Forget the Beaches: the DF (Mexico City) over the winter holidays!
 

I’m not sure why Mexico City is not on an American’s bucket list of places to visit, unless it’s deemed too close to the U.S. to be worthy or has endured repeated bad raps over the years for crime, pollution, and other assorted excuses not to go. After all, most people come to Mexico for the beaches and the swim up bars, and Mexico City has none of these. It certainly has never been on my hit list, and my reasons were my concerns about safety, it being so hot and dry, and – besides – what on earth is there to see in this high altitude, people crushing, third world city?

Was I in for a surprise. :D

It all came about in early December when all of my plans to take the family to Argentina for the week between Christmas and the New Year fell through. My husband was practicing his Spanish and he had been promised a vacation to a Spanish speaking country over Christmas since I had knee surgery over the summer so we took no summer vacation. And work kept me from working on the planned vacation until a month before we were schedule to depart. Meaning I forgot to plan in advance. $8,000 for the three of us for the flight into Buenos Aires – economy – was simply too steep to fork over for a week that involved nearly an entire 24 hours of travel from LAX.

Husband wanted a city, so the choices were limited. Big city, Spanish speaking. Not 8k just for a plane ride. Mexico City always has been on his short list, so I gave up, swallowed me fear, and booked us into the Hilton Reforma for a week, found decently priced non-stop flights at indecent hours, and we were booked. With a paid guide – my son’s lifelong friend, whose family all came from Mexico and who was, himself, studying Mexican History as his major at UCSB. This brainstorm of mine would serve two purposes – have someone not afraid to speak in Spanish and actually understand the response, and allow our 22 year old son not to be riding the coattails of his parents for a week.

I took with me Fodors “Mexico”, a highlighter pen, and printed pages from Fodors Forums – two travel reports and responses to a question. Actually, surprisingly little forum reviews here, which is the main reason I'm writing this report!

Went through a good portion of it during the flight. I will be giving Fodors an update on some of their slightly out of date info (this website’s e-version of the book is much more up to date than the publication, but I like the guide books in hard print).

Day 1. 12/27/11 (Tuesday)
We were picked up at 5:30 a.m. for a 7:15 a.m. flight on Aero Mexico, non-stop. Arrived at the airport at 6:10, stood in a short line to show our passports, claim our boarding passes and get our bags weighed. We took the bags to the scanner, where they scan them and send them to the belly of the plane. With online booking of airlines and hotels these days, you no longer show up at the airport with a paper ticket. Instead, you book the flights, select your seats, print your confirmation (which was not needed) and show up. The person at the counter found our reservations through looking up the names on our passports.

We had no time to sit around the airport after the trek to security, through security, and finally through. The plane was boarding at 6:40 a.m.

An uneventful flight (the best!)in coach, good weather (sunny and warm, but no Santa Ana’s), and minimal turbulence. A little tight in the leg room in the 737, but endurable for the 3 hour flight. Food was lousy – breakfast consisting of coffee, juice, raspberry yogurt and fruit – cut up melon and grapes. Two small bathrooms in the rear for economy with lines, with or without the carts that periodically held up aisle traffic.

Landed at Terminal 2 in the DF, not horribly long lines through immigration control or customs, a little wait for the luggage. They have this weird system, kind of like playing roulette, although it seems a little Big Brother is involved where once we had our luggage and our passport was deemed in order, we pressed a button to see if it’s red or green. If it’s green, you continue on. It turned green. Whew!

Various kiosks within the airport to hire (and pay for) a taxi to the hotel. Ours cost 300 pesos with tip to the Hilton for the 4 of us and all our luggage in a big taxi.

The Hilton is across from the famous Alameda Park that Diego Rivera honored in a mural in the Historico Centro. Zocalo easily walkable, and surrounded by historical sights. Great location, fabulous rooms, pleasant staff. Two rooms on the 19th Floor, 1929 and 1915 which are next to each other, although down different corridors.

Unpacked, then headed out.

Alameda Park during the Christmas holidays is jam packed with carnival rides and kiosks. About every stomach turning, giggle inducing, barf ride is present, along with food and booze kiosks with every kind of food imaginable. Tacos, burritos, crepe stands, Mexican sweet stands. Not too sure what the alcohol was at those stands, although some you could get in a plastic container shaped like a woman’s buttocks, and son's friend claims whatever’s in it trashes you. The area is busy during the day, but lights up at night going on until the early morning hours. Fortunately, from the 19th floor facing east towards the Zocolo, we could hear nothing.

To be continued . . . .

Looking forward to reading this -- I'm a Mexico City fan myself. I'm also puzzled as to why Mexico, apart from the beaches, doesn't seem to register with many Americans.

@Surfergirl and @Fra_Diavolo -- I completely agree! Mexico City is a great city -- we ended up staying longer than we had planned. It has such an unexpected European vibe, world-class architecture, and an amazing archeology museum. Not to mention the food -- delicious!
I also look forward to reading your report and going back to visit soon.

Busy back to work and fighting (unsuccessfully) a cold, but will continue this tomorrow. In the meantime, to Fra Diavolo, who made it to the very front page of Fodor's Mexico City portion of the guide, your name and your great comments were carried on my back the whole time. Thanks for giving up some great contributions for the guide book!

Looking to more!

Very glad to hear it!

Love to hear about your trip!!

(But kindly have to disagree with your post *After all, most people come to Mexico for the beaches and the swim up bars* - that's just not really true, not for me or anyone i know.)

