May 20 th Nice to have visitors!!!

From May 20-23 we had visitors!!!Yea or Yeah or Yay??? how ever  you want to spell it ...it was fun to have family here.

On May 20 Rod and Jeanene Budge, Marilyn's brother and his wife, flew into Mexico City. We picked them up at the airport then went to a session at the Temple. The next morning Kyle came in, after a long long trip from Winnipeg Canada. Seems like the only direct flights from Canada come from either Vancouver or Montreal, neither one very convenient for him so it took him most of one day and all night to get here, but he made it!
First thing Friday morning Kyle and I walked down to get some fresh squeezed orange juice..2 liters for about $2.50 US. It was fun to show him some of the area and talk with him.

That day we went out to Teotihuacan. We walked from one end of the site to the other and up to the top of the Temple of the Sun too.

 It is a vast complex and even though we have been there three times since we got here we still see new things each time.

We then went to eat at La Gruta, I know that doesn't sound too appetizing but Gruta simply means cave in Spanish. The restaurant is in a huge cave so it makes for great atmosphere.

 The food was good, and the company even better! We even placed candles in the far end of the cave which is supposed to give you a new beginning to life. As usual we had Brother and Sister Gonzaga with us. He has become our driver here to take us to various parts of the country since we don't have a car. We really enjoy their company...they are wonderful people.

We then took everyone to the Tiangues to do some grocery shopping...fresh veggies and fruits. The fun is being able to get tastes of all the different fruits and talk with the vendors. Fun to be able to introduce the family to them.
Then we were off to the historic center of the city around the Zocalo, or the main square inform of the government buildings and the old Catholic church which was built in the 1600's. We ate at a restaurant that has been in business since 1912 in a building that is much older than that.

I think it was an eye opener for all of them as they kept commenting on the number of people!

Kyle enjoyed being able to use his Spanish and felt right at home bartering with the vendors and talking with the people.

Sunday was spent at church where Elder Anthony had a speaking assignment! Now if you ask the visitors they would tell you it was good, as far as they understood! It was fun to introduce them to some of the members in the ward.
We then decided to take a metro-bus trip to La Basilica

which is one of the top three most visited religious sites in the world. Some of Rod's co-workers who are from Mexico asked that he go there for them as it is a Holy site for them. There is the Basilica which was finished in 1709 and there is also a little church on a hill that was built in 1531 is dedicated to the Virgin Guadalupe. Like so many of the old buildings here in Mexico City the Basilica is sinking and you can really see and feel it. It is built on the side of a basalt hill so without the proper foundation it has slid down  the hill. There must be an 8 foot difference from one end of the church to the other!

Kyle left early Monday morning at 1am. Interesting he had to have his original visa entry slip that they gave him when he landed or pay for a replacement (about $40 US). The interesting thing is that they don't tell you when you land that you will need it when you leave! Fortunately he had the time and money to pay the ransom and get out of Dodge!

Before Rod and Jeanene left we took them on one of the little buses here to a hole in the wall bakery so they could see some more of the area.

On they way back to the apartment we stopped at the barber who we have come to love to introduce them to her. Since Rod was looking a little shaggy and a trim

would only cost about $3.00 US he decided to have his hair cut. 

All in all we had a wonderful time with our family, we were able to show them what we have been doing and how we get around in this wonderful big city!