Domino's Pizza in Mexico City

With Annabelle in the midst of the terrible two's, we have pretty much stopped going out to eat. She gets bored with the paper and crayons, as well as with the iPhone. So, we order Domino's Pizza regularly.

It is fantastic because we can order online at www.dominos.com.mx and the pizza is delivered within 30 minutes!

Ordering online is super easy, even with everything written in Spanish.

Ordering on the phone is so much more difficult with pronunciation and our lack of fluent Spanish.

So, online is the way to go! And, the order is always correct and on time! Very easy...although Annie is scared of the delivery men, as they drive motorcycles and come to the door with their helmets on!

+KOTA Dog Grooming, Mexico City

As Molly was extremely shaggy, I went in search of a dog groomer in Mexico City.

From time to time, I see dog grooming vans around town. Back in March, I even took a picture of one van, so that I would have their number when necessary.

But, I was hesitant to call because most small places don't have any worker that speaks English.

So, earlier in the week, I went to +KOTA, a dog supply chain, that has many locations in and around Polanco. They don't do grooming there, but gave me a name and phone numbers of who to call.

I went home, called said numbers, only to have the calls not go thru. So, I googled the name and found their website: http://www.maskota.com.mx/home/listado_cont.asp?cve_cont=152.

I called the number on the van pictured...and after a minute was able to speak to someone in English.

The guy took my information and said someone would be there between noon and 4 pm the next day.

At 12:07 pm, the groomer knocked on my door! Less than 40 minutes later, Molly was bathed and dried.

There is some debate between my husband and I on whether or not Molly actually got a haircut. I don't see it, but Mike says she DEFINITELY got a haircut and that the hair around her eyes and on her back is much shorter.

But, regardless, well worth the cost of just $270 pesos for the "estetica"!

Vet in Polanco / Mexico City

Molly and I survived six months in Mexico City, before having to seek out a vet. But, due to an ear infection, our streak ended this past Tuesday.

We went to the vet recommended by two friends. It is in Polanco, about a mile and a half from my house. So, armed with directions, and knowledge that they accept walk in appointments after 10:30 am, we set out to a new part of Polanco!

No one spoke English, aside from the vet, who said he spoke "a little English" when I told him "yo hablo muy pocito Espanol".

But Molly's ear infection spoke for itself!

We only waited about 30 minutes...which is not bad at all for a walk in appointment! The vet cleaned Molly's ear out, rubbed some ointment on the ear, gave her an antibiotic shot, and sent us on our way!

Here is a photo of the "invoice" (factura) that I was given! In the U.S., the invoice would look drastically different (and the total bill would be MUCH higher!!).

So, the cost was $765 pesos. Not bad.

We'll be going back in a month to get help with Molly's papers to get her back into the U.S.!

The vet's office is located at Presa Pabellon #8 in Polanco. I would highly recommend them!

Girls Night Out in Polanco

Last night, I went out with a bunch of the playgroup moms! We went to Ch!, an Argentinian restaurant, in Polanco.

It was FANTASTIC!!!

Wednesday night happened to be 2 for the price of 1 martini's. So, we all took advantage of that! Excellent apple martini's. They had awesome empanadas as appetizers. And the entrees all looked great too. I split the pechuga de pollo al chimi with one of the other ladies. It was really good.

I will definitely take Mike there soon!

It was my first girls night out with the ladies and I look forward to our next night out! At playgroup it can be very difficult to finish a conversation with another mom, because the kids are all running crazy and have to be constantly watched. So, it was great to get to know everyone better and not worry where the kids were!

Movie Theater Experience in Mexico City

A few nights ago, I went to see "Damas en Guerra" ("Bridesmaids"), at the VIP movie theater in Polanco at Antara, with my friend Tricia. We got to the theater early and bought tickets (cost of $120 pesos or so). Since it is a VIP theater, when you buy your tickets, you pick your seats, which is pretty nice!

