Finally here! We arrived in Mexico City on Thursday morning, not actually feeling that bad after a freezing cold 13 hour coach ride. We then had to navigate the Metro system across the enourmous city with our huge bags, wasn't much fun - bit like rush hour in London except we didnt know where we were going and cant speak the lingo. Luckily for us a lot of the signs have pictures and symbols for those that dont read so that helped. By the time we met Marcela (my brother's Mexican cousin who we are staying with) we were pretty worn out. We then caught a bus to her flat, which is in the south of the city. Its a really cool flat, and Marcella has been v.welcoming - feeling very at home. The next day we had to find our way, via bus, back to the Metro station then catch it to the centre of the city - was surprisingly easy if a bit bewildering. On coming out of the station we found ourselves bang in the middle of a demonstration; the people have taken over Zocalo (the large central plaza) and are living (!) and demonstrating there in tents since the terribly corrupt way the elections were won this summer. We walked around the tents, which take up the whole square (which is several blocks wide in each direction) and the whole of a very long street. We then heard this great noise coming from another street - shouting, whistles and everything, we rushed towards it anticipating a huge demonstration - only to find the biggest, loudest and craziest market Ive ever seen! It went on for miles and miles, at first it was a bit bewildering - people shouting from every direction, spraying perfume on us, scaring us with masks, but we got into it and bought some more crap for next to nothing. We then got lost, which is bound to happen, but a friendly guy helped us out and we eventually found our way out of the madness of the market and to the Torre Latinamerica, which was once the tallest building in Latin America. We took the lift up to the 44th floor and had the most amazing view of the whole giant city and the surrounding mountains. It stretches so far in all directions I just didnt know where to look, it was really breath-taking. We then walked back taking a nosey in the demonstration tents, it was actually really well organised; different tents for different states, for sleeping, for watching films, for people making speeches, areas for playing chess, for making banners, kids painting, people scribbling their opinions on peices of paper, food being made, puppet shows depicting the president, everything. It was great. We were pretty knackered from our first day out in the manic and crazy city that it is (although it is not at all scary as people had us beleive, not one bit) so we stayed in the flat that evening, had a bit of rum, listened to our Cuban cd's and reminised about Cuba, have decided we definately want to go back. Just loved it so much - the people, the music, the dancing, the country. Ahh I miss it so much. Anyway, still having fantastic time here in Mexico City. Yesterday we visited the house of Frida Khalo, its a lovely big blue house which she inherited from her parents and her husband Diego Riveira extended even more. Filled with things from the corset/back braces she had to wear, her's and Diego's art work, their collections of other artists work, to rooms as they were then - including the bed she lay in for years before she died. Was fascinating. For the rest of the day we stayed in that lovely area of Coyoacan where they had lived, it has a completely different, less frenzied feel to than the centre. We wandered a little market area full of food- fruit and veg stalls with all kinds of weird and wonderful things and we hadnt seen (or smelt) before, and counters serving mouth-watering tacos's and other strange, but yummy-looking, things. Then we walked around a chic little market in the square, very hippyish, and lots of crazy people doing funny things- street acts, bands playing drums with eccentric dancers and the odd tramp or crazy lady joining in with the dancing, v.funny. In the evening we met Marcela and her friends and went for a drink, or four, in a bar, and ate a lovely Enchillada drenched in delicious sauces mmm.. Then we went back to Marcella's and had a bit of a chin wag. Yep, loving Mexico City!