My Mexican adventure has come to an end. For now.

As my month-long stay in one of my favourite cities in the world came to an end, I wanted to ensure my time in Mexico City was capped in a meaningful and symbolic way. Leaving Mexico is an emotionally-charged process so saying goodbye to the city needs to be planned. I headed towards the sky.

On my last evening in Distrito Federal, my friend Julio accompanied me to Torre Latinoamericano. This skyscraper is located near the historic centre of the capital where it was constructed during 1956. It remained the tallest building in Mexico until 1984. The structure appears dated from street level and I had serious reservations about its safety, especially in light of the seismic shocks the area is known for. However, I decided if it withstood the outrageously-powerful quake of 1985 unscathed while many of its neighbours tumbled, Torre Latinoamericana could be trusted to keep me safe for half an hour in 2009.

I am so delighted I made it up there. It was a special experience to say goodbye to the city as it glowed, twinkled and hummed through the night. Goodbye Julio. Goodbye Zona Rosa. Goodbye Torre Latinoamericana. Goodbye Mexico City. Adios Mexico... hasta luego.

With my Mexico City trip fading into a happy memory while I relax nestled away in the Hollywood Hills, I want to use the next few blog posts to share some of my final moments in the mega-city.

I became obsessed. Truly. The lucha libre wrestling was one of the highlights of my time in Mexico. A few nights prior to my departure for LA, Josh and I sauntered off to Arena Mexico for what was my third night out at the wrestling. My main draw card Máximo thrilled the crowd again and I also discovered a new found appreciation for Mistico. Mistico is the darling of the current luchadores set and he is a fantastic show wrestler. If you can read between the lines you might know I actually mean he is incredibly sexy.

Marvel at my last lucha libre photos. Coo at the child dressed as a mini Mistico. Laugh at my attempt to have my photo taken with Mistico only to have him smell my armpit. Drool at Mistico as he fills his tights and mascara perfectly.

So many things to miss about Mexico City but my seat in row four and a jumbo cup of Corona are surely near the top of the list.

Going to Mexico City? One of the must-do sights on your list really should be Chapultepec Park. There is so much to do in this green space and just like Central Park in Manhattan, it is a welcome reprise from the calamity and mayhem of the surrounding city.

I won't go in to a lot of detail in this blog, rather I will focus on photos. If you want to read more about what is available, check out the Wikipedia entry by clicking here.

Get down there if you can and enjoy the children's museum (I slept on a bed of nails), the anthropology museum (wanna see a prehispanic birth?) and much more. There is a castle, a lake for paddle boats and even a spooky-looking theme park with old-school rollercoasters.

Some people lead fabulous lives. Art. Fashion. Fame. Music. Romance. Sex. Dolores Olmedo experienced all of this and more. Her staggering life is detailed beautifully in one of the most visually-arresting museums I have visited.

Olmedo was a fascinating woman from Mexico who struck up a deep relationship with famed artist Diego Rivera. Click here to read a great piece written about Dolores at the time of her death. Rivera was known to spend much time at an Acapulco home belonging to Olmedo and on his death made her the administrator of both his and Kahlo's estates. In the years following, Olmedo somewhat controversially amassed large numbers of work by both artists and her museum holds the single-largest collection of Frida Kahlo art pieces in the world.

The Dolores Olmeda museum is a stunning property consisting of several buildings nestled amongst lawns, trees and sculptures in the Xochimilco suburb of La Noria. Peacocks roam freely around the property which also acts as a refuge of sorts for the Xoloitzcuintle dog, an endangered, prehispanic, hairless breed. View photos below of the stunning grounds and my new animal friends. Unfortunately there are no photos of the artwork featured within the walls. You will just have to take me at my word when I say I was deeply moved by Frida's work. Or, you could hop a plane to Mexico City and experience it all for yourself...

This past weekend saw the 31st annual Mexico City Pride march, or Marcha del Orgullo in Spanish.

Josh and I headed out with the throngs of people estimated to be around 350,000. It was intensely huge. The crowd gathered along Paseo de la Reforma in the shadow of El Ángel de la Independencia and it was an awesome sight.  I am confident I have never seen so much rainbow in one location during my whole existence.

Once the crowd got moving, the march proceeded along Reforma for several km and eventually made its way to the main square in the historic centre of Mexico City, the Zocalo. The Zocalo is the second-largest open public square in the world and it was an amazing experience to see it filled with queer people and their friends.

This post is light on text as I am going to overload you with photos. I defy anyone to attend a Pride rally in Mexico City and not be compelled to take hundreds of photos.

On first impressions, you'd be forgiven for thinking it would be extremely difficult to follow a vegan diet in Mexico City. But once you get your bearings and stash a few Spanish words for animal products under your pleather belt, it is actually possible to overeat.

