Hey there,
Mexico City was great. So cheap and everyone was very nice and accommodating. When I needed directions all I did was ask and if they didn't know the person took me to someone who did!. It is really a fascinating city with lots of parks and things to do. The place I stayed at was the best B&B/small hotel I have ever been to (The Red Tree House). Very tastefully decorated and beautiful. For a small place with about 18 rooms it never felt crowded and the courtyard makes for a great meeting place. The RTH is in a great neighborhood and you get to meet tons of great people from all over the world. Canada, New Zealand, Australia (3 couples), Sweden and the US were all represented. Breakfast was the time to meet and find out what people were doing and when your finished touring for the day at 5 o'clock the wine comes out and everyone sits around talking until dinner (which is 9 or 10 in Mexico!) Very interesting to hear others viewpoints of our political discussions and disagreements.
B&B was in a great location (3 blocks from tourist bus, metro and high speed bus line). Grocery stores and restaurants blocks away and all sorts of small shops and businesses. Only problem was when coming out of the stations I could not figure out which direction to head. Kind of like leaving the DC Metro by the opposite entrance and finding yourself 2 blocks from where you thought. But it was all good.
I am going to preface this next part with an admission that I have traveled quite a bit. What some people might find troublesome I find to be an adventure. I also have lots of experience in how not to act and what not to do (things you would do when visiting any major city in the US). Friends worried that I would get kidnapped, shot or robbed. Never once did I feel even a twinge of trepidation when walking or taking the bus and metro. Even with my limited Spanish (and there were people at the B&B who spoke no Spanish) most of the time I was able to get my idea across. These are very friendly people who know just how much tourism affects the City.
Times are hard in Mexico since the Swine flu outbreak. Many, many people lost their jobs as tourism ground to a halt for 2 months. All the hotels were empty over the summer and all the restaurants were slow as people stayed home. Now people are trying to figure out how to stay alive as their economy gets back on its feet. They even sell things on the subway cars. At every stop one or two guys would enter and either blast music from a boom-box selling DVD's or walk through the car selling gum, band-aids, cotton balls(?), or anything they could sell
But the hawkers were not very aggressive. You simply said "no gracias" and they left you alone. But they were everywhere! Seemed like if there was an intersection 5 taco stands would pop up overnight and 5 stands selling everything from clothes to cell phones to DVD's (and some really great ties!)
There were markets at every square, park or patch of land big enough for some stands. On Sundays families all spread out at the many parks and spend the day doing just what American families do – play sports, eat and rest on the grass with family. I spent more than a few hours just reading in the nearby parks people watching.
The art market at San Angel on Saturday has really, really good artists and the un-official markets that sprang up around them for blocks carry everything you could imagine. From cheezy toys and tourist stuff to bronze sculpture and jewelry. Saw a sculpture I really, really liked but at 28,000 pesos (~$2,500 US) it was a bit too pricy for me.
The main square in town (the Zocalo) has been a center of the City for centuries. When construction in the late 70’s (?) discovered some ruins they found an ancient temple built right under the city, buried for hundreds of years. They are slowly uncovering the Temple Mayor but it will take several more years. Seems the ancient Mexicans always decided that bigger is better so frequently build over temples again and again. The Temple Mayor has 3 or 4 layers of construction, one over the other. They would even build the same building in the same place but bigger, just filling in the space between the layers with rubble. Once I get the pics up it will be a bit clearer. (I love all the archeology and anthropological stuff!). The great Temple complex at Teotihuacan was built over several times as well fascinating to see all the layers of buildings dating back centuries.
The main city square also contains the Cathedral and Government office for the Mexican State. (Plus Starbucks, Subway, McDonalds etc- Oh well). On Saturday night there is a show that draws thousands. People were showing up 3 hours before the show to get a spot. I showed up on Sunday just as High Mass was beginning. Think clouds of incense and candles all over.
This city is easy to get around and all the public transportation is very, very cheap. Just stay out around rush hour if you are bothered by crowds. As I said before, think Toyko. So crowded that you need to make sure where you stand if you want to get out within a few stops. They have a high speed bus line that runs down Calle Insurgentes that takes you from Condessa to the Zona Rosa in no time. Plus it is only 5 cents! Only problem I had was I wish they had more signs in other languages. The tourist office seems not too concerned with providing English language signs to help. But there is always someone willing to help you out. I bought a bus pass for $50 pesos and then stood there trying to figure out what to do next. Some kind person told me I was all set so I just watched for a bit and did what every one else was doing. It was simple!
Mexico City has everything you expect in a world capital – first class museums, entertainment, shopping and restaurants (ah, the restaurants – yum). In some ways it reminded me of Rome with all the side streets stuffed with small shops and bodegas. There was even a street that had all the high end shops you could ever wish for – Hermes, Cartier, D&G, Chanel, Zegna, etc.
The “Zona Rosa”, the local gay zone, is pleasant and makes a great place to sip coffee and people watch. Even given the cultural differences, I saw lots of couples holding hands and being tender with each other. Lots of tourist shops and antique markets mixed in with restaurants and clubs. For people spending their stay in the Hotel Zone (Marriott, Radisson, etc) or financial district this is their main shopping outlet.
But I highly suggest that people find a way to venture out to different parts of the city. The city center is just like all big metropolises – high rise buildings and corporate offices. You need to venture out to Condessa or Roma or Chapultepec park to really get a feel for a city of this size. 22-24 million people call it home and it shows. Chapultepec is where the Zoo, Anthropology Museum and Castle are located.
Contrary to what you may have heard, central Mexico City is a very clean place. There are literally hundreds of people whose job it is to sweep the streets, parks and sidewalks all over the city. Every morning you would see men or women with rush brooms sweeping the leaves off sidewalks, planting flowers or picking up trash. Washington DC seems like a trash heap compared to Mexico City. Now, I am sure that things might be different out of the tourist and residential zones, but I found the City very clean and tidy.
Well that seems to be enough for now. When I get my pics up I’ll write more.
