Mexico City From Jake's Perspective

Last week, Sam and I went to Mexico City.  We took the bus from Puebla on Friday and arrived in the city about three hours later.  When we got there we hopped in a taxi and made our way over to the zócalo, where we were going to stay in a hostel.  Well, in reality, we spent about twenty minutes pondering whether or not we should get in one of the unmarked taxis that were picking people up near us.  After much debate we decided that the fact that my “sister” here had recommended we take one of these unmarked taxis and that the Sheraton hotel right next to us seemed to be endorsing them probably meant they were safe.  The cab driver was quite nice and we made it safely to the zócalo without a hitch.

The hostel we chose (Hostel Mundo Joven) was quite nice, cheap, and included breakfast each morning.  More importantly, it’s situated right in the zócalo so we were within walking distance of many cool sights.  That first day we decided to visit the cathedral.  It was beautiful…and massive.  To a not-so-religious individual, it seems a bit ironic that the churches and cathedrals here are so opulent while so many live in complete destitution.  Anyways, the cathedral was pretty and it was about 500 feet from the hostel so it was definitely worth a visit. 

The Cathedral was too big for me to get a really good picture on my camera.

After the cathedral we took the advice of another international student and headed over to one side of the zócalo where you can eat at the top of a building and have a great view.  The food wasn’t amazing and it was a bit pricey for Mexico (by that I mean lunch for two probably cost 8 or 9 dollars including a drink each). However, the view was excellent and we had a good time. 

Next on our list was the Templo Mayor, which is also directly in the center of the city.  When we got there and saw that you have to pay to get in, we decided against it.  After about another forty minutes just moseying about in the city, we realized that Mexican prices had started to affect our logic and that 5 dollars was a small price to pay to see a thousand year old temple and museum.  So, we returned to the ruin and entered.  While much of the temple was destroyed during the Spanish conquest, what remains is very interesting as each layer of construction demonstrates a different period in prehispanic history. The museum was also nice as it was just the right size; not too small to really learn anything, but not so big it would bore you to death.

After a nice siesta, Sam and I decided to take a walk to the Palacio de Bellas Artes.  It was nighttime, so we couldn’t go in, but that part of the city is very pretty with a nice little park and old Spanish architecture.  As we walked, we ran into several small markets of street venders selling books, electronics, clothing, art, and food.  Unfortunately, neither of us were particularly hungry at that point so we didn’t stop in at the street venders.  On the way back, we stopped in at a little ice cream place so Sam could have her dinner.  I was reserving my appetite for something more savory, so I only ate one scoop – one delicious scoop.  Upon reaching the zocalo, I discovered that the 5 peso taco place I had been hoping to eat at was already closed since the center is oddly empty at night.  Luckily, there was one street vender out selling delicious tlayudas, which are like massive tortillas with beans, chorizo, cabbage, avocado, and cheese.  After a long day of travel and walking, we got to bed early so we could enjoy the next day to its fullest.

Saturday, we took the metro to Chapultepec – the biggest city park in the western hemisphere.  It is absolutely picturesque.  Inside the park there is a large, free zoo.  This was one of the best zoos I’ve ever been to, and that’s not just because it was free.  They have lions, tigers, gorillas, pandas, polar bears, sea lions, rhinos, hippos…pretty much every animal that I want to see when I go to a zoo.  After the zoo we started looking for lunch.  Sam sniffed out a row of little restaurants where we were immediately attacked by venders looking for business.  We settled at a little place selling all kinds of Mexican food.  At that little hole in the wall, we ate some of the best food I’ve had here.  Sam got some tacos and I ordered alambre. I’m not exactly sure what alambre is supposed to be (I think it refers to food cooked on a skewer), but it was amazing.  This particular version had beef, peppers, onions, cheese, chiles, and more cheese.  Along with the salsa verde and homemade tortillas, it was to die for. 

This deserves a bigger picture.

Bellies full, we sauntered over to the National Museum of Anthropology which was recommended by many.  For us, it was a bit boring, especially after having been to the Templo Mayor museum the day before.  So, we left there after about thirty minutes and hiked to the Chapultepec castle from which we got a great view of the city.  After Chapultepec, we got the metro back to the zócalo for another siesta and some dinner.  *Side Note* The metro in Mexico City is wonderful.  It is extremely fast, cheap, and accessible. For anyone looking to go to el D.F., I highly recommend the metro as a primary means of transport.

Dinner that night was another great experience.  We went to a little torta restaurant advertising tortas al pastor.  By this point, we understand that anything al pastor is utterly incredible.  So, we got a few tacos and a couple of tortas.  This was, once again, one of the best eating experiences of my life.  After tortas, Sam and I headed back to the hostel for another relatively early night.  Sunday morning, we decide to hit the last landmark in the zócalo before making our way back to Puebla.  The National Palace is a nice big building with several murals by Diego Rivera.  Inside there are a couple galleries with art by some of the more famous Mexican artists.  While I’m not exactly the artsy type, I appreciated the experience and had a nice morning walking around the palace.  For lunch, we got some tacos from a street vendor. Needless to say, they were “muy rico.” 

 Finally, we took the metro one last time to the bus station and caught a bus back to Puebla, which, curiously, only took about an hour and forty minutes compared to the three hours it took us on the way there.  Our weekend in Mexico City was one to be remembered. Now I just can’t wait for my parents to arrive in less than a week! Yes, this post is also obnoxiously long, and no, it is not mostly pictures. But, I am not apologetic - Sam has been nagging me to post for over a week now so I felt obliged to make this a whopper.