Mexico Blog
Day 5
Need to tell you more about yesterday on the streets, so it seems I’m blogging backwards because I haven’t told you about day 5 as yet, and now its day 7. Get it?
OK day 5 which was Monday, had been reserved for meetings and we certainly packed them in. Starting with the first meeting down-town with one of the Institutions working with street kids, I arrived on time – surprisingly with the Mexico city traffic – to be greeted and told it was great to see us and we should arrange a meeting. W-h-a-t ! Didn’t we just do that? Arranged 2 weeks ago from the UK and confirmed several times by email. ¡No comprendo! O.K Is this how they do business in Mexico? I’m learning! I arranged a meeting for the next day but something was bubbly inside. Uhm! Better not upset anyone just yet and I’m a big believer in second chances.
To the next meeting, but with a couple of hours to spare being that my first meeting was not a meeting after all; time to stop off on the way for coffee in a delightful little coffee shop / bar / or something – whatever they call them in Mexico – and enjoy coffee and sunshine in a leafy corner. My travelling companion on this occasion just so happens to be Mexican which is rather nice as I usually travel alone; – on this trip something told me that I needed back-up. We did leave ample time to get to our next meeting with the very prestigious law firm near the picturesque Chapultepec Park, until we realised the hire car had been clamped. Ooops! Well we did get free fairly quickly by some miraculous force but it cost 500 pesos. Not pleased…
I didn’t mention that we were up particularly early and a good thing too as Rebeca – she won’t mind me mentioning her time – was having hysterical moments as all her social network sights and personal emails had been hacked, with unpleasant consequences.
So far, not a good day. The next question, did we have enough ID to get into the officers to see this lawyer and quite frankly, I wasn’t even sure why I had made an appointment with him in the first place. It just sort of felt right having met him in the UK during Mexico Week, earlier in the year. AND, he happened to be great friends with another Mexican gentleman who I had the privilege of meeting many years ago, who has held several Government positions and just so happens to be a movie producer. Uhm!
Getting interesting? May be!
They did finally let us in though we had to park in the barrels of the earth – I hate being underground – after producing 2 pieces of ID, smiling into the camera and being videotaped. Then a further check point, the issue of security passes and a frisk. Only joking! Think it might have been easier to get into Buckingham Palace though, but this is Mexico City after all. Is it possible to love it and hate it at the same time?
The meeting went well. Our hosts were gentleman. And I presented suggestions as to how we might work together in the future. Am I crazy or what? Well I just think this is a trail I seem to be following that is going to have interesting consequences. So stay tuned. Besides it was worth going to see these guys just for the spectacular views of the city. I didn’t have a clue what floor the elevator took us to, and dare not ask. I hate heights.
So this amazing city of contrasts, leads me to ask many questions which may never be answered.
I must tell you about the other two meetings but just signing out for a moment. Things to do!
Oh! I have just been told Chapultepec Park is otherwise known as Grasshopper Hill and is the largest city park in the world. And I thought it was Hyde Park.
Anna
