Mexico City was very cool. The first day we arrived, we dropped off the van to the mechanic for a scheduled check up and took a taxi to the apartment where we would be staying in the next few days. Diana, whom we met through Couchsurfing, lent us an empty apartment. We hung out at the corner store while waiting for Elisa and Fernando, Diana’s mom and brother, who would open up the apartment for us. After setting up our sleeping arrangements, Elisa and Fernando dropped us off at a small restaurant where Nate, Amelia and I ate birria, a goat stew. If you’re in Seattle, imagine it like a Gyro stew. We later watched X Men 3 and went to sleep.

We got up and went to the Zocalo via metro. We arrived at the station and walked several blocks to the plaza. We walked to the Cathedral (which the Spaniards has built on top of the Aztec temple), and saw a guy who was playing- well, turning a crank which made a circus-like song that repeated over and over and OVER again. Inside the Cathedral, where mass was going on, even over the sounds of the organ the instrument could be heard. It was very annoying.

Zócalo. Photo by V.

Zócalo. Photo by V.

The church itself was like any other church really, only bigger. I guess it’s the largest cathedral of the Americas. It has lots of rooms like altars to the various saints, as well as several gory images of Jesus hanging from the walls or lying down. However, the church also had a pendulum in the center that showed how the building has moved since it was built, because the city is built on a lake. Many of the paintings were also painted with (literal) gold paint, which though now it was rather faded, would have looked very shiny and nice to the Spanish conquerors.

After the Cathedral, we walked to the very nearby Aztec temple, the Major Temple which as stated before had been partly destroyed and built over by the Spaniards. It had had multiple tiers built on it as different kings deemed fit, either to make it more splendid or to raise and protect from the floods of Teotihuacan, ancient Mexico City. We walked around that for several hours, also visiting the Aztec museum that was part of the tickets.

At the Major Temple. Photo: V

At the Major Temple. Photo: V

The Major Temple  and the Cathedral. Photo: Amelia

The Major Temple and the Cathedral. Photo: Amelia

Representation of the skull wall at the museum. Photo: Amelia

Representation of the skull wall at the museum. Photo: Amelia

Afterwards, we went for lunch and ice cream. Amelia and I ate at the Nueva Michoacana. If you travel to Mexico City, ONLY look for La Michoacana. La Nueva tasted very, very bad, even for chocolate ice cream. The way home via metro was considerably more packed than the arrival had been.

The next day we went to the National Palace, where we saw the murals of Diego Rivera, an exhibit of masks around the world, and several smaller exhibits on the history of Mexico. The murals of Diego Rivera were basically communist propaganda, and they would never have been hung in the White House. They were very pretty and cool, and did a good job of showing the story of Mexico. And they were communist propaganda. It doesn’t get any more obvious when you paint Marx at the top of it.  

Part of Diego Rivera's mural. Photo: Nate

Part of Diego Rivera’s mural. Photo: Nate

Masks of the world. Photo: V

Masks of the world. Photo: V

We then left for Coyoacán. As we walked to the center of town, we stopped at a little exercise stand thingy, where we ran, pulled up our body weights with machines, etc. It was fun, but we continued on. We stopped for ice cream at the Michoacana, which tasted good. However, the attendants were rather very bored and kind of ignored us. Mom made a not very subtle comment on their boredom almost directly to their faces. Regardless, the ice cream was good.

La Casa Azul, also known as the Frida Kahlo museum, was nice, but personally rather boring. I was also in pain because I had a painful blister due to the fact that my socks pressed against my feet funny. Also because of that reason, we took a bus to the metro station. Anyway, we got back home and ordered a pizza, because Amelia and I wanted a movie night. 

Got some push-ups in at this outdoor exercise park on our way to Coyoacán.  Photo: V

Got some push-ups in at this outdoor exercise park on our way to Coyoacán. Photo: V

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To continue with our unplanned theme, Nate and I played X Men at an arcade machine while we waited for our pizza. When we got it, we opened it up, revealing at least 30 assorted ketchup and hot sauce packets. Who would need that much ketchup and hot sauce on their pizza? More importantly, who eats ketchup and hot sauce with their pizza!? Nevertheless, the pizza was good. We watched the movie, X Men Origins Wolverine, which turned out to be VERY cheesy and also really bad. Dang. It was still a fun night thought.

Really?! Photo: can't remember

Really?! Photo: can’t remember

On our last full day in Mexico City we went to Chapultepec. We visited the zoo, which was free. First we went to the Butterfly House and Insectarium, which were not free, but still cool. We named and released butterflies, who had just crawled out of their cocoons. Mine was Pedro. We also got to hold a tarantula. I thought it was going to be prickly and hairy but was actually surprisingly light.

Photo by Nate

Photo by Nate

Photo by Nate

Photo by Nate

Afterwards, we walked around the zoo, home to panthers, jaguars, ocelots, baboons, gorillas, deer, pig things, and several monkeys who gave us a show of playing, attempting to steal food from each other, eating fleas, and for some reason pulling their tongues out of their mouth. We really wanted to go back the next day, we like it so much. We soon left because Diana had invited us to lunch. We took the metro back, and then waited at the apartment for her to pick us up. She, her boyfriend Rey (who is an international boxer), Fernando and Elisa had made us a delicious lunch of mushroom and pumpkin flower soup, alambre (shredded beef and bacon to put in tacos), guacamole, and for Amelia and me, a bowl of ice cream after dinner.

Photo by Nate

Photo by Nate

Diana and Rey had to leave to the gym that they co-own, so the rest of us stayed, playing with their dogs and watching Jurassic Park in Spanish. After a bit, we left to check out the gym, which specializes in boxing and MMA. I did a short round of MMA, learning the basics. I had fun doing it, even though my partner weighed about twice as much as me. Everyone else did some boxing. When we were done, we went to shower at Guadalupe’s house (another of Diana’s aunts). We were then invited to eat at a very nice restaurant by Diana’s parents, and I had rabbit. It was very good, but I was also very full by the end of it. We went home after dinner, saying thanks and goodbye to everyone and to Mexico City!

Benjamin tries MMA. See more photos in the media section of our blog. Photo:

Benjamin tries MMA. See more cool action shots in the Media section of our blog. Photo: Nate or V

Training with Reyes "Rey" Sanchez, boxer. Photo: V

Training with Reyes “Rey” Sanchez, boxer. Photo: V

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Showing 3 comments
  • Ruth
    Reply

    Okay, what’s MMA? You’re all looking’ good!

    • Nate
      Nate
      Reply

      MMA is Mixed Martial Arts. Like karate and boxing all rolled into one. He was in there a good hour!

  • Santiago García
    Reply

    Hey Chuchumeco! Gracias por compartir amiguito! Que nota la tarántula que sostuviste! Te quiero!

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