Vibrant Mexico City
Maybe this won't surprise you, but it blows my mind!
Florida Population - 22.2 Million People
Mexico City Urban Population - 23.1 Million People
After our month of cruises ended (February 5, 2024), we needed a place to stay for 3.5 months. We wanted to be close to the United States because we had to be in Atlanta at the end of May for a graduation. Our short list consisted of Mexico City and Medellin, Colombia. Since we needed 3.5 months, Mexico quickly moved up to our top option. US Passport holders are automatically granted a 90 day stay in Colombia so that wasn't quite enough. Apparently 90 day visa extensions are easy and inexpensive, but we felt silly paying for an 90 extra days and only using 15. Mexico grants a 180 day stay upon entry to US Passport holders. So...Mexico City it is!
After our month of cruises ended (February 5, 2024), we needed a place to stay for 3.5 months. We wanted to be close to the United States because we had to be in Atlanta at the end of May for a graduation. Our short list consisted of Mexico City and Medellin, Colombia. Since we needed 3.5 months, Mexico quickly moved up to our top option. US Passport holders are automatically granted a 90 day stay in Colombia so that wasn't quite enough. Apparently 90 day visa extensions are easy and inexpensive, but we felt silly paying for an 90 extra days and only using 15. Mexico grants a 180 day stay upon entry to US Passport holders. So...Mexico City it is!
Cellular Plans - Telcel
Prior to leaving the airport we got our cell service squared away. On the 2nd floor near Puerta 5 (Door 5), there is a Telcel store. We bought the Amigo Sin Limite 200 Plan (it's now 270), which included 3GB's of data and unlimited calls and texts to Mexico, United States and Canada. We were given physical sim cards, they call them "chips" in Mexico. 3GB's doesn't sound like a lot, but Telcel has unlimited social media data,
Prior to leaving the airport we got our cell service squared away. On the 2nd floor near Puerta 5 (Door 5), there is a Telcel store. We bought the Amigo Sin Limite 200 Plan (it's now 270), which included 3GB's of data and unlimited calls and texts to Mexico, United States and Canada. We were given physical sim cards, they call them "chips" in Mexico. 3GB's doesn't sound like a lot, but Telcel has unlimited social media data,
so apps like Facebook,Instagram, and WhatsApp do not count against your monthly data. The plan was $200 MXN Pesos per month, so roughly $10, I just checked and now it is $270 MXN Pesos. Renewing was simple too! Just find a Telcel store/retailer near you, give the employee your phone number, let them know you want to renew your plan (and what plan you want). Before leaving the store you'll get a renewal notification. Remember, you need to have a carrier UNLOCKED device.
Colonia Cuauhtémoc - Where We Stayed
Getting from the airport to our accommodations was extremely simple. We had the options of taxi, metro and Uber. We chose the latter because travel days are stressful enough. The Uber from Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juárez (MEX) to our airbnb in Colonia Cuauhtémoc was roughly $12.
We chose this neighborhood because it is located near Reforma Street, The Angel of Independence, and Chapultepec Park. Most travelers and Digital Nomads choose Roma Norte, Roma Sur, or Condesa. But we tend to go against the grain. Those popular places come with popular place prices. Mexico City is very affordable compared to the United States, but seeing what some of these units were renting for (in those popular areas) on airbnb was a bit discouraging. I can only imagine how the locals feel, they are earning Mexican Pesos. Our neighborhood was full of amazing coffee shops, restaurants, and bakeries. It was very residential, with mostly locals. We prefer it that way, it gives us the feeling of "living there". We get to know the local baristas and convenience store owners. It's really nice. We loved that we were a 7 minute walk to The Angel of Independence!
Black Energy Gym
Health & Fitness are top priorities for us in our early retirement. It is too easy to sink into a lazy routine and we don't want that to happen to us! Since we stayed in CDMX for so long we set out to find a gym. Prices range widely as there were crossfit gyms and large chain gyms mixed in with local single location gyms. We settled on a gym in the San Rafael Neighborhood called Black Energy Gym, a local single location gym. When we joined in February it was brand new! In total for 3.5 months we spent $165 USD for both of us! Considering it was a new gym, we felt that was a great deal. The amount of equipment on-hand was amazing! We enjoyed working out there. The only downside, the gym was about a 25 minute walk from our apartment. But, we were going to work out after all, the walk was good for us. In addition, we loved exploring the San Rafael Neighborhood and we will probably look for accommodations there when we return to Mexico City.
