Mexico City 2006

MEXICO CITY 2006

We finally booked our flights. We will be arriving on October 27th and returning on November 6th. Often, when telling our choice of vacation to people their jaws have dropped in an unbelievable state of confusion. "You're going where??" , "Oh you're going to Mexico. Which resort? Ohhh... you're going to Mexico City??!!??". This has been ocassionally interspersed with, "Oh, you'll be kidnapped" and my favorite, "There are lots of stabbings there, be careful". Basically, I think the point of everyone's loss for words comes down to a one word question, "Why?".

Mexico City is the oldest city in North America. It is one of the largest cities in the world and it is the only metropolis to hold three UNESCO World Heritage Sites within its city limits. It's a city I have always wanted to visit since leaving Australia and especially since arriving into America. It's definitely a long way from what Michelle had originally envisioned when we had first started to discuss a vacation to Mexico. Her initial ideas involved the mega-resorts of Cancun, Mazatlan, Acapulco and the like. They all sounded like fun, but that's not what my first impression of Mexico was. My first impression of Mexico, was of a country that had a long and interesting history: Aztecs, Mayans, Spanish conquistadors, Pyramids, Temples, a country struggling to find it's path with a superpower to its North and areas still struggling from years of uprisings and civil wars to it's south. And those thoughts are what I've always wanted to try and re-visit.

After a long consideration (3 years, 1 months and 3 days to be exact), I finally managed to convince Michelle that maybe we should start off in Mexico City before heading to those resorts. And it seems as though, with the exception of a few things, we'll be able to recreate the initial impressions of a country I had just from visiting Mexico City. We'll be wandering around Mexico Cities various neighborhoods.

Centro Historico - Home to the Zocalo, Mexico city's downtown square and the epicenter for the entire country since the time of the Aztec Empire. Other visits will include the Aztec Templo Mayor (Great Temple), the beautiful Cathedral (which will be staying in a hotel right next to) and the various palaces and churches in this thronging area. We'll also be taking a look at the great murals done by famed artist Diego Rivera.

Paseo De La Reforma - Michelles ears perked up. Home to some of the finest and glamorous restaurants, shops and hotels plus the tallest building in Latin America. Plus a visit to the touristy Zona Rosa will be swallowed in there somewhere.

Chapultepec Park - Once the private area of Aztec rulers, then the Spanish elite it's now home to a huge park. It also holds the Capitals Zoo and the Museo Nacional de Antropologia e Historia, one of the greatest Anthropological Museums in the World. Oh, and to the north is Polanco, the Rodeo Drive of Mexico City.

San Angel & Coyoacan - Old cobblestoned streets, markets, etc. Home to the Frida Kahlo Museum.

Xochimilco - Floating gardens. Take a ride on the canals. Hire a mariachi band for your gondola. Order lunch from passing boat sellers and just relax.........

Teoutihuacan - Not much is known about this ancient city. What is known is that it was built between 100 BC and 250 AD and was a city of about 200,000. It was the largest and most sophisticated city in the Western Hemisphere and rivalled the Roman Empire. And then around the 7th Century AD, it was abandoned. Archaeolgists believe it may have been burnt down in a war between another city. Temples, Pyramids, citadels and paved streets were forgotten until the Aztec Empire arrived in 1200 AD and named it Teotihuacan or "Place where gods are born". The Aztecs believe this was where the Universe started. It is now a World Heritage Site and home to the one of the largest Pyramids in the World, the Pyramid of the Sun.

Taxco - Supposed to be a beautiful old Silver mining town. Hilly with old colonial style buildings built around cobblestone streets.

So hopefully, this is a start and we can get it all in.

Oh, and next time we will go to a resort. Plus, I promised Michelle!!  :)