Then, we went to Chili's for dinner. Eating at Chili's in Mexico is identical to eating there in the U.S. All the signs on the walls were in English and identical to those in the U.S. The menu was identical, aside from the descriptions written in Spanish.

After dinner, we headed back to the theater and found our seats. The VIP theater has leather seats that are separated into pairs with nice, large armrests. The seats recline, which was awesome! And, there is a call button to get the waiter to stop by to get your order. I almost bought some Ben & Jerry's, but decided I was too full from dinner! Next time!

"Damas en Guerra" ended up being HILARIOUS!! Tricia and I both laughed out loud many times. We were by far the loudest people in the theater, which led us to believe that the jokes weren't translating well via subtitles. The Mexicans in the theater probably thought we were crazy!

We had walked to the theater and planned on taking a taxi home. It's not a far walk, but figured it's safer to take the taxi in the dark. But, when we hopped into the taxi, the driver told us it would be $150 pesos (approx. $15 USD)...which was ridiculous since Tricia and I live on the same street, a block apart, and we were only 6 or so blocks from our street. So, we got out of the taxi and walked home. The walk was fine and only took about 15 minutes.

Needless to say, I enjoyed my first VIP movie experience in Mexico City! Looking forward to going back to seeing "Friends with Benefits" when it comes out!

General Questions Answered...

When I began this blog, it was to keep all of my friends and family in the U.S. in the loop on my experiences in Mexico.

In just a few months, it has become so much more. I have had several thousand hits, mostly from the U.S., but also hits from over twenty other countries.

Last week, I received a blog comment from a woman who may move here due to her husband's job. Since her comment, we have traded several emails. She had a few questions that hopefully I answered sufficiently.

But, due to all of the people viewing this blog, I thought I would post my answers to her questions here as well...

1. SAFETY: I take zero precautions here. I don't do anything differently than I did in Chicago. Annabelle and I feel totally safe strolling throughout Polanco. That said, I don't leave my wallet unattended...as I wouldn't anywhere else. I walk Annabelle to school, then continue on to the bank, grocery store, bakery, Starbucks (Mexicans love their Starbucks!...seriously I could walk to five different Starbucks any given morning), etc. When my husband gets home from work, he'll walk to the gym (Golds Gym), or we'll take Annabelle and the dog out walking, going over near the restaurant/"Polanquito" district or walk towards California Pizza Kitchen. We feel so much safer than we EVER thought we would. Annabelle and I will walk to the zoo by ourselves. We don't feel limited at all.

2. SCHOOLS: I viewed three Montessori schools in April. Had no problem getting a spot. There are schools and daycares in abundance. My husbands company hired a company to take me to look at schools. But, if you just walk down a few streets, you'll see something! I joined a playgroup upon arriving, and the women there are FANTASTIC and super helpful. The women are very open about where their kids go to school, what activities they do, and extremely welcoming. You can also join the "newcomber's club" and get tons of helpful information. I didn't join that, just because I met the playgroup women, most of whom belong to newcomber's, and I felt I was fine without newcomber's!

3. General feeling about living here... I love it. If I have my choice of staying here or moving back to the U.S., I will choose to stay here for awhile! For us women, Polanco is awesome. I am so much more active here than I ever was in the U.S. I get together with one or all of the playgroup women at least twice a week. I could definitely do more if I made just a bit of effort! I enjoy walking everywhere and love that Annabelle is learning Spanish and going to school. I see Americans all the time. For my husband it is harder. He rarely sees Americans and interacts with them. So, he craves going to the U.S. a ton more than I do. I feel very at home here in Polanco!

Living in Mexico has it's frustrations. Nothing gets fixed or taken care of very quickly. But, if you know that going in and take it in stride, you'll be fine.

All the Mexicans I have interacted with have been very friendly and soooo helpful. They speak very little to no English. But, if you have a knowledge of Spanish, you'll do great here!

