shaunapuff

In my last entry, I delved into my love for Vincent Van Gogh—his artwork and overall presence. Now, it's my mom's turn to make impulsive decisions inspired by her favorite artist.

In case you’re unaware, in 2002, Salma Hayek starred in Frida as the infamous Frida Kahlo. The movie showcases most of the artist’s life and struggles with her relationship with fellow artist Diego Rivera. Many scenes in the film are shot onsite at Kahlo’s actual home Casa Azúl, and the town of Coyoacán. My Mom has been captivated by Kahlo as a public figure and her work, it was only a matter of time before we made this pilgrimage.

From New York, the flight to Mexico City was relatively manageable for us, a little under 5 hours flight time, but little to no jet-lag with a one hour time difference (very different than a trip to the West Coast or UK). The uber ride itself was a little over 30 minutes long, and cost about $10 USD, which is easily one of the cheapest airport rides I’ve gotten.

We checked in at the Hotel Zócalo Central and were greeted with a welcome shot of mezcal. After putting our stuff down and putting on cuter clothes, we took a moment to appreciate the rooftop view from our hotel. The restaurant and bar upstairs has specific hours, so we made a reservation for slightly later. From there, we had to get down into the plaza and experience what we were seeing from up top. We made our way down to the Zócalo, a vast public square framed by some of the country’s most important buildings, the true beating heart of Mexico City.

The plaza was relatively busy, with a bunch of individual vendors selling anything from touristy merchandise, clothing, and handmade trinkets. We stopped into the Metropolitan Cathedral (which was beautiful and spacious), and peeked at the Ruins of Templo Mayor, but ultimately ran out of time on our trip before touring them first-hand. The Zócalo was so picturesque that I couldn’t help starting the trip by taking a million photos both of the sights and with them.

After getting a brief lay of the land, we went back to our beautiful hotel for an early dinner and a drink at the Balcón del Zócalo for some contemporary Mexican cuisine.

*Balcón del Zócalo*

The vibe is sophisticated but welcoming, with a casual elegance that never feels too formal. The wine selection was unique and they had some really amazing specialty cocktails. The menu itself was extensive with a Chef's tasting menu and a la carte selections. My mom and I shared a couple of appetizers and an entrée, with some of the best octopus I have had in a long time. We really enjoyed watching the sun go down over the historic buildings, so much so that we enjoyed a drink on the terrace multiple nights.

There were so many benefits to staying at the Hotel Zócalo including a 24-hour concierge and café in the lobby, where you can sit an enjoy unlimited complimentary bottled water, beer, coffee and soft drinks, as well as sandwiches and snacks. They also have wine and spirits for purchase. Your stay also includes a complimentary breakfast served on the same rooftop terrace in the same location as the restaurant. There is a buffet served typically from 7:00–10:00 AM, with tableside service for beverages and a few plated items. I personally enjoyed the housemade Jugo Verde alongside my morning coffee. Each hotel floor had a refrigerator next to the elevator bay with complimentary bottles of water as well.

After our early dinner, we made our way to Arena México in Colonia Doctores via Uber, which took about 25 minutes from the Zócalo. 2 tickets to the show cost a little over $30 USD with taxes and fees included, and we sat relatively close to the front. We were able to book these tickets the day of the event, with plenty of available seats at different price-points.

When we arrived outside of the Arena, there were booths upon booths selling Lucha Libre masks, with so many unique and colorful options. There were other souvenirs available, as well as several stands selling street tacos and micheladas. From the moment you walk into Arena México, you’re hit with booming music, flashing lights, and a fully invested crowd of both tourists and locals– many of which wearing the masks for sale outside. The staff at the door are a little overly attentive, and can sense tourists approaching. I say this because we were quickly approached by someone who I was made to believe was the person to scan my ticket. Instead, she held onto my phone, and began walking to the seating area. She didn't seem to know where I was sitting, and had to ask at least 3 people where our seats were. Ultimately, once we made it to our seats, she wanted a cash tip for walking us there, which I didn't have. I had to have an uncomfortable conversation with her manager using my limited Spanish, and ultimately ordered a beer to smooth things over.

The show itself was super high energy. To be perfectly honest, I did limited research on the sport and it's rules. I also didn't expect the announcements and dialogue to be in Spanish, so it was a little tough to follow. Despite that, the storylines are easy enough to follow, and you can usually know what the right moments are to start cheering and booing. It seems to start, the lesser known and less elaborate performers go on, as the show feels a little more casual in the beginning. As the show goes on, characters are introduced with more fanfare and showcases on the big screen, even backup dancers. The fighting was so intense, I couldn’t help but loudly cheer and exclaim during many of the acrobatic moments. I was blown away by the level of balance each fighter had, standing on the edges of the ring. The combination reminded me a bit of WWE in the US, especially when one of the fighters took the mic. All in all it was such a fun experience!!

