is hiring in Mexico City…

Nice and clean with frequent services.

Transfer to a different line.

Barely had to wait.

Here’s my stop. I think I had to go a total of 11 stops from my first station to get here.

Book sellers inside the station.

Of course, the ascending escalator is broken.

Oh oh oh, I wonder what lies above.

Street vendors!

Some green Cheetos looking snacks.

Odd to see this here.

I’ve got a twenty minute walk ahead of me to get into the heart of Coyoacán.

Viveros is a giant green space in this area. It’s fenced off on all sides though, and there are only a few entrances into it. I took the picture above through the fence.

They have some modern buildings here. For some reason, I liked this one.

It’s nice quiet and serene over here in Coyoacán. I feel like I am in a different world.

My guidebook had suggested here for food, but they didn’t seem to have patrons, so I decided against it. I am starting to get hungry, but I am inside Coyoacán now so there are many other dining options.

Lots of huge compounds in this area. Money.

I walked by this and did a double take. Sure, why not, I’ll have some coffee.

Cool little triangular space.

Love how the entrance is at the tip of the triangle. Reminds me of this cafe I visited in Paris.

Chocolate croissant and cappuccino, the snack of champions. I was able to use the wifi in the cafe to Skype with my mother while I chilled here. The only way for my mom to know that I am alive is when I update my blog or when I call her. She said that she still hasn’t had time to check the blog, and I hadn’t called her for 2 days. She isn’t concerned about me being by myself here in Mexico City. Thanks mom…

Such a beautiful and quiet neighborhood. This area actually feels like a real neighborhood. I feel like people who live here have real sorrows and real happiness. This is a neighborhood with soul.

I saw a few of these on walls, have no idea what they are.

Entrance to Jardin Centenario, the smaller of the two plazas here in Coyoacán. These two plazas is what ties the whole neighborhood together.

Jardin Centenario. Pictures can’t do this place justice. You enter into this spot and immediate you want to sit down on a bench and reflect about leading a happy life.

Restaurants surrounds this park.

The center piece is a pair of coyotes fountain. I sat here for a while and reflected on leading a happy life.

Even the ostracized girl with blue hair and head phones might be pondering about leading a happier life…well, maybe.

Happy parents with the dad being goofy to his baby.

That’s enough happiness, my stomach is hungry and it’s time to move on. One end of Jardin Centenario exits onto the bigger of the two plazas, Jardin Hidalgo.

Lovers, rejoice….tomorrow! (tomorrow is Valentines Day)

Parroquia y Ex-Convento de San Juan Bautista. That was a mouthful. I am just going to call it Church in Jardin Hidalgo.

Looking back towards Jardin Centenario. I think I can happily live in Coyoacán.

I guess that’s a model of John the Baptist. Everyone came in and touched him before moving onto the pews. I did not touch John the Baptist.

It would have been peaceful if the sermon wasn’t being given on really loud and booming speakers. Still kind of powerful to sit here even though I am not religious. Today is also Ash Wednesday, so all day I saw people walking around with ash on their foreheads.

I was going to eat at this cantina because my guidebook had suggested it. Well, It’s closed…Maybe it’s only open for dinner. 0 for 2 on guidebook restaurant suggestions today.

I am hungry, want to eat, but this kind of scares me a little.

The top of the cab is also usable for trash collecting.

Can you believe something like this exists in Mexico City? This is something I feel like I would see in Northeast US.

So, I went down to my third dining option according to the guide book. I got to the spot that the taquería was supposed to exist, well, it’s not there. 0 for 3 today on guidebook restaurant suggestions.

There was, however, this small nook of a taco stand. I literally walked back and forth debating if I want to risk it and just eat. The restaurant was about half full of seemingly healthy non-food poisoned people. Fuck it, I am starving, I am going to sit down.

I sat down on the counter and staring right across from me was a large slab of unrefrigerated meat. Fuck it, I am starving and I am not going to leave without eating something.

I look to my left and there are links of unrefrigerated chorizo and premade tacos with meat filling. Fuck it, I am starving. Too late to turn back around now.

Let’s see, what do I understand. Flautas de Barbacoa. Done! I made this selection based on a few a priori. 1. I know flautas, I know barbacoa, and I like both. 2. It’s listed on the top of the list so it must be popular. 3. It’s one of the more expensive items so it means the portion should be semi filling.

That actually looks very good. I am excited. I also got a glass bottled Coke to go with my meal. Love the nostalgic feeling of drinking glass bottled Coke.

The flautas were splendid. I’ve also never seen avocado sliced so thin. They were thin like sandwich meat.

By the time I finished my tasty flautas, the shop is at capacity. I think I made a good choice food health wise and taste bud wise.

A cafe with only bench seating along the sidewalk. This place was really popular. Judging by their clientele, I bet it’s an institution and has been around here forever.

Side note: I am still drunk as I am typing this at noon time; yet, I haven’t had a drop of alcohol since the sun has been up. Yeah, you know what that means…Details of the debauchery to come later.

There she is, La Casa Azul, the Frida Kahlo Museum. This is what I wanted to see the most here in Coyoacán. I don’t have an unhealthy obsession with anatomically correct mannequins; however, I do have an unhealthy obsession with Frida Kahlo. That Frida, she’s so hot!

Excited!

Photo permit. Despite me having to pay extra for the permit, I was actually really happy about it. I remember reading about how photos weren’t allowed inside, but happily that’s not the case.

Front entrance looking out to street. Let’s do this!

To be continued at Mexico City Day 3 Part 2.