Thoughts: Monday, May 24, 2010

My favorite gecko from the Cuija Coyoacan

Proposed Schedule:

• Wake up @ 7:15 AM
• Shower
• Get Dressed
• Finish packing up bags/luggage
• Breakfast @ 8:30 AM
• Load 15 passenger van @ 9:30 AM
• Head to Mexico City

What really happened...

I woke up a bit before 7:15, and did everything I had to do. We were all ready for breakfast at 8:30 AM, according to plan. We had tortillas, eggs mixed with tomatoes and onions, flan, and naranjada (orange juice). It was really good as usual.




Many people had fallen ill... Montezuma's Revenge was in total effect. Sarah was the sickest of all, then Jacob, and most recently (as in ... this morning) Christina. Montezuma was taking his revenge on us, one by one it seemed like... Ashley and I got really paranoid and so we asked Dr. Burmeister for some Pepto Bismol tablets, just to be on the safe side...



Although we had planned to load the van up and leave by 9:30... we actually left Hostal Cuija Coyoacan at 11:30 AM... we had a whole two hours of waiting!! Loco... There was something wrong with the credit card, when Mr. Brown went to pay for our stay... I thought it was because he didn't notify his bank before making such a big purchase... but really the problem stemmed from a power outtage in Coyoacan. The banks had no power, and so the credit card machine was not functioning. Finally at 11:30 it was all squared away... and we could finally be on our way!



Packing the van:

• 15 passenger van
• including everything that everyone owns
• three seats were taking just for luggage; not including our carry-on bags...
• Mrs. Brown and Marcela were in the front with the driver
• The big suitcases were in the second row
• The sick ones: Sarah, Jacob and Christina were in the third row
• Terresa, Stephanie, and Dr. Burmeister were in the fourth row
• Erin, Ashley, Evan, and I were sitting in the back row
• and Mr. Brown had to stand by the van door because the luggage was taking up too much room and there was no where for him to sit.

It was approximately 12:30 PM when we reached Hotel Catedral. Evan and I are roomies on the seventh floor. Since everyone was crowding the elevator... three of us, Evan, Ashley, and myself, decided to climb the stairs with our small bags. We climbed up two pyramids...what's six or seven flights of stairs?! :D When we got to the sixth floor, everyone was there already and were unloading their luggage off of the cart. Evan and I grabbed our bags and carried them up the stairs our selves, instead of waiting for the bell boys to get on the elevator. I was just tired of all the waiting... things get done faster if you just do it yourself.

The hotel was very nice and elegant. There was a huge difference between our rooms here than at Hostal Cuija Coyoacan: no bunkbeds, and more spacious. We had two full-size beds, long opaque curtains, a ceiling fan, private bathroom, carpet, tv, phone, etc. Also, we had direct access to the patio/terrace... whatever you want to call it... that had a beautiful view of the cathedral.

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Hotel Majestic Restaurant

We had lunch at Hotel Majestic; even though we heard bad reviews on the rooms, the service, and the food... We were under the impression that we did not have to eat there if we did not want to... we were basically there for the view of the Zocalo...

Zócalo from the Hotel Majestic Restaurant

but looking at the schedule... I didn't really see any other time that I would be able to get something to eat... and so I ordered an Americanized meal of hamburger and fries. Una hamburguesa con papas a la francesa.



The review of the food, which we heard from an older German gentleman who stayed at the Hostal, held true. It was not that great... I could not even finish mine because I didn't like the taste and even though my hamburger wasn't well cooked...it was very dry... just bad. I felt like I wasted 120 pesos... which is a little less than 12 American dollars.


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The poor sick ones were in bed the whole time, they missed out on the entire day. We had many things planned for the day, but most of us didn't feel right doing them without the rest of the group. Touching moment.




At 4:45 PM we got on a double decker tour bus and went all around Mexico City taking in the sites. I think that was the best part of the day... The tour finished at 8:30 pm. We took a lot of pictures.

At 9:00 pm: we power walked to the Pastelería which was closing in the next thirty minutes. Evan bought me three pastries; I was running out of pesos...