Aaarrrggghhhh - Chapters 2 & 3

As we were standing around in Mexico City baggage reclaim, Ian heard our names being called over the Tannoy but couldn't hear what was being said.  I tried asking several people but couldn’t make myself understood.  Ian then thought maybe it was the rep collecting us so, idiot that I am; I left the baggage hall to find him/her.  Quite what possessed me to think it was a good idea that I go outside and see if I could spot someone waving a name placard around, I really don't know as we NEVER separate and of course once I'd left the area, despite my desperate pleas, the heavily armed, non-English speaking guards wouldn't let me back in.  

Ian meanwhile had gone to the information booth and found out that, sh*t, our cases along with a few others (including crew), hadn't actually made the flight and he needed the baggage receipts, which of course I had along with the passports.  As I'd refused to move away from the doors as soon as I saw him I practically screamed at him not to put a foot over the threshold as he too would be barred from re-entry.  The guards reluctantly allowed me to hand over the tickets and off Ian went and I waited anxiously, worried that the baggage people wouldn't speak English and wondering if I dared risk sneaking in.  I then recognised someone from the flight come out with only hand luggage and asked her what was happening, she said the bags would follow on Wednesday's flight.  Double sh*t, I had all the paperwork with our itinerary and hotel details but again I was allowed to pass that over and Ian said the baggage chap, Eduardo, spoke beautiful English and was really helpful; giving Ian his personal phone number and assuring him he would get the cases to us.

All the time I'd been waiting for Ian, I'd be madly looking around for whoever was picking us up and once Ian was out I wrote our name on a piece of A4 and walked up and down hoping someone would be there for us - nope, by now it was about 1 1/2 hours after we'd landed.  I asked a chap working for Nature Trails, who was waiting for a German flight, if he knew the company that was supposed to meet us (Mexellence - ha!) and would he be wonderful and phone them up.  Which he kindly did and I then spoke to someone who said they had us down to be picked up on Wednesday which I told her was ridiculous as the tour starts on Tuesday which she argued it didn't?  Anyway she then told us to get a taxi and they’d refund us.  The whole reason for booking the transfer was that Mexico City is notorious for scams including taxi drivers - however lovely Herr Nature Trails told us where the official taxi counter was, to buy a ticket there and we’d be ok.  Even heading for the booth someone tried to lure us into his taxi.  We got the £12 ticket and were told it would probably be a 30 min wait, but actually there was no wait at all and a very nice taxi controller lady assured me it was definitely safe but I still wouldn’t let Ian put the bags in the boot.  Taxi driver was lovely but he didn’t know where our hotel was I didn’t have the address and so he looked it up but somewhere along the line hotel Royal Reforma got changed into hotel City Reforma and we spent well over half an hour crawling round the same side streets and asking passersby where the place was.  Eventually we realised the mistake and asked for the correct hotel and eventually found it.

The hotel is absolutely fine, we headed straight for the roof terrace bar and fired off a very very abrupt email to VJV as, in addition to not being met, we also didn’t have a clue what time we were due to meet to start the tour or where.

In the bar we met a single lady who heard our English accents and accosted us, although we did manage to escape after a while by making polite excuses whilst she ate (and we just drank).  She's also on the tour and has been here 4 days and, as I emailed Sue at the time, I think will really piss me off quite quickly as she likes the sound of her own voice!  She also didn’t know the details for starting the tour.

So we are here, our clothes aren’t, but we've now found out from reception that the tour starts at 10am (yes, we kindly updated our friend on the roof).  Probably for the first time ever because of my tooth problems we’ve carried our prescription medication in hand luggage so at least have that, but tomorrow morning we need to go in search of toiletries, a couple of pairs of pants and t-shirts each.