Well right now I am siting on a corner in front of Palacio de Hiero, Polanco, Mexico City. My fingers are blue and I have a Rasta in the back of my head. I am wearing jeans with yellow paint on my knees and waiting for an old friend to meet me. I feel pretty because I have a sun tan. I just passed one of my old drivers- it was nice to see him. Actually I saw him twice this morning at different areas, I guess whoever he is guarding gets around.

Today I had my last meeting with inmigración and for my finger prints done. I left my place early this morning just incase – and well, it was a really good thing because 30 minutes after being in the taxi I had a “oh Fuck ” moment! Where I started saying, fuck several times and then just incase my Ubar driver didn’t understand I said “puta” I don’t know if this is better education or worse than just saying Fuck … but well. I apologized after. Yeah I was just about to arrive at the picture place – a bit early, when I realized I forgot my passport at the house. Thankfully to return back was only 15 minutes – then another 40 minutes to get to where I needed to be, got my pics taken, went to the bathroom and got to my immigration appointment 5 minutes early… and waiting 10 more for my lawyer and bam- morning was successful.

Yesturday was kind of successful too- I just went for a walk around 6 looking to go get my pictures taken last night to avoid needing to this morning. I never found a photo place (open, I found several but where all closed already) but I did manage to walk around 5-7 miles by myself and find some cool places and get the other things I needed to buy. It was pretty funny when I was looking for Walmart in this one area I new I was close but the google maps was confusing me a little so I asked this dude – this guy, was hard as… he didn’t understand me of course and even didn’t understand me when I was saying Walmart- as Spanish as I could… but he actually got it after a few seconds and then asked if I wanted him to come with me- I said that was alright, thanked him and dropped “cheedo” a few times. He throught that was pretty funny and I heard him laughing about it and telling someone I said cheedo. Cheedo is slang for cool.

Time flies… I need to write more about my time in Oaxaca but first I will talk about this weekend. I needed to come back to the city to take care of my Visa formalities- so I arrived here on Wednesday after some real good times, and some real lessons learned in Puerto Escondido. After a week of living as a backpacker- I perhaps regressed into some old habits of mine. I have been dancing until 5am a lot this vacation… I haven’t been sleeping that much and I have been having more than 2 drinks a day. Actually, to be completely honest, I have been drinking to much. Not that anything bad happened… but why? Why do I keep drinking… especially, when I really like having a healthy body the next day. I have been making a decision to drink a glass of water after almost every drink though, which I think helps. Girls night was an example of to many drinks, Free drinks for ladies until 12- so I had 2 mezcals before I went, then I had 3 tequilas before 12, then I had two gins (that were boughten for me), and I even did a shot of tequila- which normally I really avoid- but it was just part of a conversation that I was having and it’s just what we were doing…I decided just to dance after that. Standing at the bar is never a good idea for me. Afterwards at the tacos- I had some wine. So between 9-5am I had already 9 drinks.
And of course- I learned a lesson in the morning, which made me remember why I decided that 2 drinks or no drinks is what is best for me. The next day, I felt fine but underslept as I woke up at 10am and only got to bed at 6am. I woke up, had a light breakfast, then I offered to teach a Yoga class on the beach to a few girls at the hostal- so we had an hours yoga class followed up by some swimming at Zicatela before coming back to the hostal, grabbing a shower and heading to the airport.

