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I NTRO DUCI NG M E XI CO CIT Y
Celebrate Mexico's pre-Hispanic heritage with the Concheros (p52) outside the Templo Mayor
On a crisp October evening, families crowd the
Zócalo to look at tombstones. Rows of these mock
monuments stand on a carpet of colored sawdust
strewn with marigolds and painted skulls.
French poet André Breton famously called Mexico the surrealist country par excellence, and
the capital seems to revel in its strangeness. The world’s third largest urban area (by some esti-
mates) fills a highland basin 2240m above sea level, so you might already feel a bit light-headed
upon arrival. Often described as a malevolent maelstrom of unbreathable air and rampant
crime, the city nevertheless impresses visitors as a wonderfully weird and welcoming world,
and captivates them with its year-round springlike climate, bubbling street life and abundant
cultural offerings.
Like any great metropolis, Mexico City presents a mosaic of scenes. One moment you’re
knocking back tequila at a grand old cantina, the next you’re grooving to world-class DJs on a
rooftop terrace. Breakfast on tamales and
atole
(a drink made from corn) from a street corner
vendor, dine on fusion cuisine by one of Polanco’s acclaimed chefs. After an afternoon spent
sharing the anguish of artist Frida Kahlo, watch masked wrestlers inflict pain on one another
at the
lucha libre
(wrestling) arena downtown.
To be sure pollution and crime remain real concerns for Chilangos, but since the turn of
the millennium, there’s been a palpable sense that the capital has turned a page. Rather than
heading for the apocalypse, it now seems destined for a renaissance.
1
MEXICO CITY
is
LIFE
to bring-
Mayor Marcelo Ebrard committed
ing the city into line with worldwide urban
trends. Many residents are enthusiastic about
his campaign to remove thousands of
ambu-
lantes
(‘informal’ street vendors) from the his-
toric center. At last,
capitalinos
can shop along
the center’s grand boulevards and admire its
architectural beauty without having to dodge
vendors of novelty underwear and pirated porn. It wasn’t the first time such a campaign had
been waged, but Ebrard seems serious about enforcing the restrictions, employing hundreds
of police to keep the
ambulantes
away.
Chilangos seem encouraged by the new mayor’s progressive attitude. Ebrard has displayed
a get-tough stance toward illicit activities, bulldozing tenements reputed to be centers of the
narcotics trade in the notorious Tepito district. He’s started to address the city’s horrendous
traffic congestion by encouraging bicycling as an alternative mode of transport. The mayor
himself rides his bike to work from his Condesa apartment the first Monday of every month.
These measures have been regarded with cynicism by some residents, but Mexico City seems
to be on the upswing. After a prolonged period of economic malaise and high crime rates, the city
is enjoying an image makeover. No longer seen as a smog-choked nightmare where kidnappers
pounce upon every taxi, it is lately perceived as a paragon of chic, where innovative chefs set
the course for world cuisine, fashion designers create edgy streetwear, and
lucha libre
figures
fly across the ring. If some of this is hype, Chilangos want to believe it.
‘Rather than heading for
the apocalypse, Mexico
City now seems destined
for a renaissance.’
A blend of colonial architectural styles, the Catedral Metropolitana (p50) was built over the ruins of an Aztec temple
2
G E T TI N G STAR TE D
A trip to Mexico City need not require much planning. Hotel rooms in all price categories are
in abundant supply, so accommodation availability is rarely an issue. Since Mexico City is not
a standard holiday destination, direct flights to cities throughout the Americas and Europe
aren’t usually booked far in advance. ATMs on global networks are scattered around town, so
you’ll always have access to your funds. And there’s rarely a slow period in this kaleidoscopic
capital. Perhaps the best preparation you can do is to pick up a bit of Spanish before your
departure; every word you learn will help you to communicate with Chilangos.
WHEN TO GO
The weather is temperate or warm all year,
and mainly dry. It can be cool on autumn and
winter nights, and from July to September
you can expect afternoon downpours most
days. The city bustles year round, though the
holiday periods of Christmas–New Year and
Semana Santa (Holy Week; the week before
Easter Sunday and the couple of days after it)
are not good times to get much business done
here. Many Mexicans also take holidays in July
or August. On the plus side, the relative lack
of congestion during those periods makes it a
more pleasant time to move around.
