Day 91 - 94 Revisiting Mexico City and Homeward Bound

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Photo Album:  Mexcio City and Homeward Bound

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 Ah ha! Here is my bag, after traveling from Guayaquil with a plane change at Panama City, safely arrived at Mexico City, my immediate stop before heading home in two days time.  My experience with COPA Airline throughout this trip had been very good, so far, and for that matter, Aerogal which I used between the mainland and Galapagos.

Approaching Mexico City

All the airlines had always been able to provide me with a large plastic bag for my backpack, save it from being jammed on the conveyor belts and breaking the many click-locks.

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Mexico City was where I came through just on 3 months ago.  This time, I decided to try the metro rail system after some research online, especially it is in the middle of the day.  And it all went well, save locating the hotel ! After walking pass it three times, you know what, the sign there still bore the old name....sigh!

After exploring the historical district of this megalopolis in my first visit, with the one full day in between flights, I decided to see the western side of the city, which is the commercial and the modern face of Mexico City.

First of all, some local high rise residences, 

and local parks and reserves..

And the local metro-bus system, similar to the one in Lima, I would think,

Ah ha, here we are the business district and more...

And the Monument for Revolution, with a grand plaza in the front, but a less than dignified rear side, a market of sort...

The less then dignified rear of the Monument for Revolution

The Senate

A modern office and business plaza

And what a green idea, self-serve bicycle rental along the Paseo de la Reforma.  Apparently, it works by purchasing a pre-paid card from the city office, and just simply pick a bike, checkout and check-in again when finish, at any of the many bike rails.  Unfortunately, they are not for tourists as we do not have a local address !

And the Column for Independence

And the playful squirrels at Chapultepec Park

And then back to the old again, the historical Post Office Palace with its golden ornaments.

Finally, the journey was done, the adventure came to its conclusion.....challenges, exhilaration, faraway friendships, unforgettable experiences.... are all going to be consigned to the memory banks.

And it is time to head home.....one flight to Los Angeles for a few hours of transit and visiting my 80+ year old uncle, who still travels around the World.

landing at LAX

This is a sign of greener things to come, by the side of a freeway in Los Angeles.

This shall be a sign to be everywhere in the near future

And then a very long flight back to Sydney.

And Home Sweet Home, after 94 days.  The End.


My Final Words

The trip covered Mexico and Panama in the Central Americas, and then an 8 week overland on a Tucan Truck, which took me and a small group through 5 countries over 11,000 Km, and then into the Galapagos for a 12 day exploration, it's been a wonderful experience.

Compared to my previous self-drive trip through Argentina and Chile, another wonderful trip in itself, this trip shielded me from police problems when they try to extract money etc., though I was able to fend them off every time in Argentina, but it wasn't an experience one wants to repeat.

Among the highlights, there were the Mayan Pyramids and ruins, the Panama Canal, the Atacama Deserts ( driest place on Earth ), the Uyuni Salt Pan ( largest of its kind ), then the Machu Picchu 4 day walk, the never ending wildlife encounters in the Galapagos etc. are all something one would never forget.

There were also real adventures like the sand dune surfing, the canyoning in Banos, flying over the Nazca drawings, the ocean snorkeling in the Galapagos, where many videos were taken for my Alzheimer days.

The trip provided me with a totally different insight ( history and modern life ) into Latin America, a very positive one, though one that is seen through the eyes of a tourist, but nevertheless real and firsthand.  My subsequent trip to Southern Africa also did the same, the only real impression is the one that is on the ground with a big dose of "see and feel".

Like everywhere else, to tour and understand Latin America requires time and planning, a three month trip is better than the 10 days fly-in fly-out one, but it is still just scratching the surface, especially so much of it are hidden gems.

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