Mexico City, August 25-September 4, 2023
Posted: May 24th, 2024 | Filed under: Out Of TownThis visit to Mexico City came two years after we first visited there. Then, in August 2021, a lot of things were off-limits or restricted: We couldn’t see the Diego Rivera murals at the Secretaría de Educación Pública and Palacio Nacional, for example. The stunning lobby of the Gran Hotel Ciudad de México was for guests only. The children’s museum, Papalote Museo del Niño was closed. You couldn’t even climb the pyramids at Teotihuacán. So this trip filled in a lot of gaps.
When stuff *was* open in August 2021, it was often at reduced capacity. That was the case at Estadio Azteca and Arena México, the famous lucha libre venue. For example, here’s 2021:
And this was 2023:
Also, *everyone* was wearing masks in August 2021. I recall their vaccination program was in the middle of being rolled out, so maybe that was part of it, but people were even masking outside (which seemed to be winding down in the States by that point, or at least it seemed to me):
And many shops took your temperature and limited the number of people:
So suffice it to say, this was a much different experience!
August 25, 2023
Got in from Oaxaca and enjoyed some chicken from El Pollo Leñero near where we were staying in Hipódromo/Condesa:
August 26, 2023
A Club América Match Estadio Azteca/Aztec Stadium. There are no belts allowed, but there are ad hoc belt check options outside the stadium:
August 27, 2023
Woke up to find that our AirBnB was on the Mexico City Marathon course:
We noticed the line at La Esquina del Chilaquil the day before and returned to try the tortas:
August 28, 2023
Secretaría de Educación Pública:
We checked in at Pastelería Ideal and Dulcería de Celaya for requisite yummies:
Capilla de la Inmaculada Concepción de Salto del Agua:
August 29, 2023
Elsewhere in the Segunda Sección of Bosque de Chapultepec, LagoAlgo:
August 30, 2023
Always love riding the Cablebús:
Like I mentioned, we caught up on seeing all the Diego Rivera murals we missed out on in August 2021, so we took in many. It was fun to see him insert images of himself and his friends in the murals, but this example — if the guide is to be believed (and I couldn’t immediately confirm this detail) — is, to me, Peak Rivera: he apparently painted himself as the baby here, according to the guide, a symbol of Mexico’s mestizo mixed-Indigenous/Spanish heritage. I have to say, I laughed out loud at this point, having seen him appear in so many of his murals:
Everything is turkey-themed at El Rey del Pavo in Centro Histórico:
August 31, 2023
Museo de Arte Popular, where we saw many types of crafts we encountered in Oaxaca, for example:
Alameda Central is supposedly the oldest public park in the Americas, established by the Spanish in 1592:
September 1, 2023
Castillo de Chapultepec/Chapultepec Castle:
On the way back we took a taco walk and scooped up two of the three we were going for (this Eater link was a good guide):
Lucha Libre at Arena México:
Then post-match street tacos at Taqueria Los Amigos and El Parrillon de Cortes Argentinos y Mas in Roma on the way back to where we were staying:
September 2, 2023
Jardín Ramón López Velarde and its excellent Monument to Rock:
Both and Jardín Ramón López and Jardín Dr. Ignacio Chávez, just across Avenida Cuauhtémoc on the edge of Colonia Doctores, were established as open spaces after the 1985 earthquake, which damaged the buildings on each site.
Romulo’s serves great seafood, including almejas chocolatas, or chocolate clams:
September 3, 2023
Lunch at Restaurante Taquería Los Cocuyos, which features tacos of seemingly any conceivable animal component, including eyes, brains and gizzards. The restaurant expands on the original window stand, located just next door:
Fresh jugo in La Merced:
September 4, 2023
Ciudad Universitaria was built on an ancient lava bed, and the lava reveals itself all over the area on which the campus sits:
You can get a cheap meal at the student cafeterias on campus. This was at the School of Architecture close to the main administration building:
Went back to Restaurante Taquería Los Cocuyos for one final meal, and did take the plunge to try the eye taco (top taco pictured):
Skateboarders get priority seating on Mexico City’s subways:
And one last chance to grab a sombrero on your way out of town:
