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Our Impression of Mexico Megacity

When descending to Mexico City, a land at 2500m above sea level, we saw the city light from above, which was very very very beautiful. Too bad we didn’t have camera ready. We won’t be seeing this beautiful sight again. Such glitters are unique to this city of 23 million!

We arrived at dawn in Mexico City. The immigration officer talked really fast, somehow I felt that the effort I made in learning Spanish has been futile.

When we took our luggage we found out that Noe’s pack of diapers was torn up. But amazingly the officer returned the scattered diapers into the conveyor belt.

After clearing out the Douana we met Carlos Peralta! He is such a crazy gringo loco who is very skinny and eccentric. He told us a lot of story about when he was in Indonesia and traveling around the world learning arts, including glass blowing art. Carlos stayed with Indi’s family in Jakarta from 1992 to 1993 and has kept his Indonesian lingo polished since then.






We were amazed on how clean Mexico City is. Definitely much cleaner compared to Jakarta (Indi calls Jakarta a big dumpster!). Everywhere you see, there were signages on the walls, most of them are hand painted with vivid colours and rustic in appearance.

We also had a taste of how Mexican drives, which is very… daring but polite.





To Cuernavaca

We drove for 90 minutes (or 60km) to Cuernavaca, a hillside town at the southern outskirt of Mexico City in the province of Morales. This is the town made famous by the Zapata.





We arrived at hotel Las Rosas, a bungalow styled accomodation at the main road of Cuernavaca.





It is owned by Lupita who is a friend of Carlos’ family. She speaks English very well and was very hospitable. Lupita informed us that the Mexico City airport was closed at seven due to fog. We were lucky to arrive before that.

Then we gave Carlos the Batik shirt from Ibu.





Mexican Breakfast and to Cathedral

We had a shower and washed our clothes before taking off to have breakfast at the main square. We went to this alfresco café and had Mexican breakfast. I had Asada something with Mole and Tortilla. Noe had rice. Indi had enchiladas made extra spicy. The food were served with green and red salsa. I thought salsa were like the bottled salsa that we could find in Singapore, but no, we were wrong! Salsa were just like sambel ulek, finely ground and juicy. It’s just more tangy and less spicy than sambel, but equally hot! It adds the oomph to the delicious food.







When we were having breakfast, a football match was screened on TV. Noe chose to watch the match and claps hands accordingly. He was so cute!





After such a great big breakfast, we continued to the cathedral to take photos. Carlos told us about the history of the place. How the natives (Aztecs) were forced to pray outside the cathedral. They are forced to convert to Catholicism.

















Noe was really happy in the cathedral compound. He could run around as much as he likes.

We then took a walk around the area (a bit touristy for us). It is a pleasant walk. Again, we saw how the city is very clean, despite having a lot of poor people and despite having such a narrow sidewalk. I can’t understand why Indonesians are so difficult to be clean.











We returned to the hotel at 3 pm and took a nap until dinner time.

Pozole Dinner

After siesta, we drove to downtown again for dinner at this great place called El Barco. They are selling Pozole, which is soup from Aztec origin, served in clay bowls and wooden spoon. Originally this meal was served for Aztec kings, which contained human heart and brain especially made for the king. Today it was made either from chicken, meat, or tongue, and was served in three style: white (no chili), red (red chili), or green (green chili).





















We called it Mexican Soto because it was served just like soto. The soup is steaming hot, containing meat pieces and corn pieces and topped with avocado slices. The corn did not look like corn at all, but rather, like some kind of vegetable. Carlos told us that the corn is just like pop corn, but are popped inside boiling water thus making it soft like noodle. Then we mixed in onion, lettuce, and radish and sprinkle oregano to our liking. It is really fresh and great tasting. The waiter told us that the broth is cooked for eight hours on top of small fire. I really had to learn how to cook this! Even Noe loved it.

We drank local Mexican Cerveza that is reputedly much better than Corona. I had a black one. Noe drank cold sweet flower tea from local flower. Indi tried the Montejo, which was supposed to be less popular than Modelo.

The waiter asked where we are from. He thought that we were from Philippines. But when we said that we’re Indonesian, he immediately said: Tsunami! We had to say that the Tsunami es muy lejos.

