December 12   Refugio, Texas to Victoria, Mexico Border Mexico side Matamoros, border town Pretty peaceful all the way to Victoria     We are staying at the Sierra Gorda

December 13  Victoria  Back entrance of the hotel Our sink...  We bought bananas and avocados December 14    Still in Victoria We were looking for a restaurant Consumers everywhere? It looked ok, but the food was bad.     This is the plaza in front of our hotel December 15   Victoria to Mexico City ...A very long and blind drive! The small villages on the are so peaceful... but do they need so many speed bumps! and then the fog came, for hours and hours and hours. when finally started lifting we noticed that the vegetation was gone..   Sunset in Pachuca and almost in Mexico City.. HEEEEEEEEELP we can't see anything December 16   Arriving in Mexico City exhausted and at night... anywhere was good enough earthquake and fire?? I'm ready now... where are the shelves? purple night table to go with red walls. the subway is perfect, and the city is nice and not polluted, what a surprise Montezuma Revenge ai ai ai ai ai December 17  Recovering from Montezuma... Sunrise! After a sleepless night!! Short walk to the plaza. Oh no! More American movies!! December 18  Sundays, everything the city is very quiet. A day for ourselves... Our rubber tree at the corner Our window Our Internet Cafe Our parking lot, closed too... Our fancy reception area And Kevin, the hotel mascot December 19   Mexico City is amazing... I just love this place...  Lots of monuments... and gigantic palm trees and things on the sidewalk   and large bells...         and the CN Tower?... December 20   We spent the day in the Historic  Centre of Mexico City. A day of wows! Wow! The National Palace Wow! The atrium... and the murals, another wow! Wow for the Cathedral Wow for the natives... Wow for the Christmas decorations?? Wow for the sidewalks... Now we are tired... One more wow for the cup!! December 21   A day of not much, just eating, shopping and the zoo.  A camel lots of trees and a hippopotamus December 22   Anthropology, more anthropology, gigantic fountains and cows on the sidewalk...  Sarita, Jonathan and Mark A really big head... Mayans or Aztecs?? At least they are happy... Gigantic fountain. One of many cows!!  Great day!! December 23   Coyoacan, south of Mexico City, absolutely beautiful! The old buildings, the quiet streets, the beautiful windows the colours, the ivy, the cobbles stones, the je ne sais quoi!!! The doors, the street markets, the old, old trees, the parks, and the flowers!   All so superkalifragilistic. Adios Mexico City, we love  you!! December 24    From Mexico City to Oaxaca City, a long, long way. Easy to travel road through mountains, some covered in snow,   Why did I take this picture?? After hours of the same... we arrived to our hotel.  In the evening we watched the Christmas parade and the fire works. December 25   From Oaxaca City to Puerto Escondido. UP In the morning we visited Monte Alban, the ancient capital of the Zapotecas  It is an amazing archeological site near Oaxaca. More than 2000 years old. Their buildings  are impressive and we can feel the weight of history throughout the site. Lots of stairs to climb and good walks from building to building. After so much history...we drove to Puerto Escondido, on the Pacific coast. More mountains, lots of dangerous curves and falling rocks... December 26  Walk with me to the beach Out of the hotel straight ahead turn left turn right nice grass cute kid down the steps almost there Ah! Lots of space left   But the sun goes down so fast, time to go back up...   December 27   Around Hotel Nayar, Puerto Escondido UP View from our window looking over the roof 200m from the nearest beach Just to the right: The pharmacy, the bank machine the laundromat,   the clothes "boutique" and...drum-roll.... my new dress!! December 28   One more day in Puerto Escondido Beach, more beach and plastic... December 29   From Puerto Escondido to Playa Ventura Not much traffic, some vehicles were slow almost there... It was very quiet, and friendly, the cooks were happy, The neighbour's house, the restaurant and the beautiful sea. December 30   From Playa Ventura to Puerto Marques Jonathan inside the pool... December 31  Acapulco: Hello/goodbye Lots of people sunbathing, lots of buildings, very crowded. The restaurants are nice, artistic, and peaceful. Great sunset, geared for tourism, very safe.

January 1   Someone told me that there was a market behind the Zocalo.

The market spreads out	for blocks and blocks,	and it is really crowded,
but you can find anything you need	or want,	and the prices are amazing...

Especially if you are women or children!	Near the Zocalo I found	beautiful old churches,
quiet streets,	plants that grow everywhere,	great walls,
great statues,	peaceful corners,	and dogs wearing shirts??

The enormous pollution	that hangs over	the outskirts of Mexico City
cannot be felt from within,	because the city is protected	by a great canopy of trees.
Some of the cars are getting smart too...

Back to Curacao!	Could that building be the Post Office?	Or maybe this door...
Or this  pink place...	I asked them for directions,	and voila...here it is!!!

The city was behind a wall of pollution.	We drove for more than 2 hours	trying to find our way out.
We tried asking...but who?	We tried following the signs,	we tried following the water truck...
Finally...the highway... jammed solid!!	because of a truck had lost its trailer	and there was a crazy building too...
Ah! Cordoba	Mark can go back to work,	and I can show you the lights...

Lots of tiles,	everywhere...

We rose with the sun	and drove eastward for ever and ever...

Pretty bay but smelly and	really boring,	really, really boring,
Two hours later...still really boring!	"I can't take it anymore!!"