Four

“Hello! It’s me, Drino. Drino in Mexico! Whoo-hoo!” he exclaimed as he began recording. He speaks directly to his GoPro while holding it in his right hand, and his left hand waved excitedly.

He wears red shorts, an unbuttoned plain dark green short-sleeved shirt, and a white sando inside, with white sneakers. The colors of his attire match the Mexican flag.

“I am with the two families for a family bonding. Say hi!” Their families waved. “We’ve just landed after 20 hours on the plane. We are now walking towards Benito Juarez International Airport in Mexico City.”

He continued recording his vlog.

“We are heading to our hotel. And I will show you to our room.” The recording cut off.

They took family pictures using his camera.

He noticed Ashmille wiping her eyes with both hands.

“What happened?” he asked.

“It’s windy… I got dirt on my eyes,” she replied. Her eyes grow watery as she tries to clear away the speck of dirt stuck in them.

“Let me,” He blew on her eyes. “Here,” he handed her his clean handkerchief.

“Thanks”

Drino resumed recording once they reached the hotel he had reserved. He booked two separate rooms, each accommodating three to four people, one for his family and another for Ashmille’s.

“I’ll text you later,” he said.

Ashmille nodded with a smile. “Thank you.”

She closed the door to her family’s room, and Drino stepped out into the hallway and entered his room. He pressed the record button again.

“Alright, guys, it is quarter to 4:00 AM. Here’s a quick room tour,” he began. “Once you enter, the bathroom is right here. We’ve got two deluxe beds that can comfortably sleep up to four—two people per bed.” He angled his GoPro toward the beds.

“And here are my parents again.” He turned the camera to them.

His mother was seated on the sofa beside the bed, while his father relaxed on the bed near the window.

“There’s a sofa, a flat-screen TV, a mini fridge with cold drinks, and the view is incredible. The whole place feels cozy. Everything’s spotless, the lighting’s just right, and the scent is calming. I definitely recommend this hotel for anyone planning a trip to Mexico!”

He kept talking into the GoPro as his family organized their belongings.

“Stay tuned for more stories!” Then stopped recording.

He uses his GoPro whenever he travels to capture every angle of the places from his point of view. He also brought his DSLR.

Come and see the beauty of Mexico with Ride On-the-Go with Drino!”

After their 4-hour sleep, they all woke up on time, except Drino, who went to breakfast and a day tour at 9:00 AM. Drino rushed to eat his meal for 5 minutes because he had been up late. His parents woke him up, but he insisted on taking a 5-minute nap until it turned into a 50-minute sleep.

“Our son struggles with routine sometimes,” Aleya remarked.

“Yeah. If it wasn’t for you, Ashmille, maybe he wouldn’t leave his bed.” Handro commented. He meant that he mentioned that Ashmille and her family were waiting for them for breakfast so that Drino would alert himself to get up.

“My bad. I couldn’t sleep well on the plane.” Drino scratched his head while grabbing chilaquiles, fried corn tortilla chips dipped in green salsa.

They ate their breakfast for an hour when their local female tour guide met them at the hotel lobby.

“Good day, everyone!” the enthusiastic Mexican tour guide greeted them. “Welcome to Mexico! I’m Emi, and I will be your tour guide today.”

They began their walk around the Centro Histórico to visit historical and cultural sites.

“Whoa!” Ashmille is in awe of the place.

Drino took out his camera and took her picture.

“Hey, you didn’t ask my permission.” She’s shy that he might not look cute in the photo he took.

“You’re way too adorable to cut off,” he teases her. “That view is fantastic,” Drino mumbled. “Stay here, guys. I’ll go by that building to take good shots. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He ran and left them.

The tour guide continued entertaining them while waiting for Drino. He came back after 25 minutes.

“I’m back,” he said after running towards them.

“What took you so long? Where did you go?” His mother asked.

“Just got a good shot over there. I’ll show it to you guys later.” He looked at the tour guide. “So, shall we resume the tour?”

“Yes, we should.”

