Up, Up, and Away

There have been so many horror stories about travelers stranded by delayed and cancelled flights, but my luck continues.  My journey to Mexico City yesterday went very smoothly.

I had to get up very early in order to be at the airport at 6:00 A.M.  In spite of the early hour, and the fact that the holidays are over, the line for security was quite long.  The sun was just coming up as my plane pulled away from the gate at 8:00, a few minutes ahead of schedule.

The flight from Cleveland to Houston is over three hours, but we made excellent time yesterday and arrived at the gate thirty-five minutes ahead of schedule.

Another plane was flying parallel to us as we approached Houston airport.

The skyline of downtown Houston was visible through the haze as we prepared for landing.

My flight from Houston to Mexico City left fifteen minutes late but we managed to arrive on schedule.

It is only a two hour flight from Houston to Mexico City.  Before long, we were flying over Mexican territory.  The country's tallest mountain, the snow-covered Pico de Orizaba, was visible on the horizon.  

Soon after that, the volcanoes Popocatépetl (left) and Iztaccíhuatl (right), Mexico's second and third highest peaks, came into view.

Precipitation at Christmas left "Izta" with a mantle of snow, but the constantly smoldering "Popo" was a bare cone.  

Just beyond is the sprawling metropolis of Mexico City

From above the air looked very smoggy, yet on the ground the skies seemed clear and blue.

As we approach for landing, the flight path almost always takes us over the World Trade Center (the blue building just left of center).  The apartment that I rent, and intend to buy this year, is just a block away.

There was almost no wait at all to pass through immigration, but we did have to wait a while at the carrousel to retrieve luggage.  Beyond being asked if I was bringing in any food products, there was no inspection at customs.

As I passed through the doors from customs into the arrival hall of the terminal, Alejandro was there waiting for me.  I am now at his house for a couple of days before going to my apartment.