Mexico City: An Opinionated Guide

HOW TO USE THE METROBUS

2012-01-28T18:26:00.013-06:00

Mexico City's Metrobus service, which began in 2005, has carried millions of chilangos around the city--and it keeps growing. If you live here you probably already have your metrocard and use the metrobus reguarly. But tourists may be a bit confused by it all.The first metrobus line (there are now 3, with more in the works) runs north-south along Insurgentes, and this is the line mostly likely

January 19-Happy Birthday José Alfredo

2012-01-19T23:26:00.008-06:00

The great Mexican singer/songwriter José Alfredo Jiménez would be 86 years old today. If his name isn't familiar to you, his music likely is. If you live in Mexico you encounter it everywhere--cantinas, taxis, the metro. His music is the standard fare of mariachis. The whole country can sing along with many of his songs. It goes well with tequila. Listen to THIS CLIP from Youtube where you

Happy New Year

2012-01-06T11:56:00.007-06:00

I'm having trouble accepting the fact that it's 2012 and I'm in Mexico.I returned from six weeks of travel, mostly in India, on December 15, and part ofmy brain, and a piece of my heart, are still stuck somewhere between Varanasi and Calcutta. (Click HERE to see photos of our trip).So before looking forward I'll look back a bit at the five most popular blog posts of 2011.Here's the list:1. Are

THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD

2011-12-26T13:13:00.000-06:00

Every time I leave Mexico City for even a few weeks, I'm amazed at how much has changed when I return. A few months ago I came home from a trip and found a new Starbuck's, a gourmet food store, and a branch of my bank right down the block from where I live.Last week I returned from six weeks of travel and immediately noticed changes within view of my apartment in Colonia Condesa. My neighbor is

METROPOLITAN OPERA IN MEXICO CITY

2011-12-21T07:21:00.007-06:00

Live HD video broadcasts from the Metropolitan Opera in New York City are presented in the vast Auditorio Nacional here in Mexico City every year. If you're an opera fan who sneers at the idea of opera on the big screen, all I can say is that you've never been to one of these broadcasts. It is quite an experience, different from attending a live opera, and in some ways better. You get close-up

DIEGO RIVERA'S 'OTHER' MURALS

2011-12-05T14:28:00.000-06:00

Diego Rivera's famous murals at the Palacio Nacional are on every 'Top Ten' list of what to do in Mexico City. Their epic sweep of Mexican history is grand and awe inspiring.But when I need a fix of Rivera, I prefer his 'other' murals in the Centro Histórico, just two blocks away from the Zócalo, at the offices of the Secretaría de Educación Pública (SEP). This series of earlier murals--over

COLONIA CONDESA: MEXICO CITY’S ART DECO NEIGHBORHOOD

2011-11-22T09:36:00.000-06:00

Colonia Condesa, Mexico City’s most charming neighborhood, blends faded glory with gleaming hipness. It has more trees than any part of the city, more pedigree dogs, more jazzy restaurants, shops, galleries, and even a big bookstore. The mayor lives here. You can take a tango class in the park, then head off to a sáke bar to relax. You can dunk your Krispy Kreme donut in Starbuck’s coffee. And

WHERE MONEY WAS MADE IN MEXICO

2011-11-10T13:44:00.001-06:00

The National Numismatic Museum The streets behind the Cathedral are crowded with vendors selling fake designer bags and pirate DVDs, plastic junk from China, and tacos de cabeza; the backdrop to this carnival-like jumble is faded splendor. The colonial architecture here is almost fully intact—if this were a European city it would be the most expensive and desirable part of town. But with its

MALINALCO--Mexico's Shangri-La

2011-10-31T11:16:00.004-06:00

One way to deal with the craziness of living in Mexico City is to escape to the country once in a while, and my favorite place to go is Malinalco, a magical spot hidden in the mountains of the Estado de Mexico. The Aztec goddess Malinalxóchitl thought the place magical enough to call it home, and the Mexican government officially endorsed her opinion last year when it included Malinalco in its

