Mexico City: a dog's life

On a Metro excursion I notice that despite the sardine-like crowds, people offer seats to people in La Tercera Edad (3rd age) even when the latter's back is turned. Again, how often does this happen north of the border or east of the pond?

I spend the final day locally, breakfasting with a student from Veracruz applying for a USA visa to study veterinary medicine. He has contacts in Los Angeles and I hope it works out. Roma is great for people- and dog-watching. You get a better class of dog around here and dog walking is a respected occupation. On a return visit to the nearby Dog House they greet me like a long-lost friend. With its English theme, it does a very decent hoppy IPA beer and chicken tikka masala. With seating for no more than 25 people and TV football (with the sound turned down), if I lived in Mexico City this could well become my local.

It's sad to say farewell to Mexico but I hope this is only "hasta luego" or even "hasta pronto". Could I have planned the trip better? Maybe a longer stay up north to ensure a thorough exploration of the Copper Canyon area. With a bus service from Chihuahua, there are ways of seeing it without the railway. Next year the carnivals are due to start early so one could be squeezed in before the C.C.

But all this is subject to the growing coronavirus threat. At the airport all the security staff are now wearing face masks. As I write this at the end of March, Mexico is only about 50th in the grim league of cases and deaths but as Angel said last month, it will require a Herculean effort to contain the scourge. I only hope it will pass without too much pain.Read more