Thursday, October 31, 2019

Mexico City vacation, day 2 of 6. For this trip I prepared an version of Pauls 2017 Mexico City itinerary annotated with notes about things we had missed on that trip. Breakfast at Ojo de Agua with Phil, Drew, Quyen, Dave, Efra. I can't recall everything we ordered, but a receipt I have says: huevos polanco, molletes 3 dientes, combinaciones ch $55, licuado combinado ch, leche deslactosada: 478 pesos ($25). Walked in Polanco district. We saw many dog walkers, many of whom were walking three or more dogs. We also encountered two dog walkers each with at least seven dogs. Many businesses displayed beautiful ofrendas, one of which included rum, whiskey, and cigarettes in addition to pan de muerte, fresh fruit, marigolds, candles, sugar skulls, and colorful decorations. Street corners included large skull formations or Catrinas painted by various artists. We stopped briefly in a department store called Sanborns for Dave to look for a jacket, but we didn't buy anything. We continued down Avenida Presidente Masaryk. Alongside the park we encountered an old, red VW bus in excellent condition. We continued walking into Bosque de Chapultepec, primera sección. Walked to and visited Castillo de Chapultepec (aka Chapultepec Castle). We saw a large ofrenda still being assembled in a small stairway and passage, a collection of local plant life (mostly desert), another ofrenda, a display of Japanese-Mexican art, stained glass, murals, paintings, sculptures, historic artifacts, and other art. From a large balcony with black and white square tiles we took many photos of the great view with billowy white and gray clouds. After exiting the castle we passed by Altar a la Patria, aka Monumento a los Niños Héroes or Altar to the Homeland. At a BBVC at Avenida Paseo de la Reforma 510 near Estela de Luz some of us got money from ATMs along a wall made entirely of video screens. We continued walking along Reforma observing the alebrijes on display along the sidewalks. We reached El Angel de la Independencia. We stopped at La Pain Quotidienne Reforma for small bites and other refreshments: berry-glazed croissant, lemon tart. After reaching Glorieta de La Palma we stopped at a huge shopping mall at Reforma 222. From pull & Bear Dave bought a black jacket and Quyen bought a mustard jacket. Ef shopped at an Apple authorized retailer. Phil bought a three-way charging cable: USB-C on one end and USB-A, Lightning, and Micro-USB on the other. Walked in Zona Rosa. Stopped at a rooftop bar called Toledo. Six guards at entrance downstairs, up above: many waiters doing nothing. We sat outside with a nice view of the city skyline including three prominent skyscrapers. Cold, but tolerable even though space heaters didn't really warm us. Food and drinks: 785 pesos ($41) before tip. Continued walking along Reforma. Stopped for drinks at the bar at Marriott Reforma (Reforma 276), which I think is where Julio joined us. We sat in the Great Room with good service by Hugo Eduardo Ernesto. I had a cafe san dionisio: mezcal bruxo, xtabentun liquor, coffee, whipped cream, cherries flavored with Don Julio tequila and ancho reyes (red). It was served in a crystal goblet with an edible flower. Other cocktails were served in bamboo cups or textured copper mugs—all with edible flowers. Others drank: moctezuma, carajillo, tempus stout, malinche, ginger ale. 1,178.75 pesos ($62) before tip. Afterwards we all visited Kinky Bar, which had a cover charge and there was much pressure to buy drinks in one-liter cups or an entire bottle of wine or liquor. We were able to secure a table for a while and later had to relinquish it because we didn't give in to their sales pressure. Gogo dancers. Crowded. Back to the Airbnb. To bed late, with Phil still awake and determined to do more exploring. At some point on this trip Efra decided that his nickname would be Ef.