La Ciudad de Mexico

We are back in Mexico, a country that we have visited numerous times and deeply love.  As we walk the streets of Condesa, a neighborhood that is as hip as any in Northwest Portland and filled with stylish people walking their well-groomed dogs and modern cafes, we marvel at how misrepresented Mexico is in the States.  Albeit, we are not staying in a poor area, and do not visit any high crime sections of the city, it is our experience that the media portrayal of Mexico across the world is in direct contrast to the reality.  This is a city for the people and we do not see tourist faces.  The green spaces, museums, parks and zoos are well cared for, artfully designed and free most of the time.  It is meaningful when a city shares its gems and relics with the public for free, there is a solid pride in the history of this country that strives to be shared. 

We stayed for five nights in this amazing airbnb, a real find, generous in space and full of surprising amenities like coffee and shampoo.  It is by far the nicest airbnb that we have stayed in during our whole trip.

We spent much of our time wandering around the large park called Chultepec.  It is considered the largest park in the western hemisphere, 1700 acres.  It contains nine museums, amusement parks, winding paths, commemorative sculptures, lakes and fountains.  It feels safe, surrounded by a high fence and closed at 8pm.   

It is considered Mexico City’s “lungs”, with trees that replenished oxygen to the Valley of Mexico. Up to 60 species of birds can be found here and is  a refuge for migratory birds from Canada, the U.S. and other regions of Mexico.  The government spends millions a year to maintain the ecology of the park.  Over 250,000 people visit daily.

 

This is the Audiorama, a quiet place to meditate and read within the park. Classical music plays from large speakers and signs are posted for silence.

While the zoo is well designed and maintained carefully, the very concept hurts my heart.  I struggle with the idea of the value of exposing children and families to these magnificent animals that they would never see otherwise and the reality of seeing these great animals in small spaces, pacing and irritable.  While I saw animals I have never seen before, Cheetahs and kangaroos, I just felt sad.

The flora of Mexico is gorgeous.  This is a garden within the National palace which houses the murals of Diego Rivera.

The national palace courtyard.

We stood in front of these amazing historical stories painted over a period of years by Diego Rivera.  You are just sucked into to the scene, they are alive and dynamic and large, covering the huge walls within the National Palace.  At the time of the commission of these murals, the majority of Mexicans could not read.  This was a project financed by the Ministry of Education to share with the people their history.  Rivera documents the Aztec period all the way to the revolution in 1848.  There is so much information and symbolism on these walls.

We have discovered that we are street food people.  This type of eating satisfies our bellies and suits our wallets.  In eight months of travel, we have yet to fall ill while eating like locals.