What Is Mexico City Really All About?

My wife and I have been to parts of Mexico several times. It is her heritage, and getting to know one's heritage is important. Our first trip together into Mexico was to Juarez back in 1995. Since then, we've been through Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, up to Tulum, and Puerto Vallarta. As you can see, other than Juarez, all touristy destinations. When it came time to pick another vacation spot last year, my wife wanted to do another big destination city, but not in Europe.  She suggested Mexico City, and found direct flights out of Orlando for around $200 round trip. Certainly wouldn't be able to find flights that cheap going to Europe, at least not from Tampa or Orlando.

With flights and Airbnb booked, it was soon time to pack. Well, not really. There's always that agonizing wait between booking the trip and actually getting on it. But let's skip past all of that, shall we? As a side note, Tampa peeps, you really want to consider flying out of Orlando's airport if you want to save money on your flights. More options, and cheaper flights. Make's it pretty worth the near two hour drive.

Mexico City is Cheap!

The first thing to know about Mexico City is that it is an extremely inexpensive place to visit for Americans, or other countries where the exchange rate between currencies is favorable towards the visiting party. Our Uber from the airport to our flat in the Condesa area was under $5USD. I couldn't do that from my airport to the house for under $20USD.

Mole Negro at Azul

We ate one night at Azul, a restaurant with many awards, including a Five Star Diamond Award. Our meal included a nice mezcal, craft beers, ant eggs, mole negro, and a few other items. The final bill may have been $50 after tip. There were several other high end restaurants that we ate at, and the end result was typically the same, cheap. At least, cheap by American standards. The wife and I went out the other night for our 19th wedding anniversary and dropped over $200 at a comparable establishment.

Is Mexico City Safe?

This was one of my main concerns when my wife first brought up the idea. If you listen to our domestic news, the whole country is a shit hole and tourists are caught up in many bad situations, that people fear going to Mexico as a whole. As with any major city, or country for that matter, there are going to be places that you are not going to want to go. When out and about, it is best to keep your head on a swivel, always aware of your surroundings. That's just good advice for even in your local area.

At no time while in Mexico City did I feel unsafe. I was very comfortable, but I was very aware of my surroundings. We walked all over Mexico City, through various neighborhoods and areas. It is truly a wonderful city and the people are very friendly and accommodating.

So Much To See And Do!

Being a large city with a very large population, approximately 25,000,000 we were told, there is much to see and do in the city, and day trips out of the city. One of the things that we did was to go to Templo Mayor, an active archaeological dig and museum right in the heart of the city. In order to get into the museum, one must go around the active dig site.

Templo Mayor

 This was certainly one of the highlights of the trip. To walk through an active dig where there are people working on uncovering bits of history before your very eyes is certainly not to be missed. Once you get into the museum, you can get an idea of some of the items they have discovered in the dig site just outside.

 

Wall of human skulls

 Along with Templo Mayor, there is also the Canal of Roses in Xochimilco, the Frida Khalo House and Museum, Museo Nacional de Historia, to name a few, and many other sites in the city to see.

We ended up doing an excursion out to Teotihuacan, which is a site that has the Pyramid of the Moon and the Pyramid of the Sun. These are stunning to see in person. The view from the top is breath taking, yes, literally. It's quite a climb to the top, of which we did the Pyramid of the Sun. It's already approximately 7,300 feet above sea level, and to add a climb on to that is very difficult.

Pyramid of the Sun

Pyramid of the Moon from top of the Pyramid of the Sun

 

Looking down from the top of the Pyramid of the Sun

What Else Should I Know Before I Go?

Mexico City is 7,382 feet above sea level. With a change in altitude, most people going up to this level, it is important to allow 24-48 hours for your body to acclimate to this altitude. I have been to Denver before, and it was a bit harsh on this lowland dweller when I did that. However, as my wife and I found out, altitude sickness is real, and you want to ensure enough time for acclimating.

I have found a few links on the Internet that talk about preparing and such, and they are certainly worth reading before going. You will want to ensure that you stay properly hydrated, and can certainly help the acclimation along by drinking 2-3 liters of water a day the week before you go. You should also avoid alcohol before going, so that your body can more easily acclimate as it remains well hydrated.

All in all, Mexico City is an incredible modern city with plenty to offer. As it just so happens, my wife and I have already booked a trip to head back in a few weeks with our daughter, whom is an aspiring archaeologist. We are very much looking forward to this trip coming up, with new things to see and do. I'll be certain to post about the second go around here once I get back.