Mexico City

Ballet Folklorico performs in the Palacio de Bellas Artes which is a beautiful building, and the inside of the theater is beautiful too- the stage 'curtain' is a huge piece of Tiffany (or Tiffany-style) glass. The ballet performs Mexican folk dances and is absolutely mesmerizing. The performance is so much fun- the dancing and music are great and the costumes are beautiful. Ticket prices vary but because of the exchange rate there are always some affordable seats.

Our group visited Xochimilco on a beautiful summer afternoon and enjoyed our cruise around the area. Staff on our boat explained how Mexico City was built on a swamp and these rivers used to be the best way to get around. The boats are beautifully decorated and as you cruise around other boats come up with things like cold drinks and mariachi bands.

Teotihuacan is a short drive from Mexico City proper and, in my opinion, is totally worth the ride. I visited before a Wal-Mart was built within view of the pyramids, but a visit now is still a good way to see ruins without going as far as Chichen-Itza. Climbing the pyramids is a challenge, but the view from the top is beautiful, and you can tell how much work went into constructing the site. A short tour provided good information about how the site used to look (where houses and markets were, etc.), and we took time to explore on our own. There is a small touristy market by the exit and various vendors walking around who may bother you, but simply ignore them or tell them you aren't interested in their wares and continue exploring. If you can only climb one pyramid, scale the Piramide del Sol, the bigger of the two.