I'M IN MEXICO and I'm starting this dairy with a toast to Craig Levein. Those of you wise enough to follow me on twitter know I rant about football as well as politics.

I predicted 2 points and 1 goal from Scotlands first 2 games, and had a wee punt on said outcomes. There is a silver lining to our national team being so poor and so negative at the moment. My beer money (it's a lot cheaper here) for the next couple of weeks is taken care of - so I may be the only Scot toasting Craig Levein! (Well, you are a Jambo - Ed.) I have to say I'd trade Mexico Vs Costa Rica at the Azteca over Scotland Vs Macedonia at Hampden anyday just now.

The main thing I'm here for is the international phenomenon that is www.homelessworldcup.org - one of the best projects I've ever been involved with. Check them out. I'll talk more about them in future posts. But I've plenty time to have a look around before I have to do some work...

I'm liking Mexico - lots of great history - I'm getting myself well educated about the Aztecs. There is a lot for a boy to like.
Temples with altars used for human sacrifice, surrounded by statues of sacred snakes, twenty feet long, with mummified heads on stakes and assorted skulls... They're exciting museum exhibits!
They were big into human sacrifice. Almost all Central American communities had an element of this - but are quick to point out it was nothing like the Mel Gibson movie! Where have I heard that refrain before? That guy's got form...

As are the impressive display of massive meteorites in Mexico City. Mexico seems to get more than their fair share of meteors.

The Spanish destroyed and built over so many old Aztec buildings – a lot are just being rediscovered even now. Tearing down a temple and building a Church on top of it with the bricks from it seemed to be fairly standard practice.

Mexico City has the self proclaimed most beautiful post office building in the world. Having worked in most of Edinburghs this Leith Postie has to confess that we don't come close...

The food here is great, but eating cactus and hot, hot peppers is pretty tame after China! I had a lesson on twenty things one can do with a cactus - food and drink are but some. Paper, drink, textiles, drink, dye, drink, needles, drink, glue, drink... You get the picture. Anyhow, I'm now feeling well prepared for getting stranded in the desert.

Next few days will see some new experiences - I'm giving up munro bagging. Only live volcanoes with flowing lava can do it for me now. I'll also track down Leon Trotsky – tick another one off my list.

Saturday is Independence Day – they're promising me it's gonna be a bigger, wilder party than our Hogmanay – so I'm not missing that (though I may miss Sunday altogether!) Don't expect me to post much about that – what happens on tour...