patrick.net

My wife is an art professor and teaches a class in pre-Colombian art. She is fluent in Spanish and we have traveled together a lot.

We had planned this trip for two years ago but got delayed by the government trying to kill us.. We finally made the reservations. It was incredibly cheap. 2 round trip nonstop flights and 9 days in a nice hotel for $2,000. Food and fun will probably double that for the whole trip.

Ceffer says

Don't forget to take a few virgins to sacrifice in the volcanos.

We usually just get away with paying the "la mordida". In the end it's cheaper.

Plaza Garibaldi is awesome, I recommend it highly.
There is cool old restaurant near the Zocalo but I forgot the name.
Ruffino Tamayo had a museum as I recall.
Maybe visit Frida Kahlos house.

clambo says

Ruffino Tamayo

Museo Rufino Tamayo, Mexico City
museotamayo.org
Museo Rufino Tamayo is a public contemporary art museum located in Mexico City's Chapultepec Park, that produces contemporary art exhibitions, using its collection of modern and contemporary art, as well as artworks from the collection of its founder, the artist Rufino Tamayo.

Cool. Literally blocks from where we are staying

Frida's house is on our list. There are numerous "Home of... " in Mexico City. We're going to see a bunch of them.

Interesting choice of location

BayArea says

Interesting choice of location

We really enjoy culture and history. Mexico City has a lot of both.

Onvacation says

BayArea says

Interesting choice of location

We really enjoy culture and history. Mexico City has a lot of both.

I think it would be a blast for sure. I don't know that area though myself. With covid coming home, try to do the hotel test if they offer it. I've had a lot of friends recently traveling and doing independent tests at a local pharmacy or doctors office come back positive.

Depends on the policy, but where we've stayed in Mexico if you test positive the hotel puts you up for the quarantine time until you test negative. Basically they're losing room revenue if you test positive. So....... my guess is the tests are altered to get you out of there. Depends on the hotel or you may be renting a house. If you can afford to chill for 5 days or wait until a negative test, go for it. But I'd maybe suggest staying at a hotel (if you stay long enough) that covers your covid test to get back to the states.

You'll likely be fine. We just traveled with 5 of us to Cancun. Just understand you might be stuck due to Covid. It sounds like a more non-tourist type trip, so just be careful with the lodging and testing. I love Mexico. I don't get people that freak out about it. Going back in November. Tourist area (Cancun...) but still fun and good food if off resort. I really need to get to some good cenotes around there. One thing we haven't done. Belize is coming soon. That might be the biggie 2023 for travel.

Mexico City is actually fun if you’re a tourist and don’t have to drive.
The weather should be pretty good.

Just make sure to only take the cabs that work for the hotel

clambo says

Mexico City is actually fun if you’re a tourist and don’t have to drive.
The weather should be pretty good.

I imagine it is. I'd like to go. Lots of stigma with Mexico that I don't get. I get a few Central American countries, but even then people just want to live and have fun if they can. You've got the Pacific and Caribbean on each side of Central America and cool towns/cities in the middle.

Americans have to get over their fear of international travel. It may not always go smooth, but it's highly unlikely you'll die or be robbed. With the internet you can research an area, find vendors that have hundreds or thousands of reviews. And don't use the safe in the room for cash. Hide it where no one would look. Bring a roll of tape. You're an obvious target if you can travel internationally. I've forgotten a safe code and they opened it in 5 seconds. Just remember where you hide your shit. We left a quarter of weed in Vegas when my buddy fucked up the toilet and it started flooding and we just ran. lol.

What ever you do, don't point out that most of the ruins look reconstructed. As nobody will travel around the world to visit a pile of rocks.
And when the guide is fawning over a precise hole or square notch cut in a stone. Don't be a spoil sport like I was and say, "Well it looks like core and rock samples done by Archeologists" before that sort of thing was considered a no no, destructive and illegal by the country's antiquity division. But don't fall for it, and believe that it was ancient aliens that did it.

I only carry cash sufficient for things like mom and pop restaurants, tips, taco stands, etc.

Tip: use Citibanamex to get cash in Mexico, they give the best exchange rate for USA dollars.

Tip: Restaurants often accept credit and debit cards, but you might have to tip the waiter in cash.
Sometimes he can add it to the card transaction, sometimes not.

BayArea says

Interesting choice of location

Shithole.

clambo says

Maybe visit Frida Kahlos house.

She was the original Selfie fanatic before internet.....she just painted her mug with the fucked up eyebrows

clambo says

Tip: use Citibanamex to get cash in Mexico, they give the best exchange rate for USA dollars.