Glad you are making this report - we will be in DF for a week in late March (then on to Oaxaca). I haven't been to Mexico City since the mid 70s - I was (ahem) younger then, and my idea of a cultural visit has definitely changed. We will be staying in Centro Historico, hoping for a few day trips.

Do you have a recommendation for a guide?

I've decided instead of starting off with a "blow by blow" to hand out a few tips -- sort of what we discovered or learned through trial and error, since these may (or may not!) come in handy -- also, because our research was minimal before leaving, we may have fallen short on understanding the inner workings of Mexico City -- so take these tips with a grain of salt!

1. The "$" sign is used here for pesos. So if something costs $100 – that’s 100 pesos. Threw us off at first -- we saw admission to a ruin that cost $51 -- we nearly went into cardiac arrest!

2. Negotiate first with the taxi driver and make sure his picture is on the outside of the taxi. There are no meters inside (that I could see, and these were "real" taxis), so discussion of price before getting in the cab is essential.

3. Taking the Metro is a breeze. It's cheap -- $3.50 one way -- and if you've ever taken the Metro, the Underground, the Subway, whatever it's called, navigation is a snap. You just need to know which numbered line you're taking, where they intersect, and what the ending stop is, so you're headed in the right direction. Also look at the picture symbol listed as your stop. For folks, I guess, who can't read.

4. Finding a corresponding partner or alliance bank with your home bank is not easy. Santander seems to be the only alliance bank for B of A, even though the nice guy at my local BofA mentioned 3 – the other two don’t seem to exist.

5. Bring a lot of pesos. So many places do NOT take credit cards. This includes the Museum of Anthropology (at 57 pesos per person, no student discounts unless a citizen), and most museums for that matter.

6. If you are using a credit card at a restaurant or bar, they will either ask you if they may add a tip, and if so, how much, or will simply add a tip without asking you. Look for the word “propina” under the bill, that means the tip was added. It’s always good to just ask if they added a tip. They do this because they run the credit card once, not twice like in the States – probably a better and safer method of handing the credit card issue.

7. Do not expect anyone to know any English. The DF gets a lot more Mexican and international tourism, less Americans. Always ask in Spanish if the person you are addressing speaks English. The is not a city where everyone speaks English – most surprisingly do not. Either have someone who has a good grasp of Spanish with you or use a few learned key phrases, hand gestures and a big smile.

I may add to this list if I think of anything else, and if I'm wrong, feel free to let me know. Like I said, this list is based only on how we learned to deal with a specific issue and may be based on our own travel reality!

<b><u>Safety:</b></u>

There are cops on every street corner, and at night you can't travel two blocks without seeing a police car with flashing lights. We asked if the police lights flashing meant the officers were on an alert, and we were told that this is how they patrol. Apparently the lights constantly flash so it is known that they are present and ready. It has had a positive effect of keeping things in order. It certainly made us feel calmer.


<b><u>Orientation – the Barrios</b></u>

In Los Angeles, when we say “barrio” we think East L.A. – made famous in at least one of Cheech & Chong’s movies. But in Spanish speaking countries, including Mexico, it denotes a neighborhood, and doesn’t have any negative, gang connotations to it. In the DF, there are a number of barrios. The ones the tourists generally visit include the Centro Historico (historical center)(which includes “sub” barrios Zocalo and Alameda Central), Zona Rosa, Polanco, Condesa, Bosque de Chapultepec, San Angel and Coyacan. A lot like NYC and its boroughs. Or L.A. and what we call neighborhoods or communities.

<b><u>First day – orientation of the area from Alameda Park to the Zocalo.</b></u>

We headed east on Juarez to Zocalo, down Avenida Juarez past Alameda Park and the Palacio de Bellas Artes. This Palacio is at the far eastern corner of the park on Juarez. Men were high in the sky cleaning the orange and gold colored dome at the top, being held up by attached wires. Very daring! This is a beautiful building that was built at the beginning of the last century. Although we did not go inside, I heard there’s a killer Tiffany stained-glass curtain in the concert hall, and a lot of great paintings.

Juarez turns into a pedestrian street at the north/south street called Central Lazaro Cardenas and remains a pedestrian street all the way to the Zocalo’s Plaza de la Constitucion. A 20 minutes leisurely walk.

The <u>pedestrian street</u> (now called Francisco I. Madero) is lined with shops, most of which sell optician style glasses, gold jewelry, and ice cream. This pedestrian street, along with several others, didn’t exist a few years back, so if you look at google maps of the area, you are likely to see the street as it existed before the change-over.

Since the street turned pedestrian, it is now lined with a lot of street performers, mostly dressed in costumes for photo ops with the kids. If I had to compare this street with something I am more familiar with, I’d say it was a busier version of the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica, with less diversity of shops. During the winter break between Christmas and just after the New Year (through January 6th), it was packed to the gills with pedestrians, buskers, performers, organ grinders, and the always present police force, most of whom were young, polite, and texting on cell phones. It was a very pleasant, convivial atmosphere. First day, with our heads exploding from sensory overload, it was a lot to take in -- kind of like the first time trying to cross a busy street in Rome. A little panic, a little on edge, but eventually the brain and the body learns how to flow perfectly to the music.

Along this street are a couple of churches and the house of tiles (Casa de los Azulejos) that houses Sanborns – a kind of everything shop with a restaurant – is found along this street. We stopped in a magnificent little church along the way, then grabbed an ice cream in one of the ice cream shops. Life is always happy with a bit of ice cream.

