MEXICO DF Travel Blog

Aztec Empire & Southern Mexico

During my stay in Guanajuato MX. I decided to travel all around the southern part of the country! (best decision EVER). Every week after class Friday afternoon I'd hop on a taxi to the local bus top (central camionera) and choose a random, yet interesting, destination from there :) Here you will find a short summary of places I visited on my weekend travels, travel tips, along with some of my own suggestions that I wish someone would have told me before my voyage!

Teotihuacan

During my studies in Guanajuato, I met this AMAZING girl name Ana. Although we had barely met, we became great friends right away, we even ended up being roomies :) Well it turned out that Ana actually had some family in DF and since I had never been, I decided to tag along for a weekend. Upon arriving, her family treated us with such hospitality, I dont think i'll ever thank them enough. On our first day, her family took us on a tour of Teotihuacan, which is also known as "the birth place of the Gods". This place is AMAZING! Teotihuacan is a large archaeological site located about 40 km north of Mexico City. It was built more than 1,000 years and has a total of three pyramids. The city reached its peak around 500 AD when it was the center of a powerful culture that dominated Mesoamerica. Teotihuacan was abandoned around the year 800 AD however the causes of the fall are not known.

When you climb to the top of the Sun pyramid, which feels like a stairway to heaven because of how long it is, you will be amazed by the view! You can literally see all of the southern valley. The Sun pyramid is the 3rd largest in the world. It was really amazing to see a city that was built especially for "the gods" and where all original names are still honored and cared for. I also hiked up the Moon pyramid, or la piramide de la Luna, located at the end of the aveneue of the dead. I tuned into a couple of tour guides and picked up some info about their math and calendrics, which is represented in their art and construction of the buildings and altars. The temple of Quetzalcatl was my favorite with its engravings of Tlatoc, the rain god.

When your getting ready to leave the site, make sure and take a look around the vendors spot. You can find lots of awesome souvenirs for really cheap! But make sure you look around and COMPARE PRICES! I bought this really really cute black stoned, heart necklace for $60 pesos (appx $5 US) which I thought was a super bargain, only to be disappointed a few vendors down when I saw the same necklace for $15 pesos :\

MEXICO DF

Capital City.

After our Teotihuacan adventures, the next day we got up bright and early to head into the heart of Mexico DF. For breakfast Ana's parents made us "Platanos Machos"... OMGosh! Delicious! I'm craving some right now! You’re honestly going to have to google this, because I have no idea how they were made. All I know is that they tasted amazing with some hot coffee.

To save time, we decided to take a cab down to the Subway and from them make our way to downtown DF. Ok, the subway... if your ever in Mexico don't miss the chance to take a ride on the awesome underground metro. Before my trip to DF I had heard so many horror stories of people being mugged, kidnapped and so many other things. Once I was there, everything changed; people over exaggerate! You just have to learn and fit in. If you walk in there, waving around your pocketbook or wearing the most expense heels you can buy, expect people to be giving you odd looks. Just feel comfortable walking around and know where you’re going. There is SO many people down there, and everyone is in a hurry to catch a sub; I doubt anyone will try and mug you, unless your waving around bills.   

After taking the Metro (subway) to downtown, we made it to our first stop; the National Museum of Anthropology. If you're ever in town and feel in the mood for some interesting tours of the History of Mexico, this is a MUST VISIT! This museum is filled w/rich history, culture and the best part is that students get in for $10 pesos. Once inside the museum, I visited lots of sections, but my two favorites were the Olmecs and Aztecs. For years I had seen and studied the Aztec Calendar thinking it was just another confusing piece-puzzle to Aztec history. Upon visiting this place, I was in for a HUGE surprise! The Aztec stone calendar is actually a 12ft x 4ft stone that was found when excavating el Zocalo. For some reason, even after months of studying it and having the picture shoved in my face, I never knew that stone itself was that big! I had always seen the miniature version in the textbooks. This calendar is actually what many current day calendars are based off of. Its incredible to see how far advanced the Aztec community really was :) 

After our long visit and walk around the museum we headed towards the Zócalo. El Zócalo is the main plaza, or square, in the heart of the historic center of Mexico City. It has been a gathering place for Mexicans since Aztec times. It is the main site for big Mexican ceremonies, the swearing in of viceroys, royal proclamations, military parades, Independence ceremonies and modern religious events- such as the festivals of Holy Week and Corpus Christi. Set up all around the town square are vendors, performers, tour buses, artists and of course food stands. It's a great place to visit to just get a feel of what a typical day in Mexico feels like. We actually booked a tour on those double decker red buses. It was a lot of fun and very informative! After the tour we headed back towards the subway to catch a ride back to Ana's house, but not before stopping at Plaza Mariachi, were we enjoyed some lovely serenading and our corn on the cob.
 

Extra-time??? Unfortunately, due to class, I only had a short weekend to travel around the capitol of Mexico. Although I do feel I was lucky enough to visit many places, more time would have been nice. Sunday night Ana and I had to rush back to the “Central Camionera” (central bus station) to catch our 5-hour bus trip back to Guanajuato. If your planning a visit, you should most definitely check out the places i listed above! Well my friends, I hope this blog was helpful in some way, & if you have ANY questions, please don't hesitate to ask :)

Peace&Love, D

GUANAJUATO Travel Blog

University of Guanajuato Summer Course

Guanajuato, MX

Right after I got back from WYD 2008 Australia (Literally a week later) I had tickets to a direct flight departing from Tijuana to Leon Bajio, Guanajuato MX. I actually stayed out there all summer for a Summer Course at the University of Guanajuato! Here you will find a short summary of places I visited on my stay, travel tips, along with some of my own suggestions that I wish someone would have told me before my voyage!

