“Pasajeros, que pongan sus cinturones “(Fasten your seat belts), some of the first words aboard Mexicana Airlines in Tijuana. It felt pretty strange sitting in the window seat of this massive plane next to my dad. Take-off was a blast but just the wait made me restless. I was headed for Mexico City or el “Districto Federal” in Spanish. On my way to visit family that i hadn’t seen in the past 8 years. You can possibly imagine my thoughts. “what will they think of me” or “What will I get out of this trip” were some of the thoughts running through my head. On the plane, i could not sleep. It was simply too difficult to let my mind rest and forget the loud hum outside my window, namely, the engine with which I was nearly parallel with in my seat.
We finally arrived in Mexico City where my Aunt and Uncle were waiting for us. It was now about 6 o clock in the morning. So I was pretty tired. Hunger began to swell up inside me as well. Here is where we were basically stationed to spend nights and spend time with family. Where my aunts live is not really a pretty sight, but I guess they are happy. From here is where we would go tour the surrounding area. One of my most memorable tours was to “El Castillo de Chapultepec” where I took pictures of paintings, artifacts, and just pure Mexican History that most kids there are not taught in school.
It was just amazing to see and to hear and to stand where people died such as the young cadet in the photo that I took to display. This young cadet was about 17 years of age. And the tower that “should” be displayed is the tower he jumped from in an act of patriotism towards his country’s emblem as he wrapped himself in the Tri Color flag and leaped from the tower to keep it from falling into enemy hands. His name was Juan Escutia, one of the six “Ninos Heroes” (Heroic Cadets or Boy Soldiers). I just felt like sharing this story as being one of the most fascinating parts of my trip.
When I decided to go on this trip, I did not expect to find so many objects, stories, and history in just a small part of the country. So I encourage you to think about Mexico in your list of world travels. Mexico should not be used as a subject for a joke just because a lot of people there are poor. Many good and great people have grown up in Mexico. Perhaps next time I go, i can go to help people in the poorer areas known as “el barrio”. A mission trip sounds like a good idea.
On this trip, I learned quite a few things about the history of Mexico. Even dating back to the time when the Aztecs ruled the Mexican Nation. According to myself there are still many legends, myths, and history that I have not yet learned or even seen. I even found out that there is great ice cream flavors that you cannot find or is not very popular here such as cheese ice cream. Sounds pretty dumb but those are just some of the little things that you can learn and find out if you just pay a visit.
I hear that September 16th is “El Grito de la Independencia” (the shout for Independence)
So Go check it out!
Dear Reader: This page may contain affiliate links which may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Our independent journalism is not influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative unless it is clearly marked as sponsored content. As travel products change, please be sure to reconfirm all details and stay up to date with current events to ensure a safe and successful trip.
