A visit from Denmark

We are on our way up to the tens flour. We are in the elevator of Fontan Hotel at Paseo de Reforma close to the Metro station Hidalgo in the historical center of Mexico City. We are exited, when we are exiting the elevator. My parents have just arrived from Denmark the evening before and we are now going to have breakfast with the view over a part of Mexico.

I’ve been looking forward to show them some parts of Mexico City before they are going on a 12 days tour to the states Chiapas, and Yucatan. They have decided to arrive Saturday the 31st of October, which is the “Día del Muerto”, so when we are exiting the hotel in the evening to have dinner, is the road between Zocalo and Plaza de la Revolución totally packed with people. My guess is that there have been around 2 million people on the streets. The Mexican celebrating the “Día del Muerto”, with painting in their faces, with loud music like we know from a festival and even though some have seen the new James Bond movie “Spectre” which is starting in Mexico City at “Día del Muerto”, can I say that it is not totally the same scenery which can be seen on the streets. – People do not really ware masks but is instead painted in their faces and for example is there no parade with skeletons but instead have there at UNAM and other places around the city been a lot of exhibitions to celebrate the day. So when we are sitting at the morning table at the tens floor this Sunday morning, have my parents already got a small indication of how many people there can be on the streets and by looking over parts of the city are they getting a small indication of how big the city actually is.

The Blue house

Do to the “Día del Muerto” do I have two days off from ITAM which is a good timing because I then have time to show my parents a little around and let them get a small taste of some of the Mexican specialties; such as Churros, which can be best compared to a waffle but with the form as hotdog-bread. We have stopped at a churro place in the center of Coyacán, where you can get the churros with nearly everything. So we are choosing three with Mango, Bailey and Tequila, after we have been visiting the famous Frida Kahlo Museum.

The Frida Kahlo museum which is located in the big blue house where she lived until her dead the 13th of July 1954, is a must see when you are in Mexico City. Therefore was this also on the top of our list to visit.

As I’ve mentioned in some of my earlier blog updates is Mexico City a big but diverse city. Every area fills like coming to a different city, which was one of the things I would like to show my parents. So after spending the first day in Coyacán, had a made a plan to go to the more expensive area of the city, more exact Polanco where we was going to see the museum Soumaya, which among other paintings are having a exhibition with a wide repertoire of status made by Salvador Dalí. The day was finished in the Lincoln Park.

The Hip area

On our way to Marcado Roma, was it easy to see that we again was in another Area compared to the historical center where you can find the Zocalo, Bellas Artes, the old post-office and La plaza de la Revolución, Coyacan at the south and the more fancy Polanco which they have seen doing the last two days.

When we are entering the small but new Marcado Roma to fill the atmosphere and get a little snack and a beer is my mom immediately comparing it with “Tovehallerne” or “Papirøen” in Copenhagen.

After enjoying the atmosphere at Marcado Roma are we walking to a small wine bar in the hip Condesa, where we are crossing by El parque Mexico and El parque España from where we are seeing a lot of people walking with their dogs. Condesa is famous for being hip right now, where people have dogs and looks hipster.

When we are arriving to the Wine bar are we finding it with a wide repertoire of Mexican wine to a good price where it also is possible to order some small tapas positions. There aren’t many people when we are entering it, but it is cozy with its minimalist expression and subdued lightning. It is a good place to spend our last night together before my parents will be traveling to the south to experience some of the “real” Mexico, with its nature, history and culture.

A welcome back with Tequila & Mezcal

The time is going fast when you are experience a lot and seeing a lot of new things everyday, so after 12 days traveling with the last 3 days relaxing in Cancun is my parents back in Mexico City with a lot of new experience and a lot of stories to tell.

Nearly no mater how much time you will be spending in Mexico City will you never be done with seeing all. It is no wander why it is the city in the world with the most Museums, so after seeing the museum “Nacional de Arte”, from where the parade in the beginning of “Spectre” is taking place, does it not take us long until we are standing in front of the Tequila and Mezcal museum MUTEM. Because as I have been told a lot of times, you can not have been in Mexico without drinking one of the two.

The Museum is not that big, but it is impressive have many bottles of Tequila and Mezcal they can have on so small space. After reading about the production and the differences of the cactus that are being use are we taking the stairs up to the rooftop tares from where we are getting a small taste of one Tequila and one Mezcal. I’m not sure if it is in our family name “Bull” or just a matter of taste, why both my mom and dad both agree that the Mezcal is having the best taste? – Mezcal that also is my favorite.

The Constitution

Everything has an ending no matter how long time you are having. So while we are sitting to the breakfast and looking over the city, as we have been doing the last few days, have we every day could see at the end of Paseo de Reforma a castle on a hill. It is not just a castle, it is the Castle; “Castillo de Chapultepec”, which is located in the biggest park, Chapultepec, in Mexico City.

After around 30 minutes walk from our hotel are we entering the park of Chapultepec. A pack from where a huge monument can be seen in front of us while we at the same time can see a lot of different squirrel around us running up and down the trees. We are continuing up the hill to see the “Museo del Caracol”, where the Mexican flag is hanging beside the constitution from 1917 with the eagle as the protector made in granite in top can be experienced.

With a short explanation of the Mexican complex history are we getting ready to continue our way up “Castillo de Chapultepec”, which not only is famous for its factor in the Mexican History but also from the Academy Award-nominated movie “William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet”, which was filmed there in 1996.

The construction was started in 1778 and completed in 1788 and today is the Castle the “Museo Nacional de Historia”, where there not only is a good view over Mexico City, from where the difference areas can be seen a bit from above and the line down Paseo the Reforma can be explored with the statue “El Ángel de la Independencia in the middle. The Castle also housing some huge wall paintings that is telling their own story about the Mexican history. It is a very impressive place to visit before and a perfect ending for my parents before they are getting ready to reach their flight back to Denmark.