From the beginning of the pedestrian street we could see a giant (and probably fake) Christmas tree at the end of the street, in the middle of the Zocalo plaza. As we closed in on the tree, it was evident from the giant Pepsi ornaments that adorned the tree who was paying for it. There was a lot of action in the plaza. Around the tree, there were a number of areas and stands that had amusements for children, such as making a snowman with the ice that had been hauled in, or outdoor ice skating, or face painting, and lots of balloons and junk food that would kill any carbohydrate-free diet. All around vendors had set up their little spots on the pavement, hawking their goods that included everything from an obsidian letter opener to a build-it-yourself glow-in-the-dark Eiffel Tower (I am NOT kidding).

There was only about 30 minutes until closing to see the Templo Mayor (Aztec ruins), so instead we ventured into the Catedral Sagario Metropolitano, one of many leaning churches – that we learned was leaning as a result of the sinking of the city that was built on a lake. If you travel a lot, you find yourself visiting church after church. Trying to distinguish one from another can be a chore at times. But I’ve never been so jaded by a visit to a church as to not venture in and consider the outstanding features and history of the church. I still remember one trip to Paris where I overheard an argument between a husband and wife over whether they should go in an take a look at the inside of the church. The wife wanted to go in, and the husband retorted “Aw come on, it’s just another church.” They were talking about the Notre Dame. That in mind, the church struck my interest with one of the alcoves decorated with a lot of colorful ribbons with words on them – presumably some offering to the saint in the alcove, but I don’t read Spanish and had no one to ask. The alter was magnificent with faces of cherubs and saints poking out of the bas relief facade.

Outside, in addition to the street vendors, there are cleansers – men dressed in tribal costume with bowls of smoking coals, made more smoky by some green liquid, doing a ritual with the smoking bowls and large leafy branches. My son’s friend took part in the cleansing ritual, which offers up some pleasant smelling, if not smoky air. Looked kind of like an historic, public spa treatment. He felt really refreshed. (My son did this the last day and has been in relatively good spirits ever since!).

We headed off around 6 p.m. to the Gran Hotel, where we tried to get drinks and food, but were told the wait would be around an hour, so we took photos of the gorgeous stained glass ceiling that had that French, Galleries Lafayette stained glass ceiling feel to it, along with a photo of the Art Nouveau elevator, again adorned with stained glass, before heading back to the pedestrian street in search of a meal.

Speaking of the Gran Hotel, whose name admirably describes the hotel without exaggeration, this French influence is also found a block or so from this hotel in two buildings that house retail shops and bear more than a passing resemblance to the two anchor shops along boulevard Hausmann in Paris (the aforementioned Galleries Lafayette, and Au Printemps). For a second, I thought I was in another town. One of the buildings has written in what appears to be tiled script: El Palacio de Hierro. The other, across the street, houses the DF branch of England’s C&A department store. In any event, I could see a distinctly French influence in these buildings, but I’m just guessing since I didn’t do any research

<b>About Wine & Mixed Drinks in the DF</b>
The DF is a city of tequilla and beer, and I’m not partial to either. Getting any wine at all is a challenge, unless you spend all of your time at fancy places, which we don’t. Most places have one (if any) wine: Vino Tinto. I was never exactly sure what kind of red wine it was, but I’m guessing it was invariably some kind of cabernet sauvignon, of what vintage cannot be determined, but it’s all pretty good. It is hard to come by a white wine, but when they do have it on the list, I'm guessing so few people order it, they bring an unopened bottle to the table, open it, pour it, and give you a taste before filling your glass. On the other hand, that may be just how they bring it to you. Of course, after I have a glass, I stop guessing and just enjoy.

Mixed Drinks: Again, except in high end restaurants and cocktail bars, the list of gins and vodkas are minimal, and generally come in shots. If you want a mixed drink, like a gin and tonic, you can spend a good 15 minutes trying to explain what you want, and most times, it turns out they don’t have tonic, so you get a little can of mineral water. Which isn’t bad. It just isn’t gin and tonic.

The bar at the Hilton does understand our strange American ways, and after a bit of a language struggle, and their assurances that in the white wine category, all they had was chardonnay, they came up with a nice little Pinot Grigio of recent vintage!

Totally enjoying your recounting of your visit to DF! We are booked at the Gran Hotel for five nights in late March/early April ... "American breakfast included."

We are pretty capable of getting around on our own, but considering hiring a driver/guide for at least one day ... we want to visit the floating gardens of Xochimilco, and think it might be better to go with someone who knows a little about the area. Did you make it there?

Great detail!

Hope you're feeling better.

Still weary, Fra, thanks for asking.

scdreamer, you are going to LOVE the Gran -- at least the lobby just floored me and I personally prefer the older places than slick, impersonal, high-rises such as the Hilton Reforma, but the Gran was booked for NYE, so the Hilton was a great second choice -- and frankly in a perfect location for us.

And no, we were GOING to go visit the floating gardens, but with the holiday schedules, we ran out of time. I do know the hotels book guided tours (since it was mentioned by one of the people who went on a tour with us to the pyramids), so if you can't find any recommendations on this board, stick with the hotel's tour. If you go that route -- the hotel booked tour -- read what I have to say about the trip to Teotihuacan, coming up shortly.

Surfergirl, are you going to make any more entries on this trip report? I hope so!

Yes! Problem: computer died, and my husband is taking his sweet time getting the new one up and my notes and the photos off the dead computer. arrrgh!

Thanks for writing! I would love to go to DF. I studied/lived in Guadalajara for a summer and it is one of my favourite places I have ever been to! I think central mexico is highly underrated -- much more interesting to me than Cabo or Cancun.

