the weather this week was not fun. it was cold and rainy basically the whole week. so i wanted to go on an outing Saturday. I got my bag ready to go, prepared directions and headed out.
No problems on the bus or metro. I love the people selling their cds on the metro (for 10 pesos...about a dollar) except as soon as i get excited about a song it changes to a different one. They want to give you a sample of the cd, but i just want to listen to the songs i like. I love that the metro here is 3 pesos and you rarely need to wait longer than 2 minutes for a metro to come. I also love the underground tunnels...I just think they're so complicated....up, down, around.
So I arrive at Coyocan to see a mall. Not the part I wanted to go to. So I sat down by the exit to the subway and started reading my book. I mean it was so nice out I couldn't pass it up. After awhile I decided to walk around and see if I stumbled across the part i actually wanted to be at.
As I was walking down the street I looked at the two people in front of me and they looked like trendy youngens so I decided I would follow them and keep my fingers crossed. I tried to keep a bit of a distance so they didn't think I was following them, but just that we happened to be walking in the same direction. I was encouraged by the man who was stopped with us at a stop light with his "guide to mexico city" book out. And I arrived...I never would have stumbled upon it.
I loved my time looking around. It was so cute, although rather touristy. Then I veered off to a market area. I walked around the downstairs area and was basically disappointed by all the touristy stuff so I was ready to leave and thought, 'I might as well go upstairs.' Which I loved! Everyone selling things was making it while they were selling. There was lots of henna, dread locks, bracelets, incense, etc. I loved it. I bought my mom's birthday present. (I saw the woman painting while I bought it so I knew she made it herself! But mom, I think you're going to have to wait until I come home to get it because Caro sent a package through Mexican mail in early December and her niece still hasn't received it.)
Then I decided I deserved henna as a birthday present. I LOVE henna! I went to several places and then ended up at this one where there was incense everywhere and I was fully relaxed while the woman applied the henna. By the way...this was real henna. I saw her mix it with some drops and like a tangerine type fruit and then I think she applied it with the end of a match. She told me to walk around for 10 minutes and come back for the finishing layer.
As soon as I walked out of the stand a couple girls asked me if they could interview me in English. I of course said yes. Many schools around here have the students do this so they end up at touristy locations and ask white people if they're American or speak english. This is the second time this has happened to me. This one actually spoke english better than the last one.
I went to wrap up my time in Coyocan with some letter writing by a water fountain and just as I sat down a very nice man (in his 40s) came over and asked if I was Irish. I said no and he sat down and started having a conversation in English. He said he wanted to practice his English, but we ended up talking for about an hour. He was a very interesting man. Apparently he has a bit of a ecological experiment for his house (about 10ish acres) on the city limits of Mexico City and invited me whenever I would like "to breathe clean aire." I actually think that would be lovely for a weekend. Don't worry, I won't go alone. He actually talked about the rain this week and how extremely rare it is, so much so that it actually scared him. He told me how the climate has been changing in Mexico City over the last few years, but mostly he talked about his life.
I'm really glad I met that man. That conversation was just the cherry on top of a wonderful day.
so after a bit of a rough friday night and start to my saturday morning, saturday was a WONDERFUL day! and tomorrow we're having our monthly community outing to some museum in Chilpultepec, but i think it's outside and as long as the weather's like it was today I'm pretty much guaranteed to like it.
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