That's a good tip. If you're at a local place they'll just make up the fucking exchange rate on the spot. Has nothing to do with economic reality. Pull out an old school calculator and tell you that's what it is, XX%.

I imagine Mexico City you may want to just get a bunch of Pesos for a rough estimate of what you might spend. Places like Cancun and Baja seem more friendly to the US dollar, but I have no experience with MC.

I know it's the devil, but Facebook has amazing groups for travel. If you're on it, check out to see if there's any Mexico City group pages for travelers. I've gotten a shit ton of tips from those types of groups. TripAdvisor is a good resource too for location based questions. Reviews of properties/resorts/hotels, not so much. Competition pays people to give shit reviews or the property entices people to give a good review with perks at your stay. The review game might be worse than Realtors.... lol.

Tenpoundbass says

it was ancient aliens

Definitely going to Teotihuacan.

Ancient helicopter pads.

zzyzzx says

BayArea says

Interesting choice of location

Shithole.

As bad as SF or Oakland?

Mexico City has some nice neighborhoods, like most large cities.
I was amazed how much fun Plaza Garibaldi was, how good some restaurants were, how cool the Anthropology Museum was.
I didn’t mention hot chicks because evidently it’s a family trip.
However, I would not wear a Rolex, nice jewelry or carry a lot of cash.
If Uber doesn’t work for you there, ask the desk at the hotel to summon one for you. Then repeat after the restaurant or museum.
Get whatsapp on your phone and if you like the uber guy tip him well; he’ll give you his whatsapp and you now have a driver.
I told a lot of my friends that Mexico can be a blast if you have money.

Why don't you visit someplace nice like Poland.

Poland… shhh don’t let the secret out.

Mexico can be great but you also have a lot of danger and need to be smart.

I’ve experienced 5 great trips to Mexico and 1 nightmare where I was drugged and lost all consciousness for 6-7hrs in Puerto Vallarta.

BayArea says

1 nightmare where I was drugged and lost all consciousness for 6-7hrs

And hopefully not a smart bottom.

Fortunately no

BayArea says

1 nightmare where I was drugged and lost all consciousness for 6-7hrs in Puerto Vallarta.

Another reason to drink beer. Damn near impossible to drug it unless draft. It happens stateside though too if you're having mixed drinks. No place is ever safe and you need to be aware of your surroundings. Not blaming you, just giving some advice. Shouldn't happen anywhere. Humans are fucked up though. I'm paranoid and have anxiety issues though. I trust nothing and nobody for the most part.

I'm actually getting sketchy feelings from our local bar we play volleyball at. Sucks, but I might stop playing. Might be the economy but getting a seedy element lately. Makes my skin crawl with some of the people there. Some I know are shit heads.

My experiences in Mexico have been great. No sickness and I always forget to use the water bottle to brush my teeth. Only liquids I'll drink are Mimosas in the morning and a lighter beer throughout the day. Might be a bit dehydrated by the end, but I feel fine. I ain't ordering a Margarita or anything like that or drinking any water. Alcohol dehydrates, but a lighter beer has a lot of water in it as well. I pee clear on this method 24/7. Get a morning Mimosa buzz (different than beer), take a shower, have sex and then nap for an hour. Then start in with a beer. That's the kid free formula for me on vacation. I'm up at 5am and stay up till 1am and feel great.

Ya, it’s important not to slip up with the street smarts

The incident I’m referring to above was a waiter at a restaurant bringing out a shot of tequila that I took thinking I was safe. Lights out shortly after taking that one shot. I woke up 6-7hrs later. If you’ve ever had this happen to you, you wake up clear and you know exactly what just happened (it’s not like waking up obliterated after blacking out on excessive alcohol).

Let me guard down and was reminded what goes on down in Mexico and how vulnerable tourists can be.

I went back to the restaurant, nobody knows anything, nobody willing to help. Spoke to police who had no interest to hear any of it. The incident soured me on Mexico.

Booger says

Why don't you visit someplace nice like Poland.

Been there. Krakow is beautiful but Warsaw is not. The polish people are very friendly.

Krakow is beautiful
Gdańsk is beautiful
Countryside is beautiful
Baltic is beautiful

BayArea says

Mexico can be great but you also have a lot of danger and need to be smart.

I’ve experienced 5 great trips to Mexico and 1 nightmare where I was drugged and lost all consciousness for 6-7hrs in Puerto Vallarta.

Do you still have both kidneys?

I lived there for almost 5 months in 2021 while I was waiting for Europe to allow Americans in.

