10 days on...

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I'm back in Mexico City and back to reality after my little trip to the countryside. I arrived yesterday morning from Malinalco, the peaceful rural bubble where cows walk across the road with no regard for oncoming traffic, and there was a live nativity scene with children and animals built in the church grounds in a lifesize re-enactment of a village with pens and stalls and everything, and where I did loads of yoga and not much else - bliss. The bus I was on got steadily more packed as we picked up people from the roadside towards Mexico City. When I got to the Observatorio bus station I remembered it is nearly Xmas - it was thronging and seriously hectic - it was a bit of a shock. I really have been in my own little world this last week! I have now hooked up with the GAP group but we have no agenda until we leave Mexico City tomorrow so I've been happily doing my own thing and taking it easy around town.

And so from one world to another, I went to check out the Zocalo in Historio Centro in Mexico City yesterday. It is a massive plaza hemmed in by variously impressive architecture from Aztec, colonial and prerevolutionary eras. The square is also the ceremonial centre of Aztec Tenochtitlan, although the ruins aren't as impressive as I'd hoped - more a mound of rubble really. In normal circumstances it would be exciting to have even this remaining from such an ancient age, but in Mexico there are so many impressive ruins that this one is a bit of an anticlimax! On the way back I popped into a couple of art galleries and strolled through the Alameda which is a lovely peaceful park dotted with fountains and lots of shaded areas to laze away the time under the poplars. I did so involuntarily due to some particularly nasty blisters I had acccumulated. So I lied there waiting for the pain to subside before squeezing my sandals back on and wincing all the way back to the hotel.

I have one more day today in town and I'm heading to Chapultepec, 'hill of grasshoppers' in Nahuatl, which is a huge park with a zoo and the Anthropology museum. This avo I'm planning on heading south to the San Angel neighbourhood to see The Frida Kahlo's Blue House which featured in the film 'Frida'. I have decided to save the day trip to Tepotzotlan, which is an hour outside of the city, to when I am back in town next year. There is so much to see in Mexico City - I don't want to rush it. There is no point now that I am in the rare position of being a bum for the next few months!

Tomorrow AM I am heading to Puebla with the group where we will spend Xmas. It's strongly Catholic and conservative, with a Spanish affinity maintained here for much longer than other parts of Mexico, so I imagine Xmas will be a full on affair there. Although there are Xmas decorations around Mexico City it feels much more lowkey here and therefore is easy to forget the time of year. In some ways I like this as I get to avoid the Xmas mayhem of UK high streets, but it also makes it easier to forget that I won't be at home for Xmas. Maybe when I get to Puebla tomorrow afternoon on Xmas Eve I will feel sad that I won't see the Carnegie crew for the first time at Xmas! I have no doubt they will make up for my absence by consuming my share of alcohol at The Crown on Xmas day and more though. Any excuse. Ahem.

Not sure if I will be online at Puebla so if not, Happy Xmas to anyone reading this!