GUEST BLOGGING: Mexico City's Centro Histórico: Five things to see with your feet off the ground

2011-10-21T10:20:00.008-05:00

This week I've been invited to post on the blog of my friend C.M.Mayo. For those of you who don't already know 'Madam Mayo', let this be an introduction to this wonderful 'travel writer and novelist' as she calls herself (humbly leaving out translator, editor, podcaster and teacher--I can attest that her writing workshops are excellent).Here's the link to my post: Mexico City's Centro Histórico

ARTES DE MEXICO: Celebrating Our Culture

2011-10-11T12:59:00.003-05:00

Anyone who has poked around bookstores in Mexico City, the magazine section at Sanborn's, or the gift shop at almost any museum in the country, has probably encountered the publication Artes de Mexico. Founded by Miguel Salas Anzurez, with Vicente Rojo as graphic designer, this large glossy magazine has been celebrating Mexican culture since 1953. After more than 200 issues, it fell on hard

COLONIA ROMA, Part 2: BRAD'S PAD

2011-10-03T18:00:00.003-05:00

I've lived in Mexico for fifteen years and occasionally settle into a complacent feeling that I really know what's going on here. And then I see something like this news headline: Capsule containing Pope John Paul II's blood heading to Mexico and I begin to question it all over again. The blood, displayed in a new handcrafted reliquary, along with other items

SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE--The most beautiful town in Mexico?

2011-07-22T21:00:00.014-05:00

Lots of folks here in Mexico City take to the road on summer weekends, and one of the most popular destinations is the colonial town of San Miguel de Allende in the state of Guanajuato, about 4 hours north of the city.I'll admit a certain bias since in I lived there for almost ten years and got to explore every nook and cranny of the place. But after travelling all over Mexico, I still think

A CIVIL RESPONSE TO VIOLENCE

2011-07-18T13:44:00.004-05:00

Emiliano Salinas, son of former president Carlos Salinas de Gortari, speaks about problems facing the country and what it means to be Mexican today. Click on the link below:http://www.ted.com/talks/emiliano_salinas_a_civil_response_to_violence.html

MEXICO CITY: WHY WE LIVE HERE

2011-07-15T08:14:00.004-05:00

One of the great opportunities of being an expatriate is the chance to view life from distinct vantage points. A poster I saw here in Mexico City the other day got me thinking. It was an ad for “Lucha Libre--La Experiencia” which I thought had an elegant sound to it, like the title of some

THE WRITING'S ON THE WALL

2011-07-09T08:42:00.009-05:00

Even if you don't read the Spanish, you'll enjoy 'reading' the pre-Nahuatl glyphs reproduced in this article in La Jornada. A team of archeologists from Mexico's INAH and Stanford University have recently made advances in deciphering these beautiful images, first found in 1993 at a site near Teotihuacán.http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2011/07/07/cultura/a04n1cul

WIN A FREE TRIP TO MEXICO

2011-07-08T11:32:00.000-05:00

The perks are already flowing in from my new job (see previous post)--at least for my readers. (As one of the writers for Mexico Today I'm not eligible.)So click the link below, cross your fingers, and light a candle to the Virgin of Guadalupe--you may win a free trip to Mexico!http://www.facebook.com/MexicoToday?sk=app_180588498662106Several people have asked if I am continuing with this blog--

MUSEO DEL CHOPO, PART 2

2011-07-07T19:16:00.005-05:00

If you read my recent blog about the great art exhibit at the Museo del Chopo here in Mexico City and plan to go, hold on. I went again today and the place is 'Closed for Vacation' until July 25.First time I've ever heard of a museum that took a vacation. Ni modo.

