Mike and Wendy's holiday blog: October 2018

Thursday 25 October

A free day to wander. We walked up to the aquaduct and then round the town. Beautiful sunshine!

We'd left washing to be done when went out in the morning. When we got back at lunchtime it was all done and folded on our bed - along with towels in the shape of swans with ribbon bows!

In the evening it was time to celebrate Stan's birthday at a lovely restaurant overlooking the cathedral.

Once again our room had been very 'quaint' with a very high beamed ceiling, a sewing machine and a whole display of antique memorabilia! And the flimsiest, tiniest padlock ever!

Friday 26 October

Long journey back to Mexico city and the hotel we'd first started in. As we'd all had varying degrees of 'quaint' and 'quirky' with wonky showers, non flushing loos, iffy wifi, searching for breakfasts, strangely placed sockets, nearly non existent lighting etc we were glad to be back to something we knew!!

But what an adventure!

Saturday 27 October

Said our final goodbyes and went for a walk with Stan to look at the huge monsters made from papier mache which had been displayed in the procession the week before while we were travelling.

Then in the afternoon it was the Day of the Dead parade - started after the James Bond film was shown.

Sunday 28 October

A free day with no agendas and no alarms! We had a leisurely breakfast then walked towards the huge Chaputlec park. The main road was blocked off again for a bike ride.

There was loads going on at the sides of the road - all the sugar skulls and figures from previously mixed with all types of street vendors, beggars and street musicians. Even keep fit and a small procession with a shrine.

People were selling all types of food and drink - even frying up chips in huge sinks of boiling oil. They were making candy floss from hand turned devices and every so often a long whisp would escape and the kids would try to catch it before it went too high.

When I asked for prices some of the street vendors would give me their normal prices but some would try hugely inflated amounts!!

No idea why there was a long display of dangling bread in an entrance to somewhere - or why it was being guarded as people took photos!

Found out later it was the special bread of the dead with bone shaped pieces on top.

Loads going in the park and it got very busy later.

There was a garden made entirely from recycled plastic collected by the refuse men who were working with a Danish artist.

The botanical garden was lovely and the sun came out briefly. There were even butterflies!

In the evening we went for a walk and found the library/restaurant where we'd had our first Mexican meal. This time we weren't in semi darkness not knowing what to order so it was a better experience with tastier food - and half the price!

Monday 29 October

We had a leisurely morning and met Stan again at breakfast. He hadn't gone out on the group trip as it was to a place we had visited last week but he was meeting up with part of the group later as they started moving on in their tour. So we said our final goodbyes.

We went out to look for the Posada del Sol which was an abandoned hotel. We had a nice walk through the Cuatahmoc area and eventually found it.

Looked like it was a lovely building in its heyday.

There were more Catrina figures in the square - getting ready for the big celebrations. It looked as though they would all be lit up at night.

We then walked on to Zocalo and had a sandwich and ordered a poster I'd seen. We had a further bit of a wander and then got the metro back to the hotel.

Later in the evening we walked back to a fish restaurant Mike had spotted. There was a huge lighting storm as we went - then it rained heavily whilst we were eating. A lovely meal.

Tuesday 30 October

Met the new group today - all seem very nice. We are the only couple and the only ones from the UK. Some Canadians, some from USA and a German girl. Think we are the oldest.

Group leader is Alexandra and driver is Herbert.

Once we got all the names we realised that we had Alexandra the leader plus another Alexandra. We had René male and Renee female. And we had two Christinas - both from Germany and both doctors!! It got a tad confusing at times!

Took the minibus to Zocalo for an orientation tour. Had a short wander and went to National Palace to look at the murals but it was closed.

Walked to la Opera for a meal - very nice.

Back into bus to visit a fruit and veg market - it rained. Then back to the hotel where some of them went off to visit a museum.

We went for a walk.

What happens when you leave the children minding the house!...

Wednesday 31 October

A visit to the Anahuacalli museum which houses the huge collection of all types of art which belonged to Diego Rivera. Set in its own building and grounds and designed by him

Then on to a nearby market before a visit to the Frida Kahlo which we'd been to the previous week but which was worth a second visit.

Thursday 1 November

We firstly went to see the Day of the Dead altars which were being prepared at UNAM - university of Mexico in honour of the students who were killed there 50 years ago.

Then we went to look at more Rivera murals on the side of the university buildings.

Went for 'machetes' - long fried flour sort of tacos which were filled and then cut into slices. At some point Reneé got locked in the loo and it took about half an hour to break the lock and get her out.

Very funny. Well for us anyway - probably not so much for her!

We had decided as a group to take the optional trip out to Xochimilco in order to visit the Dolls Island - an island dedicated to the lost soul of a girl who drowned there in mysterious circumstances. This island is home to hundreds of dolls with decapitated heads and limbs said to be possessed by the girl's spirit.

