Life in Mexico City

I was fortunate enough to go to Mexico City the last half of May, 2012, with Curtis. He is actually working there for now and this has become his home 2-3 weeks each month!  So the following pictures are random to give you a taste of what I saw "that was unique" and "interesting". 

This is the chandelier hanging in the foyer of the Crown Plaza hotel which was our home away from home. I never got a photo of the front of the building. It reminded me much of Hawaii, doors wide open to the outside air. They had security men every where. You would see them talking into their little microphones on their shoulders. Never figured out who they were talking to!

Here is a parking garage, not far from Curtis' hotel (home away from home). If you notice, the cars pull in and park, then they are raised up, and a second car then pulls in and parks underneath it. I thought it was very clever for saving space. However, if the white car owner gets back first, whoever parks under it has to have that car moved and then the white car would get lowered. I thought if the hydraulics malfunctioned, OOPS to the cars underneath!

 We went for a walk one evening and found this interesting itersection. It was like a wheel with spokes. But if you notice up around the top is a green walkway. You can walk all the way around and go down stairs to the roadway at each street.  We used it to go over to a park area. Pretty fun! Curtis said he often sees people jogging around the upper walkway for their exercise.

Guess what! There is a Walmart near the World Trade Center and Curtis' hotel.  The store is built on the main level with food courts and other shopping. But inside had different stuff. The photo above is how you buy "ice cubes" there. Not in a bag, but in plastic trays! Seems to me, people would just make their own!

 This is how ketchup, pickles, mayonaise, and a whole lot of food is sold. In bags with spouts for pouring! Then when I got back to the states my daughter had some baby food for Kellan in a similar container for fruit!

 Have you heard of Mexican Federales?  Well, as we were trying to merge onto the freeway, there was a caravan of about 20 large military trucks. It was like taking our life in our driver's hands to merge with these things who wouldn't let us in!

 Another night we went walking around. I guess the owner of this apartment didn't want anyone to mess with their property.  Interestingly enough, I only saw the photo above and the one below (with spikes) on one street. I didn't see them anywhere else.  Makes you wonder who lives there and what they do for a living??

 When I saw these spikes, I thought out loud "I wonder if we could install these in my HOA?" Would certainly keep the teenagers from climbing over the fenses to shortcut it across to Burger King!

Another evening we found a really nice park. There were parents sitting on benches under the trees while their kids played on amazing "kid stuff".  I thought "Wow! How cool is this!"  It certainly gave me ideas for my HOA! The building in the back ground is the World Trade Center. Curtis' hotel was right behind it.

 One Saturday we went to the Zocalo (Center of Mexico City where the city originated) and they had Aztec dancers performing. We also found this guy. He is a "medicine man" and the black thing he is holding is "Basil (yes the spice)" that is burning and he waves the smoke from the Basil over the person to get rid of any bad "stuff" and give you "good energy".  There were people lined up to have him do it to them.  Each person paid him of course. (Priestcraft is what I was thinking.)

 This was one of my favorite stops. We went here a couple of times - it is an ice cream shop. They had fruit bars (which I am eating - a coconut one), ice cream, shakes, etc... They were so delicious.  We had just walked for 7 hours and I told Curtis, "I am sitting to eat this one!"

We finished lunch one afternoon and walking past this odd site! A Pink Volkswagon Bug stretch limo! We had to cross the street and walk next to it to see what the inside looked like. You had to sit along one side facing the opposite side, not forward like in a car. Totally weird!

This is where Curtis works. It is only 2 1/2 blocks from the hotel.  Notice the roll down doors over the front. Reminded me of Europe.  His office is up on the 7th floor.  You have to go through security to get in - I felt like I was boarding an airplane.  But at least I know he is safe when he is there!