Happy belated Lunar New Year! The Year of the Snake signifies a time of personal growth, transformation, and wisdom. For me it also means continuing to shed what no longer serves me. I arrived in Mexico City on January 28th to kick off the Lunar New Year after Dave and I had a great time with friends and family in Vegas and Puerto Vallarta respectively. It was our first solo international transition since we began this adventure almost 18 months ago and Dave’s first time in Mexico! Thankfully the universe took care of us both and everything worked out. It was nice that Dave arrived in Mexico City a few days before me so that he could help me navigate my arrival to our Air BnB.
I’m SO glad that we came to Mexico City. Originally we were trying to think of a place where we could meet up before continuing on to South America and since we had never visited and had heard good things we figured why not? It definitely did not disappoint. Our Air Bnb was nice, spacious and didn’t stink!😘 It was located in a safe and walkable area of Roma Norte. That area is vibrant and full of trees and many parks. The food in Mexico City is diverse and delicious! And the people, even though there are 25 million living in the metro area, were warm and gracious. We already can’t wait to return!
On Saturday February 1st, we booked a tour to Teotihuacán. “Teotihuacan is a vast Mexican archaeological complex northeast of Mexico City. Running down the middle of the site, which was once a flourishing pre-Columbian city, is the Avenue of the Dead. It links the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, the Pyramid of the Moon and the Pyramid of the Sun, the latter two with panoramic views from their summits. Artifacts in the Museum of Teotihuacan Culture, on-site, include pottery and bones.” (Google) You can no longer climb the Pyramid of the Sun and Moon in an effort to preserve them and it was still a site to behold.
On Sunday we explored Chapultepec Park where we came across the Danza de los Voladores “Dance of the Flyers is a traditional Mexican ritual that involves performers climbing a pole and then swinging down to mimic the flight of birds”. It was impressive to see how they climb up the 98 foot pole and adjust their ropes to wrap around their bodies and support them while they “fly”. All this while a person is standing on the top of the pole playing music! Incredible! After the spectacle we visited the massive Anthropological Museum. We spent three hours there and still didn’t see it all.
One of the sites on top of all the “must do” lists was the Frida Kahlo House and Museum. We learned while chatting with someone on Sunday that Monday was the beginning of art week and when I tried to book a ticket to the museum all of the time slots were already sold out for the entire week! I put my research skills to work and found a tour on Viator that included the Frida Kahlo Museum. It was my first solo tour and I’m so glad I went! We started our day at Plateria Rafael which is a silver factory that has been in business since 1970. We were given a small demonstration of the hand carvings done on silver by the owner who has been doing it for 60 years! We continued our tour with a visit to Coyoacan which is the neighborhood where the Frida Kahlo Museum is located. We took a tour of the square and the Parroquia de San Juan Bautista before we walked over to the museum for the visit. I definitely understand why it is a “must see”! You are able to walk through the house that Frida and Diego lived in. You’re able to stand in their kitchen, bedroom and artist studio. You can see the different medical devices she had to wear, her clothing and her designs. You can also see the progression of her art from when she was very young. It is a very special place. The next stop on the tour was to the Olympic Stadium, Estadio Olímpico Universitario, that is located across the street from the National University (UNAM) and has one of the last murals that Diego Rivera, Frida’s husband, ever created. The library on the university campus was what I found to be the most spectacular. Juan O’Gorman and Carlos Lazo worked together to design the museum. They used natural stones to make a mosaic mural entitled “Historical Representation of Culture.” The day finished with a boat ride in Xochimilco which is the last remnants of a vast water transport system built by the Aztecs. The trajineras, which are colorful flat bottom boats, similar to gondolas, are beautifully decorated. It was a fun way to finish the day serenaded by mariachi music.
On Friday the 7th we took an 8-hour overnight flight from Mexico City to Santiago, Chile where we will be for four weeks. Our apartment in the Providencia neighborhood of Santiago is lovely, comfortable and also doesn’t stink. See: low standards from my previous posts. 🙂 It has a great view of the Gran Torre, which is the tallest tower in Latin America, and the foothills of the Andes Mountains. It is also safe and walkable. We had fun exploring the Lastarria neighborhood on Saturday after a long nap. We had a delicious meal at Holy Moly and then climbed the Santa Lucia Hill which is a beautiful park that provided great views of the city and surrounding mountains. I’m so thankful we have an extended amount of time here. It gives a more relaxed vibe since we aren’t stressed about cramming it all in. We have several excursions planned for while we’re here which we’re excited about. The first one is this Saturday. We’re taking a wine tasting tour to the Maipo Valley which is sure to be a blast. We’ve learned so much since we’ve been on this adventure and valuing quality time in the cities we are staying is one of them. I think we’re gonna like it here! 😘
Sending you love and light wherever you are!
Alison 🙂
