I had already booked my flight to Mexico City, one the most populated on the planet, when two strong earthquakes had struck the area a week before in September! So I thought, this is going to be fun! Not deterred, I flew in wondering what I would see. As the city is so high above sea level, it has perpetually spring like weather but also can be wet. It has a fascinating blend of history and modern sites, the old part of the city known as Centro Historic being pretty stunning and lots of European influence.
On arriving into the airport it wasn’t until the arrivals terminal and just outside that I started to see parts of the aftermath of the earthquake. Part of the ceiling had come down and the area had been cordoned off. I jumped in a cab to the hotel call Gran Hotel Ciadud de Mexico which was in the old part of the city overlooking the main square. The side entrance looked inconspicuous but walking up the stairs to the lobby and WOW! This lobby is one of the most impressive I’ve seen, very grand with old elevators either end and a beautiful large stained glass ceiling on top. Huge rooms, great value for money an amazing view over the square from the rooftop restaurant that looks onto the National Palace and the Cathedral Metropolitana. The buildings were also all lit up at night celebrating the independence of Mexico which was happening when I was there.
As I was only in the city for a short time, I spent some time walking around the main square before deciding to do one of these hop on hop off buses to see the main sights. Firstly you can go inside the Cathedral Metropolitana which is very grand in itself and there was a sermon going on while I was there.
The hop on hop off bus was great value for money at only around £8 and it went all the way around the old district pointing out site of interest. You are giving your own headphones and can select the language of your choice. Another stunning building was the Palacio de Bellas Artes which is home to the national theatre of performing arts. I hopped off at the large park to the west of the city called Bosque de Chapultepec which has a number of museums in and the national zoo. I went to the National Museum which sits on top if the hill here and which used to be the Presidential Palace. Now it’s a beautiful museum with lovely gardens and views across the whole city.
The modern architecture of the commercial district is in stark contrast to the old part of the city but equally as nice with bustling malls and restaurants. It was more around here surprisingly that I saw more damage from the earthquake. There were a number of buildings with large cracks down the side, windows popped out and bedrooms exposed! Was quite surreal really considering this was literally only a week ago. Unlike health and safety in the UK though where you wouldn’t be allowed near it, in Mexico there was just a bit of tape put around the area but you could still get up close!
I wish I had more time to explore the outskirts of the city and the famous pyramids and Xochimilco Flaoting Market which is on at weekends, but maybe next time!
