Ciudad de los Palacios

Well it's been 25 years since the last time I was in Mexico City. That time I was representing the Nazarene youth of Wisconsin attending World Youth Congress in Oaxtapec. The sights, smells, & sounds have brought back a flood of memories. I'm on vacation here visiting my sister, Kathy. It's good to see where she calls home and the work she's involved in. She's been here in this capacity since 2003 so in a land where "mi casa es tu casa", I don't have a good excuse for not coming sooner (I know... double negative but when in Mexico....).

The flights went well and the jaunt through customs went off without a hitch. The layover in Dallas was just long enough to see a couple scoring drives by the Chargers on Monday Night Football (24-14 at that point). The customs line in Benito Juárez International Airport was short. The airport was nice but I have no pix to show. I learned the hard way in Brazil once that they frown on picture taking in Customs. After walking down the stairway, off a plane and onto the tarmac I promptly turned around to snap a picture of friends deplaning. People rushed at me from all angles and I feared for my life for a second - looked like they were going to tackle me and I didn't know why? Still have the picture :) .

The flights gave me a chance to catch up on sleep, reflect on what I forgot for the trip and work on some unfinished business. The main flight attendant on the second flight was a hoot. He announced the pilots as if he were announcing a wrestling match with Nacho Libre. First-class passengers got fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies. I regretted for a bit, my decision not to cash in some frequent flyer miles and upgrade. That would have been an expensive cookie though. When you're a landlubber and used to just buying what you want, when you want, to satisfy your cravings & that smell is filling the air, it's hard not to rush that cart at 30,000 miles up. A cooler head prevailed.

So I forgot a pair of shoes I wanted to bring. Stores just don't carry shoes here over size 10. Hard to believe, but I guess I could search day and night and not find a man here wearing anything over a size 10. It's like trying to find a size XXL shirt in Brazil. Can't do it. And don't forget your swimsuit when going to Brasil. If you're shopping for one you're going to be looking at speedos. I'll leave you with that thought.