And knowing both Sol and Corona are suitable for vegans, you can drink the night away after filling up on tasty treats. Below is a selection of stores and restaurants that have helped keep me in size XL clothing throughout my time in el Distrito Federal. On your next visit to this magical city, be sure to check them out and engage in some cruelty-free consumption.

Restaurants:

Tao
Cozumel 76
Condesa
 52114641

(Sean says: as far as I can tell, this is the only truly vegan restaurant in Mexico City. The entire menu is macrobiotic and ridiculously healthy and tasty. When Josh and I first visited last year our Spanish was appalling but we spoke with the server and discovered Tao does not serve eggs, milk, cheese or honey. And the food was super cheap. I think they have rather odd hours so phone first)

There are dozens of lacto-vegetarian restaurants scattered around the city with a large number located within the Zona Rosa area. I am not going to detail them all here but you can check a decent listing out at HappyCow.net...

Stores:

Aka Kosher
Acapulco 70 PB Col. Condesa (06700)
 52121956
Kosher shop selling faux meat, non-dairy food, tofutti, and more.

(Sean says: we bought the vegan pot pies and chicken pieces  you see below at this store. We also bought Tofutti Sour Supreme which was very tasty with the vegan chorizo sourced elsewhere. Aka Kosher is closed on Saturdays for Shabbat)

Nutrisa Madero
Madero 40B, Colonia Centro Historical (at 2 blocks from main square/Metro: Zocalo)
 55100525
Part of chain of shop throughout Mexico City. Offers a full yogurt bar plus various items from soy milk, baked goods, flax seeds, supplements, to packaged foods.

(Sean says: these stores are everywhere. We mostly shopped in the Plaza de la Rosa shopping arcade in Zona Rosa. Good for picking up soy milk or a healthy snack if you are out for the day)

The Green Corner - Colonia Condesa
Mazatlan 81, Local 1-2, Colonia Condesa (06140)
 52863939
Organic market with deli.

(Sean says: a bit pricey as it is located in a more art-centered neighbourhood. But it has a lot of great vegan supplies. I even managed to procure vegan toothpaste! Green Corner also stock soda, vegan hamburgers, bread and organic fruit and vegetables)

El Yug 

Address: Puebla 326-6, Col. Roma, Mexico City

Phone: 55/5553-3872

And of course you can find a lot of vegan supplies in the local supermercados dotted throughout the city. Check out the last photo of one such purchase featuring a box of 80 vegan Oreos that set me back approximately $4 Australian.

Come to Mexico. Eat vegan. Be happy.

One of the best experiences I have had so far during my time in Mexico City was attending a Lucha Libre wrestling night. There is so much to say about this incredibly entertaining sport and I honestly am having a difficult time putting all the information together.

The night was held in Arena Mexico, a large and dated venue in downtown Mexico City that I believe has a capacity of around 16, 000. Like a lot of my knowledge relating to this city, I could be wrong. The streets outside were buzzing with vendors selling food, wrestling figurines, wrestling masks and much more. I feel I should write some background information, even if to clear my own thoughts up:

Wrestling gained popularity in Mexico during the early 1900s but it wasn't until around 1950 that it exploded with megastars such as El Santo and the Blue Demon. These masked wrestlers became folk heroes in battles of good and evil waged in arenas and venues across the country. The luchadores (wrestlers) developed their fame by appearing in numerous films. El Santo must surely be the undisputed champion of this genre as he went on to star in approximately 52 movies before his death.

Some wrestlers wear mascaras (masks) and some do not. The mascaras are seen as a symbol of pride and honor for a wrestler. It is a very serious act for one wrestler to remove the mask of another. Masks are sometimes wagered in matches meaning the defeated wrestler must reveal his/her face and state his/her true identity to the crowd. When a wrestler is de-masked, it often leads to them taking on a new persona and possibly even changing between good and evil (or reverse).

Good and evil. There are two distinct wrestler personalities. These are rudos (rude or bad guys) and técnicos (good guys who play by the rules). Of course you get wrestlers who are a mix of both but it is this dichotomy that keeps the fans coming back to the arenas decade after decade. The most famous técnico in Mexico today is Mistico (see below in video and photos - he is in a white and gold mask). Mistico wrestled last Friday night and the crowd loved him. Unfortunately Mistico was defeated and was carried from the arena on a stretcher. High drama! Very camp. Mistico fans were beside themselves with grief. One guy near me pulled his own Mistico mask off in disgust and sat the rest of the night with his head in his hands.