We were told that drinks and snacks would be included in the tour price.

So we got on the boat and waited. Eventually another Intrepid party arrived and we all squashed on - bit of a tight squeeze!

They had snacks of tacos and soon got into the party spirit with beers and four bottles of tequila which were placed down their end of the table along with shot glasses.

When their leader was told it was Mike's birthday he sent a shot glass of tequila along the table for him and asked our party if they wanted beers so about 6 of them had a beer.

And that was that. The younger end of the 'hooray henries' in the other group soon got into the party spirit and our group sat like the poor relations at the other end of the boat.

After about an hour we stopped and Mike asked one of the other party how much they'd paid for the trip. Exactly the same as us!

Turns out the drinks had been to share for all of us but neither their leader (who was too busy partying with his group) or our leader (too busy texting on her phone and not interacting with her group at all) had bothered to mention this.

Once our group realised this (and approached the leader who confirmed they were to share) they took one of the part bottles of tequila down to our end of the table and people had a drink. Shortly after one of the hooray henriettas came to claim it back - looking disgustedly at the inch that was left in the bottom. So they obviously hadn't been told that it wasn't all theirs.

Our group asked for beers only to be told that they'd all gone.

So at the next stop Alexandra came back with a bottle of tequila and some plastic cups and poured them out for our group. I said it was a bit late but she said well we have some now. Yes I said, but the others are two hours and four bottles ahead!! But at least our group were a bit happier though one of them fired off an email complaint on the spot!!

All very annoying. And more so once I realised that we'd gone past the Dolls Island and not been told! Not that I could have done anything anyway as we were so wedged in that we couldn't move.

So an annoying trip in the end - not that I even drink tequila!!

Then to top it off as we were leaving the boat one of our party saw the other leader putting bottles of beer into his rucksack. My perks he told her.

Our beers!!

Friday 2 November

Went to market to buy items to make an altar. Others went to climb up to the pyramid.

Made altar.

Back into the bus for a visit to a cemetery.

Mike and I got off the bus - in complete darkness - with Rene - only to find NOONE! The rest of the group had obviously started walking somewhere without the leader checking everyone was there.

Went to several obvious corners to see if we could spot them - nothing. Then saw the bus drive off to park somewhere.

Not happy...

Asked where the cemetery was, thinking that we would catch them up on the way then set off in the dark.

Noone...

Got to the cemetery which was heaving with people.

...and it started raining.

Arranged to meet René at the gate at 8pm to decide what to do next if we hadn't found anyone - he was itching to set off and take photos and there was no way we would be able to stay together.

Then when I turned round Mike disappeared too!

After 5 very long minutes he reappeared - having been waiting literally round the corner, doing the same as me, waiting at the same spot to be found.

So we trudged round the cemetery in the dark and in the pouring rain, not looking at the people enjoying their family time but scouring faces for anyone that we knew - and getting more and more furious by the minute.

Eventually we just stood there and we must have looked very lost because a woman approached us and asked if we needed help. She was one of the other Intrepid leaders and apparently a red alert had gone out to try and find us!!

We eventually rejoined our group. By this time I was INCANDESCENT and laid into Alex (our tour leader) with an absolute barrage. She just stood and said nothing (Mike said she looked like a rabbit caught in headlights!). Turns out they had gone somewhere for hot chocolate and we had not been missed for quite a while. Then when Alex realised we weren't there she turned to Renee and more or less said thought they were with you!!

At this point Renee said 'Where's René?' so he hadn't even been missed!!

So a shambles really! Though Renee told us later that she'd said to Alex that if anyone had to be missing in the group then it was best that it was us three - all speaking Spanish - rather than some of the younger ones in the group who had no idea and little common sense.

She also said 'But I'll tell you this Alex - Wendy will be pissed!' - how right she was!!

We found out that this had also meant that our group were in a sort of lockdown - not being allowed to go off on their own. So in the end we had about 20 minutes to wander on our own before we were hustled back onto the bus.

As we settled soggily back onto the bus one of our group said in a jokey way - 'So did you get lost then?'

''LOST? LOST?' I said ''We were never LOST. We were ABANDONNED'.

End of conversation!...

So an eventful evening but I calmed down enough to take a few pictures of graves which had been visited by families earlier in the day and had been left with lighted candles.

Saturday 3 November

Last breakfast with the group. Finally had an apology from Alex who said she should have made instructions clearer. It wasn't about the instructions - she had not counted her group and had left us!! She had lost 25% of her group!!

Apologised for swearing but stood by what I had said.

Uber ride out to the Dolores museum to see her Frida Kahlo collection - only to find it had been loaned to the National Gallery in Hungary.

Still enjoyed our wander though. And our ordinary taxi coming back was actually cheaper than the Uber - even though it took longer and we went a longer route!

Sunday 4 November

Walk to the Anthropology museum.