Mexico (Mexico City / Teotihuacan / Puebla)

The flight to Newark was pretty smooth and I even managed a few hours sleep at the airport. The flight down to Mexico was bumpier due to a child behind me banging the seat, this seems to happen to me a lot. i got my revenge though because when I got my hand luggage out after landing I accidently, honest!, banged his head. What goes around comes around kid.

Arrived in Mexico City on Tuesday 7 April, found out where Cruz Azul's Stadium was worked out a route there then decided I'd better find a hotel. Managed to find a really cheap place that was falling to bits, perfect!

After watching 90 minutes it was equal on aggregate over the two legs so I presumed there was a replay because the crowd had started leaving. I left too. I found out next day the match had extra time and penalties. The ground itself has been dug into the ground so when you enter it you begin at the top.

On the Thursday I got a bus up to the ruins at Teotihuacan, these are pre Aztec I am told. On the bus I was sat next to a Mexican girl who spoke good English. She was with two teacher friends who are from the USA but also working in Durango where she is from. So I tagged along with Sandra, Jeannine & Julia for the rest of the day. The pyramids were amazing and I got sun burnt, especially on my head. Some of the steps were steep and it was like climbing a ladder. The girls must of enjoyed my company (or pitied me) as they invited me out for a couple of day trips, we were now the four Musketeers. I couldn't do the Friday though as I had lined up a second division match.

Friday, got to the Aztec ground where there reserve team Socio Águila (Eagle) also play. Play behind closed doors that is. I couldn't even bribe the guards to let me stay and watch. Not fair! They did let people in for a quick tour and I met a couple of locals called Edwin & Rubens. After the tour we headed to a museum and a view of what remained of the Aztec City, which aint much. The Spanish destroyed most of it to use the bricks to build their own colonial style city, muppets! Edwin explained a lot of the history to me in Spanish but I'm sure I've understood most of what he said.

To eat cheaply you can visit a Taquería, which is like a Kebab stall. They'll eat any part of the cow here. Tongue, Brain, Heart and that's just the pieces I could recognise. I stick to Chorizo tacos.

Saturday and we four Musketeers headed to a city called Puebla. I found the city to be much better than Mexico City. I was really tempted to go back and stay there for a week. I decided to let the holy book decide, yes the football fixtures Listing! There is no games on this weekend in Puebla so I will have to return there another time. Later that night I said goodbye to the other Musketeers (not sure which one of us came up with the name, I hope it wasn't me!).

Sunday and I now had to try and get two games in. The first was the Pumas playing at the Olímpico Universitario. This is the Stadium where the famous Black Panther salute was made in 1968 and the fans and players still do it today.

The match wasn't great but the half time entertainment was. They got members of the crowd to do a mini asault course then span them round on chairs and they had to then try and score a goal. This may be the same technic used by Wales! Next off to the Estadio Aztec to watch Club Ámerica. The capacity is over 105,000 but I guess it was only half full. The match was great and so were the Corona girls
(The photo might explain better).

Anyway I am off to Oaxaca next, hasta luego.