MY NEW JOB

2011-06-30T07:31:00.000-05:00

Pressing the 'publish' button on a new blog post is always a leap of faith. There it goes, hurling into cyberspace--but is anybody out there? Reader responses tell me yes, but, let's face it--most people do not comment on all the blog posts they read. So it was a great surprise and pleasure to receive an email recently inviting me to be part of a new initiative sponsored by the Mexican Tourism

MAHLER FESTIVAL IN MEXICO CITY

2011-06-21T17:25:00.000-05:00

One hundred years after his death, Austrian composer Gustav Mahler is being celebrated with a series of concerts by the Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería at the Sala Nezahualcóyatl at the UNAM from the 30th of June to the 28th of August. The later symphonies (6 through 10) and two orchestral song cycles are scheduled along with selected works of other composers.If you've never heard Mahler's music,

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE SPANISH WORD?

2011-06-16T09:28:00.006-05:00

If you are one of the 500 million people in the world who speaks Spanish, you might be interested in ElDiaE, a worldwide internet event happening this Saturday, June 18.It is sponsored by the Instituto Cervantes , a non-profit group that promotes the study and teaching of the Spanish language.Several prominent people were asked to name their favorite word in Spanish. Antonio Banderas likes

MUSEO DEL CHOPO

2011-06-06T07:20:00.009-05:00

If you've never been to Mexico City's Museo del Chopo, now's a good time to go. The building itself, a cast-iron gem from 1902, was re-opened last year after a 3-year facelift. Currently, there's an impressive show of 26 large-format paintings, on display until August 10. These (mostly abstract) paintings are huge--some more than 30 feet long--and include work by some of the most important

FRIDA'S HOUSE

2011-05-12T08:45:00.000-05:00

Almost every first-time visitor to Mexico City has Frida Kahlo's big blue house in Coyoacán on a list of 'must-see' places. When I first visited almost 20 years ago I was the only one there. Today you're likely to see big tour buses out front.Now you can see it without leaving home. The website below offers a virtual 360-degree tour of the place. Just click on the floor plan to see the

MEXICOREPORTER.COM

2011-03-26T08:50:00.003-06:00

A valuable on-line resource for news about Mexico has re-appeared in the form ofMexicoReporter.com. Maltese journalist Deborah Bonello, founder and editor-in-chief,began the project in 2007 and has recently returned to Mexico after a year of living in London.Check it out at the link below:http://www.mexicoreporter.com/the-team/You can subscribe (it's free) to receive email notices of her latest

FLAG DAY

2011-02-25T11:37:00.004-06:00

The 24th of February is Flag Day in Mexico. The origins of our flag go back to 1821 and thePlan de Iguala, the peace treaty celebrating the end of the war of independence from Spain.The center image represents an eagle, perched on a cactus, devouring a snake. This symbol pays homage to an Aztec legend. The nomadic Aztecs settled Tenochtitlán (their name for what is now Mexico City) on the site

NEW AIR ROUTES TO MEXICO

2011-02-17T11:05:00.005-06:00

Since the bankruptcy of Mexicana there has been a confusing and expensive reduction in flights to/from and within Mexico. Recently approval by U.S. authorities will now add a few more options via Volaris.See this article from the Dallas News for details-- http://aviationblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/02/volaris-get-us-approval-for-df.html

MOM IN MOROCCO

2011-01-13T16:43:00.003-06:00

My mother is in the home strech of her 2-year+ stay in Morocco as a Peace Corps volunteer.I received the following email from her about her latest project. Please help out if you can.I am starting a library at the local primary school of over 500 students grades 1 through 6, who study both Classic Arabic and French. Your donation of a book in either language would mean a great deal. Please

OAXACA

2011-01-09T16:45:00.003-06:00

Most people interested in Mexico eventually end up in Oaxaca. Although it's outside the range of my topic here, I thought this blog was intriguing enough to pass along.http://oaxacaculture.com/2011/01/06/oaxaca-skip-the-hotel-and-be-our-experiment/The web site is http://www.lasgranadasoaxaca.com, email: lasgranadasoaxaca@gmail.comThe address is 2 de Abril #9, Teotitlan del Valle, and the Oaxaca