<b>Day 2 agenda:</b> the Museo Mural Diego Rivera, which was also exhibiting many works of Montenegro on our visit; and the Palacio Nacional; evening at the carnival in Alameda Park

<b>Food:</b> Lunch at El Huequito; dinner – junk food at Alameda Park.

<b>The Museo Mural Diego Rivera</b> is located at the northeast corner of Alameda Park. A fitting place, since the purpose of going to this museum is to see the giant, 50 foot mural, Sunday Afternoon Dream in Alameda Park. There was a small fee, plus another fee to take non-flash photography. As an aside, most museums in the D.F. allow non-flash photography, but you have to pay for it. The most expensive (at 60 pesos a pop just to take non-flash photography) is at the Frida Kahlo Casa Azul.

The Museum is located on two levels, but the part that houses the famous mural is 2 stories high. There is an explanatory description of the people in the mural in back lit displays to the rear of the room. The English version is at the far right of the mural, and the Spanish verson is at the far left. The display has the people in the mural in shadow form, with each person numbered, and an explanation of who the person is by finding the number description.

This huge fresco encompasses three main eras in Mexican History, including the Conquest, the Porfiriato Dictatorship, and the Revolution of 1910. It took over a year for Rivera to create this masterpiece.

The mural was apparently plucked from a hotel across the street that was hit by the 1985 earthquake. The earthquake destroyed the hotel, but not the mural, fortunately, which was moved, intact, across the street to the museum built to house it. The mural has just about everyone from Mexican history in it, including, as its centerpiece, the Dame Catrina (day of the dead skeleton popularized by José Guadalupe Posada – who stands to the right of the Catrina in the fresco) holding hands with Diego Rivera as a boy, and Frida Kahlo behind him.

This mural is not an aside. Fodors guide book doesn’t really call it one of their “main sights” – but murals, in general, are probably one of the coolest forms of art, and to see the work put into this by the General of mural art – Diego Rivera – takes this art form, and this work in particular, to a whole new level.

<b>The National Palace</b> is free to enter, although it costs 10 pesos to park your daypack. Or your left over box of Kentucky Fried Chicken as the man in front of me did.

I want to say at this point that the real “bang for your buck” is not in the arts and crafts or the cheap replicas of the Aztec sun dials you can pick up anywhere in town, but the richness of the history, the beautifully restored ruins, the perfectly maintained buildings, the art, the artifacts – anywhere you go, any exhibit or building you walk into, your mind and all your senses are completely blown away by the beauty, the magic, and the history!

So walking into the National Palace, as just one example, I simply could not believe that we weren’t being charged to have the honor of taking in everything it has to offer, from the almost city block long murals by Diego painted on nearly every wall of the first story of this building, and of the huge mural encountered as we climbed the stairs to the first floor. Or of the small room with the revolving short movie (with English subtitles) showing how Rivera came to paint these murals, and showing how he designed the murals with actual drawings that he taped together to make the paper bigger, or the cut outs where he changed the design.

But that’s not all. We passed through room after room of the palace – the executive chamber, the dining room, the smoking room with the art nouveau elevator at the corner, the green room, the purple room, and all of the photos of the presidents of Mexico. Then there’s the beautiful arches surrounding the courtyard with the fountain in the middle. Finally, as we passed out the back entrance, there is another peaceful garden before exiting onto a busy street filled to the gills with street vendors hawking their wares.

<b>Lunch</b> was off the pedestrian street Francisco I. Madera, on another pedestrian street (Bolivar) where there are a number of little bars and restaurants serving little plates of food. We picked at random El Huequito, where they served what turned out to be pretty famous tacos al pastor. Amazing! So good, in fact, we visited it again once before leaving. Cheap as can be and so yummy.

<b>Dinner</b> – like I said, we visited the carnival at Alameda Park, went on the rides, bought silly glitter wigs, ate weird stuff like crepes (yes, and they were delicious!), scalloped fried potatoes on a stick that looked like an edible Calder mobile, carne asada, and sweet roasted corn on sticks. And drank weird alcoholic concoctions in strange containers that kicked butt.

<b>Day 3: Tour Day:</b> Tlatelolco; Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Booze Making, and Teotihuacán.

<b>Teotihuacán</b>, for those who don’t know, is an ancient sacred site located about 30 miles northeast of the DF. It is a very popular side trip, and for good reason. The ruins of Teotihuacán are among the most important in Mexico.

We booked a tour the night before with the hotel. 10% was added for using a credit card. The tour takes a whole day, because they take you all over the place, and the guide, needless to say, guides you to shops where he gets a tidy commission. We were picked up at 9:30 promptly and drove past the area where mariachi bands play in the afternoon and evening just north of our hotel.

<b>Tlatelolco:</b>
We stopped at Tlatelolco at the Plaza of the Tres Culturas to visit the pre-Colombian Aztec archeological site, and the place of the bloody Tlatelolco Massacre of 1968. On October 2, 1968, shortly before Olympics were scheduled to begin, a rally in this plaza, mostly by students, but included many neighbors, families, children who had come out to heart the speeches, turned into a massacre by the Mexican government, followed by a cover up that lasted 30 years. Thousands were wounded, and hundreds were killed in the massacre. According to our guide, government snipers took over the rooftops of the apartment buildings surrounding the area, and the rooftop of the church and began to fire at the crowd. There is a museum there called Memorial 68 which I would have liked to have visited, but we were on the clock, so had to move on.

