We arrived to Mexico City from San Miguel de Allende late Monday afternoon. The bus station in San Miguel is compact, clean and easy to navigate. The ETN Turistar Bus Line is plush with comfortable wide seats and on-board bathrooms which made it an easy 3.5 hour ride.
We arrived at our apartment in the Polanco neighborhood of the city via Uber – the ride was a good introduction to the grand scale of the city. Our apartment at the Grand Polanco Residencial is very nice and in the part of the city that a young traveler on YouTube described as the “neighborhood where Grandpa and Grandma stay. “ To us it feels safe and convenient as there is a metro stop nearby and a Walmart grocery store just a couple of blocks away.
It has taken us a couple of days to adapt to the higher altitude and low air quality, but our goal for this first visit to CDMX is to explore the various neighborhoods so we are doing it at a slower pace.
The first challenge has been to learn about the Metro system. We purchased a Metro Card but had difficulty loading pesos on the card so we could tap our card and ride. Finally today we were successful but not without a few hiccups. The Metro system is expansive but not too difficult to navigate, (thanks to Larry’s excellent navigation skills). The trains arrive at regular intervals so we don’t have to wait long when we miss one.
In this massive city, most people depend on the public transit system, so the trains are very busy.. Train cars are crowded and we don’t see many tourist-types onboard, as many opt to take taxis or Uber around the city. For us, it’s a great budget option at 5 pesos per ride (29 U.S. cents). Each time the train stops, the car “jerks” a bit so that everyone moves in unison to the side. It makes us smile, but locals are used to it.
Our first day (Tuesday), we went to Centro Historico’s main square, the Zocalo. It’s frenetic and overwhelming. Maybe not the best choice for our first full day in the city but we survived. The photo below doesn’t do it justice but gives the idea of the grand scale.
We toured the Cathedral Metropolitana – Latin America’s largest Cathedral. Back at our home base, we had a nice dinner at Cafe Toscano nearby.
Our destination today was in Roma. It’s a pleasant neighborhood for strolling. The Plaza Rio De Janeiro was our first stop. The lovely park is being renovated but the copy of Michelangelo’s David is impressive.
Our destination in Roma Norte was for lunch at Panaderia Rosetta. It’s a very popular place and a bit of a wait, but we were happy with our meal.
Not too far away is the bustling Mercado Medellin. A shopper can find almost anything there. Including produce;
and flowers.
One could buy fruits, meats, poultry, spices, and just about anything else imaginable.
At the end of our explorations we ended up in the Condesa neighborhood…one that we will return to. A surprise rain shower had us hustling to the nearest Metro stop and we have returned to home base. Mexico City is filled with surprises and we are looking forward to new adventures tomorrow.
