Mexico City was founded by the Aztecs, whose capital city was called Tenochtitlan. Additionally, the Aztecs are believed to have settled in this region in the 13th century. By the early 16th century, the Aztecs had come to rule over some 5 to 6 million people, either by conquest or commerce. Tenochtitlan, at its height, had more than 140,000 inhabitants. The Aztecs were defeated in 1521 by Hernán Cortés, who also founded the port city of Veracruz. After which Cortes destroyed Tenochtitlan, he built Mexico City on its ruins; it quickly became the New World’s premier European center.
Mexico City Fulfills on Dream Destination
Cindy and I were looking forward to visiting Mexico City; you could even say excitedly. We wanted to experience this metropolis, with everything it had to offer. Furthermore, we didn’t want Mexico City to be just a jumping-off point to the rest of Mexico. Our goal was to experience Mexico City and its many wonders.
Indeed the size, and population of Mexico City itself, was something this Canadian country pumpkin had not experienced. The Aztecs and the Spanish all played into the development of this city. Mexico City offers many interesting tourist activities from history, architecture, museums, cosmopolitan style, and people watching. We were not disappointed as all attractions that we visited left us in awe.
Mexico City, We’re Ready!
Left Guatemala Friday morning flying with Avianca airlines, the direct flight into Mexico City. A piece of friendly advice is to exchange your monies when leaving Guatemala. Mexico City airport was difficult to exchange and was not favorable. After clearing Mexican customs, we had two priorities.
Firstly, a Mexican sim card for Cindy’s phone, secondly to get some pesos to cover initial costs. We found an AT&T store in the airport and for 200 pesos we got 2GB of data and unlimited calls back to Canada to keep in touch with family.
After that our next step was to find a ride to our accommodations, Hotel Diligencias, located in Mexico City’s historic district. Our stay in Mexico City was 6 days, hoping this would be enough time to experience the sites. We like to use Booking.com, as they progress you through levels to improve your discount rate. Hotel Diligencias being located inside the historic district afforded us the luxury of walking to most locations in the district.
The Front Desk Clerk was extremely helpful and friendly. Additionally, they offered us food and sightseeing suggestions, arranged rides, maps, and spoke English. All these little extras made our stay here welcoming. I would not recommend eating here as the cost was high, and many other nearby locations are less money and tastier.
Be Aware at all Times
Having issues with Cindy’s phone as it could not find the network. So we were off to find an AT&T store in the area, found one located in the historic district. The phone issue took a bit of time to figure out but they got it to work, it had to be registered on the network.
I had taken my phone out while at the AT&T store and when I put it back I must have put it in my back pocket (I know I had it in my front pocket previously). While walking around on the busy sidewalks, I was spat on at the back of the head. I found it odd at the time that these two young women had commented and were concerned over this incident.
We stopped not 50 feet from this location for Cindy to use the bathroom; at this point, I noticed that my cell phone was not in my pocket, not a good thing. We determined that the spit was a distraction while these 2 ladies stole my phone out of my pocket. On the whole, not the best first impression of Mexico City!
Chapultepec Castle
Wanting to visit Castillo de Chapultepec we talked to our hotel clerk about arranging transportation, a taxi arranged to pick us up in the morning. Chapultepec Castle is located in the park of the same name upon a hilltop that overlooks Mexico City.
The castle itself is majestic with marble floors, intricate stained glass windows, and full of rich history. The walk up to the Castle is a bit of a climb. With all the hills that we had walked in San Pedro, it was no match for us.
We would certainly recommend seeing Chapultepec Castle as it is completely furnished with authentic-time period furnishings of its past. I believe the cost of entry was 80 pesos, and it took us approximately 2 hours to see all. Next was the National Museum of Anthropology; just a short walk away from the Castle.
National Museum of Anthropology
The National Museum of Anthropology is a must-see when visiting Mexico City. The Museum of Anthropology is imposing in every sense of the word. Many interesting and informative displays, including hundreds or thousands of artifacts from the Aztecs and the Mayan civilizations.
Our time at the Museum of Anthropology was a little over half of a day, allowing us just enough time to view all the presented displays and information. I would recommend a full day, take your time, and let yourself be fully engulfed by the displays and information presented. In addition, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see such a comprehensive display of Mayan and Aztec artifacts. The cost of entry is 80 pesos each.
Paseo de la Reforma
When in Mexico City make the time and enjoy a nice stroll down the iconic avenue Paseo De la Reforma. Here you will find many interesting and famous landmarks. Such as Angel of the Independence, Cuauhtémoc—the last Aztec emperor, Diana the Huntress Fountain, and many others.
Located not too far from this avenue Reforma is yet another landmark Monument to the Revolution. Here you can purchase a ticket to view the internal skeleton of this structure and then ride up an elevator to the top of the monument. The views are worth the price of admission. The cost of this particular attraction is 90 pesos each, I believe.
Zocalo, Mexico City’s Main Square
Mexicos City Zocalo is located in the heart of the area known as the Historic Center of Mexico City. Additionally, the Spanish conquerors chose the Zocalo location to be established in an area close to what was previously the political and religious center of Mexico-Tenochtitlan, capital of the Mexica.
Mexico City’s Zocalo is a park square that consumes a whole city block and is designed to gather family, community, and special events. Around the Zocalo are the Cathedral Metropolitan de la Cuidad de Mexico, Museo del Temple Mayor, Museo Nacional de las Culturas, and others.
Even though it was January, there were still many Christmas decorations around Zocalo, making the area so colorful and vibrant. Very beautiful to see.
Churches, Places of Wonder And Beauty
The churches located in the historic district are utterly amazing and a must-see; you don’t need to be religious to appreciate the splendor. In fact, we visited several churches in the historic district, Metropolitan Cathedral along with Santo Domingo, both magnificent churches and awe-inspiring. Myself, I was brought up a Catholic, but Cindy had no such upbringing. Never the less we were both taken back by the sheer beauty and the deep feelings of God’s majestic presence in these houses of worship.
Palacio de Bella Artes
Palacio de Bella Artes is a prominent cultural center in Mexico City located in the historic district. In addition, it is a visually stunning building inside and out. This cultural center houses famous paintings and artifacts and performances of Ballet, Jazz, and Theater.
There is an expansive park on one side of the building where we found a food market set up on the weekend (where we ate grande burritos, tacos, churros, fries, etc…), vendors selling their wares, and other showings off their talents (juggling, magicians and local theatrical talents)—a magical atmosphere.
Historic District, Sights
We spent 6 full days and thoroughly enjoyed our visit and will be back to touch on places that we missed and there are many. Here are some interesting picks of the Historic District.
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Recommended Travel Essential
Cindy and I call ourselves nomadic so with this lifestyle, we use certain essentials to make this way of life easier and more comfortable. With this in mind, we have composed a list of what we feel are essentials and some tips you might use to plan or take your next travel adventure.
- Travel Packing Essentials to help organize and make this task less stressful
- Travel Safety Essentials to make your life on the road a little safer, giving you peace of mind
- Living Essentials to make life a little more comfortable, be this resting, working, or playing.
Accommodation Options While Traveling The World
- Booking.com is one of our go to’s when we are looking for a place to stay for a couple of days or longer
- Agoda.com we find is best to use when in Southeast Asia, but hey you never know what you might find
- Airbnb.com used to be our go-to but some of their cancelation policies are reasonable, give them a try as well
Travel Insurance
We always travel with some sort of travel Insurance be it just medical or complete trip coverage. We use Heymondo as we find theirs costs reasonable. Remember don’t travel and without coverage, the savings are not worth the possible costs.
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