CDMX

We slept on our decision and decided that a trip into the city would be ideal. We could soak up a bit of culture and take in a few days rest at the same time. The chance to leave our bike with our hosts and get the bus into the city simplified things greatly.

As Rachel has mentioned, I was in need of a bike shop. I had left my smelly, twice repaired cycling sandals outside at our hosts. Unbeknown to me, smelly shoes are irresistible for dogs and I woke to find that they had been chewed to destruction in the night.

Option 1: buy a pair of SPD shoes and continue using my existing pedals. Pros - I would still be able to take advantage of being clipped in. Cons - SPD sandals are not available here so I'd have to buy shoes which would be hot and sweaty.

Option 2: buy a pair of flat pedals. Pros - I can use any footwear (sandals in the warm / trainers in the cold). Cons - I'd not be clipped in. 

We toured every shop on the bike-shop-street (see Rachel's post for details) and plumped for a nice pair of flat pedals. I am certain that they are copies of Look pedals but at least the bearings feel very smooth.

Our first afternoon in Ciudad de Mexico was spent picking our jaws off the floor as we were constantly amazed by what we saw. (See Rachel's post for details)

Our first full day was focussed on eating and drinking with a few landmarks thrown in for good measure.

(awesome fried quesadillas filled with mushrooms and cheese)

We started at the Museo Soumya after popping our heads into the stunning Iglesia de San Ignacio de Loyola.

(Iglesia de San Ignacio de Loyola)

(outside of the museum)

(Two sides of a Diego Riviera mosaic mural)

Next a bus to the Bosque de Chapulatpec. Sadly the museum of modern art was closed. Even more sadly the metro line from there was closed. By this stage we were ready to head back but we ended up on a long and involved multiple bus/metro journey.

The silver lining was that this took us past the Angel of the Revolution. 

The final, key element of the day was buying new footwear to go with my flat pedals. I have ended up with a new pair of Crocs which is funny as I started the tour with a new pair but gave them away after a few weeks as I hadn't been wearing them. The staff in the Croc shop were a delight. They could not believe we had cycled so far and were full of enthusiasm for what we were up to. They really brought a big smile to our faces.

We need to sleep well tonight to recoup energy for a final day of city sightseeing tomorrow.