Mexico City
senses overload
A steady hum is hovering over the market like a storm cloud while my other four senses are being teased into a slow dance of seduction. As I inhale spices, meats and fresh brewed coffee, I dodge delivery guys in the aisles with stacked burlap sacks on their dollies. There are tons of handwritten colorful signs that are expertly place off-kiltered on huge bags of dried chiles and other unrecognizable goods. The regulars hand me polite smiles as they pass by with crumbled up recycled shopping bags and make way to their destined stalls. I stand sideline and witness the organized chaos while balancing a small plate wrapped in a plastic bag on one hand. An empty seat becomes available and I set up shop with all the provided condiments. The first bite was felt not tasted, the second bite was mind blowing and by the third bite, I had to devour another one. This was the best carnitas taco I've had in my life and I don't think I'll ever have one like this again.
I came to Mexico City to celebrate my birthday and to experience first hand the excitement that lingers on everyone's face when they tell me about their MC trip. The city is filled with many neighborhoods, cultures, history and lots of good food. I spent the week at Ignacia Guest House. The guest house is on a quiet residential street in Roma Norte with eateries, coffee shops and convenient markets nestled between historic homes. Ignacia is beautifully curated with pieces from Mexican artisans, dusty rose colored walls and the right amount of marble. I was assigned the blue room downstairs with a small patio that was perfect for sipping the daily mezcal cocktails that were waiting for me after I returned from exploring the city. The staff made you feel like family - the kitchen format was open and you were welcomed to grab fruit or make yourself a cup of tea, the "honest" bar in the lobby was expertly stocked with Macallan 12 and I received a surprise visit in my room with birthday cake! By the second day, I was greeted with hugs after I was buzzed in from the busy streets. I also participated in the cooking class upstairs (will post soon), which was an amazing experience in a beautiful setting.
The first full day, I took an Uber (they're really inexpensive) to Coyoacan to visit The Blue House - Frida Kahlo Museum. I purchased my tickets online here to avoid the long lines. However, there was still a line to enter the museum but it went quite fast, as the tickets are by times. After exploring the museum, I walked to the town square and strolled through the park, ate grasshoppers with guacamole, washed them down with a Mezcal flight and went to the outdoor shopping market that stretched the whole block. I ended the day with a walking mediation in Viveros de Coyoacán to soak in all of the electric energy that is constant throughout the city.
My other activities included:
Day Trip to Teotihuacan/Ex Convent of Acolman
Biblioteca Vasconcelos (public library)
A day in Polanco
Late night churro feast at El Moro
National Museum of Anthropology
Coffee stop here
Neighborhood stroll around Roma Norte
Exploring Mexico City was a great treat for myself and I will definitely make plans to visit other cities within the country instead of hitting the beach towns. I could honestly go back to Mexico City and create another adventure as I only touched the surface from this last visit.
Hasta la próxima!