Nearby Neighborhoods we loved
As mentioned above, we enjoyed the San Rafael Neighborhood. There were so many great local spots there; from restaurants to coffee shops. We were there at least 3 days per week for the gym, and we would try to take different streets home to discover new shops and restaurants to check out. San Rafael also has a weekly Art Exhibition/Sale in Sullivan Park called Jardin del Arte. Over 400 local artists bring out their work and offer it up for sale. The prices range from around $20 all the way up and over $2500, they are awesome to talk to and love sharing their work. The gallery began in the 1950's when young artists who could not show their art in traditional galleries setup in front of the galleries.
The Santa Maria La Ribera Neighborhood is right next to San Rafael. We visited Alameda Park there to see a popular tourist attraction called Kiosko Morisco (Moorish Kiosk). It was built in 1884 as the Mexican Pavilion at the World's Fair in New Orleans. On the Sunday afternoon we went the park was teaming with locals. Kids were playing, families were enjoying the park, and people were dancing. It had such a great energy. We came back to the park and area a few times. We discovered an excellent Oaxacan Restaurant right next to Alameda Park called OaxacAqui. I love mole and some of the best known mole comes from Oaxaca. We thoroughly enjoyed our meals there.
 |
| Kiosko Morisco | Moorish Kiosk | Santa Maria La Ribera |
 |
| Oaxacaqui | Santa Maria La Ribera | Mole & Tlayuda |
Running a 5K
One of our goals when visiting each city is to run a 5K race if there are any happening while we are there. At first we had some trouble finding the website to search for races, but once we figured it out we had so many to choose from! We could have ran a 5K nearly every weekend we were there! We visited a sporting goods store called Innvictus to sign up for the race. It was about $12 per person to sign up and included a shirt, a medal, and or course your number and the timer attached to that number tag. The day before the race we picked up our number, shirt, and runners packet. There was music playing, local companies handing out electrolyte drinks, protein drinks, etc. The energy in Mexico City is amazing. It is so full of life and the culture is so rich! After picking up the packets we were pretty hyped up for the race. We bought some fun socks to wear, there were vendors set up around the packet pickup area selling running gear. I bought Marvin the Martian socks and my wife bought Pac-Man socks. Classic silly 5K gear. On the day of race there was just as much energy. I saw number tags up to 5800, so there had to be at least 6000 runners that day. The route for the 5K was simple, run up Reforma Street, past Chapultepec Park, turn around and run back. The 10K runners branched off and part of their route was different. Along the way people were cheering us on and there were water stations. We do this to have fun, we aren't trying to break any records. We love to participate in things that locals are doing. At the finish line were were given our finisher medals and there were oranges and bananas as well as water being handed out. We loved running our race in Mexico City. It was such a fun and unique thing to do.
Los Diablos Rojos del México
When we were planning our visit to Mexico City we discussed going to a fútbol match because soccer is huge in Mexico City. There are 3 major teams and the rivalries are real. To be honest, it was a bit intimidating. We have never been to a soccer match before. The transportation, crowds, and time of day was a bit to much for us. We were a bit concerned about getting home after the match. We did however watch a bunch of matches on TV and that was a lot of fun.
Then I saw the news reporting on baseball and realized that Mexico City has there own team! After some quick research I realized that we would be there during their season. How exciting! So it was set, we bought our tickets and went to see Los Diablos Rojos vs El Águila de Vera Cruz.
Transportation was easy, there is a metro stop right outside of the baseball stadium. However, when we attended the game that metro stop was closed for upgrades and we were transferred to a bus to finish the route to the stadium. Still easy.
The tickets were amazingly affordable. We paid about $12 USD per person for front row seats just behind first base. The stadium is absolutely gorgeous. It is new, it was completed in 2019 and seats about 20,000 people. A few MLB games are played there each year in the Mexico City Series. This actually took place while we were there, the Colorado Rockies played the Houston Astros. I read a news story about how the altitude gave some MLB players issues, Mexico City sits at around 7,300 feet (higher than even Denver).
The energy at the game was electric, more energy than MLB games that we have been to. It was a great game and the home team won! Something really cool, after the game they let the fans go out onto the field! The food and drinks at the stadium were really good too. We loved the Cochinita Tacos so much we went back for a second order! The food and drinks were affordable and the pricing was consistent around the stadium. I loved watching a game at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú and would definitely do it again!
Teotihuacan & La Gruta
Visiting Teotihuacan was on the top of our must-do list while in Mexico City. The Pyramid of the Sun and The Pyramid of the Moon are located there. Teotihuacan is located about 25 miles northeast of CDMX. Getting there is easy via the North Bus Terminal in the City. We took a quick Uber to the north bus terminal as a trial run a week or so before to check it out and to speak to someone at the counter. The bus tickets can be purchased on at the farthest north ticket counter in the terminal. At the time they were $200 MNX Pesos per person round trip. So about $10 USD round trip per person.
