Tacos, pyramids and buenas amigas

Luck was most certainly on my side last week ... it's not all that often that you just happen to have a conference (aka work) in Mexico ... and definitely not all that often that it just happens to take place only Tuesday and Wednesday, meaning that, with intercontinental travel times, you wouldn't be able to make it in to work at all during the week anyway. Shucks. Guess that just means I'd have to stay for a week then, huh? Indeed.

If all you want to see are pictures, you'll find them HERE, otherwise a few highlights from the ever-so-enjoyable (work?) trip went about something like this:

Welcome to Mexican road rules ... Arrive two hours later than expected, blowing all carefully planned intents to arrive before nightfall and upping the adrenaline self-protection level of the solo gringa with who-knows-what treasures in the evident suitcase (seen from the eyes of potential take-advantagers). Hop into (supposedly "authorized") taxi, hold breath throughout entire first Mexican driving experience. (Um, that was a RED light? Oh, sorry, I guess the lines are painted on the roads merely for visual effect because, really, I guess you can't expect people to actually stay between the lines AND ditch all of the giagantic potholes. Did someone say that it's not a good idea to drink and drive? Yes, please, just run right across the road there; afterall, pedestrian crosswalks are most inconvenient. And you thought we'd be there in less than one hour? Come on, there's a reason Mexicans are infamous for always being "late".) Quickly learned that knowing the "colonia" (neighborhood) is just as much as important a part of the address as the street and house number itself ... after driving around endlessly and being within mere seconds of pissing the taxi driver off so much he was going to leave me on the side of the road ...

Oops, I forgot, the purpose of the trip is business ... Walk into the conference just a tad late to find myself attempting to hurdle the dozens of journalists, blindly navigate the flashes and play an akward game of limbo under the video cameras. Who knew this conference was going to end up plastered all over the evening news, let alone awkwardly get me an exclusive invite to dine with the Mexican First Lady and the Ambassador's club? Three words: Cool yet awkward. And then of course, there was my major schedule screw up that had the embassy calling to inform me that I was MIA for my speech ... "Miss Ryan? Are you planning on presenting yourself for your intervention? Yes, well, if you could join us now, the meeting has started (20 minutes ago ...)"

Good food, smooth drinks and great times with old friends ... Nothing quite beats the thousands of roadside taco stands, complete with bunches of fresh cilantro and lime, bright lights, amazing smells of fresh cilantro and lime and people of every walk of life gathered 'round. Watching out for my health and personal well-being, though Pao wouldn't let me indulge. After "playing it safe" with some nummy mole enchiladas, I was especially thankful that my own personalized case of oral Montezuma's revenge was only temporary and in no way impeded the later consumption of tequila so smooth you could sip it solo - no chugging shots needed. Maybe that has something to do with how we ended up owning a large stuffed Cookie Monster and roses and having the mariachi band as our personal groupies the whole night ...

Of protests and pyramids ... Having a knack as I seem to for cluelessly ending up in the centre of the excitement, 2 October held true to course and I haphazardly found myself amidst hundreds of thousands of young people commemorating the 40th anniversary of the massacre of Tlatelolco - in which the government opened fire and killed some 400 students, protesting current government policies, demanding the release of political prisoners, demanding the return of kidnapped loved ones, declaring anarchy, etc. I decided to split town about the time that I got quite literally run over by the mob squads ... never know when the next government incited massacre will be ...

And last but not least, no lightening fast tour of Mexico City would ever be complete without a visit to mythical Teotihuacan ... the city that "was once Mesoamerica's greatest" and today the city with the world's most obnoxious street vendors ... ones that will follow you for kilometres, offer you everything under the sun at great deals and play eerie ghost-like owl whistles just to add to the ancient ghostly feel of the place. Need to remind yourself how completely unaccomplished you are? Head here, where the vastness, quality, immensity and creative design of the entire city will quickly put you in your place.