Continued from Mexico City Day 4.

Late last night, I finally received an email from JM. Their flight had gotten delayed, so by the time they got in, it was too late to meet up. We made plans to meet up this morning here in Centro where my hotel is located. I also started packing up everything since I will be heading to another hotel in Santa Fe, closer to the wedding venue.

I woke up early, before my alarm even goes off. I rarely sleep well the days that I need to check out of the hotel. Checkout time is at 1:00pm. I don’t believe I’ve ever encountered such a late checkout time. How wonderful.

I got a message from JM at a little bit after 10am. Are they on the road? Nope. Their ride is running late, and there’s a baby in their group, so they’ll be moving slowly. Well, that’s fine, my checkout time isn’t until 1, so I’ll just relax in the hotel and catch up on some blogging and emails. I wait and wait and wait. At close to noon, they finally show up.

There they are! I was so excited to see them that I took a blurry photo. BM, JM, LG, CG and her cute baby MG.

Another beautiful day here in Mexico City.

We walk towards Zocalo and see that everything is fenced off with riot police everywhere. Don’t tell me there’s another event going on! We asked someone and yup, the president is in some sort of meeting and they had the whole area shut off, and won’t open for another hour. Our plan was to visit the National Palace, which is closed for another hour, so we decide to go visit Palacio de Bellas Artes first since no one but me has seen it.

What an inconvenience.

Last night I went through my photos trying to look for clues on finding my beloved tacos al pastor restaurant. As we walked towards Palacio de Bellas Artes, I spotted a building on a side street that looks familiar. Yes, it’s the building where the two lovers couldn’t stop from embracing each other. I remember that building being across from the taco restaurant.

Look at what I’ve found!!!! The gateway to heaven, and everyone is welcome!! I was actually on the right street yesterday, but I was on the wrong side of the street and somehow I had missed the restaurant on the other side. Idiot me.

We get 10 tacos to go. I’m talking up a big game about this to everyonex, I hope it doesn’t disappoint.

This day is already going great. Seriously though, Mexican girls are beautiful.

Palacio de Bellas Artes! Looks the same as all the other days that I’ve seen it, splendid.

We decided to eat our tacos in a shaded area in Alameda Central, the park next to Palacio de Bellas Artes.

When I took this photo, BM laughs and says that I’ve got an obsession with breasts. NO I DON’T! I prefer ass over boobs, it’s just that there are a lot more bare breasts to take photos of than asses.

Damnit, this one is the rare exception. BM, this exception doesn’t make you right!

Hemiciclo a Juárez.

We found shade, and MG found a way to blow through his diaper. Oops.

Well, a blowout isn’t going to keep me from eating the most delicious tacos ever concocted. Time to chow!! Everyone gets two as a snack. I ate my two, and now I want more!!! Why did I only get two?!?! Everyone loved the tacos, and I thought they were just as good as the first time!

Another one of those rare exceptions. The horse in this status has his full package instead of getting the Ken Doll treatment.

Everyone is going inside Palacio de Bellas Artes, but I had already been here. There is only one thing that I am destined to do, Eat. More. Tacos.!! I am going back to the taco place and everyone else can meet me there when they are done with Palacio de Bellas Artes.

I took the trash from our tacos and went in search of a trash can. At that moment, I realized that trashcans are very rare here in Mexico City. And yet, the streets are amazingly clean, devoid of trash. Do they have awesome cleaning crews or have they just been taught not to litter. Either way, I am amazed. But damnit, where is that trash can so I can throw this away.

Probably took me a good 5 minutes to come across a trashcan.

Back in heaven. Yessssss!!!!

Five tacos please! OHHHH So good! It’s just as good as the first time I had it.

So, with 5 more tacos consumed, my count is up to 7. Wait, I’ve never had 10 tacos in one sitting before. Hi, three more tacos please.

Ten tacos consumed!! Somewhere, someone is proud of me.

