In 1521 Mexico City was founded by the Aztec’s. The city is built on top of a lake, Lago de Texcoco. The technique of filling the lake in with soil to build a civilization is worth marvel, much like the much more ancient pyramids just outside of town. Teotihuacán, the city that erected these pyramid’s in Mexico City, was abandoned long before the Aztecs constructed the beginnings of todays Mexico City. It is unknown who inhabited this ancient city but it still stands as one of the most significant remnants of a great Mesoamerican civilization. A civilization that experts believe was at its peak between 1-500 CE with a population of 125,000 souls.
Today, Mexico City has nearly 9 million inhabitants within its limits making it the largest city in the Western hemisphere. It is a vibrant, chaotic place and Meandering only scratched the surface. Seeing the finer points of a city this magnitude is nearly impossible but Meandering Nomad was up to the challenge! With an itinerary jam packed with excitement (plenty of social distancing too) we were able to find fascinating taco‘s, tequila, and pyramid’s in Mexico City!
- The taco’s and more came from El Cardinal – Historic Center of Mexico City. Try the rich mole negro chicken, juicy el pastor tacos, and rich hot coco!
- The tequila was served up by the fine people at Hilton Mexico City Reforma. When having tequila ask them for their home made sangrita and sip together.
- The Pyramids of the Sun and Moon are in the UNESCO city of Teotihuacan. Budget 1-2 hours to return to the city, the traffic is significant.
Lastly, some quick tips for when you plan your visit to Mexico City:
- Mexico City is also widely known as CDMX or the federal city.
- If tequila is too tame for you try its smokey cousin mezcal.
- Mask use was widely practiced throughout the city, and the hotel had extra safety measures in place to prevent infection.
- Mexico is widely traveled to by citizens of the United States, but you will find it difficult to traverse Mexico City relying solely on English without some basic Spanish chops. Hola, Si, No, Gracias, De Nada, Buenos dias! =)
