CIUDAD DE MÉXICO

Mexico City is the capital of Mexico and is the most populated city in Mexico, with a population of about 22 million people in the Greater Mexico City area.  It is located in the Valley of Mexico at an elevation of over 7,000 feet.  I've never been here but I read and heard a lot about the place.  It's crowded, the traffic is bad but there are a lot of interesting places to see.

I flew in on a morning flight from Phoenix.  It's a direct flight on American Airlines, definitely not my favorite airline.  I could fly other airlines but that would mean a stopover in Dallas, or Houston or LA.  Then the trip would take more like 6-7 hours.  We were advised by the tour company to take one of the authorized taxis.  I found them bunched together after I exited immigration and customs.  The prices vary slightly and I picked one that charged me 216 pesos.  Interestingly, I noticed that the Mexicans use the $ sign to denote pesos so $216 would mean 216 pesos, about US$11.80.  As expected the traffic was chaotic.  Like many developing countries no one seem to follow the rules.  It's a matter who is bolder in charging into traffic or cutting into someone's lane.  Amazingly, there are few accidents or road rage.  Every driver expects you to behave the same way.  The taxi took about 45 minutes to get to the Hotel El Salvador, which is located in the Central Historical District.

After a very nice affordable meal, I took a walk around the hotel looking for a bank to get some cash. The streets are teeming with businesses selling cell phones and accessories and other electronic stuff.
As soon as the shops closed, the streets became deserted and quiet.  I stumbled on a beautiful building and found out that it's the Palacio de Bellas Artes.  They have a performance that night by the Ballet Folkorico de Mexico.  Lucky me.  It was a beautiful performance with a lot of Mexican music and dances.  The ticket was only about US$50.

Palacio de Bellas Artes

Ballet Folkorico de Mexico

In the morning I walked about 1/2 mile towards the Historical Center of the city.  Here is the Plaza de la Constitución, the Catedral y Sagrario Metropolitano, the Palacio Nacional, and the Templo Mayor plus other museums.  The main plaza is under some kind of renovation so I stopped at the Cathedral first.  Like in many Catholic countries, the main cathedral always occupy a prominent spot in the city.  There were many Mexican tourists but not as many foreign tourists as I was expecting.  Compared to many countries that I've been to, Mexico is a little behind in promoting its tourism.  It could easily attract many American tourists but fear of being caught in a gunfight with the drug cartels has scared many away.  The Tourist Information booth is staffed with people who don't speak English or has limited English abilities.  After taking some pictures inside and outside the cathedral I met a lady promoting a "free" walking tour.  I've been on many of these tours before and they are usually very informative and a good way to know the city.  It's free but tips at whatever you think the guide is deserving, is expected.

There were about 20 people in our group, from the US, Australia, Korea, Japan, Russia, etc.  The tour took about 2 hours.  We walked through the historic central district.  The guide explained some of the history and pointed out some important landmarks.  The guide did a good job, considering the background noise and her strong Spanish accent.  I could not make out some of the things she said but sometimes it's my fault, having been distracted by some photo opportunities.  Tips ranged from $50 (pesos) to $200.  I don't think our guide was as good as the ones I had in NYC, where the guides are almost professionals.  There, a tip of $20-$25 is expected.

The next couple of days I spent a lot of time walking around the city on my own.  Being an old country there are a lot of historical sites, buildings and museums.   In the middle of the city square is the Templor Mayor, a museum of the pre-Spanish Mexico.  In 1978 while building the subway, construction workers found an ancient Aztec city underneath the current city.  Since then archaeologists have uncovered more artifacts and have a better understanding of Mexico before the Spanish came.  The museum housed a big collection of artifacts, some authentic, some copies.  It's an excellent museum that must not be missed if you come to Mexico City and enjoying learning about its history.

Aztec ruins in front of the Templo Mayor Museum. In the background is the main cathedral

One of the many artifacts at the Museum

I enjoy walking the streets and observing people and their daily activities wherever I go.  I also enjoy eating, especially local food.  Fortunately, I have a strong stomach and can usually handle any kind of street food.  But, I never travel without a supply of Pepto-Bismol tablets in case I overeat or get a little indigestion.  Below are some pictures from the streets in the Centro Histórico (Historic Center) of Mexico City.

Churros are popular, especially at the 24-hour El Moro Churreria

Lots of pastries at the Ideal Pasteleria on Republica de Uruguay street

Organ grinders are everywhere.  They demand donations!

A shrine in the middle of one of many busy shopping streets around the main square

I was invited to ride with a group of 11-person tandem bicyclists around the city center during rush hour.  So much fun!

A trio singing Mexican music in front of the Nike store on Francisco I. Madeiro  pedestrian street.

Metallic art between the Cathedral and Templo Mayor

Street vendor selling popular Mexican food.  

Another artifact at the Templo Mayor

A mural by favorite-son Diego Rivera at the Palacio Nacional

A typical shop on one of the many shopping streets around the city square

I didn't know bras come in so many colors!  I should go to Victoria Secret more often

Public toilets run by private businesses. Cost 5 pesos

Plaza de Santo Domingo, one of the historical squares

I intentionally scheduled 3 days before my tour so that I can walk the streets and enjoy the city.  Early tomorrow morning we are starting on the first leg of our tour, to the ancient city of Teotihucan, then to the city of Puebla, where we will spend the 2nd night.