Our Monday on October 16 started like any other; we did our morning routine and then sat down to work. Phil decided to take a break late in the morning to run some errands and got a little taste of the corruption that is prevalent in many developing countries.
He had taken his bike and had turned right into a cyclist lane when he got pulled over and got slapped with a fine of 3,000 pesos (~200 CAD). Yes, it was wrong to turn right into a cyclist lane (even though there were no cyclists around); however, after seeing the insane driving and countless traffic violations in Mexico City since we’ve been here, the punishment seemed quite harsh.
Phil cooperated and followed the cops to go and make the payment on the official premises. Mid-way, the cops stopped and asked him if he wanted to go all the way with them or pay them the money on the spot. He said that he didn’t have the cash on him so, after some discussion, they offered to lower the fine to 2,000 pesos. Phil told them he only had 1,500 on him so they agreed to settle at that amount. Money paid, no receipt given, and the cops were on their way.
The money was obviously pocketed and it is an unpleasant feeling to know that you contributed to a system of corruption, but this was a situation that could have easily gone awry if Phil had chosen to fight it. As a visitor, you just have to accept that this is how things work and it is not your country to try to change; you just need to remember to not judge an entire nation based on a few opportunistic individuals.
After Phil returned and we had some lunch, the intercom rang in our apartment rang and the security guard asked him to go downstairs. Phil went downstairs and I sat down to fill out our expenses spreadsheet when there was a knock on our door. Wondering why Phil chose to knock when he knows the code, I opened the door to see my beloved little brother, Prash, with big grin on his face.
I had been asking him to pay me a visit every time I spoke to him so he had decided to give me the best surprise ever by doing so and with him, he brought some of my Mom’s decadent Diwali treats. Talk about a sweet deal!
Mom’s Diwali Sweets
Prash had a mission to have a lot of Mexican food while in Mexico so the three of us went to Forum Buenavista mall on his first night here for a dinner of tacos and beer followed by some ice cream at a Häagen-Dazs kiosk.
Out for beer and tacos
The next day, we headed to the historic center and made a stop at the Palacio de Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts), which is a prominent cultural center in the city. Construction of the building started in 1904 to replace the demolished National Theatre and was completed in 1934. Numerous problems with budgeting, technicalities, and a declining economic situation after the outbreak of the 1910 revolution had delayed completion.
It is a stunning building that has a mixture of architectural styles with Art Nouveau and Art Deco being the most prominent. The design and construction of the building was initially undertaken by Italian architect, Adamo Boari, and concluded by Mexican architect, Federico Mariscal, with numerous changes to the original design.
Palacio de Bellas Artes
Plaza outside the Palacio de Bellas Artes
Chillin’ inside the Palacio de Bellas Artes
There are numerous impressive artifacts inside the building, but my top pick would have to be the glass curtain inside the theatre. The stage side provides fire protection with grooved metal panels while the other side is adorned with opalescent glass, courtesy of Tiffany of New York. The glass curtain is unique and of great artistic value, but don’t try to steal it to sell on the black market – it weighs more than 20 tonnes 😛
Tiffany Glass Door
The next day, our favourite biker stayed home to make some dough while I took little brother to Via Sante Fe mall and then to Naucalli park so he could hunt for some Pokémon (yes, he’s one of THOSE). His lady, Harneet, was set to arrive on Thursday so we held off on doing any touristy activities until then.
After the park, we returned home and Prash cooked us a delicious meal of spaghetti bolognese. He graduated from culinary school and works as a Sous-chef, for those who don’t know, so his spaghetti bolognese is leagues ahead of the usual standard. Needless to say, we all had happy bellies after that meal.
Dinner by Prash
Harneet arrived early on Thursday morning and after catching up on some sleep, the young couple went to explore the Chapultepec area while us oldies stayed back and did some work. Ain’t no rest for the wicked 😉