8.2 Million Tourists’ Heads Still Attached After Visiting Mexico

2010-12-23T08:11:00.003-06:00

Tim Leffel, an American travel writer who is living in Guanajuato for a year, posted a very funny video link about safety in Mexico. Worth a look:http://travel.booklocker.com/

STORY ABOUT CAIRO

2010-11-02T11:13:00.005-06:00

The website perceptivetravel.com has published another of my pieces, this one about a recent trip to Cairo.Click here to read it.You can also read more about our trip to Cairo on my other blog: click here.

JOAN OF NARC?

2010-10-22T12:47:00.003-05:00

A woman to the rescue! Marisol Valles Garcia has taken over as chief of police in Praxedis G. Guerrero, a drug-ridden border town in the state of Chihuahua. The last chief of police was gunned down in 2009. What's even more surprising is her age--20 years old! Viva Mexico!Read more:http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20020344-504083.html

DAY OF THE DEAD IN MEXICO CITY

2010-10-19T11:27:00.006-05:00

Many people think of heading to Oaxaca or Pàtzcuaro to experience 'real' Day of the Dead in Mexico. But el DF offers its own brand of larger-than-death altars throughout the city. I wrote about it in my very first article for The News here, and most of the information there still holds true.But my friend Ruth Alegria--who gives food tours of Mexico City--has done her research this year, and you

MEXICO--ANOTHER POINT OF VIEW

2010-10-12T08:54:00.003-05:00

One of my readers sent me this article by veteran journalist Linda Ellerbee--worth reading!http://www.banderasnews.com/0905/vl-lindaellerbee.htm

MEXICO CITY IN THE NEWS

2010-10-01T11:24:00.003-05:00

And it's not about the drug wars!The New York Times tells us what's cool in Mexico City--http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/26/t-magazine/26well-mexico-t.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

MEXICO AT 200

2010-09-14T11:16:00.006-05:00

As Mexico celebrates 200 years of independence from Spain, the Paseo de la Reforma and the Zócalo will be filled with parades, music, speeches, and displays of military prowess. But as reported in the New York Times this week, an undercurrent of sadness, disappointment and anger throughout the country is making it a challenge to get into a party mood. Clobbered by the swine flu scare last year,

AT LAST! GOOD INDIAN FOOD IN MEXICO CITY

2010-09-07T11:09:00.009-05:00

I don't usually blog about food--I leave that to Nick. But occasionally something comes up that needs to be announced. For many living in Mexico City, the lack of good ethnic food (especially Asian) is a problem. I've never found a good Indian restaurant here--until now. You can read the full review on Nick's blog. I admit, my writing about this has purely selfish motives--I want the

SAFETY IN MEXICO

2010-09-01T11:50:00.004-05:00

I've blogged about this before, but it seems to be a topic on everyone's mind--at least everyonewho is reading the newpapers and thinking it reflects accurately the state of things here in Mexico City.I wanted to share this article from The Economist on safety in Mexico, which puts things in perspective. From my point of view as a resident, fear is not not part of my daily life, and as a tourist

OLGA GUILLOT DEAD AT 87

2010-07-17T20:58:00.005-05:00

If you've gotten through life without discovering Olga Guillot, her obituary in The New York Times will acquaint you with the basic facts of this beloved singer's life. Although born in Cuba, her career was made in Mexico; she's known all over Latin America as the 'Queen of the Bolero.' Her husky, emotion-laden voice has been recorded endlessly, and she appeared in many movies during the 1950'

EIGHT AND A HALF REASONS WHY I LOVE LIVING IN MEXICO CITY

2010-06-28T17:16:00.018-05:00

(map of Mexico by Miguel Covarrubias at the Museo de Arte Popular)