Flights and Day 1
After some slight confusion regarding when our flight was actually leaving (itinerary said 10:10 & airport said 9:35), we managed to get checked in with enough time to make some quick duty free purchases and enjoy a freebie snack in the Qantas Club lounge (thanks Simon’s work :)).
Flight was like any OS flight… long and uncomfortable. I watched three flicks; Tangled, How Do You Know & Burlesque. That entertained me for a few hours! Seats were too squishy to sleep so we chatted about how we’re going to fly Business class when we make our first million - ha!
Despite the lack of sleep, we arrived safely and on time into LA. It was advised we get a bus to the next terminal (for our flight to Mexico) so we went outside to look for a bus and the terminal was about 100 metres away! hmmm… Simon was concerned about why a bus was recommended! We had a bit of time so we did a spot more df shopping and got some US mags for the next flight. We were pretty wrecked by the time we boarded so after our lunch of enchiladas (good choice of food, Alaska Airlines), we had a little nap before arriving in Mexico City.
It took a while getting through customs as the lady in front of us had 100 bottles of perfume (literally) and they seem to like checking bags. We only had one bag and were given the green light to go ahead! We were greeted by and excited and slightly flustered Vanessa who was wondering why we’d taken so long! Her husband was parked literally outside the door where they’d been waiting for half an hour telling the police (security) that they were waiting for an old man with a broken leg - ha! Vanessa failed to mention this to us as we happily flitted up to the car and greeted them! Was all good though!
The road rules are interesting… big wide roads with no lines and no indicators needed. Somehow it works. The only cars stopped in the middle of the road are ones that have broken down due to the heat! The drive through the city let us see some of the contrast in Mexico, with some really nice colourful buildings and beautiful old statues. Like many big cities (40 million live here), Mexico City is hot and covered with a layer of smog. There’s also a bit of a smell in parts which Vanessa calls the ‘smell of mexico’. It’s not a particularly nice smell and is apparently due to the fact that Mexico was built on a lake. Vanessa and Manuel live in Polanco which is a greener area meaning fresher air! There are some beautiful old buildings around which we’re looking forwarding to exploring further on Thursday when we do our Mexico City tour!
Their apartment has just been freshly renovated and seems huge! We’re very lucky to be staying here with such lovely hosts! We were so excited to have a shower and relax after not sleeping for over 24 hours! Katie.
