Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Week 1: Settling In

Hola!

So sorry for the delays in postings, but we've been having a few issues with the internet during our first weeks here. So, two of these posts are long overdue, but trusty ol' copy and paste has saved the day yet again.

I arrived in Mexico City alone to a heap of trouble during Week 1: a messy host family situation, getting lost on a daily (sometimes hourly) basis, and a nasty case of food poisoning. I felt completely overwhelmed by the language and the hustle bustle of Mexico City (overheard by my waiter conversing with another waiter in the restaurant: Does she speak Spanish? Reply: Just a little). While I'm not an expert in either Spanish or travel, I wasn't prepared for the adjustment period.

The situation drastically improved once I started attending language classes. My Spanish (read: confidence) improved immediately (past pluperfect tense, anyone?) and I made friends with some lovely people who steered me towards safer restaurants. By the end of the week I had visited several of D.F.'s fabulous museums and had my first foray into Aztec culture, taking in the sights at Templo Mayor, the city's Aztec ruins.

Templo Mayor is an interesting site into Aztec culture; one of the only existing original (not conquered) Aztec structures, it sits in the heart of the Historic District. This ruin harkens that feeling you get in Rome and Athens; the weird juxtaposition of the old and the new. The busy progress of the city surrounding something ancient and unchanging. I am really looking forward to the Teotichuacan ruins next weekend, and of course, the arrival of Ms. Korbakis!

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