Traveling with the Grossmans ...: June 2007

It’s been almost 3 weeks since we got back from the Distrito Federal (“DF”) or Mexico City but unfortunately my first attempted posting about the DF on our brand new blog got erased somehow. But because I loved the DF so much I wanted to make sure to re-create our 5-day adventure somehow and post it on our blog … so here it is …

When we told people that we were going to spend 5 days in Mexico City we were met with quizzical looks accompanied by questions such as “Why do you want to go to Mexico City? What’s there?” Initially, we responded with the all too general answer of “Why not? We have never been there before!” However, after our trip our reply changed to a more unequivocal answer “Because Mexico City is one of the most fascinating, colorful, and culturally rich places in the world.”

Fist Day, Wednesday:

Our AeroMexico flight departed at around 8:00 in the morning from Chicago, O-Hare to the Benito Juarez Airport in DF. Much to our surprise we were offered to upgrade our economy seats to first class for a mere $100.00 a person. Needless to say we jumped at the opportunity. Once we arrived at the DF we collected our luggage and went to a kiosk to order a taxi that would take us to our hotel. NOTE: Make sure always to take a taxi that is ordered by your hotel or called by a restaurant otherwise you may fall prey to one of many pirate cabs that operate illegally in the DF that have a tendency to rip off tourists. (Also, as we found out from our hotel concierge, it is important to take a cab that bears the letter “S” or “L”. Also make sure that the number on the side of the taxi matches the license plate number.)

After about a 20-minute cab ride we arrived at the Hotel Sheraton Centro Historico across from the Alameda Park in the heart of the city. Unfortunately, not much after our arrival, a massive thunderstorm began (which turned into a daily ritual for the pendency of our stay) that lasted for about 2 hours – enough for us to have a lunch at our hotel (which was truly refreshing and sumptuous, especially the house-recommended local wine of Cabernet Sauvignon, Casa Madero) and to take a nap. Having been refreshed, we walked down to the concierge who informed us that the Ballet Folklorico de Mexico was performing that night (only twice a week, Wednesday and Sunday nights) at the Museo de Bellas Artes (about a 10 minute leisurely stroll from our hotel). One Internet site describes Amelia Hernandez’ production as “movements which are not only entertaining, but she makes you feel like traveling to Mexico.” And truly, this magnificent production served as a wonderful introduction to the colorful city of the DF.

Second Day, Thursday:

Having finished a cup of tall latte with a double shot of espresso from Starbucks (yes, Starbucks – right next to our hotel – because it served stronger coffee than the local variety), we were ready to embark on a day full of adventures. We strolled through the Alameda Park’s edge where the Museo Mural Diego Rivera is located. It is a small museum with Rivera's fresco mural, "Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park." Unfortunately, there is not much English explanation to the history of this magnificent mural that encapsulates the history of Mexico City. It’s worth it to go upstairs where there are some great photos of Diego and Frida as well some of their letters written in response to a scandal that erupted as a result of one of Diego’s murals and his comments regarding the existence of God (or rather, lack thereof).

Leaving the museum we sauntered through the Alameda Park to the Casa de los Azuelos or the Blue Tiled House. This gorgeous popular meeting place is covered in gorgeous blue-and-white tiles dating back to the end of the 1500s, when it was built for the count of the Valley of Orizaba. Richard and I decided to stop here for lunch at Sanborn’s, a lovely restaurant in the Casa with absolutely splendid architecture. Make sure that you pause to see the Orozco mural, Omniscience, on the landing leading to the second floor (where the restrooms are). Also, you may want to go upstairs to one of the old leather chair adorned bars where Mexican businessmen sit around eating and drinking their tequila. We had some tequila ourselves. The Casa de los Azuelos is an absolute “must” in Mexico City.

Next we walked from the Blue Tiled House to the Zocolo. As we made our way down to the picaresque streets leading to the giant square that is the Zocalo, (it’s the second largest public square in the world after Red Square in Moscow) we passed countless shops selling everything from brand-name sunglasses to Italian made leather suitcases. As you approach the square there is a heavily embellished front façade with grand 17th century baroque portals and bas relief panels. The Temple Mayor, the ruins of the Aztec city, which the Spaniards had destroyed to build the cathedral, was next door. Mexican families strolled along the paths while their children took notes for school history projects and tourists took in the sights of the enormous cathedral.