“Where’s your cap?” Ashmille questioned him.

He held his head. “Uh-oh… I guess I forgot my cap. Be right back!” He ran again, and it took him 7 minutes to return. “I accidentally left it on a bench.” He catches his breath.

After his return, they made their way through Coyoacán’s vibrant cobblestone streets. They also stop by La Casa Azul, a house and art museum.

In the afternoon, they head to the Mercado de Coyoacán to look for lunch and a few snacks. The place is lively and bustling, with crowds of shoppers and vendors selling everything from fresh vegetables and daily groceries to raw ingredients. Inside the market, they find a wide selection of delicious bites, hearty meals, refreshing juices, and smoothies. They also come across stalls offering handmade crafts, costumes, traditional clothing, classic Mexican toys, plants, and gifts.

The two families sat in an eatery, which serves tropical fruit shakes, esquites, tamales, tacos, and various savory dishes like tostadas.

The weather is slightly hot and moderately humid. The lively crowd adds to the energy, and it also leaves them feeling sweaty.

“I’ll have this,” Drino pointed at the menu while talking to the lady cashier. “This one too. Is this available?” he asked her.

The cashier nodded.

“One uh no-three of this.”

“Wait, we finished ordering already.” Ashmille interrupted.

“Yes, I’ll be getting this one. Do you want this too?”

“No, no. We’re all good. Just get an order for yourself.”

“Hmm… Then one of each of these, please. That’s all.”

“Are you sure you’re going to finish what you ordered? That was quite a lot.”

“No worries,” he answered, still staring at the menu. He assured that he didn’t miss out on the best food he could get there.

“We still have more stops to go. Leave some space for later. Besides, your stomach might get upset.”

“I’m so hungry from the tour, and all of those I ordered are not to be missed!”

After several minutes of waiting, all their order arrived.

“Oops, I didn’t expect to order this much food,” Drino mumbled. “These look good, though. I’m digging in!” he said excitedly.

They started eating their delicious food. They were filled and satisfied with a new twist to their usual local food. Drino didn’t finish the three remaining dishes he ordered.

“Finish it all up. We’re already full.” Handro said to Drino.

“Thank you for the food,” Georgina remarked. “I liked this the most.” She pointed at a dish in front of her.

“That one is a bit off for me,” Aleya commented on a dish she didn’t like.

Dante took a last bite of his share and caressed his stomach, indicating he was full.

Drino tried to finish off the rest of the food. His conscience kept nudging him, reminding him not to waste any food because he ordered more than he could handle.

Minutes later, he glanced at Ashmille.

“I’m done eating.”

“C’mon, will you help me with this, please?”

“I might puke if I eat more.”

“What about just a bite of this?” He stabbed his fork into a breaded and deep-fried oblong-shaped dish. “You haven’t tried this yet, right?”

He waited expectantly for Ashmille to open her mouth, blinking at her several times in a pleading way

“Alright, but only this one, okay?”

“U-huh”

She opened her mouth and took a medium bite.

“See? It wasn’t too bad.”

“Ah!” Ashmille hissed. She drank a cold glass of water. “That was too spicy.” She fanned her hand and stuck out her tongue. “It’s hot.”

She spat out the food.

Drino checked what she had just eaten. “These are Jalapeño poppers. Oh, no…”

He quickly reached for a few tissues and dabbed at her eyes, which were tearing up from the intense spiciness.

She is shaking her head in displeasure. “I told you not to order more. You’re wasting not only your money but also the food. And now, look at me.”

Drino heaved a sigh.

“Drink this, dear.” Georgina gave her an avocado smoothie to soothe her tongue and ease the burning sensation in her mouth.

“That was the food that’s off for me,” Aleya commented, who had just seated at their table.

“You didn’t tell me, Mom.”

“I just came here from the restroom.”

He forced himself to finish all of it, but he couldn’t. Seeing her eyes filled with tears because of the jalapeno she ate, he gently stroked Ashmille’s head.

“I’m sorry, Ashmille.”