Mexican trip after 8 years: Living and driving in Mexico City - Streets, Highways, Avenues and Motorways

The airplane arrived on time at 6:55 pm, Mexican time. Then, as I entered the country as a Non Mexican, I was on the queue with other non mexicans. It happened that an Air France crew came along and made the queue very long. After showing my documents to Immigration Officer, then I proceeded to get all my bags picked up and checked.

In the Mexican Airport, you can press a button and a Green Light or a Red Light appear. If you get a green light, you do not get checked and pass and no worries. If you get the Red Light, then all your bags will be checked before you get out. I got the Green Light and so I went to look for my two sisters that were supposed to be waiting for me.

Here is a photo of myself and two of my sisters at the airport bar, much more relaxed now. You can see the bar man bringing a margarita drink.

Since my arrival to the Aeropuerto Benito Juárez de la Ciudad de México (Mexico City´s Airport), I experienced the surrealism of checking a parking ticket to exit. First you swipe the ticket, then in another controller next to the one you already swiped the ticket on, you have to swipe it again to validate that you already have swiped that ticket before, otherwise you will not be able to get out of the parking lot. In other words, remember to do "double swiping".

Then, I experienced the savage driving of mexicans who do not recognise lanes, direction or even basic code of signaling. This includes my family, as there is no way you can drive as you drive in Australia in Mexico City.

Here is a bit of a glimpse of how is the Urban View of the South and Centre of Mexico City. The convoluted amount of construction, houses and buildings, bridges, between the years 1950 and 2000s and mixed with very old buildings from the XVI century and XIX century.

I lived in this city for 34 years and drove in this city for about 16 years, then migrated to Australia and have lived there for 18 years and driven cars for about 18 years too. After 8 years of not visiting this city, I must admit my mental memory of MexicoCity got erased and even very outdated in some areas. I was shocked the first night and second day of not been able to tell which avenue, free way or street my sister was driving on when taking me to places.

Here are some photos taken during my first, second and third week living in Mexico City and also going out to Cuernavaca.

On my way to Cuernavaca, first week