We were dropped off in front of the Gate 2 Entrance to the pyramid park. We paid our entrance and proceeded to walk in. The tickets were good for the day so we could enter and exit. It was really interesting exploring the ruins. The Pyramid of the Sun is HUGE, bigger than I imagined. This was a city at one point so there are many different types of ruins on-site.
After a few hours of walking around we made our way to the east side of the Pyramid of the Sun and headed toward Gate 5. We exited and just verified that our tickets would be valid to re-enter. Just outside of Gate 5 there is a wonderful restaurant called La Gruta. The restaurant is located in a cave! Famous people have dined here including; Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, and Queen Elizabeth II! We did not make reservations but we went for lunch mid-week.
The food here was absolutely delicious, equally as good as the setting. I mean c'mon, we're eating in a cave! Everything was fresh and delicious. Seasonal vegetables were utilized to make traditional dishes the way they were prepared in the old world. The dinnerware was handmade fired clay. The service was top-notch. We enjoyed aguas frescas, delicious mains, and a shared dessert. It was a truly unforgettable experience and only cost $75 USD with tip.
After our amazing lunch we went back to Gate 5 to finish exploring the Teotihuacan grounds. We walked around a small botanical garden right inside the gate and then made our way to a museum in the same area. It was a great display of unearthed pottery, jewelry, and other artifacts from the ruins. There was a scale model of the city as well. It is a great display to see when you visit. It gives you an idea of what the city looked like in ancient times. After we were done we headed back to Gate 2 and caught the bus back to Mexico City. Visiting Teotihuacan is just one of those things you have to do if you're in Mexico City, and we're glad we did.
Trajineras de Xochimilco
Since our friends in town, we decided to take a journey out to the Xochimilco area to experience the canals and chinampas. We did our research before going here because we heard of some inconsistent pricing, but that seems to have worked itself out. We went to Embarcadero Nativitas to board a canal boat. Pricing was listed and that's exactly what we were charged. We did tip our boat captain though. It was really relaxing riding around the canal system, listening to music, and enjoying a drink (or two) and some snacks. We brought our own drinks and snacks, but there are also vendors going by on boats selling food and drinks. We were a party of 4, but I can see how this would be a lot of fun with a larger group of people. The best way to get here is rides hare. There is a train that gets you near the area, I guess it really all depends where you are staying in Mexico City.
Axolotl at Chapultepec Zoo
On the topic of Xochimilco and the lake/canal system... The axolotl is a native amphibian to only this area. It is critically endangered with only an estimated 50-1000 adult individuals living in the wild!
They are absolutely fascinating creatures. They can vary in color from pink, to green, to brown. They have the ability to regrow limbs as well as organs. Experts believe they hold the key to evolution and regeneration. They have the ability to adjust their colors to hide from predators. They use lungs and gills to breath, they are one of very few animals to do so. And, they are only found in one place on earth, Mexico City!
There is an amazing axolotl conservatory at the Chapultepec Zoo called the Amphibium. The first floor of the Amphibium consists of multiple aquariums with this adorable little amphibian. The second floor is all about conservation efforts. You can see axolotl at all different life stages including inside their tiny little eggs. The conservatory even grows the food for them. It's a really amazing display that you can't miss even if you just visit the zoo for this. It's FREE and open daily from 10am to 3:30pm.
Dental Check-up, Cleaning and X-Rays
During our time in Mexico City we were due for our dental check-ups. After reading a bunch of Google reviews we narrowed our options down to 3 or 4 dental offices. We made some phone calls and knew right away that Dentalisma in Roma Norte was the place to go. We made our appointments about a week in advance, even though they could have gotten us in much sooner. We arrived to our appointments a few minutes early and were called in immediately. After some basic questions Dr. Rodrigo got to work.
To our surprise, the Doctor performs the cleaning, x-rays, and check-up. For those unfamiliar; in the USA a Dental Hygienist performs dental cleanings. X-rays are done by a dental assistant. The check-up is done by the dentist and typically the dentist spends under 5 minutes looking at your x-rays and your teeth/gums. In the USA dental insurance typically only covers 2 cleanings, 1 set of x-rays and 1 check-up per year.
The big advantage to having the Doctor to everything is that the patient has a highly trained and educated specialist spending more time with your teeth and gums. My wife had Invisalign roughly 5 years ago. Posts are "cemented" to your teeth and then a series of trays are made to clip onto those posts and slowly straighten your teeth. Once you've finished the process, the posts and cement are removed. My wife asked the Doctor to check spot on her tooth that felt like a scratch. As it turned out, the spot was leftover cement. Cement that was missed by hygienists in the US for over 5 years. Mind you, for a while my wife was going to the dentist 4 times a year and paying out of pocket for a deep cleaning / periodontal maintenance. She had been to a dental office to have these deep cleanings done 15-20 times after having her Invisalign and not once did a hygienist remove the cement. Dr. Rodrigo brought out a special polishing tool and removed the cement within seconds.
