A Weekend in Mexico City

When my friend suggested we visit Mexico City for a weekend, I wasn't convinced it would be that great.  In fact, I actually tried to persuade her to go to Cuba instead, but she was too scared we'd be detained...haha. Alas, I knew that any trip with this particular friend would be fun,and the ticket price was so cheap that I agreed. 

In preparation for the weekend, I searched Pinterest and read as many blogs as I could find.  There were a lot of good lists of sites and restaurants to visit, but honestly nothing conveyed how amazing Mexico City actually turned out to be.  Maybe its supposed to be a secret?  Oh well, here's a snapshot into our four day weekend in Mexico City, and how fantastic this city truly is.

Interjet is a great low-cost airline with a generous luggage allowance. I had the entire row to myself on both flights to and from Mexico City. The snacks were pretty good too!

Uber is the best way to get around Mexico City.  Our ride from the airport was 40 minutes long, and cost us around $4.  Don't try to walk anywhere...its literally not worth it.

We used Airbnb, and our rooftop home was one of the most beautiful, relaxing lofts I've ever experienced.  The interior was pristine, but we spent 99% of our time out on the terrace.  
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/939721?checkin=&checkout=&guests=2&adults=2&children=0&infants=0&s=1HZP8uaS
Pro-tip: When your Airbnb is on the 5th floor with no elevator you can eat and drink as much as you want. That's science.

Mexico City is a culinary mecca, and we started off our foodie fantasies at Lardo, a modern pizzeria kitchen with rustic decor. Everything was perfect about this place; from the pizza and wine to the trendy neighborhood and atmosphere.  We had zucchini blossoms, a pizza to ourselves, and downed a bottle of Rosé for less than $20 each. 

Chapultec Castle houses not only one of the best views of Mexico City, but also a beautiful castle, garden and museum full of Mexican history and memorabilia. The hike up to the castle isn't the easiest, but we reconciled with the fact that we were burning booze calories.

We weren't sure what these were because 

everything was in Spanish and we're ignorant. 

(Rosé was kicking in as well)

We ended our first day at Arena Mexico for some good old fashioned Lucha Libre or Mexican Wrestling.  We splurged a whole $21 for front row tickets.  Cheaper tickets are available as low as $3.  There is no other atmosphere quite like Lucha Libre!

 The Arena sells all kinds of crazy souvenirs and snacks.  

Who doesn't need ramen noodle soup 

while they're watching Mexican Wrestling?

One of our friends was astounded that they allowed children

in the wresting ring.  We assured them that this is no child.

There were cameras everywhere, so its

quite possible we're on Spanish TV.  #famous

We started off Day 2 with brunch al fresco at Fonda Mayora.  This adorable restaurant has great service, delicious food, and heavy handed mimosas...the perfect fuel for a day full of walking and museums. 

The Frida Kahlo museum is an absolute must-see. Not only is her artwork powerful and interesting, but her life and home with Diego Rivera are stunningly beautiful. 

Not far down the street is the lesser known Trotsky House Museum. If you have time, this is a real hidden gem full of mind-blowing facts about Communism and political asylum in Mexico City. 

For a late lunch we headed over to Roma Mercado, an amazing food hall and market with great food choices for everyone.  We settled on an authentic Mexican restaurant, Mix Tamal, located near the entrance where street performers congregate.

We spent the afternoon wandering around countless markets, eating ice cream, and taking in the magical ambiance of the city.  There is so much constantly going on, and everything is so colorful and alive!

Saturday night, we had dinner at Broka, which was really great.  Its a cool restaurant with amazing food and the best mescal.  http://www.brokabistrot.com/

After dinner, we headed to Ladina Bar, a great hostel bar with patrons from all over the world and an awesome bar staff.  Highly recommend, and fortunately I have no photos to show exactly how much fun we had. Fun fact:  a great way to break the ice with Mexicans is to ask them who's paying for the wall?
https://www.instagram.com/ladinabar/


We started off Sunday with brunch at Lalo!.  Even though I was struggling hard from the night before, the food was spectacular.

Thanks to a second wind from Lalo!, our next stop was the Xochimilco Floating Gardens.  This was one of my favorite parts of Mexico City.  Located in the south of Mexico City, these canals are full of families enjoying a Sunday afternoon.  We were some of the only tourists there, and the experience was so authentic.  Floating beside our boats were vendors selling all kinds of beautiful souvenirs and delicious foods.  Along the routes were green houses filled with lush greenery for purchase.

Jessica made a bold choice buying this cup of corn from an old lady in a boat with soupy brown boiling water.  I tasted it, and it was delicious and nothing happened to me.  Jessica got food poisoning about 4 hours later.  This is a lesson on how if you eat garbage on a regular basis like me, you'll be fine eating anything in a 3rd world country.  I think Jessica will rethink always buying those organic veggies now. 

 

On our last day, Jessica was feeling like death, but was a real trooper.  We left our Airbnb one last time with our backpacks on in route to the Teotihuacan Pyramids.  On our way we stopped by Rosetta Bakery.  Not only was the coffee superb, but the pastries were on point! http://www.rosetta.com.mx/panaderia-en/galeria.html

I was excited to get to the Pyramids, but I honestly had no clue how huge they were going to be. They were magnificent and an absolute must see.

 Luckily we spotted this amateur sketch of a leprechaun.

We took an Uber straight from the Pyramids to the airport and headed back to Texas.  Not only was this trip super fun, but I barely spent any money living like a queen for 4 days. The people were warm and friendly, and I truly cannot wait to return for another weekend.

Here is our itinerary we made together before leaving.  We didn't get to do everything because Mexico City is so huge, and 4 days was not even close to long enough. 

Friday:

1. Lunch at Lardo

2. Chapultec Park and Castle

3. National Museum of Anthropology

4. La Feria de Chapultec

5. Avario Moctezuma

6. Lucha Libre at Arena Mexico

7. La Clandestina for best mescal in town.

Saturday:

1. Breakfast at Fonda Mayora

2. Frida Kahlo Museum

3. Trotsky House Museum

4. Tour neighborhood of San Angel

5. Fonoteca art wall

6. Capilla de Santa Catarina

7. Lunch at Mercado Roma

8. La Merced biggest market

9. Dinner at Broka

10. Ladina Bar-hostel bar

Sunday:

1. Breakfast at Lalo!

2. Xochimilco Floating Gardens (40 minutes from Airbnb and canal tour lasts about 3 hours)

3. Lots of rest at beautiful terrace Airbnb

Monday:

1. Breakfast at Rosetta Bakery

2. Teotihuacan Pyramids (allow 3-4 hours)

3. Uber to Airport