DOMINOS, CHRIS'S ARRIVAL, AND SUPER BOWL

      Friday was our 11 am Domino game at the Antigua Hotel.

MIKE, HIS HEAD DOWN IN SHAME

DAVID..GLOATING BEFORE HIS MAJOR DEFEAT

 We had five players and a good time but I suffered a humiliating defeat with one bad game where I started out with nothing to play for almost 10 consecutive hands.  Racked up almost 250 points against me and took next to last place.  It was the longest and perhaps the most enjoyable game I played yet.

PROTESTERS..ACTUALLY PROTESTING..BLOCKING THE STREET TRAFFIC

      I went directly home for a quick dinner and early to bed for trip to Mexico City in the morning.  6:30 am I awoke to catch my taxi at 7am...WITHOUT AN ALARM.  Taxi was waiting when I stepped out the gate and I was checked into the airport and having breakfast at 7:45.

 My plane to Mexico City was like riding first class.  Inter jet Airlines is excellent in my book.
     I arrived around 10:30 for a 4 and a half hour wait for Chris to arrive from Phoenix on US Air.

 By 2:30 I noted US Air listed time of arrival at 2:40...25 minutes early!  Great...at 2:50...the listing disappeared for the board.  At 3:10 there was still no listing and I was beginning to think the plane just disappeared...a common occurrence lately.  I finally went to information and they informed me the plane had been delayed on takeoff for over an hour and should arrive around 3:40.  Three forty and the plane was listed back on the board at ON TIME but by 4 pm in still had not landed.  Four ten and the plane had landed so I waited at the E 1 gate for Chris to depart.  Another plane from Peru had landed 10 minutes before and people were coming out of E  1 with there bags.  I figured she would be also in about 10 minutes.  No one was coming out after the last of the Peru flight so I realized she may have exited E 2 or 3 or 4...which was way down the hall.  Rushing there I noted people with US Airway tags on there bags hailing taxis.  I left instructions with Chris in case I couldn't meet her.  She was to take a taxi to the hotel.  I asked the Taxi controllers but none had seen her.  Time was getting on and she had not appeared at any of the E gates.  I was in a  panic when way down the hall I spotted her coming my way.  She was also starting to panic.
       I had the taxi fare paid and a ticket to the hotel so we headed out and checked in to the EL Principale Hotel on Bolivar Calle in the center of Mexico City.  We freshened up and went to the Downtown Hotel for dinner at the Azul Condesa.

FRIED SHRIMP ON FERMENTED CABBAGE...SO GOOD

TURKEY LEG IN ORANGE SAUCE...WITH ONE OF MY SHRIMP

         This was a classy Hotel with a Hostel in the back .  I had stayed at the Hostel  but at the time couldn't afford the restaurant in the front.  There was an hour wait so we got our name in and headed for the Zocalo and around the block before returning to be seated. Chris had her fortune told by a bird before we ordered.

YOU WILL EAT A REALLY GOOD DESSERT WITH A MILLION CALORIES

There was a visiting Guest Chef with a Special Menu as well as the regular menu.  We ordered a bottle of wine and something off both menus.  The appetizer was a Cochichita Pibel on Tostadas.  I had a Fried Shrimp dinner on shredded pickled cabbage and Chris had a stuffed Turkey leg with an Orange sauce.  We had desserts and after dinner Liquor 43 and Grand Marnier with Cappuccinos before leaving.  Very good.

CHOCOLATE VOLCANO WITH GORGONZOLA ICE CREAM!!

SOMETHING WITH PLUM SAUCE THAT WAS GOOD

          It was dark but we found our way to our hotel but just before we arrived at the front door, Chris tripped over a pipe sticking out of the sidewalk, (a common thing) and as she started down to the ground, I was trying to hold her and soften to fall, when I went down with her.  She cut herself on the pipe and we both hit hard and were in pain for a day or two.  Aside from that we headed out the next morning for breakfast.
         Sandborn's, a Mexican Corporate institution has a nice restaurant in the Blue Tile building.  It is on the main 16 of November Calle and the whole building is very nice three story ornate edifice covered with beautiful ceramic, decorative blue tiles.

         We went to the Belle Artes Palacio and got tickets for an Opera February 15th , the day before she returns to Phoenix.  We returned to pick up our bags and hop are taxi to the airport for Oaxaca.
          When we arrived at Los Nogales, my condo complex, by taxi from the airport,  Lisa my friend had arrived by bus from Mexico City just after we did. We all unpacked then took a taxi to the Victoria Hotel for the Super Bowl with friends.
It was a nice time,  a nice victory for the Patriots, and nice to see Phoenix on TV.
Tomorrow, Mexican Independence Day, we will try a plan Chris's stay.

VIEW FROM THE VICTORIA HOTEL

CHRIS AND LISA

VIEW AT NIGHT FROM THE VICTORIA HOTEL