Friday, November 1, 2019
Mexico City vacation, day 3 of 6. I woke unable to find Phil, who usually awakens before me. Turns out he was in the missing bathroom. He discovered the missing bathroom this morning but had cancelled our reservation around 3:00 am. The second bathroom seemed to have been missing because its door was completely hidden behind the door to one of the bedrooms. When the bedroom door was completely open, it fit perfectly into the wall adjacent to a wall unit such that there was no indication that another door was behind it. Since Phil and Drew always sleep with the door open, they never found the second bathroom. Efra attempted to undo the cancellation but failed even though the property manager was understanding and sympathetic to our complaints. We had to vacate the unit. Phil found a different place for us to stay, but we still had some time before we could move in. We left our luggage with the guard at the entrance then walked to breakfast at Maison Kayser (Reforma 408), which was very French, right down to the very slow and inattentive service. We stopped at MacStore Torre Reforma (Reforma 483) so that Ef could shop. We picked up our luggage, then walked to the new place which was alongside the park on Campos Eliseos 69B. The property manager greeted us and showed us the unit. It was about a zillion times larger than our previous Airbnb and more luxurious. The decor was entirely masculine, and we suspected that the owner or designer was gay. Two elevators opened directly into the U-shaped unit. Bedrooms and bathrooms along one wing, living and dining rooms in the center, kitchen and service bathroom and laundry and outdoor patio in the remaining wing. There were so many excellent lighting options that the plethora of light switches was difficult to master. Eventually, though, you could set the lighting perfectly. Sleeps seven, and more in a pinch. Two bedrooms have master baths. After settling, we rode the metro from (I think) Chapultepec station to Pino Suárez station to Plaza de la Constitución at Zócalo station. We walked the plaza, which was filled with Dia de Muertos displays, vendors, street performers, and visitors. We attempted to stop for refreshment at Pacos de Rosa rooftop restaurant, but after waiting several minutes for an 8-top table to leave then watching while a seated 4-top got up and took the 8-top right as those people left while the staff did nothing, we decided to go somewhere else. We got beverages from a nearby 7-Eleven then walked through the historic center area along Avenida Francisco I. Madero, a tight pedestrian street bordered with restaurants and shops and filled with vendors, many of whom were disabled and asking for money. We stopped briefly to observe the massive holiday display in front of Palacio de Bellas Artes, then, walking through the park called Alameda Central, passed nearby Hemiciclo a Benito Juárez. At the west end of Alameda Central we attempted to drink and dine at La Azotea at Barrio Alameda, but it had just begun to rain and they immediately closed the kitchen. Instead we went downstairs to Butcher & Sons for drinks and burgers: limonada, tarro clamato, two orders of negra modelo, two orders of Mr. Tambourine, sweet mello, mac and cheese b&s, La Original, Cash, two orders of Hendrix, two orders of Bowie, mini burgers, three orders of papas fritas. 1,960 pesos ($103) before tip. We walked along Reforma and split up outside Sonora Grill: some of us went to buy mezcal from a liquor store, the rest of us returned to the Airbnb. Back at the Airbnb, we held a mezcal tasting and talked for hours, mostly about parenting and coming out. The mezcal was 400 Conejos Joven Espadin Tobala Oaxaca and 400 Conejos Espadin Reposado.