Busy day touring around the historic center of Mexico City. Dropped into La Opera Bar for an afternoon meal and a cool beverage. Not sure how it got its name but it's a classic Mexican cantina that was once visited by Poncho Villa. Other attractions included:

• Museo de Arte Popular
• Alameda Central
• Catedral Metropolitana
• Zócalo (officially Constitution Square
• Palacio de Bellas Artes
• Templo Mayor

I had wanted to see some of the Diego Rivera murals but simply ran out of time since we were meeting friends for drinks at 6pm in Condesa. Condesa is sort of like the Village or SoHo of Mexico City with lots of little cafes, bars, and boutiques. After a few Micheladas (beer over ice with fresh squeezed lime juice) we departed for our dinner. My friends wanted me to get the real Mexican experience so we went to a family style restaurant, ordered a bottle of Tequila, a bucket of beers on ice, and mounds of beef which we covered in salsa and beans and sopped up with corn tortillas. The Tequila was served in small snifters with a sidecar of spicy tomato juice. After taking a drink of your Tequila you would then chase it with the juice. Really made for a great meal. For the first hour the restaurant hosted a Mariachi band that wandered around serenading various tables. When they reached our table I requested Cielito Lindo -- one of my favorites. At some point the band left and the restaurant sound system started to pump out salsa and other latin dance music. As people finished their meals they got up and began to dance between the tables and chairs. Made for great entertainment and a great night. Wish we could have stayed out until dawn but all the activity and maybe the altitude was taking its toll and thus called it an evening around midnight.