This leads me to the Exoticos. These wrestlers are camp entertainers who are gay or who portray gay characters. Cassandro is a gay man who has been wrestling for a few decades. He wears swimsuits, dresses and full make-up into bouts. He currently hosts a cabaret/strip show/Lucha Libre event in Los Angeles called Lucha Va Voom. But back to Mexico. The highest profile exotico on the circuit is Máximo. Máximo is a técnico the crowd adores. He has pink hair and wears a roman-style, off the shoulder skirt ensemble with either pink or gold wrestling boots. He is encouraged by the crowd with chants of 'beso, beso' (kiss, kiss) and often grabs his opponents and plants one on their lips. In a surprising twist for macho Mexico, exoticos such as Máximo are among the most celebrated and loved luchadores. They are highly skilled athletes who work the crowd into a frenzy.

Below are a few photos taken from my seat in the fifth row of Arena Mexico. A short video is included of Mistico and Ephesto making their entrance. And below are photos taken from Flickr of Máximo out of costume meeting fans. He is my latest crush. And yes, I know he isn't really gay. He is married to a female wrestler who goes by the name India Sioux. I love it! The second photo of Máximo shows Misitico in his mask. Masked wrestlers never show their true identity in public. You can even find photos of them out for dinner wearing the mask.  Now that is commitment...

My favourite part of being in Mexico City? The flu scare is now as large in Australia as it is anywhere. I don't take pleasure from people being sick, but for weeks people have been telling me not to travel to Mexico as the risk from H1N1 was too extreme. I had difficulty in securing travel insurance and was badgered by know-it-alls who thought they knew everything.

The media hysteria and straight up rascism levelled at Mexico has been appalling over the last few months. People were so quick to associate this influenza outbreak with the people of Mexico being somehow second-rate. Governments have told people not to travel to this country, effectively crippling their tourism industry.

But I came anyway to stand in solidarity with the beautiful, enchanting and dynamic Mexico City. The streets are full of life and energy while noise is a constant companion. So many attractions and sights are calling my name and I still have a few weeks to experience as much as I can.

As an introductory visual taste of my visit in el Distrito Federal, see the picture below taken on the median strip of Paseo de la Reforma last night. The traffic is incessant as it snakes around El Ángel de la Independencia. This road is always frantic and feels like an artery of the city. It is equal parts exhilaration and terror attempting to cross it.

Keep watch for more highlights from my trip. And answer me this: if Australia is shut down due to flu, do I get to live in Mexico forever? ¡Yo deseo!

Brilliant!

Do you remember when I posted a blog about a bass guitar I was trying to win? No? The guitar belonged to Johnny from one of my fave bands, Killola. Sure you do. I made that ultra-catchy song called Bloodstains on the Couch and the accompanying video as part of the competition.

Well, worry no more about it. I won the guitar! Details are yet to be arranged on how and when I collect it. The band are based in Los Angeles and I am back there for a visit June 30 so it's safe to assume the handover will occur after that date.

This comp has been running for months and I have answered all sorts of questions and riddles as well as completing zany tasks for points. One of the highlights was flashing a peace sign while holding a can of Delaware Punch outside a No Doubt concert in Houston, Texas.

See Killola below. Click here to download their latest album for free! And don't forget to congratulate me on a job well done.

Hasta luego.

Los Angeles in June in so amazing. Well, it is amazing anytime of the year in my opinion. But when the temperature is just right and there is a fresh breeze on the beaches, it really can't be beat.

Josh and I only had a few days in LA squeezed between Houston and Mexico City. Of course we did some of our our favourite things to do with number one being eating at California Vegan. This restaurant is so perfect and I consumed what I would like to be my last meal on Earth (if anybody bothers to ask). My food was the fake chicken pancakes served with maple syrup and a side order of fries. To add to the excitement of Cali Vegan, actor Billy Zane sat in the booth directly next to us. Hilarity ensued as Josh and I tried to mouth 'look who it is' style messages to each other.

A trip to LA is not complete without a trip to my favourite dive bar in the world, Ricky Gene's. Patricia treated us to a night of hard drinking and karaoke. So much fun. I can't wait to get back there in July. I might even do more than one song.

And there are still pretty coastlines and beaches in Southern California. See me casually basking in the warm sun on Long Beach. I am still not sure whether I trust the water though. Something doesn't sit quite right with me when I can see numerous oil and gas rigs perched a few miles off the coast.

Pilar Diaz, a talented singer/songwriter and ex-lead singer of Los Abandoned, played a tremendous live show at a Downtown venue called La Cita. I am pretty sure this is Spanish for 'the appointment'. Feel free to correct or congratulate me, mis amigos. Pilar is awfully talented and the venue was gorgeous. Josh and I even got spotted in the crowd and Pilar gave a shout out to the people who had travelled from Australia. Very special.

After a horrendous airport experience (we slept in LAX from 1:30 am until 8:00am and the term 'sleep' is used loosely), we gathered our belongings and hopped a plane to Mexico City. We have moved into a cute little apartment on Calle Tokio and are enjoying the glorious weather while attempting to speak Spanish.

More updates soon. Check back often, friends.

