Convent Living-Days 1 and 2

So I've currently been in Mexico for roughly 24 hours and I am still in shock. It's been kind of a whirlwind: I got a call 8 hours before my flight that it had been cancelled and was re-routed through Miami (which wasn't all bad, they have a Pizza Hut). I arrived in Mexico only to find that my bag hadn't made it onto the plane to Mexico. Perfect. But luckily, Lynn Cutts taught me to be prepared, so I had an extra outfit in my carry-on.

I met up with the group and we headed to the taxi stand and ended up in an SUV taxi to the convent where we are staying for the week. Mexico City is busy and loud, but surprisingly American. I've already seen a Wal-Mart, McDonalds, Dominos, Subway, Starbucks, and Burger King.

My room at the convent

The convent is actually the cutest place ever. It's run by a group of old nuns who are friendly, helpful and so sweet. It has this great center courtyard with a breeze! It's dorm style, with a bunch of rooms in a hallway and a communal bathroom. The bathroom and shower are nicer than I was expecting, but it's definitely an adjustment from what I'm used to. First of all, the plumbing is so old that you can't flush toilet paper at all, you have to throw it in the trash which a. grosses me out and b. I always forget to do, so I'm secretly worried that I am going break the pipes or something? So, I'll work on that. I didn't think it would be an issue that the water isn't safe here, I basically drink bottled water anyway. But, guess what you have to use water for? Brushing your teeth. Our hallway has this giant jug of bottled water so I can take a cup of that and use it at the sink but it's totally against my routine so I keep forgetting and turning on the water.  So, we'll see how that goes. 

After we settled in, the group headed out to the Zócolo in the heart of the city where the Palacio Nacional and the Catedral Metropolitana are located. We metroed there, which was an experience. It is crowded and hectic and sort of a free for all. In DC there are unwritten rules of the metro, like don't escalefting, wait for everyone to get off before you get on, etc. There are no rules in Mexico City. When you try to get off, there's a wave of people trying to get on. I've gotten used to it, but it's different. What's weird is that people are aggressive, but they are friendly about it, not like angry American commuters. The most interesting/strange thing: these two boys holding T-shirts full of glass. When there was an open space on the floor of the train, they lay down the shirts and somersault onto the glass. They both had scars all down their backs. No one on the train, even Mexicans, seemed to understand why.

We walked around a little and headed to dinner at the famous Cafe Tacuba, which was delicious and also a fun place to eat. It's been around since 1912 and is decorated in traditional Mexican style. We even got serenaded while we ate!

Enchiladas Especiales de Tacuba

This morning, we woke up bright and early to a delicious breakfast prepared by nuns: chocolate, croissants, fresh fruit and picalitos which are sort of small tortillas with beans, salsa, and cheese on them. We went on the metro to Coyoacán to see Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivero's house, Casa Azul, which is now a museum. It was beautiful and had a garden in the center. The museum was set up like the house was when she was alive and it was gorgeous. There was this amazing daybed looking out over the garden and all I could think was that if I lived there I would sit all day and read and sleep. 

After the museum we went to the Plaza Hidalgo and wandered around. Then we went to the Museo Nacional de Culturas Populares, which showcased a range of indigenous art from across Mexico. 

We also tried churros y chocolate!

Then time for lunch, my favorite part of the day. We decided to try a hole-in-the-wall taco place over a touristy restaurant, which was definitely the right choice. It specialized in Oaxacan food and they make everything, even the tortillas right in front of you. I ordered a sampling platter with an enchilada de mole, taco oaxaqueno, chorizo, and rice and beans. Delicious. 

Well, that's all for now. I'm off to sleep and little before dinner and hope that my luggage arrives! 

Hasta luego!