When we were deciding on where to head this winter we thought we’d check out a bit more of Mexico. However, as with most plans it changed to Mexico City simply being a jump off point for South America. I am very glad we stuck with Mexico City though. What a city!
We planned our time there to coincidence with their Dia de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead celebrations. What a great decision.We attended both the Mega Catrinas Procession (see earlier post) and the Alebrijes Parade, where we tried to fully immerse ourselves. The parades are very long and we did not manage to stay to the end of either of them.I was thrilled to see the Wildfire Firefighters represented in the Alebrijes Parade.The variety of sights were never ending. Thanks to our friend Lisa for this view of parade fan.
There was no escaping the festivities surrounding the Dia de Los Muertos, no matter where you went or what you did. I would strongly encourage people who are interested in Mexico to take in the week and absorb as much of the experience as possible. Though, now that we have done it we will not be returning at this time of year again.
The crowds and decorations are wonderful to see.Zocalo is the main square and it is decorated with thousands of marigolds and huge figurines.
Just down the street from Zocalo is the Palacio de Bellas Artes. It has a beautiful interior, however we heard that the best view of it was from the 8th floor of the Sears department store across the street.
And indeed, the view was spectacular.Plus you could sample the Pan de Muerto that is only made at this time of year.Managed to get a selfie in before it was our time to exit the cafe/balcony.Across the street from the Arts building we walked through the Post Office. It is a beautiful building with wonderful architecture.We even had some fun until the security told us we couldn’t stand that close to the railing.There is no mistaking Mexico as a Catholic country. There are impressive churches on eveyr other block it seemed. This Church of Santo Domingo is literally just down the block from the Metropolitan Cathedral.The Church of San Francisco is equidistant in another direction from the Cathedral. It is a bit run down on the exterior, but the interior is still quite beautiful.
Our time was not all churches and parades though. We did manage a couple of tours to nearby locations.
We headed out to Xochimilco, which is near the south end of Mexico City. It is a popular place for tourists and locals to come and go for tours of the canals.I did mention it was popular. The number of tour boats and vendors boats make it a literal game of bumper boats as you float along. The most important rule is to grab your drink when your boat is involved in a collision. To title it a booze cruise would be very accurate.The neat part is that the area used to be a large lake in pre-colonial times. The inhabitants built massive floating barges that they farmed on. Over the years these barges have formed permanent islands the are connected by canals and bridges.We also did a tour out to Teotihuacan to see the ancient pyramids. The complex is quite spectacular in its size. I am glad we went in the morning as the climb up the stairs of the Pyramid of the Moon would not be pleasant in the heat of the day.The view down the Avenue of the Dead from atop the Pyramid of the Moon gives you some idea of the size and complexity of the ancient city. That is the Pyramid of the Sun in the distance on the left side.A better view of the Pyramid of the Sun with the ever present vendors hawking their wares.Though the venders are everywhere, it was a nice surprise to find that they were very polite and not at all pushy.The view from the Temple of the Feathered Serpent gives a bit of scale as to the size of this mesoamerican city. It is estimated to have first appeared in 100BC and at its height would have been the 6th largest city in the world at an estimated population of 125,000.Our guide explaining how the indoor toilets worked.
Back in the historic centre we spent the majority of our time simply wandering the streets and taking in the day to day sights.
Our hotel for the second week we were there was just around the corner from the Monument to the Revolution.We happened to be strolling through Zocalo one day when the bells started ringing. It was cool to look up a see people actually standing in the bell ringing it. I really hope they had some quality hearing protection on.
Karen and I loved our time in Mexico City and look forward to returning to explore it further. We had several meet ups with fellow nomadic travellers and made some new friends which in the end is always the best part of our travelling lifestyle.
We love Mexico City, having been there several times. We spend every winter in Mexico so we begin by flying into it, using it as our hub. This year we arrive on nov 27 and depart for Merida, in the Yucatán, for a month on the 28th. We love following your adventures.
John & Bev
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