I loved the tour of Palace of fine arts. An art deco masterpiece filled with murals by Mexico's finest muralists.

For antiques and just culture watching, the best is Tiangis La Lagunilla on Sundays only. It's one of the largest open air antique markets with great bargains on bronzes and bibelot of all sorts. Well worth spending time there. Plus, the covered stalls that sell the counterfit Gucci/Prada etc, is equally amusing. They have food stalls and very colorful characters. Just make sure you keep your wallet in a safe spot.

Dinner at:

Pujol.

Rosetta

Rosa Negra Polanco

Taboo Polanco

Amaya for the best soft-shelled crabs

For lunch: Go to El Huequito for the finest most finger-licking succulent al pastor tacos. I prefer to have them bring me a big plate of the al pastor meat and lots of home made tortillas and sauces and guacamole and to make my own soft tacos. They are so delicious that it's worth going to Mexico City, alone just for their food. Never found anything else like it in the US and certainly not here in Europe.

**AVOID** don't ever go into TEPITO. It's a tianguis market you don't want to venture into. Drug deals and dangers of all sorts there. Just don't go. Isn't worth it.

I also hated the Ciudadella, it's the cities giant Olvera Street that you pay to enter and filled with tourist crap at higher prices than outside the walls. I walked around disgusted after I asked for the price of a Mexcian sterling silver charger, not antique, to which I was informed was the equivalent of US $1400, for one charger.

The Frida Kahlo house was not worth going to a really ugly part of Mexico City. Mexcio City is vast...like Los Angeles but times 10 or more. And taking a taxi or uber there takes a long time, once we got into the house we realize that the house is really devoid of much of her work. It was ugly dark and dreary...typical for Mexicans of that time period

The Anthropolgy museum is not to be missed one of the most beautiful collections of ancient artifacts housed in a masterpiece of mid century modernism. The tower with water feature is exquisitie.

The Soumaya museum is exquiste from the outside with a mediocre collection inside, alas.

I also loved the Museum Studio of Diego Rivera/Frida Kahlo designed in 1931 by artist/archtiect Juan O'Gorman. You get a real sense of place and tiem and it helps to imagine how pieces were done and then moved in and out of the studio. Really worth the trip to this small place. The museum is located in Colonia San Angel and is set in a neighborhood with charming cobblestoned streets and beautiful stores and excellent restaurants. Worth spending an afternoon of lunch shopping and museum excurcsion.

Thanks @WillyWanker That is some good advice. I will definitely avoid Tepito and the Cuidadella. We'll try to get to Tiangis La Lagunilla on Sunday.

Does anyone know anything about Teotihuacán or the other pre-Columbian sites around Mexico City? Best way to get to these places? We don't want to rent a car.

My wife is really into pre-Columbian art and culture. I like it too.

WillyWanker says

For antiques and just culture watching, the best is Tiangis La Lagunilla on Sundays only.

Tried that regretted it. A swarm of humanity in a maze of shops.

Somewhere in Mexico City is a specialty shop for any possible thing you want.

Patrick says

Eh, I don't get the dislike of Mexico. Most illegals are not even Mexican. I feel safer there than Chicago around blacks. Sure I'm a tourist but I've never remotely had one issue in maybe 10 trips. Never remotely felt uncomfortable anywhere. Have left resorts and gone into non-tourist areas. Visited local restaurants (very good).

I don't get the heat Mexico gets. Could they help us with the border more, for sure. Could they ship less drugs. Sure. It's generally not Mexicans crossing the border. It's central Americans and Muslims from across an Ocean. Costa Rica is okay, but the wife is there with friends currently. Freaks me out. It's not 1st world yet. 2nd world still with poor utilities and infrastructure. And kidnappers and rapist that can get away with it. Worrying week coming up for me. No males with them. Costa is good, but still edgy.

Mexico's cartel problems are becoming ours. It is spilling over the border and destabilizing their government and our investments there.

WookieMan says

I don't get the dislike of Mexico.

I actually like Mexico. But they do have a big cartel and violence problem.

Freida Kahlo is a retarted ugly bisexual Bolshevik.

If she wasn't a bisexual female communist, nobody would give a shit about her.

Patrick says

WookieMan says

I don't get the dislike of Mexico.

I actually like Mexico. But they do have a big cartel and violence problem

Eh... Never seen it. Been enough times to know. The violence is isolated. No different than Chicago or Baltimore. You can go to the Mag Mile in Chicago and be 99% safe. The cartels don't want to fuck with tourist areas which is much of the country.