November 2015 was my second time visiting Mexico City. The first was in 2008, and although I only spent 4 days there, I was able to jam a lot into a short time and saw most of the highlights that are recommended to tourists: the Zocalo, including the Palacio Nacional and the cathedral, the area of Coyoacan, including Frida Kahlo’s house, Chapultepec Park, including the castle and the zoo, the Museum of Archaeology, and a few artisan markets. But that wasn’t nearly enough time to get to everything I wanted to see and do, so on this return trip I had a short list of things that I missed the last time around. It was another quick visit–again, just 4 days following a wonderful stay in Puebla.
I found a lovely hotel called Hotel Casa Gonzalez (http://www.hotelcasagonzalez.com/). It is located just a few blocks from the main avenue of Mexico City, Paseo de la Reforma, and is convenient to the metro, yet it is on a quiet street with a lovely courtyard and the feel of being in a small town rather than an overcrowded metropolis. My room was tiny but clean, and breakfast (available for an extra charge) was delicious.
Courtyard of Hotel Casa Gonzalez
My first priority was to see the Ballet Folklorico de Mexico de Amalia Hernandez at the Palacio de Bellas Artes. They generally only perform on Wednesdays and Sundays, and I was able to plan my stay around their schedule. The performance was fun but the real highlight was seeing the theater. With a stained glass curtain made by Tiffany’s and the building a mix of Art Deco and Art Nouveau styles, it is one of the most beautiful theaters I have ever been in. On my next trip to Mexico, I would like to go on a guided tour of the theater to learn more about it’s history and see more of this exquisite building.
Also on my must see list was a day trip to the pyramids of Teotihuacan. I decided to go on a tour from a company recommended by the hotel. I wasn’t overly impressed with the guide, who in going back and forth between English and Spanish, managed to provide different information in each language (there were only 2 of us in the group who actually got the full effect of what he was saying). The tour also managed to squeeze in a few of those shopping opportunities that seem to be unavoidable and a lunch stop at one of those restaurants only utilized by tour groups, but apart from those annoyances, the pyramids were impressive and definitely worth seeing. On the way back, we also stopped at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which I never would have gone to on my own. A complex rather than a church, it consists of a massive modern (dare I say tacky?) building (the new basilica) which replaced the old basilica, which is rapidly sinking into the ground.
And lastly, I wanted to take a boat out on the floating canals of Xochimilco. This is a fun day trip and easy to do without a tour (it involves taking the subway and then a light rail). Renting a boat requires some negotiating skills and even though mine are pretty good, I still think my friend Linda and I got somewhat ripped off. It is fun to be out on these colorful boats on the canals, and watch the varied groups of teenagers, families, and tourists enjoying themselves. From the boat it is possible to buy food, beer, songs from roving mariachis or even tacky tourist souvenirs.
Happily, on this trip I was able to do all of these activities and there were some unexpected surprises as well–lunch with my friend Olga from New York (who coincidentally happened to be in Mexico visiting family at the same time I was there) and being able to meet many of her lovely friends and relatives, a tour of the beautiful old post office building, and a visit to lovely folk art museum (Museo de Arte Popular). Our hotel was near a Cuban restaurant with live music and we even went out dancing one night.
This ended up being another fun and jam packed 4 days in Mexico City. I can’t wait to see what I discover on my next visit!
Fierce Sunflower 