I just want to add here that although these moments in time are now probably part of the high school or college curriculum, I guess the reason why I never heard about this before coming here was because it took place during a time when I was going to high school. So it wasn’t yet “history”. So although my son and his friend probably thought we were complete idiots, maybe we are, because it never dawned on me that we were living through the Vietnam War and an era that wasn’t history while we were living through it.

<b>Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe:</b>
Next stop, the 6 churches that cover the territory surrounding the location where the miracle of the Lady of Guadalupe occurred. The cloak upon which the Virgin Mary was revealed is located in the newest church built in the 1970's and visited by Pope John Paul 2.

Religion is of huge importance in Mexico, and particularly the Catholic church, which only comes as a surprise if you spent your entire life under a rock. So a trip to a shrine of such importance, like Lourdes or Fatima, brings a crowd of pilgrims, devotees, and tour buses. And both before and after the visit, we were hammered with every kind of plastic religious artifact, one being more ugly than the next, and most containing the image on the cloak.

Now the image on the cloak is pretty amazing. And the guide tells us it’s been viewed by religious leaders and scientists alike, and they don’t understand how the image has stayed on for so long. In any event, it is certainly something worthy of seeing, whether you are a believer or not. We were told to watch our wallets inside the Church which was, I thought, a little sac-religious – stealing at a shrine inside a church?!?

Outside, there were a multitude of beggars and vendors, all who seemed to know our guide personally as he pushed us into a commissioned junk store. Our guide, like other tour bus guides, handed out little stickers that we were told to put on our shirts, ostensibly to help the guide find us following our shopping spree, but in my view the point of the stickers was to notify the clerks in the shop which guide we were with, as I saw them tabulate on little pads of paper chits that included amounts after each tourist paid, whether it was for souvenirs or food.

<b>How to Make Tequila & Mezcal:</b>
Following the Basilica, we moved on to the highway, stopping briefly before the pyramids to view tequila making at another commissioned stop. The tour was interesting, showing how the cactus was stripped and drained of juice, then to a discussion of the obsidian rocks in the area, and how the Mexican artisans made masks and other objets d’art with the stones. Followed by a tasting of tequila, mezcal, and pulkra (I think that's what it's called). Followed by an invite to buy the items supposedly made right there at exorbitant prices. Serious bargaining and negotiations are involved. A word of warning: you can buy most of the same stuff from street vendors and from the little stands set up at the pyramid itself.

<b>The Pyramids:</b>
Teotihuacán means "place where Gods were born" and, according to the guide books, reflect the Aztec belief that the gods created the universe here. Read a little bit about this place just to get some idea what you’re seeing, although even if you go with a blank slate, it’s still a mind blowing experience. The city, built around 300 AD, covers a pretty large area, so put on the good walking, non-slip shoes, take plenty of water, and take your time. And take lots of pesos, because all around the place, you’ll be hit up with people hawking souvenirs and jewelry, and to be honest, they’re giving the best prices once you start to walk away.

The biggest structures are the Temple of Quetzalcoatl (plumed serpent), the Pyramid of the Sun (the third-largest pyramid in the world) and the Pyramid of the Moon.

The stairs up and down the temples are wide, but steep. Don’t go straight up and down. It’s easier to go at an angle. We went up the first structure – the Temple of Quetzalcoatl – without a problem. Getting down is a little scary, so I took my time. Then there’s a long walk to the Pyramid of the Sun, followed by a line to go up the stairs. Since this was winter, I can only imagine how long the lines are (and how hot it must be) in summer. The line took about 25 minutes before getting to go up the steps. Halfway up was all we went, because there’s another line to continue on to the very top. Nonetheless, from the mid-point, the view was incredible!

BTW, there’s souvenir stands at the beginning where you’re dropped off, souvenir stands at the end where you’re picked up, and a million people with souvenirs at each of the temples and pyramids following you around if you show any interest at all in one of their objets d’art. My husband couldn’t shake one guy who followed him a good ¼ mile, dropping his price for whatever he was selling about 20 times. We finally had to intervene with my husband’s new BFF and firmly tell him to get lost (nicely, of course!).

For those Fodorites who ask "is it worth a trip?" -- my answer would be are you kidding me?! YES!

<b> Dinner:</b>
In La Condesa at La Morena at Atlixco 94 – $1,706 for 4. Hilton got us a big taxi that cost $200 (turned out to be more than we should have paid). Food was decent. I had broiled fish with 3 pepper sauce that came with spinach and mashed potatoes, and my son had salmon fettucine with cilantro. They had a live band playing and all I can say is, I was glad we asked for the "quiet" table in the back rather than the table in front of the band. We stopped off for a drink at the Celtic Bar Irlandaise, which was thumping with American pop music and crawling with 20- somethings. Then headed over to the Kings Pub – a British pub with less people, and 80's canned music followed by a live band that covered American and British bands from the 60's to the present (Stones, Pink Floyd, Kings of Leon). Nueva Leon 92.

Enjoying your report. Were any of those items "almost free"? I hope those prices were in pesos?

Glad you had a fun and interesting trip.

MY

What a great report! I feel as if I am there. You guys have boundless energy!!

I just noticed your mention of AeroMexico. My first cousin is a pilot on their international jets. Wouldn't that be a funny coincidence if he had been your captain?

"$1,706 for 4"

Hope that's pesos and not dollars!

Enjoying your report.

Things appear to have changed since our last visit -- rear exit from the palace, photos in the Casa Azul, and climbing permitted at the temple of Quetzalcoatl -- all prohibited only a few years ago.

Guess it's time for another visit.

The drink is "pulque."

FD

Great updates! Thank you so much for this ... it is making us look forward to our visit to DF in just two months!