The first time we visited, we were driven around by a driver from my husband's company in an armored car. If your husband is high up in a company and it is provided...go for it. But, it's not necessary. If anything, we feel like the driver and armored car just draw more attention to you. On Friday nights in the restaurant district, you'll see the bodyguards/driver's standing outside restaurants...but they NEVER have to do anything. Zero crime and violence in Polanco. Almost every building has a 24 hour guard, along with stores. So, wherever you walk, there are people.

Around the corner from us is a Porsche dealership, with all glass windows - no bars or anything preventing the breaking of glass. If you walk two minutes up the street, there are the W and Presidente Intercontinental hotels, along with more Starbucks, a Bentley dealership, and some other car dealers. Down the road, on Presidente Masaryk, there is a Tiffany, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, etc. The local mall is called Antara. It is super expensive and consists of high end stores. We have McDonalds, Wendy's, Burger King, Chili's, the Coffee Bean, etc. Mexicans are apparently obsessed with American culture!

I always laugh at this one complex that boasts a McDonalds, movie theater and Maserati/Ferrari dealership. An interesting combo!

This is NOT real Mexico that the newspapers write about. This is the absolute BEST part of Mexico. It is like the Gold Coast in Chicago, or the Upper West Side in New York.

We did a TON of research before moving here. My parents specifically were convinced we would die five minutes after setting foot here. But, the violence is not in Polanco or the surrounding towns. It is in the border cities and the poor areas.

You could get kidnapped if you just flag down a taxi on the street. But, that is rare. And, you just make sure to call a radio taxi. Our building security guard does that for us. Or there are a bunch of radio taxi stands around. If you were to get "express kidnapped" as they call it, they just drive you around and take you to an ATM to get money from you. Very unlikely to happen though, provided you use a little common sense.

A website that my husband has used to look at housing here is www.inmomexico.com. They don't seem to use websites like we do, ie. realtor.com. They are behind the times in some aspects, for sure! I would expect in Polanco for you to pay at least $30,000 pesos for rent. My husband's company pays $35,000 pesos for our place. It is a brand new building. I think we have 1,800 sq. feet or so, with 2 bedrooms, a den, living room/dining combo, kitchen and 3.5 bathrooms. All appliances, but no furniture. I rent furniture for about $170 USD/month. Cable/satellite costs about $100-120 USD a month. We have internet and a landline (with unlimited calls to the US) for about $120/month. We also have a gas bill of about $40 USD a month. No other bills associated with our apartment.

We have a maid on Saturdays. We pay her $300 pesos ($25 USD) a week. She stays from 10 am to 4 pm. A lot of my friends have maids that either live in or come 5 days a week. Several have personal drivers. Labor is cheap here.

Most buildings here do NOT have bathtubs, nor do they have furnaces and air conditioning units. The bathtub could come in handy with kids! But we are fine without it. The a/c and furnace is just not necessary! The weather is amazing! Absolute love that aspect of living here!

Healthcare. Doctors are soooo much more accessible here. They give you their email addresses and cell numbers. They answer after hours. On the recommendation of a friend, my husband saw a doctor a few weeks ago for vertigo. The doctor studied in the U.S. at Johns Hopkins. From the expats, you get great referrals.

All around, a very nice place to live and call home!

Muecas Fiestas Infantiles

Playgroup this past week was held at Meucas in Polanco. In the mornings and early afternoons, Muecas is a daycare. In the afternoons and on weekends, you can rent it out and host a birthday party.

If there are no birthday parties, they allow individuals to come in for $70 pesos/child.

So, that is what we did for playgroup.

The kids LOVED Muecas! Outside there is a little play area, best for kids over the age of five. Inside, there is a trampoline, little hang glide, ball pit, slide, and another smaller ball pit for younger kids.

It was hard for the adults to talk as the kids were running everywhere! But, very fun and well worth the $70 pesos. Annabelle fell asleep in her stroller on the walk home!

