Mexico City - July 29-August 1, 2023

[Martin Hash]

Trucks aren’t allowed in Mexico City to reduce air pollution; after seeing the traffic there, I can’t imagine how snarled it would be otherwise. Uber took over an hour-and-a-half to navigate back-and-forth to find the streets less traveled. The sprawling market blocked many of the cross-sections, plus it was raining, and the driver’s A/C didn’t work. That was just to get to the hostel, then we were assigned a dorm. People who have never slept in a hostel dorm have no idea how noisy it can be, especially if there’s a lot of teenagers on a field trip. Never-the-less, we are experts at adapting, so it wasn’t a problem.



Aquarium
Around the world, Gwynne & I make it a point to visit zoos zoos & aquariums. The Mexico City Aquarium was surprisingly popular with an entrance line hundreds of visitors long. We stood in it for almost an hour before one of the attendants approached my wife, Gwynne. Apparently, we looked old and qualified for immediate entry, skipping the line; not only that but we got a discount; chagrined, we took advantage of the offer. The inside was reminiscent of other modern aquariums we’ve been to: glass water tunnels, fluorescent jelly fish, shallow manta ray pools, and an Icee machine. Of course, Gwynne’s favorite was the penguin exhibit; she bought 2 stuffed penguins for the grandkids, penguin shirt, water bottle, plus photos.



Crowded sidewalks
At 21 million people, Mexico City is the 6th most populous in the world, and it shows. The sea of humanity could be intimidating if it wasn’t so entertaining; all of those thousands of people have their own lives in which they are the central character. The was a stretch of sidewalk lined with buskers & street performers. We went for an hour walk for Krispy Kream and sushi, which was topped with banana & sprouts, along with a saki-based Margarita.



On and Off Bus
There was an On & Off Bus nearby and we bought 2-day wristbands. The route was full of old Spanish-constructed municipal buildings and modern statuary.



Bakery
Mexico City gets the award for the most impressive bakery I’d ever seen. There were customers lined up inside and outside. You loaded a tray with what you wanted from a city-block area of pastries, took them to one of many packaging lines which provided a receipt for the payment line before returning to pick up your delicious package, which we triumphantly carried back through pouring rain. I have to admit, my tastebuds are not accustomed to Mexican flavors but the experience was worth it. Mexico doesn’t open until 10 am, has a siesta at 2 pm then closes up by 9 pm, and service is not particularly good, but on the plus side, you don’t have to leave a tip.



Museo del Temple Mayor
Mexico City is built on top of an ancient Aztec city, simply called "Templo Mayor" for best temple. We didn’t head out with the rest of our travel companions in the morning to instead go see this attraction, and we’re glad we did. The museum that accompanies the ruins is relatively small but very well appointed, with some startling examples of Aztec arts and funerary carving. In juxtaposition, the whole thing is within a stone’s throw of a giant Spanish cathedral. I can only imagine what it’s built on top of?