MEXICO CITY

Mexico City is where all the cool people wanna go. I don’t make the rules. Yet, on my study abroad experience back in in the day when I booked a solo flight to Mexico City people were more like wtf is the matter with you?

I have to give credit where credit is (long over)due. Mexico City is the coolest, and my only regret is that I didn’t have more time in the city as I was spending the majority of my summer in nearby Puebla. Of course, I don’t regret that either because the real lesson here is that not enough time in the world exists to do all we want to do. Tragic.

So, what did I do on my whirlwind tour of Mexico City? Not a ton that you wouldn’t expect, as it was purely guided and art-centric. So first up is Teotihuacán where I obsessed over the detail more than the expanse of the ruins.

In Mexico City’s zocalo, the main government building is Palacio Nacional. Which has a similarly annoying history to much of the city in that it was built atop the original Aztec center for no other reason than, once again, colonizer spite. Despite the fact that it’s also sitting atop a literal swamp and is slowly sinking little by little every year (spite isn’t always well thought out) you can find some of the best art in Mexico City in this building, including murals by Diego Rivera.

Just a quick walk away is Templo Mayor, where you can find the remains of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlán. Initially this was thought to have been located literally where the Cathedral stands today however an archaeological dig revealed much more. A few decades ago, this dig escalated into destroying some more modern buildings (well, in comparison) with the goal in mind of uncovering more Aztec artifacts which was well worth it.

Next on the photo dump journey we have Castillo de Chapultepec, which isn’t fully my vibe of a place since this is rich people nonsense but we make due when there’s a view to be had.

Absolutely enough of that, let’s talk about Dolores Olmeda. This museum is a bit out of the city and located in Xochimilco, but is one of the most beautiful museums I’ve ever been to. The grounds? Pristine. The art? Straight up insanity. This business woman had a next-level collection of art at the time of her death in 2002 which she left behind for the public to enjoy in her home. 

Her home features a remarkable collection of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo paintings, and an impressive collection of Xoloitzcuintles or just Mexican hairless dogs. Basically, this is a super regional dog breed limited to pretty much just…this house. There are also dozens of peacocks roaming the property which is something I never get tired of seeing, even if they’re mean as shit.

Now, biggest duh, Frida Kahlo. La Casa Azul is absolutely essential to any trip to Mexico City. This is how I ended my time here and I can’t think of a higher note.