Leaning buildings, robbers and organ grinders

So Mexico City is built on an old lake bed. An old lake bed that is still settling apparently. So all the really old buildings in the city are slowly settling as well. Which makes them lean as if they are sinking, which they are. here is a photo. ok, well there was going to be a photo but I cant quite figure out how to make it vertical instead of horizontal. hmmm. well its a picture of a big old building leaning out over the street.

Well I gues Im stuck with horizontal pictures for now. Like this one. A Metro car full of thieves and robbers right? Apparently not. We have been here for 5 days now and have yet to be robbed! I actually feel quite safe here. I guess it is mostly a myth that as soon as you walk out onto the street in Mexico city you will be robbed at gunpoint, roughed up and shaken upside down until all your almuerzo money falls out. I dont know who would want to rob you in this city since there are literally about 5 police officers per block. and usually at least one police car or motorcycle driving down each street. Id say police to people ratio is something like 1:25 and in one neighborhood we saw from our taxi it was about 5:1. needless to say we didnt get off in that part of town. Anyway this is the metro, which is really cheap, efficient and easy to use. They come about every 20 seconds but are still often packed full of people. Not like this one which is empty. Id say a crowded car easily has about 100+´people in it. and each train has maybe 20 or so cars. I have not done the math but thats a lot of people.

Much has happened since last time I wrote. more good food including the best thing yet: Elote. Elote is corn on the cob roasted over an open fire then spiked on a stick and coverewd with lime, salt and chili powder. You can find them on street corners and they cost about $1.25.

An old tradition in Mexico City that lives on is the Organ Grinders. These guys dress in beige suits and stand on the street with big music boxes imported from Berlin. They stand there and crank away while their partner collects tips from passersby. The music is interesting but kinda cool. Yesterday I asked one of them if I could try it and Kira got a picture of me cranking away.

Well theres so much about Mexico City I could talk about I can only fit a fraction of it here. And tomorrow nos vamos. We leave on a bus for Oaxaca City. We have so much more we want to explore here but feel the need to move on. Anyway the crowds, cars and dark grey boogers will not soon be missed.

If anyone is interested and wants to se what Kira has to say about all this travelling stuff go to kiranelson.blogspot.com

And by the way, excuse the sometimes bad grammer. These keyboards are different and have yet to find the apostrophe.