I saw a young guy riding a unicycle backwards in one of the many satellite parks on the other side of La Reforma from Parque Chapultepec and for a moment I thought I was in Vancouver. I was also reminded of a couple of student matadors I saw yesterday when I was walking in Los Viveros de Coyoacan, that beautiful huge park full of trees and walking paths. One of them was wielding a contraption that resembled a unicycle with bull´s horns attached to it, while his compañero was practicing moves with a red cape. Bull fighting still seems to be big here, from what I´ve heard, part, I gess of Mexico´s legacy of violence. In Canada we have hockey. Oh well... It turned a bit chilly and cloudy this afternoon. I think it´s around fourteen or fifteen degrees right now, perhaps a bit warmer but I would have been comfortable wearing a sweater. I wandered up into Las Lomas de Chapultepec, the ultra-wealthy neighbourhood on the other side of the big park. It kind of reminds me of Shaughnessy Heights in Vancouver except the houses are hidden behind high walls with armed guards. The yards are generally smaller too, though this area seems bigger than Shaughnessy which gives an idea of how many wealthy people live in this country still full of poor people despite NAFTA and Globalization. I saw a young man in his twentes wearing a tie exit from one of the houses for a cigarette break. Let´s just say he did not look at all Mexican, say maybe English or French. And who knows maybe he was but I will bet you pesos to tortillas that he´s a local lad of the ultra rich elite here. I did get lost on my way to Las Lomas and found myself wandering into a restricted military area that just happened to be open. It looked rather pretty, just like a park but it turned out to be one of their exercise yards. I have mentioned in posts from previous trips here that there is a huge military base stationed in Chapultepec Park as well as Los Pinos, the presidential residence, so I´m sure that Sr. Peña Nieto must feel very safe. What seemed rather strange about this ¨park¨was that there was no one around, very strange for Mexico City as I mentioned to the young soldier who escorted me out. He was very nice and not at all threatening by the way. I don´t think he was even armed, just wearing a black t-shirt, dark fatigue pants and army boots. He actually seemed more concerned about my not being lost than treating me as a perceived security threat. This also brings to mind for me the strange paradox of the Mexican people. In groujps or institutions, be it drivers in traffic, the army, the government or the police, they often seem and sometimes are brutal and inhuman. Up close and as individuals, kind and lovely people for the most part. If any of my Mexican friends who are on my e-list would care to comment on this please do so and I will share your wisdom with the rest of my readers. On my way back to my hotel along La Reforma there were traffic cops on all the major intersections and roundabouts. Google Paseo de la Reforma, images, if you would like to get an idea of how huge this street is as well as the traffic. To one of the traffic cops, who really seemed concerned first for the pedestrian´s wellbeing, I said ¨gracias¨and he responded with a big beautiful smile. | 
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