Airline: I decided to fly out of TJ because of the price difference, LAX was a lot more expensive. I flew Volaris (relatively cheap prices and great service). After being dropped off and crossing the border by foot, I took a taxi to the airport. The fee was US $15... which, in my opinion, was a bit overpriced considering the fact that the airport is like 10 mins away by car from the border. But regardless, I wasn't about to start a fight with the taxi man... especially after the horror stories I heard about TJ!

Youth Hostel:

Upon arriving at the city I chose to stay at El Hostalito Guanajuato. I've heard that they've recently moved, but when i stayed there they were located at Sangre de Cristo #9. This place is perfect if your not too picky and can survive having to share a kitchen. In reality what you pay for is your personal bedroom and bathroom. The kitchen, living room, study room are all shared with the other guests. I was here a whole summer and not once did I have a problem with someone else eating my food. Just simply put a tape lable on it with your name and you'll be fine. Since the majority of the people that stay here are backpackers, they dont tend to stay very long. The price is unbeatable. I paid $2000 pesos (US $200) a month.

City Sites: 

Guanajuato itself is a beautiful town filled with history and diversity. It is well known for its wealth of fine colonial era Spanish architecture; El Teatro Juarez is a great example! If you have time make sure and attend an obra (performance). They often times have comedy acts or famous era plays. Make sure and check the schedule to see when they have a play in a language you feel comfortable with. If you go during the Cervantino Festival, well let me just say you are in for a treat! People from all over the world come for the Cervantino, but since I wasn't lucky enough to stay out till October, I didn't have a chance to experience it :( I really wanted to see the Russian Ballet.

San Miguel de Allende & Queretaro: 

Set right at the center of the Guanajuato plaza is a booking spot where you can reserve day trips, weekend excursions, for a very reasonable price (you can actually bargain with them). I traveled all over the place! From the thermal springs outside San Miguel de Allende to the colossal statue of Jesus at Cristo Rey and countless colonial towns. I visited San Miguel de Allende and Queretaro the longest. SMA is the cutest little town I've ever been too :) It’s filled with endless "callejones" (alleys) and their vendors. It has a great colonial atmosphere. Queretaro is more of an industrialized city, but recently it was discovered that a pyramid was built underneath the town, the Pyramid of El Pueblito; El Cerrito. I was hoping we'd be able to walk onto it, but after our tour guide shared with us a certain story, I didn't have the guts too anymore. I turns out that before it was excavated, El Cerrito was a commonly known hang out spot for druggies. During this time, the only visible part of the pyramid was the temple on top, thats where people would gather. One night a young boy fell through the temple floor and fell some x-amount of feet. In order to get him out, archeologists and officials started the excavation thus discovering that there was a pyramid beneath the temple. Present day today, the pyramid has tons of more floors to be discovered, but due to lack of funds, excavation has stopped.

Guanajuato Mummy Museum:

In a country where the most anticipated holiday of the year is a celebration the dead, Guanajuato's Mummy Museum is pretty much the main attraction. Visitors from all over come to see the display featuring well over 100 mummies, easily making it one of Guanajuato's most popular - and most peculiar - stops. So why does Guanajuato have so many mummies? HISTORY LESSEON :) In 1865, city officials deemed it necessary to remove some of the bodies from the overcrowded public cemetery, or the "Panteón", in order to make room for more. However, authorities quickly discovered that what they were finding weren't skeletons as they expected, but rather mummified bodies complete with facial expressions. It turns out that the combination of area's dry atmosphere and the mineral content of the soil preserves, naturally mummifies bodies- a process which only takes 5 or 6 years. Today you can check out the scores of mummies, including the first mummy that was discovered, a pregnant mummy, the world's smallest mummy. Some of the mummies are clothed, some are naked, others sport just shoes. There are even some mummies that are believed to have been been buried alive- particularly people who were thought dead during a cholera outbreak and immediately buried for fear of the disease spread.

Guanajuato Food: If the weekend excursions and site seeing don’t fill your shoes, then take advantage of the local restaurants! The most delicious Mexican food I have ever tasted came from "La Fonda" which is comida rapida (fast food but full meal) and only cost me $30 pesos= approx US $3. They have the BEST chicharrones rojos! Omosh :) Delicious! For desert, BE SURE to try Nive de Garrafa. Its pretty much "fine shaved" flavored ice, but it’s the best form of ice cream I have yet to try! They have all sorts of flavors, but my personal fav was Limon. I've been looking for something similar in the states, but have had no such luck :(

Extra Time??: Within the city itself, there is so much to see and do! The Guanajuato Grill (the city's most popular night club) is a good place to get a feel for Guanajuato nightlife, especially Tuesday nights since its "Ladies free drink night". You also have "El Callejon del Beso". If you happen to visit the city with your significant other, this is a site you don’t want to miss! Legend has it, you and your partner share a kiss in this alleyway, you'll bring onto your relationship great fortune. Lastly, if you feel up for a walk, visit la Estuata de Pipila located on the tallest hill overlooking the city! Great history can be found there :) I hope this blog was helpful in some way, & if you have ANY questions, please don't hesitate to ask :)