Distant Lands

The pilot announces that we are about to land at Mexico City Airport. As the airplane descends, I can see the city below. The lights that light up the town look like stars glowing in the darkness.

This city is massive, with a population of over 22 million people. Thankfully we land without any problems. I gather my bags and exit the Airport. I look for an open taxi in the parking lot.

A taxi driver notices me and motions with his arm, signaling he’s available. The taxi driver gets out and places my bags in the trunk, and I get into the back seat. The good thing is that I know how to speak Spanish, and communicating with the locals won’t be a problem.

“Good evening, to this address, please,” I say to the driver. I hand the driver a paper with my Hotel address on it.

“Okay,” he says and merges into traffic.

The Hotel is called Summer Hotel, and its location is in the historic center of the city. It’s only fifteen minutes away from the Airport, so we shouldn’t take too long to get there.

My driver takes an exit to the main street. I have never seen so many cars before. My muscles immediately tense up. People seem to be in a hurry. Cars carelessly merge in and out in front of us. A car suddenly cuts us off. “Bastard!” My driver honks, and I stomp my foot trying to brake, “Oh! god!” I grasp the seat in front of me and hold on for dear life.

My driver looks at me through the rearview mirror and laughs. “Everything is fine. I’m a professional,” he assures me.

I laugh nervously. My nerves are on edge. Finally, we exit the main street, and we drive up a cobblestone street and arrive at the front of the Hotel. I pay my taxi driver the fare and step out of the taxi. The driver takes my luggage out of the trunk and hands them to me.

“Gracias,” I say. (thank you)

“No problem,” he responds.

The street is well lit. People walk on the sidewalk, and crowds socialize in front of the Hotel. I Look up at the building in amazement. It looks like an ancient castle.

The façade of the building is a mix of sandstone blocks and dark grey brick. The wooden double door entrance is like fifteen feet tall. The wood has cast-iron details and looks ancient and beautiful.

I look back at my driver and notice that he’s waiting for me to enter the building before leaving. I wave goodbye to him and walk into the Hotel.

I enter through the double doors, and the inside mirrors the outside façade. It is grand. I walk toward the help desk to check in. A man with short black hair is standing at the desk. He folds up the long sleeves of his white shirt and adjusts his purple tie. The black vest and slacks make him look so stylish. He seems to be around my age. Suddenly I feel like I’m underdressed walking into a fancy place.

“Welcome to Summer Hotel. My name is Diego,” he says, smiling.

“Hello, thank you. I see it’s busy tonight.”

“Yes, we get a lot of tourists. Are you checking in tonight?”

“Yes, I am,” I say, giving him my ID.

He checks on his computer and goes and retrieves a key card. He comes back and hands it to me.

“Here you are. Your room is on the third floor. Have a good night. Let me know if you need anything,” he says.

“Thank you, good night to you too.”

I grab my luggage and walk through the brick hallway to look for my room. The hallway leads to a bigger room with large black and white checkered flooring; the dining hall.

To get to the elevators, I have to cross the dining hall. There are rows of tables and chairs to the left and right, but the lights are off. Only the middle of the dining hall is softly lit, lighting the way to the elevators.

The dining hall is empty, with a few guests coming and going from their rooms. I can’t wait to see this place during the day.

The elevator slowly takes me to the third floor. The doors open, and I walk forward. I approach a railing and look down the balcony. It gives a bird’s eye view of the dining hall.

I walk toward a hallway to find my room. I open my door and enter my room. Wow, this room is incredible. It has tall ceilings with redwood beams. The walls are plastered and painted light gray.

The flooring has an antique vibe, with copper-colored tiles. There is a king-sized bed, a comfy couch in front of it, and a flat-screen tv on the wall. It’s a complete apartment with a table and chairs under the tall window, a mini-fridge, and a small bar to the side.

I place my luggage on the couch and take my sneakers off. I take my phone out of my backpack to text my family and Nate to let them know I have arrived.

I let myself fall back onto the bed and rest my phone on my chest. The soft mattress soothes my tense muscles, and the day’s stress melts away.

I receive a response from my family. My eyes grow heavy, but I should get up to get ready for bed.

I’ll get up in a minute...