Trip to Mexico City, November 2022
A few weeks ago, I visited Mexico, so I thought I would post about some of the more memorable aspects of my trip. For those interested, I have an Instagram account, where I am posting travel photos. I also started a TikTok account (which I’ve only barely begun using), which will serve much the same purpose. Please consider following these accounts.
I spent most of my time in Mexico City. On my first full day, I went to the Aztec pyramid site at Teotihuacan. I learned from the cab driver on the way up there that Mexico City sometimes has air pollution days in which only certain vehicles are allowed to drive, and this is determined by the vehicle’s license plate number. The policy in that sense works much the same way that I’ve heard gasoline was rationed in the United States in the 1970s. When pollution readings hit a certain limit, the vehicle limits kick in and you can drive depending on the last digit on your plate.
The day I visited the pyramids happened to be one of the high-pollution days, so we made quick time up to the pyramid site as a result. I learned in subsequent days how bad Mexico City traffic can be. The roads are literally packed with cars throughout the city, making it hard to go almost anywhere. But the first day traffic was unusually light due to the vehicle restrictions. This was a bit surprising, according to my driver, given the clear skies (see photo).
The day after visiting the Aztec pyramids, I took a day trip to see another set of pyramids, but this time on the other side of Mexico, in Yucatán. I took an early flight to Cancún, which I’ve been to a number of times before. Only this time, rather than visit the tourist spots and beaches, I rented a car and drove to the Mayan pyramid site at Chichén Itzá.
Both sets of pyramids were very impressive, quite humbling in fact, given their size and age. But of the two, the Mayan pyramids were definitely the superior. It’s about a three hour drive from Cancún airport to the pyramids, but it’s a straight shot. So for anyone visiting there on holiday, I definitely recommend taking one day to visit the site. (To set the mood, I also watched Mel Gibson’s “Apocalypto” on the flight to Mexico City.)1
That evening, I took a flight back to Mexico City, which is where I spent the rest of my trip. One highlight of the trip was the tacos I ate, which were always quite delicious. I bought them from street vendors and also in restaurants. I did come back with a bit of a stomach bug, which lasted about a week, so maybe I should have laid off the Mexican meat. My wife, who has spent quite a bit of time in Mexico including in the rural parts, calls this phenomenon “Montezuma’s Revenge.” Next time, I might be a little more careful about what I decide to put in my body. Now I know better.
In any event, most of what I did after that was visit tourist sites and museums, including the Palacio de Bellas Artas, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Frida Kahlo museum, and other stops. If you visit the Frida Kahlo museum, be sure to plan ahead to get a spot, since it’s very popular and not that big. This was not the most interesting place I visited though.
More than anything, I’d say I enjoyed just walking around the city and getting a sense of its vibe. When I moved to New York City when I was 19, I would spend hours just walking around exploring. Sometimes if I didn’t have any plans in the evening, I would just go walk around the city for a few hours. Mexico City struck me as a place that is also good for this.
Some of the main themes I encountered that seemed to pop up again and again are skeletons (associated with the Day or the Dead) and revolution (including anything to do with Emiliano Zapata). Jaguars were a common theme at the pre-Spanish sites. Also, there were a lot of socialist themes that came up in everything from Frida Kahlo’s work to random graffiti and posters around the main city center in the Zocalo area.
Mexico City reminds me of New York with respect to its vast size and its bustling nature. It also has a grittiness and a dirtiness about it, which may not be for everyone, but has a certain charm. The city felt alive, that’s for sure, unlike many European cities which, although more beautiful, can have a sleepiness to them.
The most interesting museum I visited was the Anthropology museum, which is up by the Bosque de Chapultepec (Grasshopper Park). This was a recommendation from the cab driver who took me to the Aztec pyramids my first day, and it was definitely a highlight of the trip. The museum is full of ancient artifacts, which includes structures like small buildings and statues, as well as tons of pottery, masks and materials found in grave sites. Again, check out my Instagram for more photos.
Overall, I give Mexico City a thumbs up. People there seem to be working hard. It feels like the kind of place where if you are resourceful, you can make things happen. The energy of the city makes me optimistic about its future, although I wonder whether its institutions are up to the task.
A funny side story: When I lived in Greenpoint in Brooklyn in the mid-2000s, I lived near Newtown Creek, which is known for being one of the most polluted rivers in North America. I used to sometimes walked down to the river, where there was a sign that read “ExxonMobil Dumping Station.” Pipes were visible coming out of the ground, which apparently dumped oil from a years-old oil spill out of the soil and into the river. The air just reeked of oil. Nearby, there was some kind of quarry-looking site where giant mounds of sand and rock were piled up and there was construction equipment all around. I have no idea what went on there, but it felt like the end of the earth. My roommate used to jokingly refer to the site as “Apocalypto.” This was before the movie came out.