La Basilica y Xochimilco

16 de mayo 

After our [exhausting] test we had lunch. (See the expected cheese quesadillas below).

And then made our way to La Basilica de Guadalupe. It took three different metro lines, but we made it there in one piece and spent the next hour exploring on our own. There's the actual Basilica which is this circular building that looks like this on the inside. The overall design is just pretty magnificent.

There were a few more church buildings as well as some gardens and an extremely scenic view.

 

 

We ended our visit with some much needed ice-cream (from McDonalds, go figure) and finally made it back home for naps. In the evening, we stepped out for dinner at a taco place on Alvaro Obregon (a huge street on our way to school that is always poppin') where some of our friends tried cow brain and cow eye tacos. Never a dull moment in el DF.

17 de mayo 

We continued to fulfill our tourist stereotypes by visiting Xochimilco--basically a lake/river area where you ride in this cute boats to see chinampas and other people in boats trying to sell you things. We boarded Maria and headed off on the hour long boat ride that we definitely paid too much for because we were clearly gringos. 

                         

Our first (and only) purchase was elote (or maíz) with límon y sal. It was pretty delicious and only 20 pesos. The boat ride over all was extremely relaxing and very different from any sort of lake or boating experience you would have in the United States. We saw boats of people having parties, we saw couples on dates, and we even saw one guy chilling by himself in a boat that seats 18 people. 

And because food is one of the most interesting aspects of my trip here, of course I have to share what Kanchi and I discovered for lunch: I <3 p="" wok="">

           

I know there are probably entirely too many pictures in this post, but a picture is worth 1000 words right?