Perhaps the best months to visit Mexico City
are April, with pleasant temperatures and lilac-
colored jacaranda blossoming all around, and
October, when the rains have tapered off and
the city is awash in Day of the Dead displays.
a slew of international and Mexican artists
during this three-week program of classical
and popular music, dance, exhibitions and
other cultural events.
GETTING STARTED
WHEN TO GO
SEMANA SANTA – HOLY WEEK
Easter
The most evocative events of Holy Week
are in the Iztapalapa district, 9km southeast
of the Zócalo, where more than 150 locals
act out a realistic Passion Play. The most
emotive scenes begin at noon on Good
Friday, when Christ is sentenced, beaten
and crowned with real thorns. He then
carries his cross up Cerro de la Estrella,
where he is ‘crucified.’
July
Mid-July
San Ángel’s annual flower festival takes
place when the poppies traditionally
bloomed along the banks of the Río de
Magdalena (though these days the river
runs underneath the traffic). Hundreds of
stalls display flowers and plants at the
Jardín
de la Bombilla
(p102),
and there are concerts,
parades and awards for the best flower
arrangements.
FERIA DE LAS FLORES
FESTIVALS
January
DÍA DE LOS REYES MAGOS –
THREE KINGS’ DAY (EPIPHANY)
January 6
Mexican children traditionally receive gifts
this day, rather than at Christmas. Between
Christmas and January 6, the Santa Clauses
around the Alameda Central are replaced
by the Three Kings, who are equally popu-
lar and look, if anything, even more ill at
ease. Families flock in, and stalls selling
anything from tacos to music tapes pop
up, too.
September
GRITO DE LA INDEPENDENCIA
September 15
Thousands gather in the Zócalo on the eve
of Independence Day to hear the Mexican
president’s version of the Grito de Dolores
(Cry of Dolores; Hidalgo’s famous call to
rebellion against the Spanish in 1810)
from the central balcony of the Palacio
Nacional at 11pm. Afterwards, there’s a
spectacular fireworks display over the
cathedral. For the best views, reserve
dinner at one of the terrace restaurants
facing the palace.
March & April
FESTIVAL DE MÉXICO EN EL CENTRO
HISTÓRICO
www.festival.org.mx
The Centro Histórico’s plazas, temples and
theaters become performance venues for
12
lonelyplanet.com
FOTOSEPTIEMBRE
In odd-numbered years, this month-long
photography summit highlights the
creative efforts of hundreds of photo artists
from Mexico and Latin America, with ex-
hibits held at museums, galleries and cafés
around town.
COSTS & MONEY
accom-
A single traveler, staying in budget
modations and eating two meals a day in
restaurants, can expect to pay from M$250
to M$300 a day for those basics. Add in other
costs (such as snacks, soft drinks, entry to
museums), and you’ll spend more like M$400
to M$450. If there are two or more of you
sharing a room, costs per person come down
considerably. Double rooms are often not
much more expensive than singles, and triples
or quadruples are available in many hotels for
only slightly more than doubles.
In the middle range you can live well in
Mexico City for M$600 to M$700 per per-
son per day. Two people can easily find a
clean, modern room with private bath and
a TV for M$450 to M$600, and have the rest
for food, admission fees, transportation and
incidentals.
At the top of the scale, a few hotels charge
more than M$3000 for a room, and there are
restaurants where you can pay M$600 or more
per person. But you can also stay at very com-
fortable hotels for under M$1200 a double,
and eat very well for M$300 to M$600 per
person per day.
Keep your costs down by having a
comida
corrida,
a three- or four-course set lunch
served by many restaurants, or make a meal
of the tasty
botanas
(snacks) served by can-
tinas along with each drink you order. Almost
all Mexico City museums are free on Sundays
and many cinemas have half-price shows on
Wednesdays (of course, those places will also
be more crowded then). The city regularly
stages free concerts on the Zócalo on week-
ends and many museums offer music recitals
and films – check
Tiempo Libre
magazine for
listings. Finally, use the metro and the Metro-
bus to get around instead of taxis.
November
November 2
Mexico’s most characteristic fiesta; the souls
of the dead are believed to return to earth
this day. Families build
ofrendas
(altars) in
homes and visit graveyards to commune
with their dead on the preceding night
and the day itself, taking garlands, gifts of
the dead one’s favorite foods and so forth.
