I just got back from Mexico City a few days ago and I'm still recovering. I was born in Mexico City and lived there for many years. Then, in 1976, my wife and I decided to relocate to San Diego with our three children. At the beginning, I missed Mexico very much and I went back two or three times every year. As time went by, the trips became more infrequent. Maybe once a year. Lately, the phone has been my way of communicating with my family.

Nevertheless, this trip was a must. My niece Michelle, the eldest daughter of my youngest brother was getting married. My brother decided to remind me of my impending trip every week for the last few months. Don't forget. Buy your ticket. It's very important.

There is no direct flight from San Diego to Mexico. I had to choose to go via San Diego, Houston, Mexico and make the 2 hours and 50 minutes trip in something like 9 hours with the Houston Airport waiting and the other option, the one that I selected, was San Diego, Los Angeles, Mexico that with a two hour wait at the Los Angeles Airport it would take me 5 hours. Not bad.

Sometime ago, in between trips, I decided not to drive in Mexico City anymore. I learned to drive in Mexico City when the population was still 10 million, but when it became 20 million I decided not to risk it any longer. I also decided not to take taxis in the street because of fear of being kidnapped and the only way I transported myself was either with a radio taxi or with my family.

I don't know if it is my imagination but each time I drove with my brothers I was sure I was going to die. In a two lane street the passing of another car seem to be at 70 miles an hour and so close that we could touch the rear view mirror. Nevertheless, we arrived to the wedding safe and in one piece.

My niece was beautiful on her wedding dress. The banquet was prepared by the famous Hacienda de los Morales in Chapultepectand and was delicious. We arrived at 9PM and I thought the wedding was going to be over by 1AM. To my surprise, the wedding kept on going on; 2AM, 3AM, 4AM, 5AM and finally ended at 6AM. At 1 AM, I was ready to go home. I did not go home for two reasons. The first one, was because I did not know where I was staying. Mexico has grown inmensely in every direction so I decided to stay with my other brother that lives in a gated compound with security guards all around somewhere around a new area of Mexico City that I have never been at and that I wouldn't have been able to recognize it if I decided to call a radio taxi. Second and more important because according to my family, it would be considered an insult if I left before the party was over. I could have left the party if someone else was getting married but not at my brother's daughter wedding. I did not want to argue but I thought that the fact that I wanted to go home at 1AM did not mean that I loved my niece less. Nevertheless reluctantly, I stayed until the party was over at 6AM.

Even though it was a very happy occasion and I saw a lot of my family,  I don't think that I would be happy if I had to go back to live in Mexico City. With the very fast pace, the millions of people, the traffic jams, and everything that used to seem so natural when I was younger, I could not tolerate it now. Definitely, I learned Mexico City is "no country for old men".

Isaac Bensussen