So I stayed out an hour later than I thought etc.
Got up at what I thought was 2 and was actually 3. Was quite comfortable in bed and just didn't want to get up. Sigh.
Raining moderately heavily but I got the metro over to the Zocalo and went into the national palace to see the Rivera murals. I was semi-pressured into a guided tour (MXN90, really 100 as I didn't feel I could ask for change) but it was moderately informative. I had a solitary look over them after. Then popped into the cathedral and now down some small cafe north of there.
18:50 ('new idea'). Hang on, the clock here says ten to six. FFS. Yet in the Zocalo was a countdown to the bicentennial and assuming that's at midnight it was 6pm then. Maybe that's misleading as maybe summer time will have finished by then.
FFS. The uncertainty is killing me.
Just had carne a la tampiqueña. Not great (frijoles were cold, which I always hate, and a bit runny, and I got a big dollop of runny guacamole which rendered a big chunk of steak inedible) but not bad if, as I believe, it's only MXN40. I may actually eat more later time and circumstances permitting.
Yeah, MXN49 with the drink. I checked before I got the food they could break my 500. I will have to withdraw some more cash tomorrow I think.
19:20 (old idea). Not a clue what time it is. Down Restaurante Bar Gante, which I think is in Fray something Gante, not far from Zocalo.
Having a beer. Found a few other places but either no free tables or they didn't serve beer or insisted on me ordering food at the same time.
Oh, it wasn't just the inference from the countdown clock that has thrown my notion of time off. I saw a digital clock at Sevilla metro station which seem wrong to me, and I could swear the guide's watch said 5:30 when I asked her what time the place closed at the end of the tour. I might ask the waiter here when I get my next beer. I very much musn't miss the last metro, if I do stay out here.
19:30. OK, I just asked the waiter and he *showed* me the time (clearly having a low opinion of my Spanish, but at least it removes any doubts) and it is 19:30. So I was right all along. I must admit I am still dubious somehow. I may ask someone else later and get yet another opinion, though really, surely no one local is going to have their watch or phone wrong.
There is some rather noisy drum type street performance going on here. There is a big crowd round so I can't really see what is happening though. Two of the performers have what look superficially like fishing rods sticking up over the top of the crowd, but I assume they are musical instruments of some kind.
I almost didn't go into the Palacio Nacional, there were so many armed guards hanging around outside, but I had a word with them and after showing them a photocopy of my passport (at this point, one asked me if I was Dutch!?) they let me in. I had to go through some sort of metal detector inside too (though I had loads of coins etc in my pocket and no one said anything, so I wonder exactly what it was scanning for).
19:55. Started to rain moderately heavily. I have an umbrella over my table so am mostly OK, fortunately, even if I do feel the odd drop.
If I haven't already blogged this, next time I should bring a cheap umbrella or two in my hold baggage. If my memory serves it is seldom very windy anywhere I've been with a lot of rain, so an umbrella would work well.
20:40. Bar next door has a live band on. It's too busy for me to move over and I guess this way I get the benefit without paying. :-)
21:15. Must admit I am having an oddly good time. A bit nervous about making my way back but I doubt it's going to be deserted between here and the Zocalo. And I can't help thinking all the locals out here imply it isn't *that* fricking dangerous. I will leave well before 11 so as to avoid any risk of missing the last metro. I have to change one stop south (I do think the London 'northbound' etc system is much easier than this business of having to know the end stations) but I am not dicking around and trying to walk there. The metro stations in my limited experience are not that obvious - another area in which I think London Underground is better. I don't know why they don't flag them more obviously here.
22:00. Going to have one more than leave. Getting a bit jittery re last metro, especially if I get lost on the way to the station, though I feel the latter is unlikely. I have an idea from my guide book the last ones are at 11:30 which seems a bit early, but better safe than sorry. Curse the taxi situation.
Just fired the GPS up on a whim and I am 3.1km as the crow flies from the hotel. So I guess if push comes to shove I could walk. It doesn't sound ideal but I have to assume it would be a safer bet than taking a random taxi. Of course, it shouldn't come to that.
22:15. Waiter just asked if I wanted anything else as they are about to stop serving. Seems a bit early but it's cool, I have been necking this one a bit from nerves. I asked for the bill
Jesus wept, MXN332 (plus tip)! I think it's correct and I did have MXN70 of food. Beers 34 which is a bit pricey and 42 for a michelada! If I want beers at eg Papa Bill's as a celebration of getting home safely I shall have to dip into my hidden reserves. Oh well. It's not too bad and if I get mugged they'll have to settle for less.
22:20. A quick slash and then for the metro. Fingers crossed...
22:45. Just got on train to Observatorio. I just saw a clock saying 23:45, justifying my earlier confusion.
Ridiculously inadequate signage at Pino Suarez. I followed signs for Observatorio then the trail went cold.
Oh, and the entrance I knew in the Zocalo was shut. I had to ask some inoffensive looking woman crossing the road who pointed me to some other entrance. Still, I have to give myself credit for not flapping.
Oh, if I didn't observe it earlier, on my trip out when it was pretty busy (despite being pre-rush hour), the locals seem far worse than in London about pushing on before people have got off.
I am not going to Observatorio, I am going to Sevilla, but that's the direction I want.
Can't believe the clocks on the metro can be an hour out. What a crock.