We'll definitely be going to Muecas again!

www.muecas.com.mx

Polanco vs. Interlomas

Since moving to Mexico City, I couldn't imagine living anywhere but Polanco. Polanco is fantastic. I can walk to everything I need and want, from the zoo to the grocery to restaurants to the hospital and doctors, etc.

I have not been tempted to consider living elsewhere...

Until last week.

Annabelle and I were invited to go swimming at a playgroup friend's complex in Interlomas. It took about 25 minutes to get there from Polanco, so it isn't far. The complex includes multiple towers of condos, a bowling alley, a movie theater, a school, a gym (where you could take pilates/yoga/etc), a NICE indoor pool, a tennis court, squash court, and an excellent outdoor play area for kids, including a swingset and an inground trampoline (which I personally loved - and reminded me of sunbathing on a trampoline in my youth!). These are just the amenities that I was told about while I was there - I am sure there are a few more that I am missing!

The apartment that we visited was phenomenal inside! It was on the 19th floor, so the view was nice! Three bedrooms, lots of windows, a large living room and dining room. Very spacious and nice! All you can expect from a nice, newer complex!

If I had been shown an apartment in this building when we were looking for a place, I would have had a difficult time choosing between Polanco and Interlomas!

However, in Interlomas, I would need to drive more (ie. hire a driver). In Polanco, I ride in a car about once a month. Before this past Saturday, in Mexico City, I hadn't been in the car with Mike driving since late April.

As with choosing to live in any town, there are trade offs that you make. In Polanco, the trade offs seem few and far between. I feel very lucky to live here and enjoy it immensely. But, an indoor swimming pool, bowling alley and inground trampoline would be awesome!!

Get Togethers in Mexico City

This past Saturday night, Mike invited his employees, boss and their families over.

We spent all morning and afternoon preparing for the get together. Annabelle had woken up, throwing up on herself, but was bouncing off the wall an hour later. I attributed her throwing up to getting her molars.

Nevertheless, we kept Annabelle home all day, which meant Mike had to run to four different grocery stores, acquiring the necessary food, beverages, and cookware. Meanwhile, I spent the morning cleaning as my maid didn't show up for the second week in a row! (I tell myself that she's fired, although it looks like she quit! No hard feelings, because, if I am honest, I would smile at her and say "hola" should she show up this Saturday!).

So, by the time guests arrived at 6 pm, Mike and I were a bit tired.

We dressed in our regular attire...same thing we would wear to a get together in the U.S. Mike in a t-shirt and jeans, myself in a tank top and jeans.

Weren't we surprised when the first guests showed up in a suit and cocktail dress!! The next guests showed up dressed similarly. In the end, three of the other guys wore jeans and nice shirts. Mike said "should we change?" I said "no, we look like who we are...grungy Americans". And, the guests looked like who they are...sophisticated Mexicans (and Argentinians)!

But, you better believe that if we get invited to someone else's house (non-playgroup people, because they dress similarly to me!), I'll be thinking twice about wearing my normal U.S. attire!

Perhaps I should take note and acquire some of the fancy clothing that hangs in all the storefronts within two-ten blocks of my condo!!

While I am acquiring said clothing, I should also work on rain boots and a rain coat, as rainy season is not letting up! ...I did finally break down and buy an umbrella today ($98 pesos at Superama)... hopefully I will remember to leave the house with it!

Making Friends Abroad

Making friends abroad seems to be very easy. I was lucky enough to have run into a woman (Jennifer) at the park in January. She invited me to a playgroup within a few days, emailed with me while I was still in the U.S., and met up with me again once I was in Mexico full-time! Since then I have gone to the playgroup regularly and made friends with many of the women.

If I hadn't been so lucky to randomly meet this friend, I would have probably gone the traditional route and joined "newcomer's club", where there are online postings for playgroups, get togethers, available maid's/nannies, etc.