Yes, totally pesos, not dollars -- so dinner was about 140 U.S. dollars for the four of us, including the vast amount of alcohol we tend to consume during our meal. Like I said, the use of the $ symbol scared the cr@p out of us at first!

SW -- that would have been interesting had your cousin been the pilot! Hmmmm, he looked a little bit like you in the eye area . . . (BTW, great meeting you and your husband -- you guys are fabulous!)

Fra -- yes, you have to go back, it HAS changed from what you experienced -- and thanks for the correct name of the drink!

Museum of Anthropology, Casa Azul, and Trotsky to follow!

Surfergirl--

Just awesome. I went with similar concerns as yourself, and indeed I fell in love with Mexico City back in 2005 for my first visit ever. I felt like a fool for having not wanted to go prior and also ignorant of so much history. I'm enjoying your recounting tremendously as I was spellbound by the energy, architecture and history in the Alameda, Zocalo, Templo Mayor, Paseo de La Reforma (Zona Rosa), Teotihuacan, Xochimilco and the Museo de Antropologia (to name seven LOL). Your report makes me want to go back!

Keep it coming!

Best wishes, Daniel

So apparently none of you had altitude issues, Surfergirl?

My husband developed altitude sickness in his late 40s after never having had a previous problem. It was at a scientific meeting at Copper Mtn, in CO. Since then, with each successive trip to any altitude, even as low as 5, 000 ft, the condition has gotten progressively worse and he now has to take Diamox--a drug that manages the condition, mostly, but has some potentially nasty side effects-- if he needs to travel to high altitudes, but it has pretty much eliminated pleasure trips to high locales. :(

It was so great meeting the 3 of you! What a fun evening!! You are the first Californians we have met aside from our daughter-in-law's family, so that was great too.

PS I will email my cousin's FB pic in his uniform so you can compare! That would be so funny!

Thank you guys for all your nice comments! I'm sorry I am not as concise as Ernest Hemingway, and I'm not being taken to task over it!

No altitude sickness, socialworker -- we all got sinus infections and a couple of bloody noses, but it didn't last long. And the nice thing about the time of year we went, we didn't have to suffer with all the pollution we heard about. It wasn't bad at all.

<b>Day 4 Agenda:</b> Chapultepec Park, Castle, Museum of Anthropology.

<b>Restaurants & Bars</b>: The truth about cotton candy for lunch; dinner at Hard Rock, more Kings Pub.

<b>Chapultepec Park:</b>
Metro $3.50 (about 10 cents)
Walked down Balderas to the Balderas Metro, stopping in the Ciudadela Plaza for a quick look. Took the Metro to Chapultepec where we got off to go to the park and visit the castle and Museum of Anthropology.

<b>Chapultepec Castle</b> is at the top of Chapultepec Hill in Chapultepec Park. The name Chapultepec means, per wiki "at the grasshopper's hill", which clears up why the metro station has a picture of a grasshopper, and the fountain up at the castle has a whole grasshopper theme with little grasshopper statues. Didn’t see or hear any grasshoppers in the whole of the park, but saw many grasshopper figures. Reminded me of all the cicada representations seen the south of France.

The hill where the castle is perched was a sacred place for Aztecs. The castle has served a variety of purposes, including the royal residence of the Mexican Emperor Maximilian I, as well as its current transformation as the National History Museum.

The castle is a short walk from the Metro, and to get up to the top you can walk the very short, not steep circular road to the top or take the little train to get there. The Castle is free to students with ID, over 60 with ID, and under 13. Otherwise, it’s 51 pesos each, and well worth it. Murals by various Mexican muralists adorn the walls of the ground floor, along with artifacts and clothing of the royals through the revolution. The second floor contains an outdoor balcony lined in shiny white and black checkered marble where you can peer into the royal rooms as you circle the castle’s balcony. From the balcony you get a great view of the city and the park surrounding the castle.

It's very well laid out with lots of information – mostly in Spanish

<b>Museum of Anthropology</b>.

In front of the museum, on the other side of the path in a large grassy area is a pole. Try to make it there in time for what I’m guessing is a daily ritual for the Mexican pole dancers, aka <b>Danza de los Voladores</b>. (On the second floor of the Museum, there is a great explanation in photos and script giving the background on this ceremony). The ceremony consists of a dance, then five men in brightly colored costumes climb a 30 meter pole. Then four of the five men are tied to ropes, and descend to the ground by going round and round the pole, upside down, to music. The fifth remains on top of the pole, playing a flute. I don’t know if this is done more than once a day, but when we were there, it happened between 1 and 3 p.m.

Make sure you have plenty of time to view this museum. It is massive, and we ended up going back the day we left, because we only had 2 hours the first trip, and had just made a small dent. It is well laid out by culture and time period, with lots of exhibits – real artifacts mixed with models. They created an entire piece of the Templo de quetzalcoati, but included actual pieces to the right of the model.

The exhibits are found, by period, on the ground floor of the building, that is built in sort of a horseshoe shape, with an outdoor fountain in the middle. Around the outer outside ring of the horseshoe, are outdoor exhibits and more models that are associated with the inside rooms. In addition, there is a second floor on either side of the horseshoe, also indoors, that houses an incredible recreation of life (ethnographic exhibit) covering a recent history of Mexican indigenous groups, replete with re-created huts, models dressed in period clothing, and depictions of various trades within the region represented.

While it’s best to approach the museum with a guide book, for a fee you can pick up a phone that explains certain exhibits in the language of your choice.

