DEC 19, 2015 – From San Miguel, it was still half a day by bus to get to Mexico City, or “DF”, as most locals seem to call it. I stayed with a Couchsurfer there for four nights. With its 8.85 million inhabitants, Mexico is larger than New York City, and its metro area counting 21.2 million people is the largest in the western hemisphere. Getting around is surprisingly easy, unless you’re driving – traffic is bad most of the time. Even public transit is affected by this, as a subway will always get you into the right general area, but the bus or colectivo may take longer for the “last mile” to your destination than the time you spent on the subway. Mexico’s subway is heavily guarded by police and seems very safe to me, although for some reason the Swiss department of foreign affairs discourages its use. There isn’t really an alternative, either – with trains often running at three minute intervals, the efficiency is hard to beat. During rush hour, trains and stations get very crowded, but some lines have a reserved section for women and children to keep things civilized. Near the city, the ruins of Teotihuacán are interesting to visit, and I saw the Frida Kahlo museum and the anthropology museum. On the last day we went hiking to Ajusco mountain, which would have a nice view of the city if it wasn’t for the smog.