Since moving to Mexico, my social calendar has increased tenfold. My parents tell me it's because I am now making an effort to meet people and get to know them! In the U.S., if I saw another mom at the park, we would ignore one another. In Mexico, that is not the case.

Is it that Americans living in Mexico are used to getting out of their comfort zone and look to help others and make new friends? Quite possibly!

A few weeks ago, Mike, Annie, Molly and I were out on a walk. All of a sudden, a couple walking across the street from us flagged us down and asked if were from the U.S. and if we lived in Mexico. Immediately, without question, we opened up to them, told them all about ourselves and talked for 10+ minutes about Mexico City, where they were from, ages of kids, etc.

After we talked and gave them Mike's email address, I left thinking several things:

1. It is odd that after three months I am able to give advice on life in Mexico City

2. It is odd that after three months I am totally confident giving said advice and offering to show the wife around town, etc.

3. I would never have even considered giving out such personal information to someone I just met on the street in the U.S. Maybe my email address and cell for work purposes (real estate is all about networking)...but probably not as I was a lot more shy in the U.S. and skeptical of why someone would approach me.

Nevertheless, this nice family will be in Mexico City in a few weeks and I hope the wife contacts me, so that I can bring her to playgroup and pay Jennifer's kindness forward!

Rainy Season in Mexico

Rainy season has set in in Mexico City.

I knew about it before arriving and yet, for some reason, did not think it applied to me. Did I bring a rain jacket for myself? For Annabelle? For Mike? NO. Not unless you count a super cute North Face jacket that I got for Annabelle that will fit her in about two more years! Did we bring rain boots? NO.

Do we even have one umbrella? NO.

Totally unprepared.

It has rained a good portion of the past week. Thursday, I don't think it let up once all day.

The biggest issue seems to be Molly "princess paws" Doodle. Our dog pretty much refuses to get her paws wet. I have to drag her onto the wet grass, in order to try and get her to get to the bathroom. She'll be whining at the door and I'll try to reason with her that letting her out is a waste of both of our time, because she won't go. I'll open the door, so she can hear the rain. Yet she demands to go outside. And then...she stands with her paws firmly planted while I try and coax her onto the grass. We do this multiple times a day. Very frustrating! She may need doggie rain boots.

Rainy season is supposed to continue until September. Hopefully by then, I will have invested in an umbrella, if nothing else!

Haircuts in Mexico City

My brother is getting married in Riviera Maya in three days!

So, last Friday afternoon, Mike, Annie and I set out to find a place to get haircuts. Annie hadn't had a haircut since early March and she kept pulling out the barretts that I pulled her bangs back with about two seconds after I walked away. Needless to say, we were overdue for a haircut.

Luckily, Mike has an excellent memory and remembered walking past "Mia and George" on Homero in Polanco the previous weekend.

We arrived there and were lucky enough to be helped by several people that spoke English. That helped tremendously when telling them what we wanted done with Annie's hair... and Mike's. We got right in and, with Annie sitting on my lap, were out the door 30 minutes later!

A successful first haircut in Mexico for Annie!

Before:

After:

Visiting Annabelle's School

Yesterday was Annabelle's second birthday! So, I emailed last week with the director's of Annabelle's school and coordinated bringing in cookies to her class.

School starts at nine am. I was told to bring the cookies in at 11:20 am.

When I arrived, I went upstairs and saw three separate little classrooms, with about 6-10 kids in each class. In all three classrooms, the kids were sitting at little tables, eating their lunch!

Shockingly, Annabelle was one of these well behaved kids! I couldn't believe it!! As soon as I entered, she started talking, saying "MOMMY! Mommy's here." It was a nice welcome! She's not embarrassed of me yet!!

I was given my own little chair and sat behind Annabelle while the kids ate their food.

Each kid had a place mat that indicated where their plate, fork, spoon and tiny cup were to be placed.

