Visitantes. Dia Cuatro.

Ah, another lovely Mexico City morning! And another visit to the Hampton Inn breakfast buffet, today's selection: Make your own chilaquiles bar (plus popcorn chicken, a famous Mexican breakfast staple)!

We had a big plan for Saturday, a big two part plan, and the first part of that two part plan had three subparts itself. Part 1 Subpart 1: The Chapultapec Park Zoo! We got there nice and early before the crowds and before most of the animals had woken up. Just as planned!

This was a VERY loud monkey

You might wonder why we decided to go to what looks like a very normal zoo while on our big trip to Mexico City. That's because...(drumroll)...the Chapultapec Park Zoo has Pandas! And not only does it have pandas, but a long history of in-captivity pandas breeding success, just a great general Mexican Panda history (that's another thing, the Mexico City Pandas aren't loaners from China like most pandas, but owned outright!)

Here I am with Pe Pe and Ying Ying, Mexico City's first two pandas (they're dead now).

Here is Shaun Shaun, the lazy old panda

And this is Xin Xin, the vibrant young panda. By "young" I mean three years younger than Shaun Shaun. And by "vibrant" I mean she was out in her habitat eating bamboo. And after she finished her bamboo, we watched her climb up to her hammock and plop down on her back like a person

Pandas observed, we made our way out of the park past all the vendors setting up in the early morning 

And across the street and down the street a little...

To Plan Part 1, Subpart 2: the Anthropology Museum! An exhaustive and amazing collection of so much old Mexico history. Which would be a lot more interesting to me now that I've begun reading a book on the history of Mexico City, but when I was on the trip nearly felt like anthropology overload. I was so young back then! 

Let those turtles go!

There was a big part of the museum about Teotihuacan, which we were already experts of from our visit two days before.

The strict rules of the ball and hoop game

And there was another part of the museum about the Templo Mayor, which we were already experts on, thanks to our visit the day before.

Most everything at the museum had something to do with human sacrifice. This thing was for keeping cut out hearts and blood in.

Out in the outside parts of the museum there was lots of Indiana Jones looking stuff

Then back outside to head to Plan Part 1, Subpart 3...but first, we pass some food stall and buy an elote. I know you were wondering when we'd get an elote! We picked it out from a bunch on a grill and paid according to its size, just like a Christmas tree!

Okay, last part of the Chapultapec Park plan: A visit to Chapultapec Castle up on top of Chapultapec Hill in Chapultapect Hill. Did you know that "Chapultapec" means "Grasshopper Hill?" Kind of makes me wonder if anything I said in the last few sentences was redundant.

Monkey hats: will they come to America and be popular here, too?

Chapultapec Castle!

Do you see the Anthropology Museum over there in the distance?

Look at that building on the right and how there's those two big spiral staircases in it, in its outside parts. I thought that was very interesting.

Statues of the Niños Heroes who died protecting the castle from Americans. They are a big patriotism deal.

The old original national observatory. It observes the stars, not the nation.

There was a ceremony for awards for teachers going on at the castle while we were there.

Ceiling mural memorial to the Niños Heroes.

We had been walking so much! So glad to find a nice big designated descanso area.

Back down the hill and out of the park we went and to catch ourselves an Uber to the second part of our day.

Part 2 of our day was a visit to Cuoyocan, a quaint and charming and lovely part of town to the south of town. We started our Cuoyocan visit with a visit to the Cuoyocan Market to eat at world famous Tostadas Cuoyocan, an amazing grouping of stalls where a humongous variety of  tostadas are available for rapid delivery and eating.

For busy-ness contrast, here's another part of the market where tostadas were not for sale.

Then we walked down the street to the center of town.

Here's a picture of Mom in front of Cuoyocan (which means "place of the coyotes")'s famous coyote fountain

And here's a picture of me there, too

Guys, guys, I figured out where La Casa de los Tacos moved to!

Then we took a little walk through the residential parts of town, admiring how good it looked

Sigh. This sticker sure brings back memories.

Here lived one of Cortes's favorite mistresses

Heading back into town, things were sure starting to bustle with high Friday evening energy

"Harry Postres (dessert) Cerveza de Mantequilla (butter beer)"

Coyoacan is renowned for its ice cream. So we hunted some down. Results: Ok.

One thing Coyoacan is known for is Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera's Casa Azul, and I understand its pretty cool

But you can find me at Leon Trotsky's house

That night we did some more El Centro walking and went up to Plaza Garibaldi, where all the mariachi hang out, but I forgot to keep my memory card in my camera. So no pictures! I shouldn't have even said anything because now you're so disappointed.