Buses, taxis, cars, parked cars, motorbikes, pedestrians, sellers, windshield washers and the odd bike rider all share the same narrow street here in Mexico City. Everyone has to be alert and ready to switch lanes, stop or speed up all in an instant. There are no speed limits, just what ever you set for yourself. Red lights are followed if cars are passing the other way. If the way looks clear than it is perfectly legal and acceptable to run a red light. There is no such thing as 'jay-walking' and you can't get silly tickets for crossing the street where ever you need to cross. I am always amazed to see the little old lady with her bags and her grandson crossing 6 or 8 lanes of traffic - dodging and weaving her way to the other side.
The sellers are waiting at most traffic lights. Usually with cheap things, easily packaged and sold food and of course, cigarettes. If you were trying to quit smoking it might be difficult here because you can buy one cigarette at a time almost any where. I asked if it was safe to eat the tamales, or empanadas or tacos sold at the side of the road and the answer is basically buyer beware. After treating myself with a case of saminela, I basically stay away from street food now-a-days. The point being, there are no health regulators going around checking your everyday street taco stand.
The sidewalks are sometimes good and useful, but often they are just there to seperate the posts from the streets. The business owners and building owners can do what they like with the streets in front of their establishments and there are often many obstacles to your regular sidewalk stroll. Many choose to walk on the road instead.
Mexico city has a lot of trees and their roots are strong. They are often the culprit to upheaveled sidewalks. The blow and sway in the wind and the rain and I think they are the best thing about Mexico City. If it weren't for the trees no one would be breathing - of course in general, but especially in here in DF. That is District Federal - how the locals refer to this city which is actually a state.
Along one or two blocks you can find a whole mixture of business. Cubby hole restaurants with plastic chairs and 35peso comida to large, elegant restaurants. There are taco stands, fruit stands, junk food stands, stolen goods stands. Ok, I'm not sure about the last one, but cheap stuff anyway. There are Pandarias - which must rival Paris in the selection of delicious baked goods that are for sale. Basically for under $2 Canadian dollars you can pigout on fresh, delicious bread.
Taqarillas are important. They sell all sorts of hardware needed for house repair. No need to make your way to a big box store. Laundaria (where they wash your clothes for you) is another important neighborhood establishment. Oh and the shoe repair store, the electronic repair store, the carpenteria - where you can get handmade furniture cheaper and far better quality than any IKEA. Oh and the Tiendita - little cubby hole stores filled from top to bottom in the junk food and other essentials like toliet paper and bottled water. The roasteria - roast chicken is a popular business. Butcher for fresh meet & torterilla for tortillas, flower shops - all essential. Liquor stores are not very popular. OXXO is everywhere - equivilant to the 7-11. That's where I buy my wine - when and if I bother to have a drink.
The smell is a big part of my experience here in Mexico City. I don't know if I am extra sensitive to it or if everyone experiences the smells like I do. They assult me almost every where. There are no really good smells here, rather it is nice when there is an absent of smells. Two of the most invasive smells are the sewer and the cleaning products. One can't really be avoided, the sewer smell. But the second one - the industrial strength curosive cleaners spilling onto the streets from every business is something that could be illimiated. People here don't seem to be sensitive to smells. Ladies have no problem painting their nails on a metro train where were are all closed in together. It gags me every time. Cleaners sometimes walk around with squirt bottles filled with some green nuclear cleaner and they will clean the entrance to a bus for a peso or two. It is the most vial smell that seezes up my lungs and sends me into a coughing fit. Thank God those guys are not around very often.
Then there is the exhaust from all the vehicles which sits on top of the city as a yellow haze hat. The smell of cooking meat should be good, but generally no. Rather it smells like something rancid. Like I said, I don't know if I'm crazy or if other people feel the same way about the smells of DF. If you read this post and you have an opinion about it, please share.
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