Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe

It's a Sunday mass in Spanish. Despite our little grasp of the language, we went inside, egged on by this faithful crowd, into the cavernous  Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The church was packed, those among us who didn't come earlier for this 9 AM mass had to stand up at the back. We didn't mind, we were in the house of God and it felt good. And a great way to start immersing in the culture of a foreign land. The Lady, after all, is a national symbol for all Mexicans.

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Mexico City

Mexican immigration form

Prior to this trip, friends and colleagues, even my parents, have been discouraging me to travel to Mexico. Media reports make it seem like all of Mexico is at war. Yes, there's been an ongoing war between drug cartels. But I'm not even going up north. My destination is merely Central Mexico. Surprisingly, 2 of my friends Clint & Neil decided to "risk" their lives with me.

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Flying Free...sort of

Over the years, I've learned how to maximize earning frequent flier miles. Conventional wisdom dictates accruing miles by flying. Not only that, there are hotel stays, car rentals, vacations, cruises, e-shopping, dining - airline partners with which anyone can earn more miles. In the US, what makes earning miles  really more exciting - without even stepping inside an airplane - are the huge credit card bonuses.

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