¡Viva México (City)!
- Globepouncing
- Mar 5
- 7 min read
It's been a while, Globepouncers, I know. It's the two kids.
No matter. We're back. Let's talk Mexico.
When we told people that we were taking our first trip sin bebe after Penelope's arrival to Mexico (thanks, Madre and Padre!), people asked 'where to?'
Almost without exception, people were dumbfounded when we said Mexico City instead of some all-inclusive beach resort. Come on, people. Be better. Maybe we've been spoiled by the tropical beaches in SE Asia, but Mexico is so much more than playas y margs.
Besides, we're going to retire to a Mexican beach one day anyway. Plenty of time for all that.
Mexico is one of the most vibrant, colorful, delicious places we've ever been, and La Ciudad de México is at the heart of it all. We had a week in the capital of Mexico - so what do a Mama and a Dada do when suddenly sin bebe?
Food
I would go back to Mexico City just to eat.
I would, in fact, go back to Mexico City just to eat breakfast. We found that typical breakfast foods include: enchiladas, chilaquiles, churros, and a hot, corn-based chocolate beverage called atole. Yes, please. I mean, not every day, but...well, maybe every day.
In the Roma Norte neighborhood, where we stayed, there are also, of course, tacos aplenty and many spots to sit for a quick bite y una cerveza.
But we ate fancy, too, because we're super-fancy people.
We enjoyed a Michelin Star establishment during our stay: Contramar. We filled up on sopes, tacos, and tostadas until we couldn't fit any more in. And then we had dessert. And there were piña coladas and mezcal margaritas throughout.
Important: We could not secure a reservation for Contramar online or over the phone - booked for years - so we walked right up to the maître d' (well...Edie did; her español is bueno) and made a reservation in person; they were able to squeeze us in not that night but the next. Lesson: get off your phones and go talk to someone's face, and you might get what you want, like famously delicious tuna tostadas. Contramar is well worth your time and money; we loved everything we ordered. See their Michelin listing here.
I just mentioned mezcal, a temptress with whom I was not acquainted before the trip. Mezcal is smoked tequila, and she is truly delightful. Henceforth, if I have the option of tequila or mezcal, I choose the smoky temptress. She's worth it.
On to fun things to do that aren't eating...I guess...
In Town and Easy
Constitution Plaza, better known as El Zócalo, should be one of your first stops, and it will likely be a repeat stop. The massive central square of Mexico City, the Zócalo is home to the Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral, the first cathedral built in the Americas - take a minute to digest your feelings on that. It is also home to Tenochtitlan's Templo Mayor, the National Palace, and several places with nice drinks and terraces where one can secure lovely Zócalo views. Not far from the Zócalo, you will find even more to explore, including Plaza Garibaldi, the Palacio de Bellas Artes, and plenty of other attractive spots.
We found that the approximately forty-minute walk from Roma Norte to the Zócalo was no problem if you don't mind walking.
We had never heard of the Plaza of the Three Cultures before visiting Mexico City. The Plaza de las Tres Culturas (en español) is the central feature of Tlatelolco, a modern university neighborhood with ancient roots. In Aztec times, this was apparently the site of the largest market in town. Today, it is famous mostly for the military massacre of unarmed civilian protesters that took place there in 1968, so when you check out the Aztec archaeological site (culture one), the Spanish colonial church (culture two), and the chic contemporary university environs (three), you can also see the large memorial to those murdered by the state. Hey, at least the state has owned up to it. Estimates range between 300-500 dead and several thousand more injured.
One of my highlights in Mexico City was visiting the Sunday Antiques Market at La Lagunilla. We understand that there is always some degree of market going on around here, but Sunday between 9:00 and about 3:00 is the main event. You can find pretty much anything here, and it does - as others have remarked - seem to go on forever. We all wished that we could have carried home some furniture. I settled for a great hat and a tapestry.
Chapultepec Park, where Chapultepec Castle lives, is another easy activity in town. You'll want to take a cab there from the city center, which will take about 15-20 minutes. The park is enormous, and the castle is a well-done museum of Mexican history.
What to do at night? CMLL - Lucha Libre. You must attend Mexican professional wrestling if you visit CDMX. Everything you think of when you think 'professional wrestling' - it's there, and then it's got a certain Mexican flair. It is outstanding.
