Day 2:

Wow, what a full day of everything amazingly Mexican!! I'm learning so much about everything from Mexican history, culture, and religion to pesos, metro stations, and crazy taxi rides! I am loving this city! Mexico City is crowded and busy, but it is also so fun and beautiful! So excited to be here! Here are a few captured moments of the day... (I am finding out that I have this love for painted dome ceilings and walls!)

I was so psyched to find out that our first full day in Mexico was 5 de mayo and we happened to be staying on 5 de mayo street in Mexico City! (Not that they really celebrate that holiday in this area at all... it was mostly just a bummer because some of the museums that we were going to visit were closed . But it still made for a good picture!)

 The cathedral in the center of Mexico City (El d.f.) is massive and beautiful! I'm in love with all of these paintings and ceilings! I'm excited to be learning more about Catholicism.

Ok... The insanity of the metro (subway system) took me by surprise! There are so many stations and entrances/ exits to choose from! And then vendors just come on the metro selling things. Plus these adorable street performers! What a ride. This is very spacious and nice compared to the ride back to the hotel later that night when we were CRAMMED! So many people! Fun, fun.

We visiting the area of coyoacán. It was beautiful and had some artsy and historic sites!

The flower shops and the street have gorgeous arrangements! This photo is dedicated to my sister, Mickelle, who loves sunflowers!

So the taxi rides are pretty crazy! It felt like we were going to die quite a few times, but we made it through! Our group has to take 3 taxis with 4 people in each to get around when we use them!

It's all about the Martinis! (And by that, I mean the Martin family ;)

Oh my goodness, the ice cream here is AMAZING!!

We were starving and ate at a yummy tortería (Mexican sandwich shop) and made friends with the worker there.

Amazing structures dating back to the years of Hernan Cortés, when Spain conquered Mexico!

We spent a lot of time at a big market with endless trinkets and souvenirs! It blows my mind how people do these things to make a living! We found some fun stuff!

Beautiful cathedral in coyoacán. We sat in on a service dedicated to la Virgin María.

Came back to the city center to find some dancers exercising to traditional music in the pouring rain! We had such full, exciting day! ¡Me encanta México!