The Jarvii Since we had an almost 4 month old during our 5th wedding anniversary, my husband and I decided to visit Mexico City (just us, no kids) for our 6th wedding anniversary. The kids were older and didn’t need me, and we had a friend who lived there for years and was getting ready to move on. So we booked our flights and had a little adult fun!
Our first day we caught the Turibus near our apartment to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe and Teotihuacán (the pyramids). The bus picks you up first thing in the morning and drops you back off in Mexico City right before dinner time. It cost about $45 a person but includes a buffet lunch.
The Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe is like any other church in the world. It has pretty stain glass windows and stuff, but definitely not a top 10 church in the world (I used to live in Rome, Italy). A miracle happened here, but really it’s just a way for them to peddle tourists to buy things at a local shop. However, I took a picture of this gem. In the distance are not mountains covered in snow but volcanoes–Popocatepetl & Iztaccíhuatl. The short story regarding this Aztec legend is that Popocateptl and Iztaccihuatl were in love, he went off to war, she was told a lie that he died and so she died too, and then he returned from war distraught by the news she died. But whenever he remembers his love for her, his heart erupts with passion, e.g. the volcano erupts. I don’t know which one is the dormant one and which one is the active one, but we were lucky that the rains earlier in the week cleared up the smog so we could see them. Luckily this part of the tour was only an hour and then we were off to the pyramids.
The rest of the day is spent here at Teotihuacán. Make sure you have great walking/hiking shoes for this. You’ll be doing a lot of walking from one end of the park to the other. If you can’t do too much walking, our tourbus driver offered to drive us to a parking lot close to the largest pyramids at the park. But remember that one of the pyramids is the third largest pyramid in the world, so comfortable shoes is a must. And remember that this area of Mexico is really high up, your fitness may not be up to par because of the altitude. Take your time walking around and climbing the pyramids, and always remember to hydrate because the sun and altitude can catch you off guard. I was suffering from pretty bad chest congestion, so it was not a very pleasant time climbing the pyramids. I took my time and then didn’t bother doing the other pyramid because I was so knackered.
Afterwards you have a late buffet lunch, which was decent. There was a mariachi band serenading the crowd throughout lunch, which was fun. Many of the patrons would dance and request songs.
After lunch you go nearby to a place that makes jewelry and other knick knacks made with Mexican obsidian, which is a black glass/stone. They made a point to show it’s Mexican and not Chinese. They also show you agave, and the many uses of it, which was quite interesting and informative. You then do a little tequila tasting.
This tour was definitely worth going to when you visit Mexico City, but I’m a bit biased because I really enjoy ancient historical sites. And just learning about local history and people.
The rest of our time there we spent walking around with our friend and eating. We had real Oaxacan chapulines (grasshoppers), which was very citrusy and delicious. I fell in love with a brunch dish called molletes. It is crusty bread, like French bread, with refried black beans, turkey chorizo, oaxaca cheese, and pico de gallo. I still think about it at least once a week. We also went to a local park that was filled with artists selling their paintings and prints. We almost commissioned a print, but my husband backed out cause he wasn’t in love with the subject. Oh and of course we had margaritas!
Overall, it was a really great long weekend. The flight there was like flying to the West Coast. The food was fantastic and the people were really friendly. The exchange rate was also fantastic. And we learned a lot about the people and land. Highly recommend if you get a chance!