The exhibits are neatly arranged, and we found it was best starting on the right hand side and going around counter-clockwise to see how the cultures changed with time. At the top of the horseshoe, directly opposite from the entrance, is the Aztec exhibit, and includes the famous Aztec Calendar, known as the "Sun Stone."

The Maya room on the left side is pretty cool as well. I'd say that even people who aren't that into history museums would be converts if they saw this museum. It's that good. In fact, my son, who can probably stand about an hour in a history museum was so impressed, when we got back to the hotel, he signed up for an anthropology class for the Spring semester at Berkeley.

<b>Food</b>: "Lunch" was park food consisting of cotton candy and sweet corn and dinner at (I’ll admit), Hard Rock Café in Polanco. Note on Mexican cotton candy – as tasty as it is, and I love my cotton candy, I will warn you that the dye they use does not disintegrate in the digestive system. You get the picture. We walked from the Museum of Anthropology to the Hard Rock, since my husband insisted it was a “short walk”. It wasn’t. He wanted to go, and even though I have been “over” (for at least 15 years now) checking out every Hard Rock Café on the planet, there are times in a marriage when you just need to pick your battles. And this was one of those times where I was hungry, and an American cheeseburger seemed like a nice break. And it was. Right down the street was another Kings Pub, so a quick brew before returning to the hotel.

<b>Day 5 Agenda:</b> Casa Azul, Trotsky, and New Year’s Eve in the Zona Rosa

<b>Food</b>: Lunch at Bistrot Mosaic.

<b>Casa Azul</b>:
Metro to Viveros, then a long walk around the Viveros de Coyoacan Park to Frida Kahlo's house on Londres. It’s a hell of a walk down Londres to get there. Although the website said it would be open from 10 to 5:45, when we arrived around 1 p.m., we were told before entering that they planned to close the house at 1:45 p.m. due to it being New Years Eve. We pressed on. This was easily the most expensive visit of all the museums that we visited. And, as usual, no credit cards, all cash. So it cost around 65 pesos per person, but 45 pesos for students with valid i.d. and a whopping 60 pesos for a camera permit (without flash). The attendants were very mindful that one had a permit to take photos while in the home. We bought two permits. We were only hassled in the home – in the gardens no one seemed to bother us, although there were a number of attendants there keeping an eye on people.

The Casa Azul (blue house) gave us a lot of insight into how Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo lived. Her artwork is everywhere, from exhibits to the walls decorated in her unique style. Little teacups decorate the walls of the kitchen in such a way as to spell out Frida and Diego. There are photographs of the two throughout the house, including one showing Frida painting the portrait of her father -- a portrait that is found at the beginning of the exhibit. The work room where she painted looks like she and Diego still lived there and would be back to their work after a quick trip to the market: glass vials of paint and glitter sit on the table, along with easels. Frida’s famous bed has a canopy made of wood, with a mirror attached, so she could see her reflection when lying in bed. Her mother apparently did this to let Frida, who was periodically bedridden, paint pictures of herself. On the bed is Frida’s death mask, which creates an eerie, if not intriguing reflection.

We managed to plow through the house and the gardens in the 40 minutes we were allotted before the place closed down for the day, even though we would have liked to have lingered a bit longer had we had the time. It was a very, very personal look at the lives of these two.

The fact that we only had a short time at Casa Azul allowed us to head six blocks down residential streets in the area to <b>Trotsky’s House</b> – where he spent his final days with his second wife, Natalia, before being assassinated.

The main entrance to the home is bricked up, so entry is NOT on Viena, as noted in the guide books. It's actually on the other side, on Av. Rio Churubusco.

We visited this site as an afterthought, but it really should be put on everyone's "short list". The home was left almost exactly as the day Trotsky was assassinated there, preserved in time.

Trotsky’s ashes are entombed on the grounds, in the garden. Although we were concerned that this place might also close early, the two people running the show didn’t seem to be concerned about time or what day it was. And it was relatively empty of visitors, allowing us to move freely through the small barricaded home, small museum, gardens and guard’s quarters without being pushed to move on.

This place was especially well laid out, with explanations in both Spanish and English. There were free guides available, but with the very clear explanations of each room (what it was, what it exhibited, and what happened in the room) there was no need to seek the assistance of a guide.

<b>New Year's Eve</b>:
New Year's Eve in the DF is a bigger deal than L.A. (which doesn't exist in terms of putting on a show), and less of a big deal than New York City. I think that's because they switch it up every year as to ground zero. No ball dropping, but there are fireworks. And a stage. And music.

This year the festivities were held at El Ángel de la Independencia – a tall column with a gilded statue of a winged victory, located on the Paseo de la Reforma in the Zona Rosa. By noon, the stages were set up, the police had gathered on every street and every street corner surrounding the place, and a big clock was up counting down the hours, the minutes, and the seconds until midnight.

We walked all the way down the Paseo de La Reforma to the Angel. It was not packed at all. We found a spot at an outside heated drinking area of a bar and parked ourselves. This is about all I'm going to say on the subject, because I'm not a huge fan of being cold, outside, and feeling like I might be crushed on New Year's Eve. All I will say, on a positive note, is that the fireworks were nice, and I felt a lot happier back at Alameda Park going on the Ferris Wheel afterwards.

