After four days in México city we realized that we’re still not big city people and that there’s no way we could stay there long enough to even scratch the surface of all there is to see and do. That’s not to say we didn’t enjoy ourselves, just that it was time to leave the city.
Witt wrote the last web update on the hotel’s rooftop terrace. An afternoon thunderstorm cooled things off and cleared out the air, at least for a while.
We visited a children’s museum in the city; it was a big hit with Q.
The water table was a favorite attraction.
Teamwork!
Looking at bugs through a magnifying glass was fun for a few minutes.
The next day we visited the amazing anthropological museum.
It’s world-renowned, with exhibits covering the people of México from prehistoric to present times.
Quinn thought it would be fun to climb into this giant basket and roll along the floor.
Green Mole, aka pipian
On our last day in the city we made the trek by train to Xochimilco, an area of the city consisting of canals and islands. When Cortes first arrived in Tenochtitlán, the Aztec predecessor to México city, the city of pyramids and canals was built on an island in the middle of Lake Texcoco. Xochimilco is reminiscent of the ancient Aztec city and there we could hire a boat (and driver) to take us through the canals. The local market is on the canal, too, with vendors offering everything from food and refreshments to mariachi music and various souvenirs. It was very relaxing.
The next day we went to Xochimilco (so-she-mil-co) and spent a couple of hours touring the canals by boat.
We visited a small zoo that housed some cool snakes, salamanders, and turtles.
Sunset over the city
The next morning we took the metro to the airport so we could fly to Chetumal (in the southeast corner of México).
I remember the first time Krispy Kreme donuts opened in Denver. It was a big deal, with everyone bringing donuts to work for a week or so. Apparently Krispy Kreme is a phenomenon here too, because at least 4 or 5 people on the plane had big bags of Krispy Kreme donuts with them, apparently to share with friends and family in Chetumal.
We spent the evening by the pool at our hotel in Chetumal. The next morning we boarded a bus to Belize City. The bus was second class, and the whole trip took over 5 hours. At least the breezes coming in through the windows kept things somewhat cool. Being in the heat and humidity of the tropics is quite a shock after the drier, high altitude interior of México.
The next morning we boarded a boat for the final leg of our trip to Caye Caulker.
The harbor in Belize City