We started the next morning walking from our hotel to the Centro Histórico towards the Palacio de Bellas Artes. On the way, I had to stop and take some pictures in front of the mosaics at the House of Tiles. From there it was a few steps away to the beautiful museum. The building itself is a stunning white-marble palace crowned with a golden and orange Art Nouveau dome surrounded by jacarandas. You get a beautiful view from street level but I wanted to see it from another angle

*Finca Don Porfirio*

It was both difficult to find the Instagram geotag for this as well as the location itself. Ultimately, to get to Finca Don Porfirio, you must go into the Sears Department Store and head to the 8th floor. You have to maneuver through the store, but you’ll find the rooftop cafe. The store has seating down to a system, since the space is very small. My mom and I got a couple of pastries and some coffee while we enjoyed the view and of course took some pictures. The time limit they gave was more than enough, and the staff was super sweet and welcoming.

Nearby, you’ll find Alameda Central, an expansive park with beautiful flowers and fountains. When we went in the morning there was a guy dancing like Michael Jackson. And later in the day there were vendors of all kinds side by side along Av. Juarez. I was able to find everything from beaded humming birds, to Pokémon plushies, all the way to street tacos and churros. I didn’t have enough time to make it to the Palacio Postal, but it looked stunning. I’ll touch on the museums a bit later.

I knew in our short time in the city, we had to spend a little time in some of the trendier and less touristy neighborhoods. I wish we could spend more time in both but we spent a relaxed afternoon walking from one stylish neighborhood to the next. I got an agua fresca from Frutos Prohibidos to combat the hot sun for a leisurely walk. The streets were so colorful with a mix of Art Deco and Art Noveau architecture. We also stopped at the Parque México before heading to our next destination.

*Panadería Rosetta*

I had limited meals to enjoy in CDMX so I had to make the most of each one. Restaurante Rosetta was recommended by so many of my coworkers, I just ultimately attempted to make a reservation too late. Thankfully, the same group has a bakery right across the street.

Panadería Rosetta was super busy around noon, and had a nice selection of pastries for purchase, with indoor and outdoor seating available. Although they had some classic pastries available, I really wanted to have as much authentic Mexican cuisine every opportunity I could. I ultimately settled on a Vainilla Concha to walk with, with a Pinole flavored one to have for breakfast the next day.

*Madre Cafe*

We had made a reservation at Madre Cafe in Roma Norte prior to our arrival in Mexico City, since reservations were difficult to come by. We enjoyed a nice late lunch outside with a few cocktails and beautiful decorations. I was really excited that thy had cauliflower tacos since I don’t eat meat. Definitely worth checking out if you are in the area.

Chapultepec Castle is a beautiful castle in the middle of the city, on top of a massive hill. We took a short Uber ride there from Roma Norte. On paper, the car ride seems straightforward, but because of the castle’s unique hilltop location it’s a bit of a hike. There is a taxi drop-off at the bottom of the hill, near the ticket stand and then it's a climb straight up. At this point we were both so exhausted that it took everything in me to get up there but it was so well worth it. The admission is a little under $5 USD, and you can buy them online or onsite.

The lower floor is an intensive Natural History Museum with opulent rooms and artifacts; as the castle is a beautifully preserved historical residence that once housed emperors and presidents. Once you get upstairs, you are able to get a clearer view of the architecture and the rooftop gardens. I couldn't get over the massive stained glass windows and ornate marble staircases. In addition to the building itself, the castle has a sweeping panoramic view of Mexico City. When we finally made our way back down to street level, we walked around the park a little bit before heading back to our hotel.

We had to wake up very early to get to our tour of the breathtaking pyramids of Teotihuacán. Thankfully our pickup point was just across the street from the Palacio del Bellas Artes, so we didn't have a long walk. I was also able to enjoy my concha from the day before while we waited. It took a little time for the guides to pick us up by bus, but it's always good to come early just in case. Although we brought water with us, and were prepared with extra sunscreen; our bus stopped at a convenience store to pick up more water, snacks and use their bathroom if needed.

Since we left around 8:30am, we got to Teotihuacán around 10am and the sun was already sweltering. The surrounding area has no trees, so there is no UV protection and it's a LOT of walking. I cannot stress bringing your own water and sunscreen to combat it. We booked through Viator, and our guide Christian's family had lived in the surrounding area for generations.

Christian gave us a quick lay of the land and outlined our morning by drawing a map in the sand explaining the Avenue of the Dead, and each pyramid.

The first stop was The Temple of the Feathered Serpent where we learned the Mesoamerican history of the archaeological site, and the lore of the Quetzalcoatl. I had briefly heard of this mythical creature before, but once Christian described him to us, I kept seeing imagery of him everywhere for the rest of our trip.

