On our last full day of our trip to Mexico City, we decided to get up early and walk around the Zócalo Central Historical area before it became too hot. The city has a marvelous mountain climate; cool in the morning and warm during the day. It is also at high altitude with air pollution so you may tire easily. At breakfast we enjoyed the breeze on the open-air restaurant of our hotel, gazing over the magnificent Plaza. Once it was Aztec; now Spanish Colonial. The Plaza had organized protests on every day. It was very quiet and civil. On this morning there was some loud noises but we couldn’t figure out where or what caused this.
I set off at a brisk pace, with Teddy struggling to keep up. He is much more fit than me but I didn’t realize that he was struggling with a reaction to seafood (THAT HE SHOULD NOT HAVE EATEN!) We started at a very old Synagogue but they would not allow us entry without a driving license or passport. These items were safely ensconced in our hotel safe and we could not be bothered walking back. This area of the city is built on a grid so we decided to walk on the other side of the Plaza from our hotel. We noticed that a few of the streets were blocked off but could see no reason why. It was a tad annoying for old people with sore feet…
The shopkeepers and street vendors were very busy washing the streets with bleach or disinfectant. The blocks were organized per product. You could only buy fabric in one section or tools in another. It was fascinating and took us straight back to the souks in Cairo. On the other side of the Plaza, it was completely different with department stores and fancy shops. I had fun browsing in H & M and Zara. It was as though 1st world luxuries and 3rd world necessities met at the Plaza.
The streets were crowded and narrow but it was it was just people going about their business. We had no sense of danger. Then we spotted some riot police and my antennae twitched – just like a cockroach. Was something happening? The first group of riot police were taking a selfie so perhaps it was just a routine drill. Teddy noticed that half of them were the prettiest riot police he had ever seen…
We were getting hot and bothered. Teddy’s face was turning a strange color so we headed for a large department store that had a rooftop restaurant. When we entered the ‘Liverpool’ department store we were asked what we wanted. Que? I told them that we wanted to go to the rooftop restaurant. We were accompanied by a uniformed member of staff to the top floor. Then I realized that the regular store was not open yet (it was still early morning) but the restaurant was open for breakfast/brunch. The staff were making sure we didn’t steal any of the designer togs! Very sensible given we wear thrift clothes on vacation. Brief segue – isn’t it strange that Liverpool is the name of the group of department stores? It doesn’t seem glamorous to me…
The restaurant was full of locals having relaxed breakfasts. We just needed juice, water and coffee. Teddy still didn’t look well so he decided to head back to the hotel and I stayed to browse the designer togs (that I wouldn’t be buying.) By the time we finished our drinks, the store was fully open and I happily meandered all over the store. We have always enjoyed eating at department stores around the world. Usually the food is good, there are few tourists and the price is lower.
By the time I returned to the hotel, Teddy was sitting in the lobby looking miserable. We went back to our room and he went back to bed where he stayed. He had a fever and I was concerned we would end up at a local hospital. While he was sleeping, I browsed the internet and discovered the cause of the commotion in the morning. A group of young men in a pickup truck had stormed the door of the Presidential Palace where the then President Obrador was giving a speech. They were protesting the disappearance of 43 young men in 2014. Here is a link to the news article. https://nypost.com/2024/03/07/world-news/mexico-protesters-knock-down-door-of-presidential-palace/
We live in a very safe and unexciting township. The only violence I have suffered is at the wings of a swan and my three Egyptian cats. Mexico City was an interesting change of pace. The next day Teddy seemed much better and we headed back to home. We were relieved to get home but thoroughly enjoyed our exciting trip to Mexico City. Friends have asked how safe it felt but even with the political incident, I had no sense of danger during daytime in the small area of the central historical area. There were many police officers in the tourist areas and locals were friendly.
We took an Uber back to the airport and this driver should have starred in ‘Fast and Furious‘. It had taken us about an hour to get to our hotel, after our arrival. This return journey took a hair-raising 15 minutos. He took us through a very interesting part of the city. As he was maneuvering through the crazy traffic, I noticed a little baggie of a white substance on the pavement. Was it cocaine or baking soda? We will never know.
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Postcards from Kerry 