Sweets resembling human skeletons and
skulls are sold in almost every market. In the
weeks leading up to the holiday, elaborate
ofrendas
show up everywhere from public
markets to metro stations. Some of the best
are at the Universidad del Claustro de Sor
Juana
(p59)
and the Museo Dolores Olmedo
Patiño
(p113),
while a contest for the most
creative
ofrenda
is held at the Zócalo. Major
vigils take place in the Panteón Civil de Do-
lores cemetery, west of Bosque de Chapulte-
pec, and at San Andres Mixquic, in the
extreme southeast of the Distrito Federal.
DÍA DE MUERTOS –
DAY OF THE DEAD
GETTING STARTED
COSTS & MONEY
FIESTA DE SANTA CECILIA
November 22
The patron saint of musicians is honored
with special fervor at the Plaza Garibaldi,
where a stage is set up for continuous
performances by mariachi ensembles.
December
DÍA DE NUESTRA SEÑORA DE
GUADALUPE – DAY OF OUR LADY OF
GUADALUPE
December 12
At the Basílica de Guadalupe
(p116),
the Day
of Our Lady of Guadalupe caps 10 days of
festivities honoring Mexico’s religious patron,
who appeared to an indigenous Mexican,
Juan Diego, on the hill Cerro del Tepeyac in
1531. On December 11 and 12, groups of in-
digenous dancers and musicians from across
Mexico perform in uninterrupted succession
on the basilica’s broad plaza. The number of
pilgrims reaches the millions by December
12, when religious services go on in the
basilica almost around the clock.
HOW MUCH?
Liter of unleaded gas M$7
Liter of Herradura tequila M$230
Liter bottle of purified water M$8
Bottle of Corona beer M$20
Set of six tequila glasses M$150
Taco de bistec (beef taco) M$8
Kilo of tortillas M$8.50
Taxi ride from Zócalo to Zona Rosa M$70
Metro ride M$2
Movie at Cineteca Nacional M$40
13
INTERNET RESOURCES
The following sites compile oodles of infor-
mation on the capital. Some offer their pages
in English, but the English pages are often
not as thorough or are sometimes barely
comprehensible.
Artes Visuales
(www.artesvisuales.com.mx, in Spanish)
Covers DF galleries and museums, including links to many
of their own sites.
Chilango
(www.chilango.com, in Spanish) Online version
of glossy what’s on mag with extensive restaurant and
nightlife listings.
Consejo Nacional Para la Cultura y las Artes
(www.cnca
.gob.mx, in Spanish) Up-to-date guide to DF museums,
libraries, theaters and other cultural institutions, including
a
cartelera
(calendar) of current happenings.
DFiesta en el DF
(www.dfiestaeneldf.com) Tourism
department’s exhaustive listings with plenty of practical
information.
Secretaría de Cultura del Distrito Federal
(www.cultura
.df.gob.mx, in Spanish) DF festivals and museum events.
Sistema de Transporte Colectivo
(www.metro.df.gob.mx,
in Spanish) All about the Mexico City metro.
SUSTAINABLE
MEXICO
Mexico City, Marcelo Ebrard,
CITY
The mayor of
seems intent on turning around this ecologi-
cally dysfunctional metropolis (see
p35
). No
matter how short your stay, you can join other
progressive-minded Chilangos in supporting
the mayor’s quixotic efforts. Here are a few
suggestions.
Instead of driving a car or taking taxis, use
the metro and the metrobus to get around
town. If you just need a quick dash around
the city center, bicycle taxis are a good al-
ternative to gas-powered vehicles. If you are
traveling elsewhere in the republic but aren’t
pressed for time, travel by bus instead of
flying.
The city produces colossal quantities of
trash, but you can slightly reduce the flow.
Instead of buying multiple bottles of purified
water, refill the first one from the drinking-
water cooler provided by some hotels. Juice
stands want to give you styrofoam but bring
your own cup or bottle and have them fill it.
Buy a shopping bag (available in an array of
tantalizing colors at the nearest market) to put
your souvenirs or snacks into.
Despite the voluminous rain that falls
upon the Valle de México, the city’s under-
ground aquifers are not being replenished
fast enough to meet the voracious demand
for drinking water, and some 30% of the
water supply is lost through leaks in the pipe
network. You can avoid contributing to the
impending crisis by being conscious of your
water use while in the city. Don’t run taps
unnecessarily – for instance, when shaving
or brushing your teeth – and cut down on
your shower time.
lonelyplanet.com
GETTING STARTED
SUSTAINABLE MEXICO CITY
14

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