Noisette: The post in which I go to Mexico. Mexico City, that is.

When we told people we would be going to Mexico City for a vacation, we got three things:

First, a weird look.

Second, "oh...? well that's cool...?"

Third, "Don't drink the water".

It turns out that people have a sore misconception of our neighbors to the South. Yes, it's true there is violence, but that's pretty much only in the US border towns. And Matt put it best, "Would you not visit Salt Lake City just because Washington D.C. has a lot of crime?". Touche, I said to myself. Not only is Mexico City a cool place to visit, it's by far one of the cheapest vacations of all time. We got tickets for $295... $295!! You can barely fly to California for that price. Then, the peso to dollar conversion is so good, I started to feel a little guilty for getting my fine-dining, white linen meals for only $30 bucks. We tasted some of the best al pastor tacos and fresh mango ever, and I found out that the simple ingredients of corn, cheese, lime, chili powder, and mayo is the most weird and delicious combination since pb & j. We walked around Puebla, (where mole poblano is from) and realized that all the way around the world in Latin America you can find a huge piece of European history. Pyramid ruins are very abundant there, and the stories behind them are even more fascinating. (I guess it helps that Matt minored in Latin American studies in college...) We visited Coyoacan, where Frida is from, and went to Casa Azul and saw some amazing things from her and Diego Rivera, as well as the way they lived. We found out that art markets are really awesome and way less pretentious then anything I've ever visited before. Plus, bringing home some original works of art makes it pretty awesome too. I realized that my Spanish is really a lot better than I thought. I could always pick up on phrases and words, but you can imagine how my frustration melted away when I realized I was laughing along to conversations and occasionally nodding my head in agreement. Thanks to Senora Thackeray's 8th grade Spanish class! And thank you to my adopted family, the Delgado's...

The people down there are some of the most humble, nice, and welcoming I've ever come across. We met a 78 year old taxi driver who does yoga every morning and only works 32 hours a week. And he loves it.

My friends, may I urge you to put Mexico City on your list of places to visit before you die. Especially Puebla, which is now one of my favorites. I never felt in danger, and we came back with some spare change in our pockets. We traveled on the best buses, stayed in the nicest places, ate some delish food, and met some extremely nice people. The only truth I took away from our confused friends: don't drink the water.

And now, some pictoral documentation.