Outside the Temple Mayor there are numerous street-vendors from different parts of Mexico selling everything from beautifully embroidered blouses (I bought a gorgeous one for $3.00) to purses and other worthy souvenirs. Next, we walked to the Conjunto de San Ildefonso, whose walls are decorated with murals from the Mexican artists Diego Rivera, Jose Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros. In ancient times, San Ildefonso served as a renowned Jesuit school that was founded in 1588. And if I understood it correctly with my limited Spanish, this is the place where Frida and Diego met for the first time while Diego was working on his mural, the “Creation.” (Frida was a student at the school).

As we stepped out from the museum of San Ildefonso it started raining so we made our way back to our hotel with the our newly purchased 3 dollar-umbrella. On the way to the Sheraton we stopped at an Argentinean food stall, which sold different types of empanadas and where the owner serenaded us with songs of Carlos Gardel (the famous Argentinean singer) such as “Mi Buenos Aires Querido” while we were munching on the empanadas.

Of course, I had to wash down the food with some tequila so we also stopped by the La Nueva Bar de Opera, which is probably one of the most famous bars in Mexico, certainly the most historic. A beautiful cantina in the downtown district, around since 1870, it looks straight out of some western movie, with its ornate ceilings, frosted windows, tiled floors and long dark wood bar counter. We’ve read that many Mexican celebrities have at some point sipped tequila or a beer in here, but without question, the most famous of all is Mexican revolutionary hero Pancho Villa, who allegedly blew a bullet hole into the ceiling back in 1910. The hole is still there and the barman will be pleased to point it out.

Exhausted, we arrived back to the Sheraton in time to make a reservation at a great restaurant with its white walls and pictures of Mexican popular art, called Fonda El Refugio (Liverpool 166) in the Zona Rosa that attracts a lot of international clientele. Since neither one of us smoke we were ushered into a room that was apparently the “gringo room” with only Americans dining in it. Normally, I don’t like to be surrounded by tourists but this time I didn’t regret it. We met some people who definitely made our trip more delightful. The house margarita is a must and so is the guacamole … and everything else that is on the menu!

Third Day, Friday:

More museums to see! The DF is full of wonderful museums and art but unfortunately, there is too little time to see all. I did, however, definitely want to visit the Museo del Arte Popular (11 Revillagigedo, Centro Histórico), a museum showcasing the country’s finest handicrafts and folk art. Recently opened, the museum houses a gift-shop selling high-quality Mexican crafts, embroidered tunics and woven shawls. And if you are in need of a caffeine fix, there is also a great coffee bar. Did I forget to mention the best of all? The museum is free!!!

If you find the goods sold at the Popular Art museum a bit pricey, you can walk a few blocks to the popular crafts market, Centro Artesanal la Ciudadela (Balderas y Plaza de la Ciudadela, 1 and 5; www.laciudadela.com.mx). I brought some great pottery made in the Mexican town of Pueblo, as well as Frida and Che Guevara T-Shirts for $5.00 each.

After our routine afternoon rainstorm Richard and I went to the famous National Museum of Anthropology, which is something not to be missed and where one can spend days (unfortunately we only had 3 hours). And neither should you miss the Condesa DF Hotel, in the La Condesa district, with its popular rooftop bar, an exclusive disco and movie theater in the basement. Upon arrival I asked the manager about the resident chocolate Labrador I had read about on one of the travel sites. Sure enough the big friendly dog was ushered in to greet us. The buzzing restaurant housed in an all-white courtyard with a wall of cascading greenery is an ideal spot for people watching, especially during dinner (which starts around 9:30 p.m. in Mexico City). I loved this place, especially with its boutique that sells great and unique jewelry by artist Dalia Pascal, a Uruguayan-born designer.

Our day ended at the celebrated restaurant Izote, located in the middle of the luxurious Polanco district, where reservations are hard to come by. Award-winning chef Quintana's specialties include four tamales (cheese and epazote; cheese and squash blossoms; back corn truffles; and shredded chicken with spicy tomato salsa), ceviche, and fresh fish dishes prepared in a unique way. The restaurant is surrounded by upscale boutiques.

Fourth Day, Saturday:

Finally, the day arrived when I could go to visit the ancestral home of one of my favorite artists, Frida Kahlo, in Coyoacan, a colorful and affordable district of Mexico City known for its markets and original architecture. But first we met up with our new friends (the ones from Refugio) to go to the market of San Angel. We deliberately went to San Angel on Saturday because this romantic colonial town is famous for it's Bazar Sábado (Saturday Market) held in Plaza San Jacinto.

