Blogs from Distrito Federal, Mexico, North America - page 4

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North America » Mexico » Distrito Federal » Mexico City December 24th 2018

This is our second Christmas in Mexico City and Troy and I find it as beautiful as last year. Hotel Central is located in the historic center of the city and from my window I can see the palace of Hernan Cortez. Directly across from his palace is the National Cathedral and next to that the ruins of Montezuma's Palace. Montezuma was the last Aztec King of Mexico. At this time of year the year as always the Aztec and Spanish culture is so evident. Aztec dancers wearing feathered headdresses and little more perform in the Plaza and devout Christians wind their way through them on their way to mass. Indigenous people sell their weaving and carving and basketry while shaman rids you of aches and pains by blowing smoke up your skirt so to speak. ... read more
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North America » Mexico » Distrito Federal » Mexico City December 23rd 2018

How to travel by ancient canals and brand new cable car This Christmas Emma preferred to stay in Sweden over Christmas and New Year. Ake, however, decided to use the days he had off from work over the holidays in the same way he has for the last 15 years or so - he would travel. Now that Emma stayed home Ake instead brought his mother and they both went to Mexico. In 2009 I was in Mexico and among other things I then saw the Monarch Butterfly Reserve. It turned out that my mother also wanted to see the monarch butterflies. That's the main reason we headed for Mexico on this trip and not somewhere else. Before I started to make the plans I was a bit worried that going to Mexico with my mother ... read more
Xochimilco
Egret
Winnie-the-Pooh

North America » Mexico » Distrito Federal December 19th 2018

Anthony Bourdain wrote: "Americans love Mexican food. We consume nachos, tacos, burritos, tortas, enchiladas, tamales and anything resembling Mexican in enormous quantities. We love Mexican beverages, happily knocking back huge amounts of tequila, mezcal, and Mexican beer every year. We love Mexican people—we sure employ a lot of them. Despite our ridiculously hypocritical attitudes towards immigration, we demand that Mexicans cook a large percentage of the food we eat, grow the ingredients we need to make that food, clean our houses, mow our lawns, wash our dishes, and look after our children. As any chef will tell you, our entire service economy—the restaurant business as we know it—in most American cities, would collapse overnight without Mexican workers. Some, of course, like to claim that Mexicans are “stealing American jobs.” But in two decades as a chef ... read more
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North America » Mexico » Distrito Federal » Mexico City November 1st 2018

Our Costa Rican leg of the trip came to an end on the 28th. Staying in Atenas, on the outskirts, meant waking to a tranquil morning surrounded by misty mountain peaks and not being deep in the city centre as before. Highway 3, through to the city on one end, and from where we travelled the previous day, connected us west to east. The transfer came to time, Jesús appropriately uplifting us. Within half an hour we’d gone 25km to Juan Santa Maria aeropuerto. Jesus Gerardo Mejía was an interesting fellow, and like all our trips, it was a good chat had en route mostly on Costa Rican life. Unexpectedly, the 12.30 Aeromexico flight was delayed. Checked in, we then waded through the lengthy security section, to be placed in that location where all is either ... read more
Old town scenes

North America » Mexico » Distrito Federal September 20th 2018

We are up early this morning, Ian having snored his way through the entire night and me waking at 3am - how does he manage it? As penance I send him out in search of coffee at 7am. He returns with two lattes and a heavy bread based cake thing. This is not good for me but I am rather too hungry to object. Apparently the fresh fruit stalls are not open yet. Today’s plan is to visit Chapultepec Castle and the Bosque de Chapultepec (large park) in which it is situated. In another bid to beat the tour groups we plan to be there by 9am when it opens. Now I know we could easily order an Uber but where’s the fun in that? Instead, we set off for the metro station which is just ... read more
Diana the Huntress
Modern office block
Monumento a los Indepedencia (detail)

North America » Mexico » Distrito Federal » Mexico City September 19th 2018

We’re both pretty jetlagged and waking in a room which looks out into a void doesn’t help - we thought it was still the middle of the night but it turns out that there is a cover on top of the quadrangle we face on to - in fact it is 6am! They have promised us a room with a proper window today! Bit of a nuisance moving but we would prefer a room with a view! We successfully make a Skype call to mum and dad. They are both fine although mum is missing me. We decide to take it easy today as we are both tired. I am gagging for a cup of coffee so we take a wander in search of a cafe for breakfast. It’s 9am and nothing appears to be open ... read more
Bear visits Temple Mayor
Bear at Temple and Metropolitan Cathedral
Wall of skulls

North America » Mexico » Distrito Federal » Mexico City September 18th 2018

An early start from Birmingham. There are emotional goodbyes and I don’t think I will ever erase the image of my mum and dad sadly waving goodbye from their lounge window. It doesn’t matter that mum will soon have forgotten I was ever there - I just hope she will remember who I am when we FaceTime dad tomorrow! Were’s that pack of travel tissues? We take an Uber. It’s a first for us. It arrives on time and delivers us to Birmingham Airport in good time. We will definitely be using Uber in future. A leisurely breakfast had been planned but thanks to O2 this doesn’t happen. Instead I am on the phone to customer service as soon as it opens at 8am for the zillionth time to ask why they have not sorted out ... read more
Arriving Mexico City
Descent into Schiphol Airport Amsterdam


What an excitement! To be honest, I have not met anyone so far who does not have aspiration of viewing Machu Pichu at least once in life time. I recall when I used to live in Toronto in my green days, I always wanted to see Machu Pichu. Couldn’t fulfill my dream for one reason or another, but ‘a true love doesn’t die’. So when YYC travel deal announced a US$350 return to Lima from Calgary inclusive of taxes, I almost fell from my chair in the office. Wow! No, this time I had to convince Suman to come along with me…I was determined. These kind of tickets don’t survive long…there are plenty of vultures like me who just wait for such a deal. Knowing that Suman will push back as much as she could I ... read more
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Mexico City from the above
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The Teotihuacan ruins just north-east of Mexico City have two special attractions –the Le Sol (Sun) and La Luna (moon) pyramids. In truth both are incredible sights, but there are plenty of other interesting sites here particularly some well preserved wall paintings. The Sun pyramid is the 3rdlargest in the world and today stands 66m tall but the best thing is that and you can climb to the top. It’s nothing like as steep as the Mayan pyramids so the climb is easy enough and the view over the rest of the site is tremendous. You can only climb about half-way up the Moon pyramid, but as this is at the end of the main road, and built on higher ground it is both more imposing and the best place from which to view the Pyramid ... read more

North America » Mexico » Distrito Federal » Mexico City April 7th 2018

There are very few things I tell people not to do when they ask for travel advice. Some are obvious to me, since I have done it so often. But whether you are a rookie or a veteran of travel, some simple rules are always necessary. Never overbook yourself I know, it is tempting to make reservations for all of the top restaurants that your friends have suggested. We had reservations at Mexico City's top places. But once I was toppled over by altitude sickness, I had to cancel all of them. The same goes for tours and excursions. I arranged a food tour and bike tour on successive days since I was by myself until Mr. Mike arrived. It worked out just fine. But I do see the problem with ... read more
Location, location, location!!!
Hang out in the airline's lounge
Do not overbook yourself!




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