Toluca

Sitting in an internet cafe, sans cafe, in Toluca at 10 a.m. It has been sensory overload since my arrival at the airport yesterday at 4:30. With only carryon I was out of the new little airport quickly, got a taxi easily, and arrived at Hotel Colonial half an hour later for 120 pesos. I asked the driver if the city was safe or dangerous and he said it was safe to walk.

I won,t be able to post photos for awhile, so bear with the dialogue, if you can and the keyboards are stiff and different, so weird things will happen.}

After settling in to my clean simple room I walked 3 blocks to the Botanical Gardens which were lovely, but the real sensation was the building- all stained glass including the roof. Photos will come later. I surprised myself at how easily I could walk with my sore foot. I explored several blocks. Huge open plazas surrounded by 3 large churches, the cathedral was ringing for six pm.
At 7 I returned to hotel to rest my toes and watched the end of Footloose in english. At 8 I went in search of a restaurant for cena, but they were scarce in the direction I was going. One large fancy one didnot look inviting to sit in alone. A young woman was making pancakes on a waffle like griddle then rolling them into cones-supper! A baseball sized scoop of icecream, dipped in chocolate rolled in coconut-ate only about half of it. Eat dessert first. Every second store seems to be a shoe store-zapataria.

A McDonalds and large cinema billboard signaled a large indoor mall, so I decided to see El diablo vista de la moda-Devil Wears Prada because it was in english and would fill time, but read my watch wrong, thinking it started in 10 minutes, when it was an hour and ten. I had asked a young security guard for directions to cinema and there was a man asking something who walked along with me. I saw the guard later and he asked if the fellow had bothered me- molesta? People are friendly and helpful. After eating standard nachos con jalapenos I heard a guitar and singer next to a modern coffee place, so had a cappiccino and listened to english folk songs from the 60s and 70s. The movie started at 9:40 [after Baja midnight] and got out about11:30. Stores were shuttered and streets were empty, taxis stopped to ask if I needed aride, but it was only a couple of blocks to the hotel.

This morning I woke at six per usual but it is dark til after 7. Not another person in sight at the hotel-even a clerk when I headed out at 8. Walked a different direction and found all the cafes and restaurants. Shops were still closed and folks were trickling in to work along a large pedestrian mall. Had desayuno in a nice small restaurant, ordered -jugo de naranja, huevos revueltos con tocino, y pan tostado integral y cafe. When I asked for mantequilla for the toast it came wrapped in tiny corn husk packets. The table by the window had a red and white checkered cloth cornered with a solid red cloth and looked towards a fountain with a black metal sculpture of a naked man in a pith helmet. Photo tofollow. Behind it a bridal shop window full of lovely formal gowns. Several banks have store fronts selling appliances and furniture-on the spot financing.

My long colorful dress [thanks Annabelle] looks Mexican and the navy sweater[thanks Janet] fits right in, but everyone looks at my bright green dawgs with socks-perhaps I can find a pair of proper shoes, but am drawn to the cool wild sneakers-maybe not. No sandals or shorts or gringo tourists here-not one! Coffee tastes great - even from the machine at the Botanical Gardens. Each street corner has 4 or more policemen directing traffic. Last night at 8 I was walking in rush hour traffic and it was wonderful to be reminded about city life.

Will head back to the hotel and check on transport to Mexico City airport this afternoon. Its a bit frightening, as I expect it will not be as calm as in Toluca. Sally warned me to hide my money inside my bra, but you know, that is nonexistant. My shirt hangs over the passport pouch that holds money and camera so I will be fine. I have done some travelling in an earlier life. All for now. Love you all.