36 Hours in Mexico City

I’m not ashamed to admit that I was a little hesitant to visit Mexico City, which houses an estimated 8.9 million people.  However, I knew I would regret it if I didn’t visit at least once, so a week before I headed back home, I took a trip with some fellow volunteers to get the smallest taste of the city.  Was it huge and a little overwhelming? Yes.  Was it a place that you absolutely should visit? You betcha.  I had less than 48 hours to explore so here’s a suggested itinerary for a super quick trip to the city.

Day 1: My fellow volunteers and I arrived in the city around 3:30 PM on a Friday.  We stayed at Hotel Casa Gonzalez which offers clean, affordable rooms with a lovely outdoor courtyard and great location right by the British Embassy and the big golden angel.  FYI – the British Embassy in Mexico City is really beautiful while the US Embassy is, well.... an example of how beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  We headed out to dine at PF Changs, primarily because one of our group members really wanted to go there.  Sitting on the second floor of the restaurant eating lettuce wraps, and watching glitzy electronic billboards and people in suits walk by, it felt like we could have been in New York City.  

Just a snippet of street art installations in Mexico City. 

Street scenes in Mexico City. 

Day 2: Natalie, Kyle and I woke up at the crack of dawn and were out the door to make our way to the famous National Anthropologie museum.  We walked through the Bosque de Chapultepec and the botanical gardens which had amazing cinder block planters for succulents, cactus gardens, feral cats, and giant wicker ants.  Just as hunger was starting to set in, we found a Starbucks and then got in line for the 9:00 AM door opening at the museum.  We spent about 2 hours in the museum and got to see most (maybe all) of the rooms, although I will admit we did not stop to read everything – only the most interesting parts ;)  We really wanted to see the famous stone calendar which was cool, but my favorite part was the outdoor garden where you could walk through stone replicas of famous sites and feel like you were in a jungle in the middle of Mexico City.

Early morning museum visit! 

I loved these plants in the botanical garden. 

Hobbit swings in Mexico City! 

After the museum we stopped to watch the Danza de los Voladores, and then headed to the Chapultepec Castle.  Yup, you read that correctly: there’s a castle in Mexico City!  While the opulence of the castle furnishings and stained glass windows is certainly impressive, it’s worth the 70 peso entry fee for the 360 degrees city views alone.  If all you’ve ever heard about Mexico City is how populated and developed it is, then you’ll be surprised to see how much greenery was visible from the top of the castle, per the photos below.

Castle pics. 

View from the top of the castle, over the Chapultepec forest. 

Our next stop was the Zocalo (the main square in Mexico City), which required a ride on the Metro subway.  I think the metro would have been a little confusing if I wasn’t with people who had visited several times before, but I also think I would have figured it out on my second trip because there was good signage underground.  We found the one-street-long Chinatown which was right by our lunch spot where we each drank a liter of water and feasted on tacos, gringas, pozole and tortas.  There are several spots in the City where streets are closed to vehicular traffic and we strolled along pedestrian walkways, stopping to check out a Salvador Dali sculpture garden, visit the Palacio de Bellas Artes (Opera House), and the oh-so-tempting artisan market called La Ciudadela where some final purchases were made to complete my life.  

Views of the Zocalo from the rooftop bar at the Gran Hotel. 

Glass ceiling in the Gran Hotel. 

Dali sculpture garden.

Palacio de Bellas Artes. 

Our last stop in the centro included a visit to the Gran Hotel Mexico City to see one of the most beautiful stained glass windows in the world and enjoy a beverage on the rooftop bar.  That night we headed out for some amazing cuban food and live music at La Boedguita Del Medio.  Let's just say that it was so good that the following night when I was in Puerto Vallarta, I ate there again.  Our final morning together we had a few hours to enjoy a lovely breakfast, walk down a street that was closed to cars for the morning, watch people boxing in the middle of a closed intersection, and to wander through an artist's market where I purchased one final piece of cool art. 

So there you have it - a tiny taste of Mexico City.  There were so many neighborhoods and museums that we didn't get to explore, but you can do a lot in a day in a half if you have good walking shoes.  I encourage you to hop on a plane and spend a few days there (or longer) and enjoy life in the big, big city!  

A super happy and delicious group dinner!