PIRÁMIDES DE TEOTIHUACÁN Y
Why now? 20 years in California and still had not been to Mexico..
Well, I did go to Cabo for 3 days girls trip and enjoyed “the Resort”. February was the ski break for kids and we finally decided to visit Mexico City. It was on the list of places to see for a long time although we were always indecisive about going there. Most people were surprised that we would go there and then take our kids too with us. It turned out to be one of the most memorable places I have visited and I can’t wait to go back to explore more places in Mexico. Oaxaca is on my “Must Visit Places”.
Unlike what my son said, this was one visit with not much research or planning as we weren’t ready to venture out on our own . But, I wish I had done a bit of research and traveled beyond Mexico City. It was a quick four-day visit, that was enough to see the city and the pyramids nearby.
We stayed at Hilton in Reforma, which had a central location. It’s a lively area and on weekends they have street performances in the park right in front of the hotel. We stayed at the Executive floor. It had lovely free happy hours at their executive lounge every day and my kids and we really enjoyed the food and drinks they provided. The view of the city is magnificent from there. I enjoyed the Mexican wine or beer and guacamole almost everyday.
Most of the tours we took were booked through our hotel. They were excellent reasonably priced tours. On our first day, we took the tour Plaza of the three Cultures, Pyramids of Teotihuacan and Basilica De Guadalupe. It covered a lot but still was relaxed tour with funny tour guide and comfortable tour vans. Kids enjoyed this tour a lot as they got to climb up the pyramids and got to see the tilting Basilica!
BASILICA DE GUADALUPE
The next day, we took the Mexico city tour and Anthropology Museum. It was challenging to get the kids out the door this time around as they thought this is going to be boring and they rather just have room service food and watch TV. Room service and long baths is something I bribe my kids with if I need them to hurry up and get ready. Long bath are luxury to us as California is still in drought mode.
We visited the Main Square or Zocalo first. Took us a long time to get there as the traffic was bad. The guides joke about the arrival time as it all depends on the traffic conditions in the city. We got to tour the Mexican Cathedral that is the largest church in Latin America. It was again tilted. It was a surprise for me to know that the Mexico City was built on a lake by Aztecs. So, most of the old historic town is slowly sinking. You can easy see all the buildings tilted on one side.
We enjoyed lovely lunch at the Anthropology Museum restaurant. The buffet was pretty good there and it is beautiful area to sit and relax. With our belly full we walked to see the Aztec Hall. Lots of Aztec history there to explore and learn about. Of course, with my clumsy kids around we dropped the water bottle inside a protected area in the museum and my husband decided that it was okay to grab it with no one in sight. We experienced the loud alarm and the museum cops showing up. We blamed it on the kids and got of easy. It’s and huge place to explore so you need to have a plan as to what you want to see here. We were tired after the Aztec Hall exhibition and decided to head back to the hotel and watch TV of course…
Anthropology Museum and Templo de Mayor
The third day, We decided to go early morning to Coyoacán, or ‘the place of coyotes,’ a small beautiful village feel kind of place in Mexico City. This was my favorite place, the beautiful colored home with lovely streets with long old trees. We visited Plaza Hidalgo, the main Plaza, Coyoacán’s park, where stands the Fountain of the Coyotes, La Casa Azul (The Blue House) where Frida Kahlo spent most of her life. To shop for local handicrafts and souvenirs go to the Mercado de Coyoacán. If you get a chance to go to Coyoacán again , do so in the evening time during the weekend. The vibe is completely different that time. And it’s also the perfect place to savor Mexico City’s street food.
Coyoacán
We later parted ways, my husband and the kids didn’t want to join me for lunch at Pujol. A lovely Michelin star restaurant in the Polanco district. My husband and kids headed out to see Xochimilco to ride in the boats, while I took a Uber to the restaurant. They really enjoyed themselves on the boat ride with mariachi singers in the background. And, I enjoyed my delicious and interesting lunch at Pujol, specially my 1516 day old Mole. A must restaurant if you like to treat yourself to great food. Get reservations ahead.
The last night, our hotel recommended us to go to Azul Historico, beautiful restaurant in a courtyard, for dinner. It’s ten minutes walk from the hotel. And, it was our favorite place to eat in Mexico City. I would highly recommend going there for dinner. Their moles are just amazing, the soup and fresh ceviche are all delicious. I would travel again to Mexico City just to eat there. Make sure you get the reservations ahead here too.
Azul Historico
Next morning, we took a Uber to the airport. It was quite reasonable and safe to take Uber and costed us much less than what we paid when came to the hotel in their taxi. Mexico City was a pleasant surprise and a wonderful four day get away. I hope lot of other people get to experience Mexico beyond Cabo and Cancun. We sure will be doing that…
If you have a question about my travel to Mexico City, let me know and I’d be happy to answer!
One Foot Out the Door 
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