Then two days later, Friday afternoon, I am walking around Mexico City. I went to the Roma Norte- there, there was so many people drinking and eating and having fun.
I left the house Friday morning, knowing I was going to go to my Immigration appointment and maybe would try and stay out to meet some friends around 5, for one or two drinks… then come home as I had all my documents as well as some pharmacy shopping on me. Well- I left the house early so that I could get my Visa pictures taken and get to my appointment on time with out being stressed… in the end (after forgetting my passport at home) I arrived at my meeting 10 minutes early, then was going to meet a friend for lunch but he never got out of his meeting, so I headed to Park Espana and ate some DELICIOUS Quesadillas from a taco stand, had some good chats then did some walking around. I was feeling like I should sit down somewhere- so I found a cool bar, with sofas out front and a man (later I would know him as Eduardo) with a passion for mezcal and tequila. I had a few samples of mezcal then decided to have a drink- which, lead to another mezcal-  and also a sample of tequila and a free tequila-pinapple drink.
Then my friend came, so I had one more mezcal with a free beer- as it was the promotion for happy hour. We enjoyed our drinks and a few free snacks they brought to our table. The snacks were really delicious… I would go back to this bar, Maices, again.
Now I had a nice little buzz on as we went out of supper at a French restaurant. Here we shared smoked salmon, french bread and more french bread and more bread… as they forgot to bring out food- we also shared a bottle of Red Wine.
When we finally got our food- it tasted really good. I ate a delicious Mushroom soup.
Then we went to party- we were suppose to meet a friend at a bar- but they never came. There I ordered a Mezcal and sipped on this and a lemonade while trying to enjoy the music. It was some type of trance and I thought it was bad … I was trying… when we left, I got a few tacos before heading home- but after eating the tacos I still had an appetite for party and the music sounded good at a bar behind me. I decided to check it out- just for all the times that I wanted to party before and I couldn’t… I had no reason not to go check it out… and I am happy I did as it was the best party I found in Mexico City in a night club ever. I like Salsa clubs and small bars- they are always fun, but night clubs usually play bad music and filled with many fancy people. But this night, I didn’t care- I walked in with my packed purse with all my important stuff, my passport stashed in the front of my pants, my yellow paint stained knee jeans, moccasins and green shirt… and well, pretended that I matched the well dressed crowd… and it worked. I made a lot of dancing friends really quickly.  I made a quick exit after two more drinks (Tequila from a table) and a Mezcal I thought I would close the night with….Actually, I would have to say that – people there, liked me to much… at the end I was kind of dancing around in different places and meeting people, I was asked if I was a Hippy from someone haha… But yeah, you know people start to grab your arms and hands to keep you dancing with them or to bring you into dance… well I maxed out with feeling super comfortable so went to take a taxi. Now I wanted to take a Uber at this time- because it’s the safest, however, my Mastercard isn’t working with my Uber so have just been paying with cash- but it wasn’t allowed in this area of the city. So I got into my first taxi- and it was an old man who was going to charge me 300 pesos to go back- this isn’t bad as it was like 45 minutes home- but I know it was to much and also, he didn’t know where exactly I lived…
So the next taxi I got into- told me 200- I said, CHEEDO… and of course I had my GPS to help us get to where we needed to go.
So total of drinks between 5:00pm-5:00am (5 Mezcal, 2 Tequila, 2 Glasses of Wine, 1 Beer and lots of Water.)  I never had a bad time, and on Saturday- minus sleeping in until mid day- I didn’t feel bad… BUT MY MIND is telling me that, I DON’T want more nights like that. I mean I had fun, I was dancing with good looking people that were really warm to me, I had great conversations, I came home by myself- safe and sound.  But what’s the purpose of drinking so much-
Now- I don’t think I am drinking to get more drunk when sharing in Wine and or drinking Mezcal- It’s almost part of the social part. Same with the tequila I had- at nightclubs people usually share in drinking together. They like to buy someone a drink as a curtesy or incentive for a conversation.  So maybe that’s the thing. Perhaps now, I am over my getting black out drunk, loosing things and having a wicked hang over in the morning…stage… HOWEVER, I still can’t control the, “I’m a Canadian and I like drinking and the social aspect of drinking and how it is in my culture as well as something I share with other cultures.) So having some drinks on the weekend is fine… but I really think I need to be MINDFUL of where I am choosing to spend my money and who I am choosing to spend my time… and what I am choosing to spend my time doing it. Drinking for me, is kind of a waste of time (Although it is fun and can people feel more connected) it’s just pure chilling… followed by usually the next day- so serious chilling too.
WHICH MAYBE this is okay too… why do I also feel like I need to be accomplishing something? However- as a person, who really appreciated sincerity, purity, health in mind, body and soul… I think drinking doesn’t always have a place. It’s tamasic and a depressant if abused. So going forward- I am not going to feel guilty for partying and for not doing to much the days after partying- but it’s not something I want to get into the habit of again. I REALLY like my life, following and practicing Yoga and Ayurveda- this makes me truly happy. I never wake up after a hard night of holistic partying/Yoga/Nature and say- I wished I had gone out.

Well- last night was an awesome Glow in the dark, paint war house party- and there I had 3 drinks (2 Whiskey and a jello shot) and I called it in at 1:00am… I almost went back, then thought about my Sunday… Happy with the decision. As today, was chill! I woke up, cleaned up all the green paint mess, sat outside, had breakfast, gave myself Abhyanga massage, had tea- met my friends for Pulqueyes and tacos followed by watching a movie in my room.