23:05. At Papa Bill's. Saw one restaurant bar place open nearby but looked dead enough to not be a good risk.
Clock at Sevilla metro said it was 23:53. Will ask waiter here as a double check but what a way to mindfuck the tourists.
Turned GPS on to orient myself outside metro and it was 720m straight line to the hotel. And I think that is the nearest, Insurgentes is probably about the same. Didn't need GPS once oriented, tho I took a peep to confirm after having to describe a 270 degree arc around some roundabout on PdlR.
No service yet but I am sure it will come in time.
Yeah, just got served. Slightly weird conversation with waiter but he says it's about 11pm. Fucking metro clocks.
So, although no one will ever read it, I hereby present Steve's Advice to the Mexico City Transit Authority (gratis):
- set the damn clocks correctly
- have big glowing logos outside your stations, don't be so shy
- when you must close an entrance, at least try to give directions to the nearest open one
- have decent signs within the station that don't peter out just before you get to the platform
- have maps of the network INSIDE THE STATIONS
- (controversial) use 'northbound' style directions instead of terminal stations
Things not to copy from London:
- the price (MXN3, or less than 20p, a trip is undeniably good value - my 3-4 yr old guide book says it is the cheapest metro system in the world)
Happy to help. Have a nice day.
No draught beer. So I am having another michelada. I hope I can afford it.
Oh, during that weird conversation the guy said it was two for one until 9. Maybe he misinterpreted my time question as a hint. But, in that case, FIX YOUR FUCKING SIGN and stop pretending that offer runs til 1am.
Oh, just noticed the menu card on the table says til 1am except Thu & Fri til 9pm. But that's still bollocks because I didn't get two for one on Wednesday night. Lying gits. (Also a bit odd they don't exclude Saturday.) And that doesn't alter the fact the printed menu on the wall tells a different story.
Maybe you have to order two at a time to get the discount. If so, seems a bit crap when it works on a bill rather than pay-as-you-go system.
I suspect the waiter wasn't super happy when I said I didn't want to eat and I'd already eaten twice. I just hope I don't get stung 17 for snacks without having them given to me.
I see someone is getting a grapefruit flavour fizzy drink. I bought a bottle of that somewhere recently. We should have that in the UK, we as a nation lack appreciation of one of the finest fruits known to man. (There was a good Angry Flower cartoon about that which I would link to here if I could.)
I nearly stopped at a corner shop on the way over to buy a bottle of coke to shove in the fridge at the hotel, but figured I couldn't be arsed lugging it about. I understand the tap water isn't safe here, but there is a foot-high metal cylinder with an extra tap on the kitchen sink which dribbles water out when turned fully on, and I am assuming it's a water filter. At any rate, I have been drinking that water the last two nights and Montezuma is leaving me alone. Touch wood.
There is a small bust of Cuahtemoc in the Zocalo with an inscription saying his courage is an inspiration to all Mexicans. The guy seems popular. :-) But by all accounts he deserves it, the man got a raw deal as I understand it. I haven't seen any statues of Cortez...
Was pretty cool to see those murals earlier. I gather there are others in the city which I shall visit if time permits. If nothing else, I suspect I will pass a few days here before flying back home.
"Words to describe this girl" song playing now.
Feel a bit out of place here and it's not great but sod it. At least I saw more of the city earlier and I didn't want to have to get a cab back so I couldn't really stay out later.
Oh, while I was uncertain about time, I noticed the enormous Mexican flag flying in the Zocalo. I could swear I read that was taken down at 6pm every day and it was later than that even with the confusion. Maybe it's a different flag they take down at 6, or maybe my guide book is out of date.
00:10. I could swear I'm not drunk but I just dredged my wallet out to check my resources and my chair moved slightly and (in hindsight) a leg went over a nearby step. I found myself flailing and didn't want to grab my table lest it tip my beer over and ended up somehow grabbing the adjacent table and some woman sat there. A bit embarrassing! But I guess it's just one of those things. I just said "British Constitution" to myself so I guess I can't be that tight. :-)
00:20. A group at a nearby table is playing Jenga. :-) And the guys to my left are playing dominos. A bit odd somehow
00:40. Just asked for and got the bill. The cunts - and I think the word is justified - have indeed charged me 17 for snacks even though I didn't get any. Well, the fuckers get no tip. I would have been prepared to pay for them if they'd given me them, I consider a "I don't want to eat" response no excuse, as solely indicating "I don't want to order food". Yep, I've given the MXN131 it comes to and should anyone complain I will explan. Bastards.
To quote Jorrocks, "You wouldn't charge a man for what he has not enjoyed?"
The cunts are objecting. Apparently there is a 10% service charge. Not on the bill of course. I don't fucking believe this. My explanations are bad but fervent Spanish. I expected them to take no tip at worst (incorrectly but nonetheless) as a sign of discontent without arguing. I would not expect to have a tip *demanded* of me in a London restaurant.
I am tempted to just walk off. I have a bit of beer left and I don't want to take the coward's way out but I am not sitting around all night just to be fucked over.
00:55. Just walked off, after maybe 5-10 mins finishing up post argument. Feels a bit cowardly but I gave them the chance to get back to me with either an apology or further demands. I obviously can't go back but I wouldn't have anyway. Robbing fuckers.
I have that sort of 'fight or flight' adrenaline rush on. Stupid but there you go.
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