| -> | | | | people were already waiting to pick up their loved |
| After a few very hectic days before my | | | | ones. Vanessa, my co-worker and local Mexican |
| departure I got up at 4:30 am yesterday and my | | | | expert, was nowhere to be seen. I waited about |
| husband drove me to the airport. Since my flight | | | | 15 minutes, exchanged some Canadian dollars into |
| was with Delta Airlines and had a stopover in | | | | Pesos, and just a little later I saw her walking |
| Atlanta, I had to go through US immigration, as | | | | towards me. There was a second exit where |
| always an interesting experience. The whole | | | | she, her dad and her mom-in-law had already |
| procedure took me about 45 minutes, but finally I | | | | been waiting for me. Vanessa has already been in |
| was through. Then it was off onto the bus to get | | | | town since last Saturday to visit her family and it |
| to the departure terminal. Our flight was | | | | was great to meet her father and mother-in-law. |
| scheduled to depart at 8:20 and sure enough, at | | | | After a brief walk through a large airport hall, her |
| about 7:20 there was an announcement that the | | | | mom-in-law departed and the 3 of us started our |
| "rudder control switch" was loose and that | | | | explorations of Mexico City. We drove through |
| maintenance would have to be called in. The | | | | the southern part of the city that is relatively |
| ground personnel indicated that they were still | | | | modern and was built around the 1950s. Cars are |
| trying to get us off the ground in the same plane, | | | | also up-to-date models with surprisingly many |
| but it could take a while. | | | | European cars such as Renaults, Seats and Alfa |
| I was starting to get a little concerned since I | | | | Romeos. Our first stop was at a local market |
| would have less than an hour in Atlanta before | | | | (called a "tianguis") where market day is held once |
| my connection flight would leave for Mexico City. | | | | a week by merchants who move around from |
| Well, the maintenance crew came in and with | | | | town to town. Fruits, vegetables, meat, clothing, |
| about a 40 minute delay we got off the ground in | | | | arts and crafts were on sale in portable stalls and |
| Toronto after being reassured that we should still | | | | we settled in for our first meal. I had a quesadilla |
| be able to make our connection flights and that | | | | de flor de calabaza (quesadilla with cheese and |
| time would be made up in the air. | | | | pumpkin flower - just scrumptious). |
| Approaching Atlanta I noticed that this city must | | | | On our walk around, Vanessa started explaining |
| obviously be undergoing a lot of growth: new | | | | the various vegetables and fruits, many of which |
| subdivisions are being built everywhere in the | | | | I had never seen. For dessert we had a "nieve" |
| forested areas, many of them quite large with a | | | | which is kind of similar to gelato (not |
| lot of space between neighbouring homes. The soil | | | | cream-based) and very delicious. I had 3 flavours |
| in Atlanta is orange-red, so looking at it from the | | | | in my cup: queso (cheese), mamey (a tropical |
| plane you see this colourful tapestry of green | | | | fruit) and beso de angel (the "kiss of the angel" |
| (forest), grey (roads, buildings) and reddish hues | | | | flavour which includes strawberries and a whole |
| with a relatively small cluster of skyscapers | | | | bunch of other mixtures). |
| announcing downtown. | | | | From there we went on to drop off my luggage |
| I always like to look at different cities from the | | | | and pick up Vanessa's mom and then we drove |
| air since even a first glance gives you a really | | | | through the historic area of Coyoacán, an |
| good idea what's going on with a place. Ground | | | | area with tree-lined streets, museums, art |
| personnel were already waiting at our arrival in | | | | galleries and cobble-stone pavement. |
| Atlanta and were directing us to our connecting | | | | Coyoacán is called "the place of the |
| flights. I had to move from terminal B to terminal | | | | coyotes" and sure enough, one of the central |
| E, so I caught an underground train that connects | | | | attractions is a fountain featuring two coyotes in |
| the various terminals at this airport. When I got to | | | | the beautiful Jardín Centenario. We also |
| my gate I walked right into the plane as the flight | | | | visited the charming Iglesia de Santa Caterina and |
| was boarding already. | | | | Vanessa pointed out all the various shrines inside |
| With a sigh of relief I plunked myself down in my | | | | the church where people had left golden hearts |
| window seat and started to relax, sure that I | | | | and little trinkets, all evidence of miracles caused |
| would be able to make it into Mexico City on time | | | | by the Virgen de Guadelupe. |
| after all. As time went on, I started chatting with | | | | We walked through the entire Coyoacán |
| the young lady beside me, who lives in Minnesota | | | | Area and right next to the church we saw local |
| and was flying on from Mexico City to | | | | Indian women selling little dolls, we saw an organ |
| Mérida on the Yucatan Peninsula. She said | | | | player, many different stalls were selling Mexican |
| that she was visiting friends who had retired early | | | | delicacies and sweets. Young people were sitting |
| in Mérida and are having a great time. | | | | down chatting, couples were flirting, children were |
| They lost their jobs with the local Minnesota state | | | | playing. |
| government in their late to mid-fifties and started | | | | Vanessa and I walked through a few local |
| researching the possibility of retiring outside of the | | | | markets, some of them selling fruits, vegetables |
| US and finally settled on Mérida where | | | | and meat, others selling handicrafts, arts and |
| they are apparently really enjoying themselves. | | | | paintings. Altogether this was an extremely lively |
| They have learned Spanish and are very well | | | | and colourful scene. I ended up buying a few small |
| integrated in the local expatriate community as | | | | hand-painted brightly coloured pictures in yellow, |
| well as with Mexican locals. My conversation | | | | purple and green frames that I found very |
| partner promised to link me up with her friends | | | | charming. |
| so I'd be able to do an interview with them about | | | | Then we reconnected with Vanessa's parents and |
| their retirement lifestyle in Mexico. | | | | had dinner in a restaurant overlooking the main |
| Our approach to Mexico City was quite a contrast | | | | square of Coyoacán. The restaurant called |
| to approaching Atlanta. In Atlanta the air had been | | | | Sanborns was housed in a historic building and |
| clear, there were lots of forests and greenery | | | | beautifully decorated. I had a tortilla soup and a |
| and houses were spaced far apart. The sky over | | | | spinach salad. Vanessa had warned me earlier that |
| Mexico City on the other hand was extremely | | | | salads can be a bit dicey from a hygienic point of |
| hazy. As it is currently the largest city in the | | | | view, so I thought that since this was a pretty |
| world with a population of about 25 million, its | | | | high class establishment, here is my opportunity |
| dimensions are huge, and houses and buildings are | | | | to eat some greens without invoking the |
| built very close together. I saw a series of office | | | | Revenge of Montezuma. Vanessa had some |
| towers in the downtown areas and many of the | | | | interesting local delicacies: cows feet. I am not |
| residential areas had highrises as well. | | | | normally one for eating a lot of meat, particularly |
| Finally we landed, right on time, and we passed | | | | anything that comes from strange body parts, |
| through immigration very quickly and by the time | | | | but I gave it a try: the meat had a gelatine-like |
| my passport and immigration forms were | | | | consistency, but was actually very tasty. |
| checked, my suitcase was already rolling around | | | | We had a lovely conversation, and drove back to |
| on the baggage carousel. I don't think I've ever | | | | the apartment. By about 9:30 I was completely |
| seen such efficiency at any large airport - quite | | | | wiped and crashed into my bed. |
| surprising. I came out of the exit where a lot of | | | | |