From Buna Ziua to Buenos Noches.....

Well I finally made it to Mexico!!! Scratch one more country off the world map....only 211 to go...whoo hoo! It was a very long and tiring flight. For some reason it seemed longer and worse then going to Europe. It may have something to do with the fact that I havent slept in literally 38 hours. My flight left at 6am this morning and I never went to bed thinking I could sleep on the plane, but of course I couldn´t (why does everyone always think they can sleep on the plane?)- so I´m just buying some time so I dont go to bed and then wake up at 3am. I cant tell you though how fucking exhausted I am.

I went for a walk around the hotel after I checked in and it´s been interesting. You know I´ve been going to countries for the past several years that I´m familiar with (Amdam and Romania) and because of that I havent felt like a fish out of water for some time when I travel. Well, that´s changing with this trip. I of course speak VERY LITTLE Spanish and not many people here speak English (surprise!) so it has been fun trying to get around and communicate while looking like a complete idiot. This is what I love about travelling though. Get out of your comfort zone and grow...that´s what it´s all about!

the hotel is located in Zolaco Square which is the second biggest square in the world after moscow´s red square. They had a bunch of vendors, dancers and usual street performers there which was cool. I really liked though the traditional Aztec dancers in actual Aztec dress doing dances. Who knows if it´s a tourist put on- but I liked it.

I went to this very old cathedral in the square and it was open to the public for mass. Now of course it´s a catholic mass and of course I now all about them, and of course I no sooner belong in there than Charles Manson does. However when I went in I felt a sense of peace and calm come over me and I just sat down in the pews and listened to mass. I didnt understand a word the priest was saying but I knew what he meant, the mass is the same no matter where you´re at. I actually enjoyed myself. I also noticed as I looked around at the faces of those in the church that everyone in there was full of desperation, heartache, anguish and sadness. There didnt seem to be a happy face in there. I always find it ironic that people who believe in religion are some of the most unhappiest people in the world-especially Catholics. There´s nothing like that good old fashioned Catholic guilt to get you by. This is the impression I´ve gotten so far from Mexico. It´s extremely impoverished and the people are just getting by day by day-and I get a sense that they feel like they deserve to live like this. You can smell the poverty it´s so overwhelming, and it´s everywhere. The city is beyond overcrowded and everywhere you look people are doing the most insane things just to make a buck so they and there family can eat.

I know this isnt the only country in the world like this-and it´s not even the worse one, but to see it up close and personal is very humbling and thought provoking. I will need to get out of the city in a few days and probably not spend much more time in it. It´s too depressing. I´m looking forward to the pyramids, temples and cathedrals. I want to see the glory of Mexico. I want to see it as it once was when it´s people were glorious, proud and hopeful. You can tell this existed once before but you wonder if it ever will again?

Well, that´s it for my first entry in Mexico. I will post daily so keep checking back and PLEASE MAKE COMMENTS!!!!!!

Gracias!

Paul