While we were there I inquired about a new night guard. I don't think I do it anymore, but while I was working and under more stress, I had a tendency to clench my teeth in my sleep. This can cause gum recession. Dr. Rodrigo gave me my options and he went ahead and a made the mold. $91 and two days later I had my new night guard. It fits perfectly! The same option in the US was well over $300.
This was easily the best cleaning I have ever received in my 44 years. He was thorough, conversational and informational. My teeth were extremely clean after the appointment. He spent much longer cleaning and removing tartar/plaque. He had all of the latest gadgets, tools, and technology. Dr. Rodrigo enjoys attending the National Dental Association Convention in Las Vegas because he gets to speak to other Doctors, they all share the latest information and technology in the dental industry. We had a wonderful experience and highly recommend him.
Attending a Symphony
Visiting Palacio de Bellas Artes is a staple on Mexico City itinerary. The building in absolutely gorgeous inside and out. It's full of paintings and murals from famous artists. Most people visiting just do that, or they might add a visit across the street to Finca Don Porfirio for a coffee and a great view of the Cultural Center. I highly recommend that too!
Palacio de Bellas Artes is performing arts center, there are frequent ballets, symphonies, operas, and orchestras held there. While we were inside the building we checked the posted schedule and decided an upcoming symphony performance. We went to the box office right there and bought our tickets about a week out. Our tickets were $100 MXN, or $6 USD! It was cash only. Attending a performance like this at such an affordable price was amazing. Of course, the performance was excellent. We were in awe as well looked around inside the theatre, the stained glass inner canopy is just gorgeous. This was a really enjoyable experience. I highly recommend experiencing a performance at Palacio de Bellas Artes.
Taqueria El Califa de Leon - Michelin Star Tacos
Near the end of our stay the news dropped that a small taco stand in Mexico City had received a Michelin Star. As it turned out, the restaurant was in one of our favorite neighborhoods, San Rafael. Ironically, this place was a few minute walk from our gym. We had passed the restaurant a number of times and never gave it a second look because it looked like any other small restaurant and it was never crowded... Until May 2024....
We are not Michelin Star people, really. I love the concept, I appreciate the work, the craft and experience. But I'm not in a place where I can spend $400+ for a meal. Especially in a city where EXCELLENT food is so affordable. But that's what is so great about this taco stand. The most expensive taco is $4 USD!
The taqueria was awarded/announced on May 14, 2024, we went to the restaurant on May 17. It was madness! There were news reporters and camera crews there interviewing people in line. Locals and tourists alike were talking and very excited to try these tacos. We got in line at about 12:30pm and didn't place our order until 2:00pm. We were in good company in line, our good friends were in town so we decided to have this experience together. As we talked and waited, the hour and a half flew by with everything happening around us.
Once we ordered we didn't wait any more than a few minutes as our tacos were prepared. The menu is small; Bisteck (Steak), Costilla (Rib), Gaonera (Filet), Chuleta (Chop), and Refrescos (Drinks) are on the menu as well. The tortillas were handmade in front of us, the meat as well. The tacos are simple; quality meat, rock salt and fresh squeezed lime. There is a red salsa and a green salsa that you can add to your tacos. The tacos have been prepared the same way at this stand for over 70 years! We only ordered 3 tacos (Bisteck, Costilla, and Gaonera, the latter was our favorite. It was extremely tender and lean. The Gaonera Taco is actually the reason they received the Star.
Once we ordered we didn't wait any more than a few minutes as our tacos were prepared. The menu is small; Bisteck (Steak), Costilla (Rib), Gaonera (Filet), Chuleta (Chop), and Refrescos (Drinks) are on the menu as well. The tortillas were handmade in front of us, the meat as well. The tacos are simple; quality meat, rock salt and fresh squeezed lime. There is a red salsa and a green salsa that you can add to your tacos. The tacos have been prepared the same way at this stand for over 70 years! We only ordered 3 tacos (Bisteck, Costilla, and Gaonera, the latter was our favorite. It was extremely tender and lean. The Gaonera Taco is actually the reason they received the Star.
If I went back I'd just order Gaonera Tacos and call it a day. Was the wait worth it, I'd say yes. To experience this energy at the time when this exciting event was happening was special. I guess we were part of the hype, but I'm fine with that. Looking back, I'm glad we did it. You can get excellent tacos for less pesos at many taco stands and restaurants all over Mexico City. But do they have a Michelin Star?
We absolutely loved our time in Mexico City. It truly flew by. We were able to live excellent healthy lives in CDMX without many concerns. We felt very safe and secure. We loved the people, food, and culture. We will DEFINITELY be back! We love you Mexico City!
Comments
Post a Comment