El mundo es un panuelo
So the day had finally come. Probably about 12 years in the making, and certainly 12 months since the plan started looking serious, I was setting off on my Latin American advernture, starting in Mexico City. I had slight moment of panic at Manchester Airport where the automated check in machine said that there were no seats left on the Amsterdam/Mexico City flight, but what that really meant was that I couldn’t choose my seat I had to put up with what I was allocated. That turned out to be absolutely fine as I was allocated the extra legroom seat next to the emergency exit, result!

The flight seemed to pass quicker than I thought it would actually, but I imagine that was partly to do with the amusing Dutch guy I was seated next to. We had lots of quite bizarre conversations (well considering we were strangers!) including male chest waxing, the sanctity of marriage and trying to decipher what sport the group of buff young men sitting near us played - turned out to be the Mexican kayaking squad we found out later when we saw their luggage. A drugs dog at Mexico City Airport seemed to take a liking to my hand luggage, I think it was actually the Go Ahead bar that was still in my bag, so I then had to let the police woman rifle through looking for any other contraband, fortunately I’d already polished off the dried apricots!

It was no surprise to be leaving a rainy Manchester (it was Bank Holiday Monday after all) but I was a little disappointed at the torrential rain that greeted us in Mexico. Apparently my arrival coincided with the first day of rain they’d had in ages – sound familiar anyone?!

I had a lift to the hostel with one of the guys who works at there, Ricardo. A former Aeronautical Engineer, all round jack of all trades at the hostel, Ricardo also films and produces wrestling matches twice a week, I quickly realised that it’s going to be a very interesting few months coming across lots of characters.

I had 2 roommates on my first night, a Dutch guy and Miriam from Didsbury. Not only are we from the same city, but the very place I’d left only 14 hours earlier. So, as the spanish say, ‘El mundo es un panuelo’ meaning, literally, the world is a handkerchief; it’s a small world.

I have 3 days to explore Mexico City and given its vastness I suspect that you could quite easily spend more time here, but I’m keen to get moving as there’s a lot of ground to cover, and I’m itching to get to the seaside. I hear the surf's up in Puerto Escondido!