To my amazement, Annabelle picked up her cup, which did NOT have a lid, drank it, and said "mas agua". Then, put her cup back in its' correct spot!

My amazement continued as the kids all continued eating their carrots, watermelon, and their main dish, which has a name, but I cannot recall it. The dish consisted of a piece of french bread, topped with refried beans, then layered with cheese. Annie ate the entire thing...which, again, shocked me, because normally the only thing she eats in full are sweets (a chip off the old block!)

Once the kids were done eating, the teacher instructed them individually to take their plate, cup, utensils, placemat and leftover food to the "dish section", where each kid had to put everything away in it's proper spot.

I think my jaw hit the floor as Annabelle followed her teacher's instructions and took three trips from the table to the dish section, putting everything away!

Next, it was time for Annabelle's cookies! Since moving to Polanco, we have become big fans of Le Pain, a local bakery. They have GIANT chocolate chip cookies that are very thin and taste amazing! So, we got enough giant cookies for each kid to have one. But, it worked out best to split up two amongst the whole class, then send each kid home with a full cookie! Before the kids were allowed to grab a piece of cookie, they sang "Las Manitas" to Annabelle. She smiled and clapped at the end! Then, the kids got their cookie pieces! It was pretty silent in the room as the kids devoured the cookies! Lots of "mmmmm" sounds coming from the kiddos, but that was about it!

The kids then walked up three steps to the bathroom area, where the assistant washed their hands, gave them their toothbrushes, and helped clean everyone up! After seeing Annie's class eat, I now fully understand why each kid is supposed to have a denim smock! I'll be purchasing one of those very soon!

After cleanup, I was invited to stay and go outside for playtime/recess. All the kids were out there.

Annabelle held my hand and the railing as we walked downstairs. With each step she took, she yelled out "Be careful E-A". (E-A is what she calls herself, as for awhile she had a hard time saying "Annie"!). So, the whole way down, I laughed as she kept telling herself to be careful! Once we reached the end of the stairs, she let go of my hand and started running towards the backyard, saying "I play with kids". She went straight to the gardening table, then moved on to the Little Tikes slide and log cabin. She was not concerned with me...which was good because that is when the older kids attacked me!

There were two girls and one boy, around the age of six, that would not leave me alone. They were trying to stuff plant leaves and nuts in the pockets of my jeans, in addition to trying to steal my iPhone out of my back pocket!! I must have said "NO. No mas. No gracias. Estas mal" about twenty times. A teacher came over and yelled at them a few times, but they were persistent. They kept after me! Then, I had about ten younger kids randomly coming up to me, speaking to me in Spanish, asking me my name...among other things that I couldn't understand!

Towards the end of recess, Annie found a soccer ball and started kicking it around the yard, yelling "I play soccer. I kick the ball". So, that was very cute to watch.

And, periodically she would look up and yell "I see my teacher", give her a big smile, and then continue playing!

I can certainly see why she comes home exhausted every afternoon! And, she seems to be very vocal, comfortable speaking English when everyone around her is speaking Spanish, for the most part. So, that was nice to see!

It was very nice to be able to spend over an hour with Annabelle at school today! She seems to be doing very well there!

More Information on Club Mundet in Polanco

A month or two ago, I met a woman that belongs to Club Mundet. I told her that we had looked into joining but couldn't get past the expensive joining fee.

When I quoted her the price...she was shocked.

She told me that she had looked into the price for friends the previous summer...and the joining fee was only about $500 USD. AND she told me that at various times, Club Mundet has had specials where they waive the joining fee for expats.

I was quoted a joining fee of $17,000 pesos or approximately $1,415 USD. When I told her the monthly fee was quoted to be about $330, she said that was what she pays.

But, this new joining fee information may be something to keep in mind in the future...and to consistently check back with Club Mundet, if you are considering joining.

She said her daughters LOVE Club Mundet and that they go everyday, whether it is to swim, to play tennis, to walk, or to partake in the many kids classes!

