The City of Contrasts

Born and raised in Mexico City, I sometimes take my hometown for granted —don’t we all? However, whenever I encounter the very obvious tourists, wearing shorts and sunglasses, and pointing their cameras at sometimes very odd angles, I realize that it is certainly a vibrant and joyful place that deserves to be revisited and enjoyed from different perspectives. A city of such diverse nature and vast historical and cultural offering undoubtedly generates countless experiences, which can definitely become precious gems in our travelogue.

A city as big as Mexico, with so many contrasting neighborhoods, makes me think it’s actually many cities in one: a combo that includes the most luxurious apartment buildings and top-end restaurants, along with eye-opening impoverished areas that offer a great understanding of contemporary social structures. From pre-Hispanic archaeological sites such as Templo Mayor surrounded by colonial buildings, to modern structures, including the Soumaya Museum, Mexico is the city of markets and street vendors, indigenous people speaking their native Nahuatl as well as men in suits and women in heels rushing into the financial district in Reforma Avenue.

A city of colors, seen in the great assortment of fruit and flowers or expressed in urban graffiti art and typical handcrafts; a city of music, played in huge concert venues, heard in the voice of amateur singers on the subway or as the echo of sonideros livening up traditional fiestas; a city that never sleeps, with joggers training at 5:30 in the morning, and partygoers who step out of a night club at the crack of dawn to weigh their options in search for the best anti-hangover tacos.

Fellow travelers, if you are eager to learn and enjoy yourselves, Mexico City has it all, name it and you’ll find it here. A city full of museums, amazing food, diverse shopping alternatives, trendy bars, free cultural activities and people, lots of wonderful people who will add to your experience in many surprising ways. I know for sure that for my significant other and me there is always something interesting and fun to do, there are always streets to walk, sights to discover, exhibits to visit and overall, places to be our romantic-crazy-outgoing selves, stone broke or with our paychecks warm in our pockets.

So, work out what you fancy and have your pick!