Am back where I began!

I'm back where this all started, in Mexico City Airport. Am very tired, thanks to having to leave for San Jose airport early, but hopefully that will help with getting to sleep on my night flight back to London.

The flight up from San Jose was fantastic. I sat on the right hand side of the plane, meaning I got a birds eye view of the Central American west coast, including a panorama of Nicaragua, and the enormous Lake Nicaragua, a country I couldn't go to despite dearly wanting to.

Once again the Mexican authorities detained me, although this time it appears most of my fellow detainees were just normal tourists. It appears that Mexican immigration just likes to be a*******s for the sake of it.

Ughh...

Anyway, I was released without charge or strip search, thankfully, exchanged my dollars for Mexican pesos and got a metrobus to the city centre with the help of a helpful Colombian.

Mexico City is according to some measures the world's largest city, it be a crime not to at least sample it given the time here I had. The drive into the city was a maze of concrete and car dealerships, although it must be said that the streets are good deal cleaner, and the buildings have a good deal fewer bullet holes in them, than other Central American cities I've been to.

The centre really is spectacular. I just got a bit lost for an hour, wandering around the maze of spectacular colonial buildings and cathedrals until reaching the Zocalo. The Zocalo is the main square in the centre of Mexico City, and is one of the world's largest. Independence Day across Central America (because its independence from the Spanish, other Central American countries get an extra independence day as their independence from Mexico) is in a couple days time. This meant the Zocalo was packed with grandstands, the streets were packed with vendors selling Mexican flags and traditional dress, and huge Mexico shaped/Mexico flag shaped light arrangements had been put up all over the surrounding buildings.

It felt like a city getting ready, for a big party.

Following that, I had my final meal in Latin America in a restaurant called Uncle Pepe. I can't remember the name - Chiquilila or similar, but it was a great little piece of Mexican food - chicken, chincharron (pork scratching), cheese and beans.

I needed to get my taxi to the airport just in time for the rain. Interestingly it was the first female taxi driver I've had in Latin America. Plus the ride was pretty cheap - 5USD - considering the traffic.

Now it's just whiling down the hours in Mexico City Airport, before boarding the flight back home. It's a long journey but hopefully I've suitably knackered myself to get some sleep.

This has been undoubtedly an inspired idea to make the return to Latin America. Now I've been to all but 5 Latin American countries. My passports packed with stamps, but more importantly my brain is stuffed with memories of an even better trip than my first, thanks to a better grasp of the language and a good deal more confidence.

I'm bringing the Mexican flag home, my 4th flag for my room at uni. In the last day, we've finally found out how some of the freshers doing Bio next year are. It's just 3 weeks away, less time than since I first arrived in Costa Rica. It's been an epic adventure, and hopefully there's more epic adventures to come, of a different sort of course.

Well, then I'm also going to Ukraine and Turkey...

And possibly the Czech Republic?

And... who knows?

Well. This really is it. Like, this is it. Bizarre. Sad. Going to take a bit of time getting used to. I really could do another 4 months. Or 4 years.

Anyways, for the last, very last time indeed...

VAMOS!

VIVA PERU

VIVA BOLIVIA

VIVA CHILE

VIVA COSTA RICA

VIVA PANAMA

VIVA EL SALVADOR

VIVA HONDURAS

VIVA GUATEMALA

VIVA MEXICO

Adios

Hasta Luego Latin America!