Ciudad Mexico: Steeped in History, Filled with Art, Bursting with Energy

I love Mexico City. It has to be in my top five cities to visit.  And for me, there’s the added bonus of knowing I come from these roots. As a history buff, I can’t help but wander the historic streets and wonder about my ancestors: the Spanish who came looking for riches and glory, the natives trying to hold onto their culture, the cowboys and ranchers who moved north for better opportunities.

I just returned from a nine-day visit, my first trip back since 2018. My Spanish is so much better than the last time I visited.  My hard work (ok, my medium level work) is paying off. I’m not fluent and I struggle with fast/normal paced speaking, but I can get by pretty well.  I really appreciated when service professionals with better English than my Spanish let me practice.

I stayed in the hip Condesa neighborhood. I loved the vibe here and the people watching was excellent.  There were a lot of restaurants, cafes, bakeries and shops all within walking distance. It was very tranquil in the mornings, shady and cool. Quiet, but still bustling:  dogs barking, birds chirping, and the ever-present recording of scrap collectors looking for your trash metal. In the evenings, people are out and about, having ice cream, walking their dogs, grabbing a drink or dinner.

With return visits, I always have to balance going to old favorite or discovering new places. For this trip, I mostly stuck to the new. I’m a planner. If I don’t schedule my trips, I’ll end up not doing very much because I slept until noon or not able to do the things I want because I couldn’t get tickets/reservations. I left a couple of days open, but most of my tours and meals were all purchased or reserved before I left home.

Some logistical stuff.

Is Mexico City safe?   I have never felt unsafe in Mexico City, but I also travel fairly conservatively. I don’t take risks. Mexico City is a large, large city, so take the same sensible precautions that you would in any big city. But you do have to be careful. The first time I visited, I was staying on Reforma. I really wanted to see mariachi and was confirming with the hotel concierge that Plaza Garibaldi was the place to go. When I told him I was going to walk the half mile or so close to dusk, he strongly discouraged me. So, I took a cab.

I don’t walk alone in strange places, especially at night. I dress like the tourist I am, but I leave my valuables at home. I try to be very careful with my phone. I always kept my phone either firmly gripped in my hand or in my bag, with my hand covering the clasp. I never put my phone in my pocket.

Also, I am willing to spend a little more in the interest of safety.  For example, I not only took Ubers everywhere, I always spent a little more for a black or black SUV. I also spend on guided tours —I generally prefer these as they are more efficient but they are also safer than wandering about on your own.

Will I get sick? – Well, maybe. Mexico City elevation is over 7,000 feet. I have lived at sea level all my life. While I didn’t get sick, I definitely felt the altitude with a slight headache the first couple of days. Also, the food may not agree with you, despite all precautions. (Don’t let it scare you from eating All The Food!)  It is recommended to only drink bottled water. I recommend traveling with basic drugs: pain relievers, diarrhea medications, anti-histamine, etc. There are pharmacies of course, but when you’re not feeling great, who wants to go out hunting for a pharmacy?

How bad is traffic?  – Bad. Traffic in Mexico City is no joke. If I couldn’t walk, I took Ubers everywhere. I quickly learned that I could not trust the estimates in Google maps or in Uber. If the Uber app said it would have me at my destination in 15 minutes, I usually allowed 30. Especially if I was going to Centro Histórico, I knew to double the time needed.

Nine days is barely enough to even scratch the surface of this city.  There are so many, many options.  There was a lot I was unable to get to. I have about eight posts on Mexico that I will publish over the next few weeks.  I will cover the highlights and hopefully share my love for this amazing city.