df, méxico

Time to face the demons.

Back to my old haunts in Mexico City.

It automatically felt so familiar to be back in Mexico City. I did notice some changes, though. More smart phones and less informal metro vendors. But, it was more of the same than different.

Feeling worn, I decided to spend the last days of my trip in a familiar city and visit some friends who live here. No more buses! No more lugging the bags around!

tongue twisters

The ever-useful vampire killing kit. Do you have yours?

When you think of Mexico, you might think of tacos. This taco stand was supremely busy - that's how you know it's good!

salsa

Some displays in a metro station:

the zócalo

They were selling cups of pomegranate seeds with lime.

My friend made me lunch, and this is how it started out:

I met another friend and we walked his lively pups in a park in Polanco.

And now, it's time to fly back to Canada. With the exception of my flight to Lima and one to Salto Angel, I haven't caught another plane during the last five and a half months. If you can do it this way, it's much better for seeing and experiencing more.

I thought about writing a list of reflections for my last post about this trip, but I've decided against it. Since returning to Canada, some friends have asked me - What did you learn? Well, there's been so much. This kind of travel gives you the privilege of learning about a country's history and culture, multiple languages - including your own, people and how they behave and think, and about yourself - sometimes things you didn't want to admit about yourself, while other times you pleasantly surprise yourself.

The things that I've learned from this trip are things that will come out regularly when I talk with you, since they are things that inevitably affect your character and outlook on life.

There is no doubt that traveling is one of the best forms of education, and I just feel glad that I had the opportunity and will to make this trip happen.

palenque, méxico

 Here I go to Mexico, a country I'm revisiting after several years since the time I used to live in the country. This time I'm entering overland and I'm going to see a place I've never seen - Palenque.

The shuttle there was fine, but after we left passport control, one woman realized that her passport hadn't been stamped. So, we had to turn around and drive back far enough for a customs officer to meet us by car and stamp the woman's passport.

We had to cross a highway which is notorious for armed robbery, but we went early in the day which is safer.

We had to get out and load our stuff into a boat for a short river crossing, then we transferred to a taxi and again to a shuttle before arriving in sweltering Palenque.

Oxxo, just like I remember it. Suddenly, everything has become very Mexican, from the music to the spicy candy.

The next day I made my way to the ruins of Palenque amid dense jungle foliage.

Palenque is "considered one of the most important archaeological sites of Mesoamerica." Here, there was "vigorous development in religious and civil architecture, as well as in arts and crafts." It may have started out as a small farming village, but the city grew in size and importance.

More toucan time.

A visit to a museum about Palenque is included in admission.

A little hummingbird had the wind knocked out of itself when it flew into the museum's glass front.

It was too hot in Palenque for me to want to stay for long. The same night, I booked my overnight bus ticket to Mexico City. It's weird to think that this will likely be my last bus trip to my last destination on my trip.

I almost didn't make it to Mexico City the next morning. What happened was that I was living in a world an hour behind those around me. (I had previously checked the time zone difference, but the website gave me incorrect info apparently.) So, even though I was actually early enough for the bus and waiting at the station, I missed the first bus heading to DF. There was literally only one space available on the later bus to DF and the bus clerk wanted to make me pay a second time to secure the spot. The kind bus driver tried to help me out, and I managed to convince the clerk to let me pay half of the fare. 

Funnily, I had first bought a ticket for the later departure, then switched it to the earlier time after realizing I wouldn't need as much time at the ruins. The earlier departure also had only had a single seat available.

Early the next morning, I was really happy to avoid yet another delay in my trip, even if at added cost. Well, that's what you sign up for when you travel - especially adventurous backpacking.