High above the clouds that are high above the desert, I am traveling toward the mega-city of Los Angeles with fond memories of Houston colouring my mind.

The last few days have been a dream. Eileen and Jim, our hosts/tour guides/saviours, made me fall in love with Texas. They opened their home to us and showed us a side of the Lone Star state I hadn't considered.

Highlights:

Eileen's tour of downtown and the surrounding area had us enthralled. We marvelled at the Williams Tower building, a structure with A/C demands so intense it has a 64 foot high water wall on its forecourt that works as a component of the cooling tower. We learned of historic flooding and viewed the oldest building in Houston. We toured the beer can house and talked enthusiastically with our host about Kinky Friedman's run for Governor of Texas. It was an informative sightseeing trip during which we gained an comprehensive insight into how Houston is put together.

And there was more enjoyment. Josh and I cooked lunch for our hosts with food gathered from the local Wholefoods and the veggie patch in the yard. Josh and I adored the No Doubt concert. Eileen, Josh and I took Sweetheart and Cleo for a walk through the Sheldon Lake State Park where we spied an alligator resting in the waterway.

The biggest thrill may have been the heat. Clammy, humid weather might not sound so fun to most, but it was just the ticket after northern England.

Houston. Bye for now...

Josh and I are in Houston and it is fabulous. Alligators, skyscrapers and hot, hot heat. Details of those things will follow in the next blog post. For now I would like to share our experience of seeing No Doubt in concert.

We headed out to the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion located 40 minutes drive north of downtown Houston. The venue was beautiful. It is an outdoor arena in a massive wedge shape on a slope with a huge general admission grass hill at the rear. The venue holds 17 000 patrons and No Doubt had sold every ticket available. It was packed.

Josh and I had purchased our tickets through the No Doubt fanclub meaning we were positioned with only a metal waist high barrier between us and Gwen, Tom, Tony and Adrian (and Steven and Gabriel - No Doubt live band members). The show was phenomenal. I have seen the band twice before 7 years ago and they have lost none of their incredible energy and zest for performing. And a No Doubt show can't be topped when you hold hands with Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal. This happened last night.

Check out my photos of the night below. Superb memories. My only regret is not having a photo or video footage of the Josh on the jumbo screens! He was singing along to Rock Steady when a camera did a mega close up for many seconds of him crooning. Priceless!

This is being written at a great height. In an almost empty aircraft, I am gazing down on the planet below. The sun is racing off to the west leaving the tremendous Mississippi in a dusting of delicate hues. Purple. Mauve. Salmon. Peach. The vision of land and river is an enormous Impressionist painting viewed from almost-space. Lights stutter to life, telling silent tales of those below me. These electric beacons poignantly remind me there are billions of people on this planet I shall never know.

Where am I? On a Houston, Texas bound flight. Why? To witness No Doubt live in concert. Where have I been? Philadelphia and New York City. Why? To visit Esme, Maggie, Ben, Boo, Jake, Lance, John, Wally and Gato Malo.

I CouchSurfed in Brooklyn and Manhattan.I enjoyed a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and especially loved the Francis Bacon exhibit. I sat in an Upper East Side apartment on the 14th floor and studied a rain-soaked Manhattan. I ate vegan food in Foodswings (Brooklyn) and Essene (Philadelphia - see below). I played pool with Josh in a bar in Williamsburg and was defeated 2-0. I watched Esme laugh, cry, spit, sleep and bathe.

The captain has switched on the fasten seat belts sign as I descend into Texas for the first time in my life. Goodbye to the east coast. Hello Houston.

My last few days in the UK were splendid. Two Morrissey concerts at the glorious Apollo, catching up with dear friends (Simon, Noemie and Natalie) and stomping around the fabulous city of Manchester.

The proof is in the pudding so feast on the photographic dessert below. I will say hello in a few days from Philadelphia or New York City.

I am exhilarated and sad and filled with expectations and memories.

In a few minutes (literally), I will be closing the door to the house on Armley Ridge Road. After locking the house, I will slip the keys into an envelope and gently guide it through the mail slot. Following this, I will position myself in the passenger seat as Josh spirits me through the countryside to the city of Manchester. And tonight, Morrissey and much joy and celebration...

But to go forward we need to often look back. Yesterday I took a stroll to the University of Leeds. I walked by the horses on Armley Common. Neither they or I minded standing in the torrential rain. I bought my last packet of vegan chocolate biscuits from my local grocery store. I walked in the sporadic rainstorms to the campus where I reflected on the last half-year of my life. I spoke with my buddy Will and admired his art show in the Fine Arts Annexe. I sat with my dear friend Rut as the Northern sun teased us with short, sharp bursts of warmth.

Saying goodbye to Rut, I strolled past a Neighbours bus stop advertisement with more than a few tears in my eyes.

And now that is it. He terminado.