JamieBLT

**Title edit** My mother in law corrected me on my Spanish! The title should be Mexico City:  ¡Una Ciudad Muy Divertida! Ahhh, the beauty of language learning. I left it the way I originally had it to show other language learners that it’s okay to make mistakes! That’s how you learn.

Mexico City is one of the most culturally significant, diverse, and fun cities in the world with plenty going on!  There is no way you will fit all the vibrant culture, delicious food, and beautiful historical buildings in one visit but it’s definitely worth a try. Here are just a few things you will experience when you visit Mexico City:

  The Food. 

I have yet to meet someone that does not like at least one facet of Mexican cuisine. I mean….who doesn’t like tacos? You will not have a shortage of great places to choose from here with street vendors and 5-star restaurants galore. If by some chance you don’t feel like eating Mexican food, they have international cuisines and comforting American favorites just like any other big city. But do not leave without eating tacos al pastor or your tastebuds will be sad. Here are some suggestions on places to eat.

Helpful hint: I always encourage travelers to learn basic phrases for any country you visit. It will be especially helpful for ordering food! Click here for a quick reference to some useful phrases. Remember, as in any language, “Please” (Por Favor) and “Thank you” (Gracias) go a long way.

Museums.

There are SO MANY so you will have to pick the ones you want to see the most! If I could only pick one to see, I’d go with the famous Museo Nacional De Antropología of course. Their collections of artifacts from pre-Hispanic civilizations are vast and detailed. You will feel like you stepped back through the ages. If you have time, Templo Mayor in the historic city center, and Frida Kahlo’s House in Coyoacán  were amazing as well.

Helpful hint: You don’t have to reserve tickets to most museums ahead of time, but it may be helpful to do so for Frida Kahlo’s House if you plan to go. Here is their website to book a time slot in advance. Sundays are free for Mexican citizens so it may get crowded, and Mondays most museums are closed.

Churches.

According to Google about 80% of Mexico is Catholic, which means….there’s a lot of churches. I was raised Catholic so I made it a point to visit a few, especially since it was Easter weekend and I was feeling the “Catholic guilt” of not being home celebrating with family. The most moving one for me to visit was the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Our Lady of Guadalupe is the patron saint of Mexico and appears everywhere. I can’t quite describe in words what it felt like to visit, but I’m glad I was wearing my sunglasses because the sun kept getting in my eyes and making them water. My husband would have thought I was crying or getting emotional or something so…glad I had those.

Helpful Hint: The famous shroud is housed in the new basilica (blue top) but there are many things to check out as well. Make the climb up the stairs to the little sanctuary and enjoy the view…and snacks! 😛

Pyramids.

You can look at as many photos and videos as you want of these grand pyramids but it will never be the same as climbing one yourself. Take the advice of many other travel bloggers and get there early if you can so you will have the place pretty much to yourself. We went on Good Friday (Catholic day of observance) so it was very crowded and hot! Bring water, good shoes that you don’t mind getting dusty, a hat, a snack, sunblock, your camera, and sun glasses.

Helpful hint: There are many ways to get there (public transport I hear is super easy and cheap, and you can always book a pre-planned tour) , but the most convenient for us was taking an Uber there and back. Our Uber driver offered to wait for us and take us back which worked out great, but just make sure you set a price before agreeing because they probably won’t set the meter on the way back. The price to get there was 450 MXP (about $24.27 USD), then on the way back we paid about 650 MXP ($35.05) including tip and breakfast money (I always offer to buy people food when they do a favor! I’d want the same thing! haha). That is an extremely good price for a private, air conditioned, comfortable car to take you from Mexico City to the pyramids (about an hour out of the city).

Fun.

We only got to spend 5 days in Mexico City so there are a lot of fun things we missed out on. Guess we will have to visit again! Here is our “Let’s do this next time” list:

• Lucha Libre match
• Xochimilco
• Ballet Folklorico

Other helpful hints: 

• Public transport is incredibly cheap and somewhat easy to navigate if you are familiar with taking public transport at home, but we used Uber the whole time and it was super convenient and safe.
• You will find some people who speak English but it won’t be very prevalent.  Make an effort to speak a little Spanish!

Have you been to Mexico City, or want to visit? What do you recommend seeing, or want to see when you visit?