Ten years ago when we were last in Mexico City we thought you had to have a screw loose to want to drive a vehicle in the bedlam of these streets. Never say never, because that is exactly what we were doing on the 19 December 2017! The city was busy but traffic was steady and we found our way to the housesit for Rory and Ben in the suburb of Roma Norte. We were looking after their apartment and dog (Rogan) for the 10 days between Christmas and New Years.
Over the Christmas holiday period it was really nice to be in Mexico City. Most people were on holiday and many of the locals had left the city to be with family, leaving the streets quiet and the roads noticeably devoid of traffic. It was a fantastic time to walk around the city and see the sights. We love Mexico City, it has amazing old and modern architecture, great artwork and sculptures, lovely tree lined historic suburbs, and awesome street food! The Zocolo (city centre square) was decorated with an incredible christmas tree, giant piñata, and an ice skating rink. It was hilarious watching the Mexicans trying to ice skate, not that we could have done any better!
One afternoon we walked to the Castle centered on a rock formation called Chapultepec Hill in Chapultepec Park. It is a good steep walk up to the castle, and were rewarded with stunning views over the city. The Castle has an interesting history from when it was built back in the 1700’s, it has been a palace, a fort, an observatory, the residence for the Mexican Presidents, and now the National Museum of Culture. Throughout the castle and grounds are huge murals, sculptures, and beautifully manicured gardens. It is well worth a visit.
Worth noting in most cities in Mexico museum entrance and some attractions are free on Sundays.
On Christmas day, Mexico City was like a ghosts town, it was strange to see a metropolitan city of over 21 million people so still, it was great! We got an Uber with Rogan down to the dog friendly part of Chapultepec Park. Chapultepec Park, more commonly called the “Bosque de Chapultepec” (Chapultepec Forest) in Mexico City, is one of the largest city parks in the Western Hemisphere, measuring in total just over 686 hectares (1,695 acres).
We unpacked our Christmas dinner, which was a picnic lunch and enjoyed chilling out in the park.
After a few hours of chilling on our picnic blanket we headed off for a walk with Rogan around the park. It was a nice relaxing day and fun watching the kids (young and old) play in the big water fountain.
We spent the afternoon walking back from the park through many interesting suburbs, and saw some great street art along the way.
In every major city in the world there is a get on/ get off tourist bus system. In Mexico City its called the Turibus. We hopped on and spent a day seeing all the sights and listening to the informative information via a headset. It really is a good way to see all the spots in one day and at a minimal cost. We sat up the top of the bus, it was a great view point of the city.
For a more local feel we found a free walking tour on Tripadvisor which started in the Zocalo and walked around the streets in the city centre. Paco (Francisco is his real name) was our guide and was really knowledgeable about the history of the city. He told us that the Spanish ripped down the old Aztec city including a large pyramid and built their catholic churches with the stone. Paco also talked about the cities culture, food, and buildings in the central area.
Mexico City was previously a lake, and all the old stone buildings are now sinking, most are on the piss quite a bit, and getting more so every year. One building that is the exception is the Pan American Building. Built in 1946 the 180m high 44 floor building looks a bit out of place in the old central part of Mexico City. However to the Mexico City people she is a lucky charm because of all the earthquakes they have had since the 40’s (some in the 8’s on the richter scale) the building has not had any major damage. Paco mentioned it is a great place to have dinner or a drink on the 43rd floor. So after the tour finished we went up and had lunch there. The food is good and the view was amazing with a 360 degree view out over Mexico City.
The tour finished in front of the Palacio de Bellas Artes (palace of fine arts), a stunning building which sunk 1m in the first year after construction. Inside are some amazing murals from Diego Rivera and other famous Mexican artists. As it was Sunday, admission was free!
Our last day in the city was December 31, and again the city was really quiet. On every Sunday the Paseo de la Reforma (a street like the Champs-Élysées in Paris) is closed to vehicular traffic, so we got out on the local rent a bikes and went for a pedal. It was surreal peddling through the European styled streets while they were setting up for the New Years celebrations, especially as for the sound check they were playing Crowded House – something so strong!
Two hours later we drove out of Mexico City in very light traffic cranking Crowded House on the stereo with big smiles and good feelings from 10 days in this amazing city.
Dream Home Minders 