After dinner we took a walk around the city. We bought some hotdog with fries for Noe later if he’s hungry. On top of the hotdog place there is a dance school which teaches salsa.

Then we went to pharmacy to buy some more stuff such as moisturizer and the like.

Then we walked towards the park, passing by the castle. Carlos told us about the conquest history, and how the castle was built on top of the Aztec temple.

Under the bridge there is a taco seller, so we bought taco with rice which was very warm and nice. Noe likes it so much. But since Noe did not want to finish it, we gave it away to a boy who was asking for it. He looked like an Aztec and very poor. I told Noe that I had to give it away for someone who needed it more than he did.

Then we walked through the park.

We ended at a small market by the park which sells all kinds of food, from hot dog, to boiled corn, and juices.









Apparently Mexicans like to drink fresh juice. So we ordered one, for 15 pesos (2 SGD) we got like one liter of juice. Carlos bought a alfalfa orange juice, while Yodhi bought cactus-pinapple-orange combination. Yodhi was told that it has potential to cure diabetes.

We came home and put Noe to bed, while the Yodhi and Carlos were watching Victoria’s Secrets live show from Argentina. Single boys love things like that!

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Ready

Everything was set by 10 am and we called taxi to go to the airport. Noe was really excited about going and he kept saying "wee wee wee", which means, airplane (and cars, and boats).

In Changi

The check in lady in the Phillipines Airlines counter was very slow. It took us half an hour for the check in process. She cannot even read the year that I was born, she thought that I was born in 1958! Gosh, do I look like almost fifty year old?

So, to keep Noe amused, I played football with Noe while the boys do the check in. After that, I went for last minute haircut at EC Terminal Two, and Indi took Noe to the SkyTrain for a ride.

Then we entered the terminal. We look for a place for Noe to play. But then I started to have a headache because I didn't have my morning coffee. So I went to Spinelli for a cup of iced coffee, and continued to the pharmacy to buy Aleve (which is stronger than Tylenol).

Then we boarded the plane. The security check was not very tight, perhaps because we were heading to Manila rather then directly to LA.

On board to Manila

The Philippines Airlines Airbus 320 economy class is unbelievably crammed. Usually, I could walk from window seat to the aisle without troubling the guys sitting at the aisle to step out of their seat. But this time, this is impossible. And also, I could not cross my legs even though I am considered petite.

The lunch in the SG-MN flights is fish with rice. I think PL flight food is just too bland to my liking, but luckily, they are still quite edible. Then I took Aleve and the headache was fast gone.

The overall flight to manila took us three and a half hour, and we kept Noe amused by looking out of the window and read books.

In Manila Airport

We landed in Manila close to dusk, and we think that the airport design is quite weird. First, there is no dedicated path for international transfer passengers. So, transfer passengers could not go directly to the gate, but rather, they have to report to transfer counter and be escorted by to go out of secured area in order to re-enter at the departure area on the second floor. The transfer process is also quite funny. We had to hand out our boarding passes and passport to the immigration officer at the desk, who then hand them over to the officer who took us to the elevator area (right after immigration), and then hand them over to the officer who is riding the elevator with us, and lastly, to the officer to do the final check at the entrance of departure terminal. We didn't really understand why it can't be done with only one officer who is assigned to be mobile to accompany transfer passengers, but nevermind.

Secondly, there is no dedicated boarding area. The departure terminal itself is quite small, perhaps only 100 meter long with about four gates to the aircraft with a common waiting room. We were amused and thought that there wouldn't be any further security check, because, we didn't see the area to do this.

How we were so wrong! Just two hours before departure, the security officers rearrange the metal benches to form barricades and hence creating an impromptu secure boarding area. The borders of the area were just: the metal benches and ribbon fences, we don't see how that can be very secure.

Then the passengers were asked to line up along the ribbon fences and are not told to have physical contact with the people inside the fence.

The security check was really outrageously tight and too damn crowded. We had to take off our shoes. Even Noe had to do this. Since I was carrying Noe, I had to hand Noe to the officer while being searched. Then, all the liquids in our toiletries bags, without exception, were confiscated. Partly this is our fault, not checking the policies to fly into USA. But also, the security was unreasonably tight, even my tiny bottle of perfume were confiscated where the US policy did not require such. Perhaps the officer just wants that Calvin Klein perfume of mine.