Here’s the problem. I ate 10 tacos(well, 8 in the restaurant), and no one has come back yet. I can’t just sit here without any food in front of me and take up a table. A beer solves that problem. Some 30 minutes later, JM and BM show up. LG, CG, and MG went to go meet some of LG’s friends in Polanco. I guess now we are a threesome.

Back in Zocalo. Tourist souvenirs.

While here, JM and BM went in to visit the Metropolitan Cathedral. I was just here yesterday…More tacos? Just kidding. I’ll come in and check it out again with them.

The light came into the church at a different angle due to time of day, so it was a little darker today. It felt a little calmer, but somehow I am just not feeling this church interior. I did take this fun photo though.

Street performers.

Hmmm, it’s been over an hour and everything in Zocalo is still fenced off. I went to the information desk, yes, the same one that I make inquires at yesterday. The guy said that National Palace will be closed today. This is the same guy who I spoke to yesterday who told me that the National Palace would be open today and told me the specific hours that it would be open. Ugh, incompetence. I guess I won’t be seeing the interior of the National Palace on this trip. How disappointing.

Since the National Palace is a bust, we’ll go across town and visit Chapultepec Castle. It’s late afternoon, rush hour has already started. I suggest that we take the subway to avoid car traffic.

Swarms of people are just going in and out of the subway. BM is apprehensive, and I can certainly understand. Imagine if it’s this crowded at the entrance and exit, how bad are the subway cars going to be. I told her that I already rode on the trains and it’s not bad. She goes along and down under we go.

Fortunately for all of us, the exit/entrance was the bottleneck. It’s not actually so crowded once we got into the station.

Here we are after a transfer in the middle. Easy breezy and no traffic.

4 pesos to use the restroom here. I actually don’t mind as paid restrooms are usually much cleaner and nicer.

A few weeks before this trip, I started taking conversational Spanish classes. I didn’t expect for it to help me much in so little time, but because of that class, I did recognize that baños means bathroom!

Way finding by landmark. There’s the Chapultepec Castle in the distance.

Niños Héroes. Six heros who died defending Mexico from…wait for it…United States.

I wish I had time to visit this modern arts museum. I think they’ve got some Frida Kahlo paintings. I love her.

A trolley, not a train, as JM mistakenly calls it. Trains move on rails.

A Mexican squirrel in funky colors. We also saw an all black squirrel.

Nope, not a train. No rails.

Remember this guy at Target in Portland?

Chapultepec means grasshopper. We paid 13 pesos for round trip trolley ride to the castle. It’s a moderately long uphill walk, and we are all lazy so we opted for the trolley.

Here!

Crap, a group of kids are here. We must beat them to the exhibits!

I took this photo and BM says, “look up!”

OK, this is more photo worthy for sure.

Murals all over this castle.

I love these people.

I thought that this was super cool and creative.

The wall of ugly people. I’ve been to a lot of museums and seen a lot of portraits, and never have I seen a whole series depicting a group of ugly power people so honestly.

One guy is cross eyed and another is missing an eye. I can’t believe none of these were embellished to make them look better. It would be scary to find out that these are the embellished versions…

On the opposite wall sits a whole series of portraits depicting what I believe to be another set of power people. These people are all put together and stately. What gives between the heinous differences on these two opposing series of portraits?

Starting from bottom right, you’ve got some modest neck ruffles. Then when it gets to the bottom left, it’s crazy huge neck ruffles. Or is it the other way around? I don’t know the chronological order, but it’s interesting how fashion changes. I still think too much of anything makes you look like an idiot and doesn’t stand the test of time too well.

I’ve never seen an eagle land on a cactus before. Then again, I’ve never seen an eagle hold 13 arrows and an olive branch before either.

Something about conquistadors and their allied getting executed.

If there’s such thing as a legendary painting, this is it. Holy shit, this was epic!

Little tiny dresses for 3 year old girls. BM standing there for size reference.

I pointed at Oriente and said “That’s where I am from.”, as a joke, since oriental is no longer PC to say. JM and BM thought that it was the funniest thing ever though. Oriente in this case means the direction East.

To be continued at Mexico City Day 5 Part 2.