On the Road

This is a three-day weekend in Mexico; Monday is Constitution Day.  Alejandro and I decided to take advantage of the long weekend and to get out of town.  Of course, trying to get out of Mexico City on any weekend, much less a three-day weekend, is a challenge.

We made it to the "periférico", the expressway circling the city, and for a while it seemed as if it would be clear sailing.

No such luck.  As we passed through the northern suburbs of the metropolitan area, the traffic often slowed to a crawl.  Here we are crawling through Ciudad Satélite, passing the area's most famous landmark, the abstract, urban sculpture known as the "Torres de Satélite".

Traffic slowed down again as we came within a mile of the toll booth for the highway heading north.  When traffic is slowed down... be it at a red light or before a toll booth... you can usually count on vendors to out in force braving the traffic and hoping to sell their wares to the motorists.  Often they are selling snacks or beverages.  Here they were selling purses and bags and even dolls. 

This fellow was selling sun shields for car windows and kites!

After passing the toll booth we thought we were free and clear.

But, no, traffic was snarled again around the Tula, a fast growing industrial city about fifty miles north of Mexico City.

After Tula, the traffic moved smoothly.

We finally got off the toll road, and from there it was only a few miles to our destination.

In the next blog entry, you will see where we ended up.