On the way to the actual indoor bazaar you’ll encounter local artists selling their artwork. As you pass the Plaza you’ll see an older house with sky-blue color walls, and colorful artifacts hanging on its walls. Do not pass it! Upon entering this “indoor flea market,” you’ll surely discover something you want to take home: be it a brightly painted inexpensive paper mache doll or some wonderful old pottery.

Continue your way up on one of the winding, cobblestone streets bordered by colorful and quaint houses and you’ll arrive to the actual Bazaar. On Saturday the indoor bazaar is surrounded by a massive number of street vendors selling everything from bedcovers to colorful straw bags. Inside, there are shops upon shops selling high-quality products such as fine embroidered and woven blouses from different regions of Mexico and jewelry (only buy silver with .925 stamped on it). Inside this great bustling place you can take some time to sit down (or stand by one of the food vendors) in the middle of the courtyard to eat some tacos and drink a refreshing beer while listening to the mariachi band. It’s great fun.

San Angel also houses the Studio Diego Rivera (where Rivera lived with his wife Frida in their adjoining studios), which we had to miss in order to see the Frida Kahlo museum.

A short taxi ride away stands Coyoacan or “the place where they have coyotes,” one of the 17 boroughs of the DF home to “La Casa Azul,” Frida Kahlo’s birthplace and the Leon Trotsky museum.

Hidden behind the intense cobalt-blue house at the corner of Londres and Allende is the magnificent house of Frida Kahlo, much celebrated surrealist Mexican painter, where she was born in 1907 and where she lived with her husband Diego Rivera, famed muralist, until her death at age 47 in 1953. What a fascinating place this is. How odd that complete strangers can stroll through the house where Kahlo actually lived and glimpse the everyday life of Frida and Diego. The personal artifacts of these two great celebrities are everywhere – the pots they use to cook, the furniture they sat on, the paintings they created. Indeed, one feels a bit like a voyeur looking at Frida’s bedroom, filled with her favorite artifacts, and her death mask laid on the bed where she spent many tortuously painful hours of her much too short life.

For dinner we headed to the famous cantina restaurant La Bipolar (155 Malitzin, Mexico City, 04100 in Coyoacan) partly owned by Mexican heartthrob Diego Luna. The restaurant is frenzied, with young Mexicans and tourists alike drinking beer and feasting on tasty marlin tacos and tofu burritos. We liked this place very much but know that no reservations are taken; you just have to appear and hope to get in.

Fifth Day, Sunday:

While Agi was still dreaming of the Casa Azul Richard, who is an inveterate jogger, went jogging down the Avenida Reforma (the Fifth Avenue of Mexico City). The city closes off the avenue for families, kids, and joggers on Sundays. The local motorists hate it but it’s becoming a real tradition!

It was our last full day in Mexico City so we thought that it would be perfect to visit Teotihucan, “the city where men become gods.” The archeological site is only about an hours drive from the city and there are numerous tours that you can sign up for at any good hotel. Our tour group’s members actually did feel like gods after having climbed the two massive, pre-Columbian 300-step “stair masters,” which are pyramids: the Sun and Moon pyramids. (Make sure that you take plenty of water, sunscreen, and a hat with you, as it is very hot!) It is believed that when these buildings were built, human sacrifice was “stepped up” to dedicate these new buildings to the gods.

Prior to arriving at Teotihucan our tour (for which we signed up at our hotel) took us to the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which is an important place of pilgrimage for Catholics all over the world. According to the legend, during a walk from his village to the city an inhabitant saw a vision of the Virgin Mary at the Hill of Tepayac. This man was told to build an abbey but the Spanish bishop refused to believe him and asked for a miraculous sign. So the Virgin told this man to gather flowers from the hill, even though it was wintertime and nothing was blooming. Allegedly, the man found Spanish roses, gathered them on his coat and presented these to the bishop. When the roses fell from his robe, the image of the Virgin Mary remained imprinted on his cloth. Whether you believe this or not, it’s an interesting sight to behold (especially on Sunday when we were there) with people dancing for the Virgin and crawling across the plaza on their knees thereby showing some penance for their sins (I think that’s the reason).

Another stop on the way out to Teotihucan was a local tequila factory where we saw how they make tequila. Naturally we were offered a taste – amazingly, right before we were ushered into their adjacent and convenient (sarcasm) silver and obsidian jewelry store. Not much to anybody’s surprise virtually everyone on our tour made at least one tequila-fueled purchase!

Having now experienced a tiny taste of the Distrito Federal I definitely want to return. It is an amazingly colorful and vibrant place with much excitement, food, history, and culture. I surely give it “two big thumbs up!”