Saturday in Mexico City and as is typical for Mexicans the day starts slowly. I have got my day sort of planned and the first stop is a juice stand in the street for a half litre of freshly squeezed orange juice for 80 cents. Next is the Revolution Monument, which is a tribute to the Mexican Revolution. When I arrive there it appears there is some sort of school paegent in process. Looks like lots of school bands standing in a massive rectangle, but not doing much at all. Head over to the glass lift which takes you to the top of the monument but the sign said "Closed today. See you tomorrow". So I guess I will. Then walked up to Plaza Garibaldi which is not much during the day but comes alive at night with restaurants and Mariarchis (groups of musicians who play for money). From here to Plaza San Domingo. (are you getting the feeling that plazas are a big feature of Mexican cities, and with the plaza there is usually a cathedral. No exception here) Quite a peaceful place so just sat and soaked up the atmosphere or a while. Just started roaming the streets and ended up in a street market area. Absolutely packed with sellers and buyers and onlookers. Anyone for Ray Bans at $3 a pair?? Suddenly there was this flurry of movement and all the traders who were selling from blankets on the footpath just up and vanished into doorways and alleys that I hadn't even seen. Clearly they were illegal traders and "the law" was on the way, not that I saw any evidence of that. It just seemed so strange in a place where people sell things on the street, amongst the traffic, in fact anywhere and everywhere, that there was suddenly a crackdown in this area. I got the feeling it was a fairly common occurrence because other than the footpath traders, no one else missed a beat. The city had really come alive since the morning. Looked like a real family day out. The main plaza was packed so headed to Alameda Park. A really peaceful sanctuary almost in the centre of the city. People were just enjoying the relative peace that the park offered. I was approached by a group of young school girls who wanted to interview me for a school project. So whilst one asked the questions another one videoed it. Where was I from, how old was I, did I like Mexico, what did I do in my spare time etc. They seemed happy with my answers and headed off. A little further into the park a group of boys approached me with the same interview objective, but their English was non existent, and my Spanish was just as good, so we said goodbye to each other and they headed off. Had a rest in the hotel and then my new roommate arrived. A 30 something guy from Canberra. Our group meeting wasn't until 7 so I headed out to get something to eat and some fresh air. The street performers were in full swing and a Beatles cover band had pulled a massive crowd. This city just has such a relaxed casual feel about it. Our group is 8 people. All Aussies bar a young Swiss bloke and a young English girl. 1 couple and 6 singles. They all seem okay so it should be a good trip.