Backpack Mack

I struggled with starting this post because it is so difficult to summarize a visit to a city like CDMX (Ciudad de Mexico). The question is similar to someone asking what New York City or London is like… it is a massive city with so much to do. For example there are 173 museums in Mexico City and on this trip I ticked off two – the Museo Nacional de Antropologia and Modo Museo del Objeto del Objeto. In the neighborhoods of Condesa and Roma Norte there are also endless art galleries and niche artisan shops. This week I made a return visit to a ceramics shop I discovered last time called Cara de Planta Esculturas Vivas. Coincidentally on the day we went they were having a flash sale event with drinks and a DJ at their studio and I may or may not have walked away with multiple ceramic planters. 

We (my partner James, his brother and myself) arrived in Mexico City on July 4th via ADO bus and met up with one of our San Francisco friends, Kiley who was coincidentally in town touring with our band friends Analog Dog. We spent the day walking around, sipping fancy cocktails and taking pictures in front of landmarks like La Casa de los Azulejos, the city center and even chinatown. We also made a stop at one of my favorite seafood restaurants, Mi Compa Chava Marisqueria. 10/10 would recommend. 

The following evening we bought tickets to Lucha Libre, the Mexican wrestling show, and it did not disappoint! Although some of the wrestlers’ backstory was lost on us due to language, the energy of the crowd was not. The stands were filled with people of all ages yelling things like “cuelero” and cheering on “the good guys”. The fan favorite wrestler was by far the little person dressed in various costumes such as a traditional masked luchador, a little parrot, and a devil costume making stage dives from the ropes.  

Saturday July 6th was John’s birthday so we had a delicious lunch at another repeat spot, Contramar. After that we wandered through the shopping street of El Parian and attended the art sale at Cara de Planta. We wrapped up the day with an Analog Dog show at McCarthy’s Irish Pub. 

To end the weekend (and John’s part of the trip) we spent Sunday morning snacking on incredible pastries from Panaderia Rosetta and walking through the park in Condesa. If there is one thing CDMX does exceptionally well, it is the parks. There is so much lush green space throughout the heart of the city and the cherry on top is the endless walking/biking paths. It gives me unbelievable plant envy to see monstera plants with giant leaves climbing and sprawling up the trees while my plant babies at home barely grow an inch with the utmost care and attention. 

After John left, James and I had a whole additional week to galavant through the city. Unfortunately James was working remotely for a majority of the week but it gave me time to explore. In CDMX, like most major cities there is a city bike program, this one called Ecobici. The difference with Ecobici is that there are stations to pick up and drop off bikes EVERYWHERE. This is a major form of transportation for tourists and locals alike. Across a majority of the central neighborhoods (Centro, Roma Norte, Condesa, Polanco) there are also dedicated bike lanes with protective bumps/barriers for riders. Given the traffic in the city, this is often one of the quickest ways to get around. Via bike we explored Chapultepec Park, and hopped around to landmarks like the Palacio de Bellas Artes and Museo Soumaya. 

The time in CDMX was not necessarily the most additive for my spanish given how much we hung out with with the San Francisco crew but it was really nice to spend time with friends and relax. It was also good reinforcement for standard restaurant/tourist phrases and conversation. I did spend some time practicing my flashcards and reviewing my workbook because next week I am off to Cusco, Peru to do another week at my Spanish school, Maximo Nivel.