Mexico City, Mexico
A little mid-2019 wanderlust to our neighboring country of Mexico to visit its capital and its largest city, Mexico City. I am writing about the trip a year later, with the benefit of time and the lack of as many things to do. I have been blogging a bit more now, after a year hiatus, and the experience of looking through old photos (from the pre-Covid 19 days) is both tantalizingly nostalgic and bittersweet. It's amazing to think about how at this time last year in Mexico City, I and my friend were blissfully unaware of what the future would hold in store for us and the rest of the world. I would have told my then self to enjoy little things, like waiting in line at the bar while standing in close proximity to the other patrons, and perhaps to stay a little longer at the salsa club even though I don't know how to dance even just a little bit, because these were things I would not be able to do for a while in the future. Generally I would have told myself to cherish the ability to socialize among my fellows, and to appreciate even the mundane interactions with others in public because they were fleeting.
Enough wallowing in sentiment and self-pity. This post is meant to provide me a little time machine journey and give you some ideas and information so that one day you can plan a trip here, or any other place I've written about.
It's funny but I see these signs in pastry shops at many major cities, and every time I see it I must snap a picture because well it's just so darn cute and collectible. I first saw this sign at Mr. Holmes' bakery in Highland Park, Los Angeles, and then realized they had the same version of it at Mr. Holmes in San Francisco, and now I see this sign all the time, but I am positive I was not at a Mr. Holmes bakery when I took this in Mexico City.
We flew into Mexico City and then went to our AirBnb, a very cute place in the La Condesa district, which a friend of mine recommended would be a nice area to stay. The AirBnb was in a secured complex with a very nice doorman.
Condesa is known to have a sort of European chic vibe, with tree lined streets and cute boutiques, cafes, casual tacuerias, but also healthy eating options scattered through the neighborhood.
One of my favorite things to do in the mornings upon my arrival at a new travel destination is to go scouring for a cute coffee shop to get my morning fix before I begin my day's activities. We found a very charming little breakfast/brunch cafe called Ojo de Agua, which I'd highly recommend if you're in this part of town. My friend got the mango juice and it was refreshing and delicious.
I ordered the above bowl for breakfast and while I didn't necessarily think I chose the best thing off the menu, it was certainly colorful and healthy. Some of the dishes that other people had at their tables looked quite good though.
If you're in Mexico City, they say you have to check out the Frida Kahlo museum, which is housed at the place where she called home until her death, La Casa Azul. I was forewarned that arriving without reservations could mean waiting for hours in line, so thankfully we made reservations online in advance, and I would suggest you do the same.
For those few of you who might not know, Mexican artist Frida Kahlo is like the sweetheart of the nation. Her poise, mysterious aura, and sense of style elevated her from a childhood marked by tragedy through polio and then a bus accident which caused lifelong disability. Despite these events which would have brought even the best of us down, she became highly influential and eventually married another notable artist, Diego Rivera. Kahlo was considered ahead of her time although bound by the socio-political constraints of her era. She was bi-sexual and had lovers of both genders.
Kahlo was known for her style, which deliberately highlighted the traditional indigenous Mexican clothing which highlighted her ancestry, marked by long and colorful skirts, elaborate headdresses and jewelry.
Of course, if you're in Mexico City you will need to set aside time to visit the ruins of Teotihuacan, the ancient Mesoamerican city from around BCE 300, about 1000 years before the Aztecs. The ruins are less than an hour away from Mexico City, although it will really depend on traffic. We took a direct bus there from the station and it was inexpensive. Plan on being here for around half a day, depending on how fast you walk. The site is pretty large, but if you want a shortcut just take the main path up the Avenue of the Dead culminating in the Pyramid of the Moon, pictured above.
Yup, made it up all these steps, no sweat, breeze in my hair, it was a piece of cake! (Not pictured, extreme panting afterwards).
Pictured above, I am standing on a smaller pyramid adjacent to the Pyramid of the Moon.
After a long and very hot day under the glaring sun at Teotihuacan, we treated ourselves to El Tizoncito, also mentioned on Forbes, a taqueria which had very good reviews and was very crowded, which is always a good sign.
Some of my delicious tacos. I definitely had more than two. Note to self to not write about food when I'm hungry.
The next day, we took a walk around town and the main square, the Zócalo, also known as the Plaza de la Constitución.
Bring comfy shoes to walk around the Zocalo and all the other blocks around this area for there is a lot of history, architecture, cafes, cute sweet shops, boutique clothing stores, and plenty of flea market style vendors selling things on the street.
Pictured above, one of the sweet shops we passed with things we just don't get at home, even being just 3 hours north of the border of Mexico. Actually, I take that back. We probably have stores that sell sweets like this, I just don't know where they are!
Looking back, I am really regretting not buying one of each to sample. Given that we're in quarantine, and the prospect of leisure travel seems to be at some distant point in the uncertain future, I am really kicking myself for not buying a bag of goodies to-go, and savoring them for the next few days. Perhaps I was worried about all the sugar and carbs, but my quarantine body is basically already there so it would have been the same result!
Stay tuned for more to come on this particular trip. Starting a new post late at night is not necessarily conducive to finishing the post on the same night.
