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Mexico

January 2024
  • Lucy Prescott
A 21-day adventure by Lucy Read more
  • Lucy Prescott

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  • Lucy PrescottTravelerMexico

    Xochimilco

    January 11, 2024 in Mexico ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    In the morning I took a tour of the Xochimilco canals, which are like a live museum of how Mexico would once have looked. The city is built on a lake and transport around the city would once have been via a canal system but these have gradually been drained or filled in. The land in between the canals is known as chinampas and are largely agricultural, these are surrounded by willow trees which help to keep the land compact. The canals were really peaceful and we saw herons and migratory pelicans amongst other birds. Along the way, we stopped at an axolotl sanctuary to learn more about the different species that once lived in the canals. These are now largely extinct from the canals due to predation from non-native fish that were introduced.

    Visits to Xochimilco are often for drinking and boozy boat rides but being an old lady I booked a more chilled tour. Our tour guide, Miroslava is a cultural ambassador for Xochimilco and was full of passion for the history of her city. We began the tour at her café, 'Dalia', and had the most delicious coffee I have ever tasted, in was infused with cinnamon. We then visited the market to buy ingredients to make tamales.

    We took a boat from the central port, where the canals are quieter. On the boat we started to make our tamales. Inside corn husk we put onion, mushrooms, greens and an aloe type leaf, topped with chilli infused cheese. We wrapped this all inside the corn husks and placed them on heated charcoal for 40 minutes. The tamales were delicious and we finished our lunch with a shot of mezcal with tamarind juice.

    I'm so glad I took this tour and avoided a boozy boat ride. It was such a fun and relaxing start to my travels.    Read more

  • Lucy PrescottTravelerMexico

    Coyoacán

    January 11, 2024 in Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    I took an Uber from Xochimilco to Coyoacán to meet up with old Madagascar friends - POW and Andrés. I arrived a little early so wandered through the market and to Frida Khalo's blue house (tickets to go inside have to be booked in advance and I wasn't organised enough). I then wandered across the museum of popular culture and took a look inside.

    The first exhibition was the most wonderful display of pottery I think I've ever seen. Most were by a Oaxacan potter called Dolores Porras. In other rooms there were beautiful tapestries and figurines and a dinosaur skeleton intricately decorated with beads. There was a room dedicated to different depictions of the Nativity and another showing death in it many forms - my favourite being the drunk grim reapers.

    I met up with POW and Andrés in a little café and we spent lots of time reminiscing and catching up. We then walked around the town and took a look in the Parroquia San Juan Bautista, catholic church. POW and I drove up to Condesa neighbourhood and had pasta for dinner at Nonna.    Read more

  • Lucy PrescottTravelerMexico
    View down Reforma avenue
    Pomona - goddess of fruit trees, gardens and orchards.Flora - goddess of flowers.Hebe - goddess and personification of eternal youth.DianaCeres - goddess of agriculture, grain crops, fertility and motherly relationshipsEl Retablo de la Independencia

    Castillo de Chapultepec

    January 12, 2024 in Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Easy day today. I started with a healthy brunch at Camino A Comala in Condesa and then took a walk through Chapultepec park to the castle.

    The castle wasn't much to look at from the outside but the inside was a museum full of fancy decor, stained glass and art work. The first part that I visited is known as the Alcazar and shows rooms, jewellery, paintings and other objects from the times of Emperor Maximilian I and his wife Carlota, during the second Mexican Empire (1864-67) and of President Díaz (1876-1911). From the terrace looking east you can look down Reforma avenue towards El Ángel de la independencia. The highlight of this part of the castle was a series of stained glass windows from around 1900 that depict five Roman goddesses - Pomona, Flora, Hebe, Diana and Ceres.

    The second part is filled with art exhibits with some incredible mural paintings from the 20th century. These include El Retablo de la Independencia by Juan O'Gorman. Outside there is a beautiful garden surrounded by trees. There was also a stage where dances were practicing for a performance.

    Afterwards I met Joanne (staying at the same hostel) and we went for a late lunch at Monstruo de Agua. We shared plates, the best of which was mole with plantain. We then went to Joe's Gelato for Ice-cream, I had guava and ginger and chocolate hazelnut. Then back to the hostel for an early night.    Read more

  • Lucy PrescottTravelerMexico

    Polanco

    January 13, 2024 in Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Polanco is one of the fanciest neighbourhoods in Mexico City with some Michelin star restaurants. After the Anthropology museum I walked half an hour down Reforma Avenue to Polanco. By this point I was starving and found a nice little café that made a great omelette and my first refried beans of the trip.

    I spent an hour or so wandering around the streets, feeling very underdressed and poor! The neighbourhood had a couple of nice parks, as usual for Mexico City there were lots of dog walkers.

