Day One - Mexico City

Mercado de Medellin, walking tour, around neighborhood, lunch,

We are staying in La Condesa, a somewhat posh (although not to most posh) area of Mexico City. We had it on good recommendation from our friends Dave and Eileen who have travelled here many times. We were not disappointed. The streets are just layered with big arching trees. The architecture of the buildings big and small is beautiful and creative. It performs like many a European city.

We woke up nice and early for our first day. We had a guided walking tour scheduled for 11am so we wended our way through three or four lovely parks, visited the Mercado de Medellin, and took in some nice murals before reaching the meeting place. Unlike Victoria, Mexico City has a real dedication to making their buildings canvasses for art. When we met up with our group, we had already been walking around for three hours. My feet were already complaining.

It is always a good idea to get a tour in early in one’s stay. Who knew that Mexico City was built on a filled-in lake - and consequently is sinking 1.5mm per year. Windows that had been above street level are now partly below grade. Yikes! We visited the oldest church and square in Mexico City. It was established in the 1500s in an area now called La Romita. We also visited a former horse track that was later turned into a circular or really oval drive. Located in the center of the city, it is remarkable quiet.

By one o’clock, our group was starving. We stopped at a street vendor making green tortillas with this wonderful mushroom and cheese filling. Fabulous. At the final stop, we arrived at one of the parks we had already visited but all the kids, young adults, and older folks that had been doing exercises like boxing, skating, Pilates, and other recreational activities had already departed. And then the light rain came.

We made our way back to the market to pick up some fruits and vegetables and groceries. It is fun to look at all the fresh items but can’t really eat. The rules are no uncooked items unless they can be peeled. Too bad. I’m not willing to chance it though. You also can’t drink the tap water. We are avoiding ice too. Sigh.

A good first day.Read more