I went to Mexico City
I travelled to Mexico City during the first week of September for work. I was there for 6 nights but my work schedule was so busy, I barely left the hotel. I did manage to make it out for dinner almost every night, and I took the last day to see some of the sights.
I experienced altitude sickness on my first day in Mexico City and it stuck around for about 2 days. So on my first night I joined some colleagues for dinner at a nearby restaurant and had a very modest dinner.
Luckily I started feeling better the next day and I spent the rest of the trip enjoying the amazing food. I can’t say enough about the guacamole. It was amazing.
And all of the salsas and tacos!
The most delicious tortilla soup ever.
On my last day I decided to go for a walk around a nearby park to see the Chapultepec Castle. I walked through the large park that houses the castle and saw some of the botanical gardens. Then I walked up a large winding path to the castle itself.
It was an interesting building, built in the late 18th century with very nice gardens and a beautiful view of the city.
I wasn’t able to get a good picture of the view because the clouds (or smog?) was quite thick. After I wandered the castle I walked back through the park to catch the hop-on, hop-off bus to get a tour of the city. On my way, I came across a couple of people feeding these very bold and interestingly coloured squirrels.
So I had a good laugh, took a few pictures and moved on. I caught the hop-on, hop-off bus in front of the Auditorio Nacional and started the three hour loop. This was the perfect way to get a feel for the city and see some of the major monuments. Also, as soon as I got on the bus the sky cleared up and the sun came out.
This is El Ángel de la Independencia (Angel of Independence).
And this is the Hemiciclo a Benito Juarez (a monument commemorating former Mexican president Benito Juárez).
This is the Palacio de Bellas Artes which was absolutely stunning.
And this is the Monumento a la Revolución (a landmark and monument commemorating the Mexican Revolution).
I got off the bus at the half-way point and explored the Zocalo area. There was a large main square with hundreds of different vendors selling typical Mexican goods.
I wandered around for about an hour and then grabbed the bus and headed back to my hotel. That night I met up with with a group of people I met through work and we headed out to see Lucha Libre (Mexican wrestling). I have to say, I was very skeptical that I would enjoy wrestling. But then I thought, I may never be back in Mexico City and this seems like the most quintessential cultural activity to do on my last night in the city. And it ended up being so much fun. We laughed, we gasped, we cheered. The acrobatics were really impressive.
Overall, Mexico City really surprised me. It is a beautiful, expansive city with amazing museums and galleries. There is just so much to do and see, I certainly hope it’s not my last trip to the city.
gabandkirby 