Grocery Shopping in Mexico...The Scarcity Model

In Polanco, the closest thing we have to a Whole Foods is a VERY small store called "The Green Corner".

We went there last Sunday and bought two packages of turkey burgers (hamburgesas de pavo). The turkey burgers were EXCELLENT!!! The two packages (4 burgers in each package) cost a total of $14 USD.

So, I walked back today, hoping to stock up on more turkey burgers. Unfortunately, The Green Corner was out of all pavo products. The store clerk told me to come back on "Lunes o Martes", as they might have some then.

Can you imagine going to a US grocery store and them being sold out of ALL turkey products?!?!

In Mexico, this happens all the time.

My new favorite drink is Vitamin Water. For some reason right now...there is NO Vitamin Water at 7-11, Superama OR the Walmart I went to yesterday!!

Mike is addicted to the blue can of Monster energy drinks. In the US, we bought them by the case at Costco. In Mexico, there are no Monster cases at Sam's Club. So, Mike is frequently looking for them at the various 7-11's, Oxxo's and Circle K's near us. The 7-11 sells out VERY quick. If my Spanish were better, I would ask them to order an extra case each month and I will buy the whole case...but, my Spanish is poor...worse than poor... so, we'll continue the seemingly daily hunt for the blue can... As well as for my coveted Ponche de Frute Vitamin Water!

It seems as though Mexico operates on the scarcity model. Supply is low and demand is high!

When I walk into the Superama on Horacio, in Polanco, there is a table filled with "US items". Snyders pretzel, various special cases of Coca-Cola products (but NEVER Cherry Coke...can't find that anywhere!), and chocolate covered pretzels. But this table is also subject to change each day. If you don't stock up on those chocolate covered pretzels, or even regular pretzels...you may never see them again.

Rachel's Thoughts on Mexico City...

My sister-in-law Rachel came to visit last weekend. We thought we would start asking our visitors to write a blog entry at the end of their visit. So, here are Rachel's thoughts...

I'm looking out the window somewhere between Dallas and Indianapolis as I write this entry. The point where the light pollution meets the starry sky has captured my interest. I just left Mexico City after visiting Mike, Jill, Annie, and Molly. It was my first trip abroad and the first time I'd had them all to myself for years.

I was nervous about going through customs, but it was easier than navigating through airport security. The travel was quick and painless.

Mexico City was as I had imagined. When I first left the airport, I was a bit shocked by some of the poverty around me. It was similar to the less fortunate areas of Miami or even downtown Middletown, Ohio.

As we entered Polanco, however, I felt instantly at home. I had found Miami, minus the water.

Polanco was filled with complexes with ornate walls and gates, cafes spilling onto the sidewalks, and people walking everywhere. The temperature hovered in the upper 90s for my trip, but even with no climate control system it was comfortable to be inside or out.

We walked all over the city (or at least it felt like it). I loved all the exercise because it made up for all the excellent food! Villa Maria comes highly recommended even by this vegetarian. I had Queso fresco de san juan del rio. It was a block of soft cheese drizzled with verde salsa and covered in fresh cilantro. It came with soft corn tortillas, and I haven't stopped thinking about it since I came home. Another favorite was Yogurtland. Very glad there isn't one in Dayton, OH!

My first day, I met Jill and Annie at the house and Jill showed my around until Mike got home. Annie was a bit shy for the first hour, but we were best friends for the rest of the weekend.

Jill and I had made plans to go to the zoo Friday afternoon, but we spent the morning walking around the city while Annie was in school. We went to the Soumaya Museum and did a quick walk through. We saw everything, but didn't gaze longinly at the pieces on display. Just my style. After some research, it turns out the sculptures that looked like Dali were Dali. Maybe I know more about art than I would have supposed.

