Our Mexico City Tour – March 2012
By Laurieanne Lynne
When we said we were going to Mexico City (MC), we got a few dubious looks. “Why would you want to go there?” was the typical reaction, even from Mexicans. “Everybody ‘knows’ it’s dirty – dangerous – polluted – crime-ridden and (insert negative word here.)”
We’re so glad we didn’t listen. In fact, we would recommend an MC tour to anyone who likes history, art, architecture, archeological sites, dining, night life and culture. If you enjoy large European cities we’re confident you’ll enjoy MC.
What about smog, garbage, vagrants, slums, traffic jams, graffiti, etc.?
There was no more than in any other major international city we have travelled to; in fact we found certain European cities to be worse. We were pleasantly surprised at how relatively little pollution, garbage and vagrancy we saw, considering 25 million people live in MC.
Where did you stay?
At the MC airport we were picked up by a private coach that was with us throughout the tour. We stayed at Hotel Plaza Florencia in the Zona Rosa/ Reforma district – a clean, beautiful area full of restaurants, bars, shopping and access to many points of interest.
What did you see? Where did you go?
From the top of the 44-story Torre Latino Americana we started with a panoramic city view from the viewing deck. This was Latin America’s first ‘skyscraper’ and is built to withstand earthquakes. Some smog was visible up there, but not nearly as much as we had been led to believe. We learned MC has many green initiatives and has made great strides in recent years to curb pollution.
Down below us were the lush gardens of Alameda Park and the ornate Palacio de Bellas Artes Teatre where ballet, opera and other performances take place. Even the nearby Post Office was a bronze and marble palace, parts of which date back to the 15th century. At times we felt like we were in Paris.
Centro Histórico
Everything is on a grandiose scale! In the huge main square (El Zócalo) we saw the imposing 500 year old Cathedral and the remains of Tenochtitlán (what MC was called before the Spaniards.)
In contrast were the ultra-modern pedi-cabs that line the Zócalo like shiny green insects – designed to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution.
It was sobering to learn the Cathedral was constructed with the wreckage of the old Aztec capital which the Spaniards did their best to obliterate. Luckily we can still see traces of Tenochtitlán at Templo Mayor, next to the main square.
In the National Palace, we climbed the staircase of massive Diego Rivera murals showing the often gruesome history of Mexico. Some are lavish and beautiful while others are disturbing as they depict destruction and enslavement.
Museum of Anthropology – Chapultepec Park
We got a whirlwind tour of Olmec, Toltec, Aztec, Mayan and Teotihuacan civilizations that ruled Mexico throughout the ages. Highlights were the elaborately carved stone artefacts: the Aztec Calendar, the Olmec head and a circular altar where priests once cut the beating hearts out of sacrificial victims. Our guide pointed out the sluice carved into the stone to let the blood run down more efficiently.
Nearby was Chapultepec castle, dramatically poised on Chapultepec Hill and surrounded by forest and a lake. Now a museum, the castle was once home to Emperor Maximilian and other notables. We hope to tour the inside on a future trip.
Basilica of Guadalupe
This ancient church was in a beautiful garden on Tepeyac hill south of downtown. On this site the Virgin Mary appeared in 1531, and left her image on Juan Diego’s cloak – that same image now seen all over Mexico. We were amused to see the Golden Arches right at the entrance gate, ready to serve the millions of pilgrims who visit this shrine each year.
Teotihuacan
North of the city we climbed the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon. It’s steep but rope handrails make it safer. At the top we were rewarded with a panoramic view of the countryside.
The site was clean and well maintained. We learned how the ancient Teotihuacans built aquaducts to provide a system of running water. Our guide said during the rainy season you can still see the cisterns fill, and the water flow through the ancient channels. At the exact same time in history, the ancient Romans were also using a system of aquaducts to provide running water.
Coyoacan and the Blue House
This historic suburb is full of art galleries, book stores, and coffee shops surrounding a lively plaza. The Blue House that artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera once owned is now a gallery and museum. In one room was an old fashioned four poster bed with a mirror installed in the wooden canopy, so Frida could stay in bed and paint her many self-portraits.
We thought it humorous that, on the wall facing the bed was not the usual crucifix, but framed portraits of grim-looking Communists she and Diego revered – Stalin, Engels, Lenin, Marx, and Mao. Who could sleep with that lot glaring down at them!
The Blue House is an example of how intriguing Mexican houses can be. From outside a house may reveal nothing of how big or small, plain or spectacular it is. From the outside this square stucco building, aside from its colors, did not seem unusual. Only when you go inside do you realize the house is elegantly designed around a tiled garden courtyard. Even if you aren’t a Kahlo or Rivera fan, this house is worth a visit for the architecture alone and their collection of intriguing folk art and artefacts.
Xochimilco
South of MC, this ‘floating garden’ on a Sunday was a sort of Venice gone wild – a combination amusement park of wildly decorated bumper boats, a greenhouse, a market and live bands all happening at once on canals built in pre-Columbian times. Each long, skinny boat is navigated by a ‘gondolier’ with a pole who boldly steers into whatever space he sees, giving the other boats a good jolt, and producing loud cheers and laughter.
Little vendor boats squeeze into miniscule spaces beside you, selling everything from drinks, food, blankets, flowers, house plants, jewellery and souvenirs. Even Mariachis will appear alongside, ready to hop from their boat to yours if you want entertainment. Our favorite was the tiny boat with a wood burning stove, boiling a big wash tub of corn on the cob. The vendors dip the corn in butter, hand you your change so nonchalantly and never spill a thing despite the jostling and chaos around them.
What about air quality, smog?
We did not experience any breathing difficulties. We saw no one wearing masks. Even though I have allergies and tend to cough and sneeze from dust etc., I did not react in MC and neither did anyone in our group.
Cycling enthusiasts will be impressed. On Sundays, the tree-lined Avenida Paseo de la Reforma is closed to vehicle traffic, and opened to bicycles, roller skaters, joggers, and people with dogs or baby strollers. The Reforma is a wide sculpture-lined street modelled on the great boulevards of Europe. At stations along the way you can rent a bike for the day, then bring it back to that station or leave it at one of the other stations.
What about the slums?
We won’t downplay the poverty and problems. On the trip out of town to the pyramids, we could see from the highway the cinder block and corrugated tin shanty towns that cover the hill sides in all directions. They looked depressing and a bit scary; however there is no reason any tourist would need to go into these areas.
What about crime and danger?
At no time did we ever feel threatened, uncomfortable or unsafe. The people we dealt with were very polite and we would have no hesitation going back to MC. We think we could do it on our own now that we understand how the city works, what not to do, etc.
The exact warnings and common sense advice you get in every other major city about pick pockets, purse snatchers, unauthorized rogue taxis, muggings, drug use, public drunkenness, flashing money and jewellery around, etc. apply in MC.
While on the tour bus, our guide pointed out a shabby market that we were told never go near as that was where stolen goods were bought and sold. If you park your car in the area, you could expect to have it broken into and stripped bare. Again, there is no reason why any tourist would need to go into such a place.
In the Zona Rosa/Reforma where we stayed, the streets are packed with people until late at night and lined with restaurants, bars, sidewalk cafes, shops, stalls and kiosks. We went out for drinks and dinner every evening after dark and really enjoyed the lively atmosphere.
We don’t doubt that crime happens in MC, but we think it unlikely the average tourist flying in and going around by tour bus would encounter it if they take the usual precautions.
In short, we are so glad we did not miss out on MC. We had a great time and will go again. When “they” say that everybody “knows” you should not do something, it often pays to do the exact opposite!