Actually I can't think how this anti liquid policy would be effective. It's a lose-lose situation for everybody. Why don't somebody invent a test paper to indicate whether a liquid is volatile or not?

After the hustle and bustle, and stressed out security check situation, we did the final documentation check. The PH airlines officer gave us a small present to pay for the tight security stress that we had: a PH airlines desk calendar! Gosh! Just when we had to travel light they forced us to bring calendar. We just had to refuse this.

I was pretty disappointed that I could not find balut in the airport terminal. All that are available in the departure area were just cakes, breads, and deliverance. There is no way we could be adventurous enough to try Filipino food such as balut. There is even no money changer, so we had to exchange 10 US dollar with a Filipino man in order to buy Noe's dinner.

On board to Los Angeles

Then we took off with our LA bound flight. Right after take off is a fierce competition for the empty seats in the airplanes. That competition is just too harsh for us toddlers with parents.

Noe spent most of the time on the LA flight sleeping. I tried to sleep too, but cannot, because I had to always adjust my position to Noe's liking.

The movie was Scoop by Woody Allen, continued with Everybody Loves Raymond, and Just for Laughs. We were lucky to have a seat right below the TV screen (there is no individual TV channel in the flight, definitely not like Singapore Airlines' on-demand entertainment system with 80 movies to choose from!). Then the food was again, bland. Throughout the night, the crew did not walk around to offer water but rather we had to call them and it took us perhaps 15 minutes before they arrive, just to ask for water. But then again, we were not expecting much from a low fare of a third world country carrier. Perhaps even PH is better than Garuda.

We sat next to Noelle, a nursing student who is going to visit her mom in LA.

Then we got our last breakfast which is warm and nice, just before landing. We landed at 5pm in LA, and it's a long walk from the arrival gate to the immigration area. The immigration part was quite OK, there is no hassle. We just had to have our fingerprints and photo taken, linked to a central database. Apparently they have the photo of each visit to the USA.

Los Angeles

Welcome to America! Our first impression of USA is that there is a lot of obese people and obese cars too. Little kids, old ladies, all are overweight. We then waited in the International Lounge area. Noe really liked a sculpture that looks like a machine with balls running from top to bottom. We then bought spaghetti with meatballs and caesar salad. We also got really delicious sourdough bread! Both are the Amercan size, that explained why they are so fat. Those two meals can feed the four of us comfortably.

Then I took a nap at one corner while waiting for the check in time to our flight in Mexico. Internet in the Airport is outrageously expensive, 1 USD for four minutes. I'd rather not be connected than paying that much. I also ended up buying some stuff that were confiscated earlier, but now, we were more well informed, and had everything ready in order.

Then we proceed to check into Alaskan airlines. Just when we exit international lounge we saw a Korean man fighting with security officer.

The check in officer in Alaskan airlines is very friendly and communicative, which has always been the case with American officer. Then when we did the security check for our luggage we saw a sign that really undermines the airport security of Indonesian airports.

Then we had to proceed with security check into the boarding area. The officers were quite helpful and they are not excessively strict.

US Transportation Security Administration made it very clear to us on what sort of liquid we could bring on board. Unlike the Filipino officers who were too dumb to give reasonable allowance, the Americans told us the concept of 3-1-1. It means we are allowed to bring small bottles/containers no larger than 3 ounces, packed into 1 zip-top plastic bag. The combined volume of the liquid could not exceed 1quart (almost 1 liter in metric). Drinking water is definitely not allowed although there were vending machines available near the departure gates.

Then Noe played with other toddler in the waiting room area. We were really hungry, and the cafe were all closed. We hope to have warm food in the plane.

On Board the Plane to Mexico City

Then we board the plane. One hour later, after taking off, we found out that there is no food at all on board because this was a red eye flight (departing 15 minutes after midnight). We ended up eating complimentary gingerbread cookies over and over again (chewy and yummy!). Also we drank lots of juice. Noe slept all the way.

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