Back to Mexico City

The lack of recent updates has been due to the fact my parents came to visit for 2 weeks, so I’ve been busy being a tour guide!

My parents have never visited Latin American before, and they have seriously busy/stressful lives back in the UK, so I wanted to make sure the trip ran as smoothly as possible, and that they could just relax and enjoy everything Mexico has to offer.

The first leg of the trip was Mexico City. So Simon and I took the 6am bus back to Mexico City arriving around 1pm. My parents had chosen to stay at an apartment in Almeda Central owned by Short Stay Mexico, so we went over and got checked in and dumped our bags. The apartments were great! We had a 2 bedroom one, with big living space and a fully equipped kitchen. They even offer you a local mobile phone to use throughout your stay. And the apartment block has a pool, gym, laundrette, café…. Pretty much everything!

We met my parents at the airport that night, grabbed some fish tacos and had an early night.

Day 1 in D.F was busy busy! After breakfast we walked to the Zocalo and of course, straight to Templo Mayor. I’ve visited the site before, but was more than happy to go again as it’s an amazing Aztec city which was discovered right in the heart of this huge bustling metropolis. To be looking at temples built thousands of years ago, and then look round and see a modern building right next to it is amazing, and it makes you wonder what else is lying underneath this city!

Templo Mayor

After a few hours, we wondered along to Parque Almeda and Palacio Bellas Artes. After a coffee in the park, we wondered around the Palace and gazed at the wonderful murals. They also had an architecture exhibition on the top floor which was fascinating, and a real highlight for my parents.

My parents enjoying the city.

For lunch we headed to El Huequito for some of the city’s best tacos al pastor (marinated pork, roasted on a spit). I can’t recommend this place enough for anyone visiting the city, the tacos were delicious and the staff were extremely friendly too. After lunch we made our way to Mercado San Juan, to explore all of the food on offer. I love this bustling little market, the produce is always so fresh and the little tables for cheese and wine are so cute!

Bellas Artes looking beautiful as ever!

Next stop (as you can see, we crammed it in), was the Centro de Artersanias Ciudadela. A huge craft market, which again, is one of my favourites in the city. Everything is reasonably priced, and the vendors never hassle you to buy anything.

After all this pavement pounding, we were pretty pooped so headed home for a rest before dinner. We opted for a little steak restaurant near the apartment for dinner, once again we were surprised by the friendliness of the staff. The restaurant staff in Oaxaca rarely break into a smile, in the city however, they were so friendly!

Day 2 was taken at a more leisurely pace. We decided to spend the day in Bosque de Chapultepec, which is a huge park in the middle of the city, filled with museums and galleries. We started at the Anthropology Museum, we had been warned about the size of the place, but it really is massive! We selected certain areas and spent the morning working our way through the rooms. This museum is beautiful, it has a modern feel but is very spacious. Every area had something different to offer, and the layout of the rooms were all very original.

Anthropology Museum

We went for lunch at the Museo Tomayo, which has a beautiful rustic-chic restaurant that serves delicious fresh salads and iced tea infusions. Refuelled, we headed for the Castle which is also set within the park. We didn’t fancy going in another museum, so we wondered around the perimeter and took in the views of the city below.

I always feel a little hesitant going back to Mexico City, after all, it is one of the biggest cities in the world. But every time I go back I am amazed, there is always something new to discover, and the people are so friendly and welcoming. My parents loved the city, but 2 days was enough for them, as we were all itching to get to the beach and do some serious relaxing! Next stop Zipolite…