The kids and I arrived in Mexico City a couple of days ago, flying in from Oaxaca and then reuniting with Nadia who flew in from Jordan. Nadia arranged a house swap and landed us a really nice apartment right in the heart of the historic district. We have a flat with a beautiful open floor plan and situated on the top floor of an old building with expansive views of the city. With high ceilings, huge windows and a fully stocked fridge and bar, its a place you could chill out in for a few days without even getting out on the town. For us though, we only have a few days in the city so we're trying to make the most of it.
Yesterday we walked through the city and checked out the main city square (zocalo), which you may have seen in opening scene of the new James Bond movie - Spectre. We also had lunch at a nice restaurant that served delicious Mexican food. I had roasted peppers stuffed with salmon and shrimp in a mole sauce (yum). We also visited the old Parliament building where Diego Rivera painted highly political murals on many of walls depicting the bloody history of Mexico including arrival of the Spanish and then the Catholic Church and the impact it had on the country. This city is massive. The buildings aren't so high, maybe 6-7 stories, but they cover every block for mile after square mile. Food stalls and restaurants are everywhere, as are parks, street musicians, people protesting one thing or another, pretty heavy-duty looking police, and much more. Walking down the streets you really get the sense this is an old but still very vibrant city.
Today we're off to the Frida Khalo museum and hopefully another tasty lunch and tomorrow we're excited to fly to Puerto Vallarta to visit my sister Jane who lives in a nearby town called Punta Mita.
Cheers, Rob
View from our balcony at night (the Museo Nacional de Arte)
View from our living room early morning (the dome is the Opera House)
The flat we're staying at in Mexico City
Enjoying the Plaza del la Constitucion o Zocalo (town square)
Notice how wavy and unlevel the building are. Most of the old building in the city are leaning, some heavily and the floors are either slanted or wavy, following centuries of ground settlement
Beautiful Spanish architecture and crowded streets are the norm
One of many highly political Diego Rivera murals cover the walls of Parliament
Centre courtyard of Parliament
New age pedal taxi
This is the view you'll see on most streets in old Mexico City, the 4th most populous city in the world after Tokyo, San Paulo, and New York
Old puppet master selling his wears on the street
Metropolitan Cathedral on the Zocalo
Massive alter of the Cathedral
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