Mexico, cheap food and happy people

18/5 - Buenos dias desde Ciudad de Mexico! Good day from Mexico City, Mexico!

With the exception of being harassed by a CHP officer in Los Angeles while stuck in stop-and-go traffic on Highway 405 because I was both looking at my phone and driving without a bumper, my trek so far into Mexico City has gone by relatively smoothly. I'm just very tired, having started my journey at 5 a.m. I started writing this blog at 11 p.m. local time.

I flew from LAX after driving to Los Angeles and parking my car in an airport parking lot. I first stopped in Guadalajara, and from there to Mexico City. I have about eight hours to kill in the Mexico City airport before my flight to Tampico in the morning. It's one of those long travel days and my eyes are heavy while writing this.

I used a Mexican airline called Interjet, which is about 10 years old. After two flights and several hours on their planes, it's safe to say Interjet is my favorite airline. Every seat has the kind of legroom that comes with the emergency exit seats on other airlines, neither plane was filled to capacity and alcohol is free, even on flights that last less than an hour! Those Latinos really know how to fly! This all added up to a very relaxing and stress-free flight experience.

But after taking off from Guadalajara and gazing out the window at the criss-crossing grid of lights, it hit me how going on an adventure and traveling relaxes me and makes me feel like I'm accomplishing something. This is me in my element. It's such a welcome relief from the recent stress and anger to hop on an airplane headed for a new place; it does wonders for the soul.

When I step onto an airplane, my real-world responsibilities, issues and and stress never gets past the gate, and I am sincerely grateful for that. I appreciate the fact I can escape everything, if only for a little bit of time.

20/5 - Tampico has a tropical climate. It's warm and humid as hell, like a greenhouse full of tropical plants. It's sticky! When my friend Diego picked me up from the airport and we stepped outside, it was a little jarring to go from air conditioned, 72-degree comfort to hot and humid air that is thick to breathe. This is the kind of place where it's best to move slowly, or else you'll drip with sweat even more.

There are iguanas that make their homes next to the lake where crocodiles lurk, sometimes sunning themselves with their mouths open. Perhaps that's why a steel fence separates the walking path from the water!

Tampico is known as Mexico's first sea port, and when flying one can see how swampy the surrounding land is. It's not an environment I'm used to, and I've been drenched in sweat consistently since coming to Tampico. 

The city has also had issues with drug cartels in the past, around 2012. Diego said the local police were disbanded and replaced by the Mexican government. Sometimes you can see a truck patrolling the area with a 50-caliber machine gun bolted to the roof. But now it seems like a safe place judging from how lively downtown is. 

It's a bit of a throwback to drive down the street and see four or five people riding in the bed of a truck; I haven't seen that in many years. While crossing the street on foot, there are no signals; you just need to keep an eye on the traffic to make sure you won't get hit. And when taxis are free, they randomly honk their horns to attract attention. There are also taxis that have specific routes, like a city bus. They just pick you up on the route and you can get off whenever. 

I'm staying with Diego and his family. They live next to each other in two houses along a canal, close to the lake and within walking distance to downtown. The houses, like the rest of the neighborhood, are a bit run-down and overgrown. It feels a bit sketchy at first, but it's a relatively safe neighborhood in which everyone knows each other because they've lived there for so long. And simplicity is the best practice, right down to the pipe that simply sticks out of the shower wall; it's just like standing under a garden hose while taking a shower!

We spent the day today eating Tortas de la Barda and relaxing at the beach with beers and shrimp cocktail. Another great thing about Mexico is that it's cheap. A beer costs $1.50. But on the other side, I understand why so many people want to work in the USA and then send money back to Mexico.

22/5 - At a small food cart yesterday, I saw the guy was offering three hamburgers for five pesos. At the bar with Diego's brother in law, we had four beers apiece, peanuts and several small plates of food. About $10 total for everything. The low cost of everything is blowing my mind but after Diego said it's the cost of living here, I sobered up a little bit. It's a struggle to live here and make a living, when one peso is almost worthless. I need to be thankful I live in the states where the dollar is so strong. I may live like a king here, but it would be much different if I lived and worked in Mexico.

But, because everything is so cheap, that means I can live it up. I'm really enjoying that! I'm used to overpriced food and drink in the USA and Europe, but it's dirt cheap in Latin America.

Anyway, today is the birthday of Diego's mother, Rita. The whole family will be here and there will be lots of food of course. I'm seeing how simply this family lives and how happy it is. Everyone loves to laugh. I've already been invited to a quinceañera in a few years, and I think people are expecting me to return.