Day three in Mexico City, Mexico

I am not if it the late night movies, the heat, the comfort of the sofa bed or the more relaxed and casual timetable I have here in Mexico City, but I have been sleeping longer and doing less in the mornings than in other cities, and as K' had work and I had photos to sort out and blog entries to update, it was around 2pm when we finally decided to leave and take a tour around the city centre and visit the Zocalo and other sites of interest.

However, although it was not exactly a frightening nightmare as such ( and it didn't wake me screaming or sweating ), I did wake during the night somewhat suddenly from a bizarre dream that was disturbing enough for me not to be able to instantly forget it and drift back asleep, and I ended up tossing and turning for at least an hour before I finally managed to make it back asleep.

For a change, we did not drive into town, but instead took the local metro system which I think was not only very cheap ( a single ticket being a mere 2 pesos, which is like 10p ) but it was fast and very efficient and tourist friendly with large simple images above each of the city names so that even if you dont know or cant pronounce the name properly, you can have a good idea of what is there and where you need to go. In fact, the only thing that I didn't like was that as the super slimline train pulled into each station, the driver was a little too inexperienced or in a hurry and kept lurching to a stop instead of a more calm and smooth rest.

At the central station there is a large model of Temple Major which showed what the ancient Indian Mexico City very probably looked like as based on information gathered from other nearby sites, the last remaining ruins still evident in the very city centre and from geological surveys taken from the surrounding area. If the model is in anyway accurate then it was indeed a huge walled city, with as many as six huge central structures or pyramids and dozens of lesser building complexes all artfully decorated in coloured bands of red, yellow and blue.

Being a Monday the actual site of Temple Major itself was closer off to the public, but you could still see some of the edges of the upper most walls through the fencing and it was enough to get a taster and feel of the place, adding weight to the probability that the model below was not far off the truth.

As the ruins were off limits for the day, and K' had no real liking for gonig skating, snow luging or joining in much of the other Christmas frivolities that were being held in the main square, instead I was more than happy to leave behind the fake snow and head off to visit the nearby Palacio Nacional, with its beautiful cactus gardens and three tiered archway inner enclosures.

After going through a security metal scanners and asked for ID ( thankfully K' talked my way through as I had left me passport behind, not having needed it til now ) and the courtyard had a fabulous fountain that in the sunlight was backed by the impressive ornate archways that were an budding architects wet dream.

Sculptures and statues abounded inside and yet it was the many decorative wall paintings / collages that attracted the most attention and indeed where the group of American tourists guide was featuring on mostly. In a series of connecting paintings the entire height of the wall, the artworks showed the history of Mexico City from its original roots, through the invasion by the Spaniards right through to almost modern day where science and industry dominated the final panal.

Next we took a gentle stroll around the centre before arriving at a restaurant that was once a elegant town house, one of the first buildings built in the new Mexico City and still possessig much of its historical quaintness and original fixtures, with complete chandaliers, pillars and ornate wooden picture frames, doorways and stair cases.

The food and the price are not exceptionally good, but all that pales against the wonderful setting and you could imagine that some of the locals might decide to dress up especially for coming to such a place and having a full three course meal before going on to watch a stage show or some other such twilight extravaganza.

With the light beginning to fade we took a walk around the Cathedral, with its beautiful confessional booths, gold leafed pulpits and grandious organs that when played I imagine would drown out all but the most enthusiastic of choirs.

Our final stop before the daylight failed was a walk along to the Palacio de Bellaz Artes, that was an beautiful on the inside as it was on the outside. I have never been one for spending hours walking through art galleries and possibly due to my premature awakening this morning, despite it being only around 6pm I could barely suppress my yawnings, so much so that I started K' off and so together we just walked to the nearby metro stop and came home without spending more than a few minutes in the Palacios' main lobby.

Another slightly jarred but fast metro ride back we just grabbed a bite to eat, watched a movie and talked before it was yet again time to make up the sofabed and for me to fall asleep.

In my three days I have enjoyed my time in Mexico City and my time with K' enough so that I decided that there was still so much that I wanted to see and do that I made my first real major diversion of my route around the world and instead of heading on up to Orlando Florida and then across to the Dominican Republic for Christmas, I have decided to return here after visiting Cancun and Chichen Itza, so that I can get to know more a place that thus far never ceases to intrigue or impress me.

This change will also mean that I can spend both Christmas and New Year in a city that is modern, fun, safe and without the need to take several flights and long bus rides at the very peak of the holiday season.