<b>Lunch at Bistrot Mosaic</b>: Following Trotsky's house, we snagged a cab to the Zona Rosa to check out the area for New Year's Eve. It was around 3:30 and we hadn't eaten all day. There, right at the Angel, was the Bistrot Mosaic. It had been raining, we were cold, and French onion soup in a French Bistrot sounded great. It was. We have had onion soup at the best bistrots in Paris, New York City, and Los Angeles, and without question, on all of our parts, the onion soup here was the best we've ever had. The quiche I had wasn't bad either. But nothing compared to the onion soup. This location of Bistrot Mosaic also has a French deli on the premises, so you can go in and get a take out meal!

<b>Agenda Days 6, 7 & 8</b>

The three blend into each other because day 6 was New Year's Day and not many museums were open. Accordingly, we spent New Year's Day walking: walking down all of the non-pedestrian-only streets, spending more time in the Zocalo area (Templo Mayor still not open), and soaking up the vibe. We also worked out the kinks in the very nice indoor pool and spa in the hotel.

Because many restaurants were not open, but the Sanborns in the House of Tiles was, we had lunch there. I'd say go for the atmosphere and the decor, not the food.

Sears Mexico City is close to the Hilton, and it does not compare to our hometown Sears. The presentation on about 9 floors was classy, and the quality of the goods and clothing were more comparable to a Macy's. The sales were on!

We dedicated day 7 to shopping, since we had put this off until the end. That way we had a general idea of prices of crafts, clothing, jewelry and souvenirs from all over town. The bulk of the day was spent at <b>Mercado la Ciudadel</b> at the corner of Balderas and Bucareli. It is a large, mostly covered market with stalls that featured a wide range of authentic crafts from all over Mexico. There are stalls featuring jewelry (mostly silver), crafts, pottery, ceramics, and clothing. There is not a lot of discounting (bargaining) here -- it seemed that knocking off 10% of the price listed on the object was the norm. However, the prices listed are very reasonable to begin with. Being a great fan of ceramics, including ceramic tile, I left heavily laden with vases and tiles.

There is a great little indoor/outdoor restaurant on Balderas directly across the street from the park adjacent to the market that serves tacos al pastor and other really good food, and takes credit cards. The local business workers seem to like this spot a lot for lunch.

Since our plane did not leave until the evening of the 8th day, we packed, left our bags at the hotel, and took the Metro back to the Museum of Anthropology to complete (almost!) those portions that we had missed on our last visit.

I just found this and stood up & applauded before I sat back down in order to tell you how great your report is!

Your infectious enthusiasm comes across beautifully. I think the best thing about your report is how you let us know what's worthwhile. For instance, I would have not been tempted by Trotsky's house. After reading your remarks, it's something I would put in my list of things to see.

I totally love how you plunged right in and enjoyed yourself, lack of Spanish be damned, & didn't expect anyone to cater to you. Also admire your respect for the history & culture of Mexico.

Anyway, thanks, & I'll certainly keep an eye out for any reports by surfergirl in the future.

Yay! Another new fan of DF! We love this city! Have been many times and STILL have more to see!
Enjoyed reading your report and glad to hear you had such a good time!

Surfergirl, re: your comment about the onion soup---funny how you find an amazingly delicious food/drink so identified with one country in the "wrong" place.....

For us, it is Margaritas. The ones we had in Paris (at Zuni Restaurant and at the Indiana Cafe) on two different trips, are the Margaritas by which we judge all others, and none has ever measured up! :)

Agreed, SW -- although I have never, ever found a baguette in the U.S. that came even close to what you find in Paris!

Thank you Bix. On Trotsky, there's even all the bullet holes in the walls left intact, as well as a partially used tube of toothpaste in the bathroom. One of the most fascinating places of frozen history I've ever seen!

We just got back from a week in Mexico City, and we used so much of your information! We were concentrating on Freda Kahlo and her life and art. We wouldn't have visited the Trotsky Museum if it hadn't been for your advice. And your comments about money and cabs helped us a lot along the way.

We loved Mexico City, although DH had problems with the altitude and wasn't able to do as much as he would have liked. We even got to see the Ballet Folkloria, which was outstanding.

We were there Easter Week, so it probably wasn't as crowded as usual. One of the interesting things for us was the red lights - drivers stop for them and then go on if there isn't any traffic coming!

I hope your son has enjoyed his Mexican anthro. class at Cal. It was one of my favorite classes there.

lilla -- so glad I could help -- I would have LOVED to have seen the Ballet Folkloria -- it's so "me" but DH has a phobia with anything with the word "ballet" in it. We did have a full plate though. Maybe next time!

Ahhh, cferrb, another Cal alumni, nice! As a poor relation Bruin, Cal alumni still impress me! Unfortunately son's schedule got conflicted this Spring, so he dropped it to pick it up next term!

In L.A. I got a second dose of Frida at the LACMA, since they've been doing this In Wonderland (as in Alice) women in surrealism, with a healthy dose of Frida paintings. Don't know if it's still on, but it was a fascinating exhibit and I probably could have spent a lot more than the couple of hours I spent there. Non-flash photos were fine, and hey, we didn't have to pay for the privilege!

Of course, art in Mexico City is, without question, a mind-blowing experience!

Too bad I did not see the bit about your DH's ballet phobia sooner, Surfergirl. I could have personally reassured him! I have seen them twice, once in Mexico and once in Boston and there is NO ballet, just folk dances. :)

I am sorry that when we went to LACMA that it was a bit of a quickie visit and we only saw the modern art wing. Just as you have a reason to go back to Mexico, we have a reason to go back to LA only in our case, Frida will be gone by then......

BTW we saw Ballet Folkorico at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico. Another reason to go is just to see the amazing venue that it is!!

Enjoyed your TR. Brought back memories of our trips to Mexico City, one of my favorite cities.