    I then headed back to the hotel to meet my tour group for the next couple of weeks. I booked a 2 week trip with Intrepid to ease myself into travelling and so that I didn't have to do some of the long trips through Mexico alone. We met up at the hotel and our leader, Sabina took us to a nearby restaurant for dinner. First impressions were great, there were to be 16 of us in total with a real mix of ages from early twenties to mid seventies. I'd clearly just missed a pro-Palestine demonstration in the city centre as I saw lots of people with placards and flags.    Read more

  • Lucy PrescottTravelerMexico

    Museo National de Anthropologie

    January 13, 2024 in Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    I treated myself to french toast for brunch at a cafe next to a park in Roma Norte, where I could watch all the morning dog walkers. This ended up being less enjoyable when I realised I'd forgotten my purse and Google Pay didn't work. So I had to leave my phone with the nice waiter and run back to my hostel for money.

    I'm not sure I fully experienced Roma and Condesa during my stay as I didn't really see the hype - lots of restaurants and cafes but otherwise I'm not sure.

    I did a quick bag move to a central hotel and then took an uber out to the Museum of Anthropology. This museum is IMMENSE!! I spent 2 hours there and barely scratched the surface. There are so many artifacts, murals and reconstructions. It goes right through the evolution of man, to the first arrivals to the Americas through to Teotihuacan (~100-700AD), the founding of Tenochtitlan (Mexico City, ~1325) by the Aztecs, and the great Mayan empires.    Read more

  • Lucy PrescottTravelerMexico

    Centro Historico

    January 14, 2024 in Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Action packed day exploring the historic centre of Mexico City. I headed out early for coffee and pastries with our tour leader Sabina. I then went off to explore the local artisan market where I found the cutest dungarees ever.

    On Sundays they pedestrianise some of the central streets and it was great to see people out running, walking, skating, cycling through the car free areas.

    I met up with Monica, an Aussie girl on the tour, and we went to look inside the Palacio de Belles Artes. Inside it was filled with murals and art exhibitions.

    My favourite part was a photography exhibition on the top floor showcasing the cities geography and socio-political history. There were reconstructed photographs showcasing the old city Tenochtitlan in comparison to the current city and showing lost ruins amidst the current buildings and neighbourhoods. There was also a section covering the protest movement against femicide.

    I took Monica to a café that I had visited on my first day, to enjoy lunch overlooking the palace. We then walked past the house of tiles and the Plaza de la Constitución towards the ruins of the Tenochtitlan Temple Mayor. The Plaza was fenced off and guarded by police as inside a group had gathered to fly kites in solidarity with Palestine.

    When we entered the Museum I thought we had made a huge mistake as it was packed with people. Once we'd paid however and made our way to the main part of the museum the crowds thinned and we enjoyed reading about the history of the site and seeing all the artefacts found there. The city of Tenochtitlan was founded due to the realisation of a prophecy, that a great city would be founded at a location signalled by an eagle with a snake in its beak, perched on a cactus. The Mexica (or Aztecs) saw this vision on an island in what was Lake Texcoco and the city was built out from there. Despite the poor terrain, the Mexica built the city using a chinampa system to dry and expand the island.

    We popped in for a quick look around the cathedral before heading to meet the rest of the group for a taco tour.    Read more

  • Lucy PrescottTravelerMexico

    Tlahuac

    January 15, 2024 in Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    This morning we headed out of Mexico City towards Puebla. On the way we stopped at Tlahuac, an old town in the south east of the Valley of Mexico. Here the canals and chinampas are still intact and we took a boat ride to see a family run farm on one of the chinampas.

    On the boat we were treated to the local coffee and tea, which is infused with cinnamon and is silky smooth. When we arrived on the chinampa we took a walk to see all the produce being grown - lettuce, cabbages, broccoli, cactus etc. We were then shown how to make tortillas before being treated to a delicious lunch of tlacoyos, which are tortillas stuffed with beans, cheese or pork.

    After lunch we headed back to the boat for a game of bingo and then jumped back into our van to continue on to Puebla.    Read more

  • Lucy PrescottTravelerMexico
    Juan

    Puebla City

    Jan 15–17, 2024 in Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Day 1: We arrived mid afternoon and went for an orientation walk around the city. There is a lovely central square with a cathedral and I spotted lots of pro-Palestine graffiti. In the evening we went to watch Lucha Libre (Mexican wrestling), it was utterly ridiculous but the crowd went mad for it.

    Day 2: I spent the morning exploring the city with Monica. I bought 'Juan' the octopus who would become my travel buddy for the next 3 months. We shopped and checked out some cafes.

    In the afternoon Cathy and I walked up to see the Murales De Xanenetla. The murals were beautiful but I stood in dog poo which slightly ruined the experience. I cleaned my shoe up and then we then carried on up to a view point to look out across the town.    Read more

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