Tuesday, 14 June 2016

Day 26 Mexico City

National Museum of Anthropology and History
Woke and ate a leisurely breakfast because we had planned to visit the Palacio de Belles Artes before the museum. But we had to change our plans as the part we wanted to see was only open on Sundays and Wednesdays. So we changed our route to take us directly to the National Museum of Anthropology and History. 

Arrived at the Museum shortly after 10:30, and began a long day of looking and being constantly in awe of the Mexican ancestor’s incredible talents and skills. This museum is one of the best ever in both displays and presentation and I’ve seen a few in my time!
On this visit I was able to see 20 of the 22 sections in a six hour marathon with time off for morning tea and lunch. I took several hundred photos of amazing pottery, ceramics, carvings, jewellery, textiles, paintings and detailed large scale dioramas. My most favourite, and there were many, were the paintings found on the walls of temples, the reconstructed temple carvings, the quirky little statues- so life like, the beadwork and the textiles.  It really is an experience not to be missed for the history/ art buff. The restaurant’s food was also brilliant. Cheesecake for morning tea and a delicious chicken salad for lunch. 

Eventually I had seen it all and it was time to cruise the gift shop before making our way over the road to catch a taxi, where we  embarked on the next “adventure” of our lives.
We approached one of the pink and white city taxis. I didn’t like the look of the car or the man, who spoke very little English. Heather asked about the journey and was told $240 (absolute garbage should have been $140) She bartered and we got in. No working seat belts and dirty inside. Traffic was at a crawl- more road closures. Lots of honking and jostling along the way, until the traffic thinned bit, where he went a bit faster, but there were many moments of shutting eyes as he narrowly missed being hit. When he got closer to our hotel, the road was suddenly closed by police. Consequently causing the three lanes we were on and the three lanes next to us and the two lanes coming into the intersection to have to dovetail into three only! More shut eyes. He hurtled along when able to, went through a red light twice, up a one way street (the wrong way) and finally dumped us three blocks from our hotel, pointing the way.  Then he wanted the $240. Heather gave him $200, which he was not happy about. We walked the rest of the way to the hotel passing police cars and police vans. More blocked sections.
Finally home to sit and have a well- earned drink and watch the crazy world pass us by. The young man ringing a large school bell in front of the rubbish truck? The tourist bus that pulled up, tried to wipe out its rear view mirror on the tree and a man jumped out from underneath (scaring us) and proceeded to pull out the luggage? A bus load of kids and parents got out, unfortunately filling up the foyer and the lift. 
Shower to wash my hair, downloaded photos, recharged all my batteries and typed out today’s story and now it is time for a very light dinner. 8 pm. 

The travel agent has rung to confirm pickup time tomorrow. So all too soon we will begin the arduous journey home. Photos are taking a long time to upload so will add tomorrow.

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