Being a theatrician, what I loved the most is how far they take the mask convention. The mask in CMLL sustains a carefully crafted persona and history. One performer had his stripped off as part of the show, and he could do nothing but hide his face in terrified shame before escaping public view. The one who ripped off the mask had clearly crossed an incredibly well-defined line and really leaned into it. Fantastic theater.
Some elder performers came on without masks; they clearly had achieved some degree of retirement status or perhaps just such a level of respect or gravitas that they apparently no longer needed the full-on alter-ego. CMLL is such a great show, and remember this: Kemonito es lo monito! -- This translates to either 'Kemonito is the monkey,' 'Kemonito is the little monkey,' or 'Kemonito is the cutie.' He's dwarfish, electric blue, and everywhere (see our Kemonito swag above). His branding is perfectly on point. He's adorable but looks like he could switch to savage in a second. His Insta-thing has photos of him doing silly things all over town. He sometimes even shows up to the matches although, I am sorry to say, he did not make an appearance the night we attended. I'm a lifelong Phillies fan, and even I would say after one night of being aware of his existence, I thought that Kemonito was a mascot to rival the Phillie Phanatic. He's that good.
Xochimilco
Mexico City is built atop the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan, and Xochimilco is perhaps the only remaining place where one can experience what the place was like before it became the capital of 'New Spain.' Xochimilco is like sailing back in time to when the the city of Tenochtitlan was a series of interconnected canals made out of the ingenuity of Aztec engineering.
Better yet! Today you can enjoy mariachi bands aboard your hired trajinera as you float through Mexican history with your bag of tacos and cooler of cerveza.
We did not take the long trip to the Isla de las Muñecas - the island of the dolls - but it is a super-creepy horror Stephen King-type experience that you can absolutely have on your trajinera journey should you be so inclined. Along our shorter journey we still saw small installments of creepy murder-y looking dolls along the canal banks from time to time. That was enough for us. Just having the boat ride and enjoying the mariachi bands made our morning. That and our breakfast enchiladas.
Teotihuacán
We've visited the Egyptian pyramids on the Giza plateau, and we were still quite impressed with the pyramids at Teotihuacán. The question of who built Teotihuacán remains unresolved - perhaps the Maya? The Zapotec? Someone else? Unclear. See this National Geographic article for more on the mystery of the site's origins.
The name we have, though - Teotihuacán - is the Aztec name.
Certainly, the Egyptian pyramids have age on their side - remember that we are closer in time by a thousand years to Caesar and Cleopatra than they were to the construction of the Egyptian pyramids - but the pyramids in Central Mexico are pretty old, too. You don't want to miss Teotihuacán if you visit Mexico City. Being into archaeology and old things in general, this site was at the top of my list for this trip, and I made our party wait until a day that I was reasonably confident would be clear and sunny. I'm glad I did.
The biggest pyramid at Teotihuacán is the Pyramid of the Sun or Temple of the Sun, and it is the third-largest pyramid in the world behind the two larger pyramids at Giza. On a sunny day it is delightfully photogenic. Down at the end of the Avenue of the Dead in something of an ancient cul-de-sac sits the Temple of the Moon.
The temple with the most striking details, however, is the Temple of the Feathered Serpent (Quetzalcóatl). This one is in a different part of the site, so be sure not to miss it. Templo de Quetzalcóatl is smaller than the two biggest temples and not so easy to see from a distance like the Temple of the Sun is, but it has wonderful busts of the feathered serpent and of the Aztec rain god, Tlaloc.
Teotihuacán is an easy day trip from Mexico City - even a half-day trip if you're in a time crunch. It's a large site but still comfortable to walk, and you can take an Uber to and from the site, which should take just under an hour each way. There are places to eat near the archaeological site, several of which are set in underground caves - great atmosphere; we enjoyed eating at La Gruta.
Go to Mexico City, Globepouncers, not the beach. Or go to Mexico City first, and then go to the beach. For our part, we plan to retire there and split time, too. I wish you long holidays and delicious food and beverages.
I am sorry this one took so long, Curtis and Edie. I blame the children. I love you both.
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