The zoo had a good layout and a good variety of animals, but it was hot and we were all tired so we cut it short. They had all the usual animals, but I got to see my first wolf and some Mexican rabbits. They had raccoons on display, which was odd. Here, the only raccoons in zoos are digging through the trash cans.

Mexico City was a perfect vacation spot for a relaxing weekend. Grab a cerveza, take a walk, and enjoy everything the senses can absorb (especially the tastes).

Thank you so much Mike, Jill, Annie, and Molly! I can't wait to come visit you again.

Villa Mascotas

While we enjoyed Cabo this past weekend, we sent Molly to Villa Mascotas.

They are located near Cuernavaca and came highly recommended by Mike's boss' wife!

The day before we left, Villa Mascotas sent their driver to pick up Molly. She was bathed and returned to us the day after we got home!

We got three emails from Gaby with multiple photos attached. As you can see from some of the photos I have posted...Molly played, socialized with another dog, and was kept VERY busy! She was quite tired when she got home!

This is by far better than sending her to Petsmart, which we did in the U.S., for approximately the same cost! We paid Villa Mascotas $1,910 pesos for five nights, which is approximately $159 USD. Well worth the cost for such excellent care and customer service at Villa Mascotas!!

We'll be sending Molly back to Villa Mascotas next month, when we travel to Riviera Maya for my brother's wedding!

Zoologico de Chapultepec

Monday morning we got up and walked to Chapultepec Park to go to the zoo! ...Unfortunately, Mondays are the one day the zoo is closed.

So, we did the same thing Tuesday morning! We arrived right as the zoo opened at 10 am. We were excited to find out that the zoo is free (gratis)! Our only cost was 5.00 pesos (approx. 50 cents in USD) for a map of the zoo.

It turns out that the zoo has a WONDERFUL layout and you really don't need a map! Just wandering along, you will see every animal and exhibit. Some of the animals have really wonderful enclosures, like the oso blanco (white bear) and gorilla. The zoo has a ton of monkeys, four giraffes, multiple wolf enclosures, tons of birds. All in all, it was a great zoo. We enjoyed it more than the Brookfield Zoo outside of Chicago! It will definitely be on the itinerary whenever we have guests!

Something to note, if you plan on visiting Zoologico de Chapultepec...it costs 4.00 pesos to use the restroom. They only take coins. So bring change! AND...toilet paper is NOT kept in the individual bathroom stalls. There is one large roll by the sinks. An interesting setup!

Here are some photos from the day at the zoo!

Air Shipment...Delivered and Unpacked!

Our air shipment has finally arrived!!

After complaining about the lack of shipment to my friends at the park on Wednesday morning, I got back to my house and had three emails from my husband...telling me that our shipment would be arriving the next morning!

I was excited, needless to say! However, I was also in a bit of a predicament as my parents were arriving Wednesday afternoon... and had no bedding to sleep on.

So, I weighed my options and decided to save $200 USD and improvise on bedding.

I kept the fitted sheet on the master bed. Put the flat sheet on the guest bed. Split the four pillows between the two beds. Then, gave the guest room three blankets.

My parents were very agreeable...but were definitely happy to have more bedding to use on Thursday night!

The shipment was delivered and unpacked Thursday at 9 am. Little Annabelle was completely overwhelmed with the arrival of so many of her toys! She happily loaded up her little shopping cart and dunked the ball in her basketball hoop! She lined up her many Minnie Mouse's and friends on her crib mattress!

Meanwhile, my mom and I spent the rest of the morning loading and unloading the dishwasher, washing machine and dryer!

And...our cable is being hooked up tomorrow! So, we'll have tv for the first time in two months! It looks like we will be fully settled in Mexico City soon!

Villa Maria - Restaurant in Polanco

If you are ever in Mexico City, especially Polanco, go to Villa Maria!

It is an EXCELLENT Mexican restaurant! Annabelle is partial to the birds that are caged out front! I am partial to the Tacos de Arrachera, as well as their chips and salsa!

It is our most frequented restaurant!