Travel Blog – Trip guides and travel tips

Mexico City is a sprawling city that plays mother to 22 million souls. It is the oldest metropolis on the North American continent and its rich indigenous culture and modern urban energy is as exhilirating as its size. Mexico City isn’t for the feint of heart, so it was with a great deal of excitement and a small amount of trepidation, I went looking for things to do in Mexico City.

Mexico Hurricane

At time of writing, I ought to mention the Catgory 4 storm that has wreaked havoc across Mexico’s Baja California peninsula. If you are planning on hitting the tourist resort of Los Cabos on your way to or from the capital, you may want to revise your travel plans. Find out about Hurricane Jimena before travelling.

Mexico facts

The People

Chilangos or Capitalinos as they are called are Spanish speaking mestizos – a mix of indigenous and Spanish ancestry. In addition to this segment of the population are Mexicans with an ancestral backrground from Europe and Africa. If the 22 million population seems  a touch high, it’s  probably not helped by the continuing swell of immigrants arriving from the rural south in search of jobs.

Capitalinos love to party, are culturally switched on, up on their politics and religious to boot. Catholocism is still very much venerated among the middle classes, who also  enjoyed some prosperity – especially prior to the recession.

However, not everyone was as fortunate to see their living standards increase. Nor was everyone able to keep up with the flourishing fashion industry – the reality is 20% of the population in Mexico City live in dire poverty.

Strengths

• Museo Nacional de Antropologia
• Tacos
• Art deco in Condesa
• Nightlife
• Vibrancy
• Palacio de las Bellas Artes

Weakness

• Pollution
• Crumbling infrastructure
• Pick pockets on the metro
• Poverty
• Altitude

When to go

Mexio weather is perfect all year round and a few weeks or even a few days spent with the sun on your back will make your realise why this country has friendly, warm and laid back people.

As you can see from the chart below, the temperatures are relatively stable from January to December, making it the perfect holiday destination.

Things to do

The Gothic, baroque and neoclassical Catedral Metropolitana and the Aztec Templo Mayor look great while sipping a cold beer from the Holiday Inn bar.

If you are in the mood to try some Mexican food with a difference, visit Patricial Quintana’s new Mexican cuisine at Izote. Indigenous ingredients play a star role on the menu so be prepared to chow down on some  yucca flower. It’s blooming good!

If cabaret is your bag, or even if it’s not, check out Astrid Hadad work her cabaret magic upstairs  at the Condesa’s La Bodega.

After dark grab a Pinidia, the choice of the discerning cocktail drinker. It’s a lively combination of pineapple juice and tequila.

My Defining Experience

Taking  a late brunch at El Pendulo while listening to a guitarist before strolling around the Mercado de la Merced with a special lady.

Prickly pears, which grow on cactus plants, makes for  fantastic ice cream and there’s nowhere better to savour it than at Niveria Roxy.

If you want to buy  something truly original for your home, don’t miss a visit to Chic By Accident. However, be prepared to haggle for whatever has caught your eye – the unusual lampstand, the antique mirror or that fabulously hip rug. Then go celebrate your new purchase with  a drink on the rooftop of Condesa DF.