Christmas in Mexico City

Overview

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We decided to spend the holidays in Mexico. We planned to be in Mexico City for a few days before we head down south to Mazunte (see other journal). I had a copy of Sandra Cisneros' Caramelo and I was set to celebrate Christmas and my birthday in Mexico City.

Quick Tips:

Do not be afraid of the tacos and tamales sold in the streets. Your best bet is street food to experience true and delicious Mexican fare.

Best Way To Get Around:

Mexico City has a subway that's ALWAYS crowded, but if you're from New York City like me, it's the best option. There are also the VW beetles as taxis with drivers as reckless as New York City's. It's like we never left home!

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Mexico City Day One

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Mexico City Day One Photo - Mexico City, Mexico

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Flying into Mexico's Juarez airport is strikingly familiar, like flying into the Philippines' Ninoy Aquino international airport. The crowds are overwhelming. Family members seem to arrive by the busload to greet their respective arrivals from the United States. The security guards futilely try to impose rules--to not go beyond a certain line--but as soon as they turn around, everybody's pushing against the gate again. We went through a fairly brisk immigration and customs process. We made sure to hold onto our tourist/exit cards as failure to present these at departure time would result in stiff fines. There are several currency exchanges and authorized taxi stands inside the airport. E...Read More

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Mexico City Day Two -- Christmas Eve

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Mexico City Day Two Photo - Mexico City, Mexico

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Our first morning in Mexico City was pretty busy. Our itinerary still had gaps that had to be filled. We booked a Oaxaca van through Mexbus online while still in New York City, but they cancelled the last minute. So at 8am we took our first Metro ride to the TAPO terminal to buy tickets to Oaxaca. There are no buses running on Christmas Day so we settled for 11:30pm tickets on December 26. We picked the first class UNO bus which cost us about $45 each one way. Back at the Zocalo we decided to visit the Palacio Nacional, which houses various government departments. The National Palace takes up the whole eastern side of the Zocalo and it has the facade of tezontle, a red volcanic stone. ...Read More

Our first morning in Mexico City was pretty busy. Our itinerary still had gaps that had to be filled. We booked a Oaxaca van through Mexbus online while still in New York City, but they cancelled the last minute. So at 8am we took our first Metro ride to the TAPO terminal to buy tickets to Oaxaca. There are no buses running on Christmas Day so we settled for 11:30pm tickets on December 26. We picked the first class UNO bus which cost us about $45 each one way.

Back at the Zocalo we decided to visit the Palacio Nacional, which houses various government departments. The National Palace takes up the whole eastern side of the Zocalo and it has the facade of tezontle, a red volcanic stone. Once you step inside, it's like a whole different place. The noise outside is blocked out and everything is serene. Most of the walls are decorated with Diego Rivera's murals but the staircase leading up to the first floor has the most impressive, known either as the La Gran Tenochtitlan or the El mercado de Tlatelolco. The central panel depicts the history of Mexico from 1521 to 1930. The right side shows pre-Hispanic Mexico while the left shows El mundo de hoy y de manana, The World Today and Tomorrow.

Since most places were closed, we just went back to the hostel and idly passed the afternoon by drinking beers and having our first sample of the local firewater: mezcal. We decided to skip the free Christmas Eve dinner provided by the hostel and finding dinner became a challenge. We walked around a lot looking for places that were open. We found Aguas Frescas which had excellent tortas and fruit juices. Tortas are like Cuban sandwiches, with buns pressed and grilled, only better. They put all kinds of stuff in there, avocadoes, onions, bell peppers, cheese, and eggs with either your beef or chicken. Right next to Aguas Frescas was a rotisserie called Molino's. We bought half a grilled chicken to eat later after midnight.

We went to the Cathedral at 11:30pm but to our chagrin, we had misunderstood the time and watched as people filed out of the church. We stood in the middle of the Zocalo where the giant Christmas tree was and greeted each other Merry Christmas right there instead. We went back to our room and devoured the pollo ranchero with some wine to celebrate my birthday. I received my present and given our surroundings, I couldn't have been happier with our noche buena.

Stops:

Palacio Nacional
Open everyday for free. You have to leave an I.D. with the guards.

Aguas Frescas
Cinco de Mayo Avenue and Rep de Chile.
A Torta Combinar, meaning everything they've got, is worth every penny. Try their melon ice drink. The Torta Cubano is also excellent. Two tortas and a drink cost us P69. Try looking for a very good sandwich in New York City that's $7.

Molino's
Half a pollo ranchero, grilled chicken, was P21.50. The price made me so happy I wanted to laugh. Read Less

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Mexico City Day Three -- Christmas Day + my birthday

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Mexico City Day Three Photo - Mexico City, Mexico

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For Christmas breakfast, we were surprised to find Cafe El Popular open. We had tamales and huevos rancheros. Eggs sunnyside up went well with rice though I passed on the beans. Mexico's cafe con crema is more like milk with a little coffee; just the way I like it. Cafe Americano is simply brewed coffee, straight up and black. Most of the city was still closed. So we walked to different places to check the whole scene out. The city was definitely more palatable with less people around. We started off at the Santo Domingo, a church that, in its better days, had housed a monastery. Though somewhat run down, services were still held there. Plaza Girabaldi where mariachi bands normally gat...Read More

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Mexico City Day Four -- plus a day trip to the Pyramids

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Mexico City Day Four Photo - Mexico City, Mexico

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After breakfast atop the hostel's rooftop terrace, we took the Metro to Terminal del Norte to catch an early bus to Teotihuacan more commonly known as Las Piramides. About an hour later, we were outside Mexico City. The driver packed his vehicle in with passengers, making frequent stops at what appeared to be random places. Teotihuacan is a remarkable site--a window looking onto an ancient civilization whose true identity no one knows for sure. There are three main areas: Ciudadela, Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon. They are all connected by the four-km. Avenue of the Dead. The Pyramid of the Sun covers almost the same amount of space as the Great Pyramid ...Read More

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