Unlike some other tour groups I have been a part of, we had to stay very close to our guide and didn't have too many opportunities to walk around on our own. On the other side though, he was very passionate about archaeology, and I really loved to learn as we walked from site to site. To get from the temple to the two pyramids requires a lot of walking up and down stairs, so this is a place to wear proper walking shoes. I'd say we walked about 6 miles in the hot sun, and even with multiple applications of sunscreen, I got a nasty sunburn. The walk was worth it though, starting with the Pyramid of the Sun (where people used to climb?!), and following a path line with independent vendors between the two pyramids. We finished with the magnificent Pyramid of the Moon and had a little time to shop and take photos (and of course enjoy a well deserved paleta), before heading back to the city. I am so happy we got to have such an informative and up close experience with the pyramids. My one regret is I wish I knew about the hot air balloon rides over Teotihuacán. A few of my coworkers got to experience this, and if I were to return to CDMX, this would be what I'd do next time to change things up.

I also got to learn about pulque and how it was made through Christian’s explanation, and I became incredibly curious about it. He showed us a maguey (agave) plant in the wild, and explained how it was used to make this unique alcoholic beverage. After he was done explaining, I asked him where I could find some.

He was really happy I had asked since his family had been making pulque for generations, and it was so important to them. He said the Pulque Museum is more of a tourist attraction where you can sample many different flavors of pulque, but it wasn’t the most authentic. Instead he offered a more divey spot, La Burra Blanca, for the real stuff. I ultimately checked it out during the day at some point on the trip, and although it was a little divey for sure, I felt like we had hit a local gem. I was able to sample each of the flavors offered, settling on herbabuena (similar to mint), as that was my favorite I tried. Christian described the taste as similar to kombucha, with the appearance being a translucent milky white in most cases. Traditionally it’s served in a terra cotta mug, which I got to enjoy it in.

When we returned to the city, we shifted gears and returned back to the Palacio del Bellas Artes which was across the street from where we were dropped off. We were able to finally go inside and see the Art Deco interior of the museum itself. Although the museum itself is a work of art, the works inside showcase the Mexican Muralist Movement featuring Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, Alfredo Da Silva, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and many others. Of the masterpieces in the museum, I couldn't help but be drawn to Rivera's Man, Controller of the Universe, and every facet and detail he included. Due to the historical and political nature of some of the works, some are a little more gut wrenching than others, so understand that when going in. Your ticket to the museum allows you access to paintings on all floors, but there is a separate exhibit in the dome covering the history of the museum itself that had an extra cost.

After leaving this location, we walked along Alameda Central to the Museo Mural Diego Rivera. This museum was smaller scale, but there is an insane mural by Rivera himself on the ground floor that features Alameda Central with over 100 identifiable figures, and spans 400 years of Mexican History. The mural is nearly 16 ft tall and 50 ft wide, it's truly jaw dropping. I stayed there for a significant amount of time, going back and forth trying to identify each of the figures, and understand their significance in history. At the center of the painting, Rivera features himself as a child, holding hands with Death who is depicted as a beautiful woman. Behind him is Frida Kahlo, his wife looking iconic as ever. Knowing that we'd be going to Coyoacán the next day and see the museum dedicated to her made this even more engaging for us. The museum ties some of the figures in the painting into other artist's works, and there were some more contemporary works upstairs as well. There was even a rare photo of Kahlo and Rivera on the wall.

We did a two part private tour with Tours by Locals, starting with a visit to Xochimilco, a city whose name means "Field of Flowers" in Nahuatl. Since our meeting point was at Parque Ciudadela in CDMX proper, my mom and I got to the meeting point early and walked around La Ciudadela Market and did quite a bit of shopping at each of the artisan markets, finding unique and charming gifts in each store. We met our guide Ricardo from to begin our day, as we drove about an hour to the first destination.

We drove through the plant markets near the boats of Xochimilco, each storefront focusing on different plants, trees, and flowers. When we got to the main focus, the boats themselves, we met our boat driver-- but the boat itself consisted of just my Mom and I as well as our guide, Ricardo. One note: BRING CASH. Although our tour included the ticket for the boat ride, you need to be able to give a substantial tip to your boat driver. The boat takes you down a series of connected canals each of which with smaller boats that sell everything from flower crowns to beers and margaritas. There are even Mariachi bands on a few of these boats that will play for you for a fee.

The wildest moment was having a jewelry vendor jump onto our boat with a variety of beautiful necklaces, rings and bracelets in a briefcase. Although I am usually not a crazy jewelry fanatic, the variety of styles and gemstones really piqued my interest. Mexico is known for their opal stones, as it's a country with an abundance of them. With that being said, our vendor had some really unique opal jewlery, with an entire rainbow opals. I have a hard time buying rings because my largest finger is a size 5, and then they get smaller. I was able to get my hands on a size 5 opal ring for my middle finger and my Mom ended up getting a rainbow opal bracelet. Because our genetics are the way they are, my Mom's wrist was a little small for the bracelet, and the vendor was able to resize it by removing two opals. Since two stones were removed, he told my mom he would give her a pair of earrings of her choice in exchange for the stones removed. We were able to pay with card, and he had to go back to his shop to resize the bracelet while we held onto our ring and earrings. He told us to meet him after the boat ride for the bracelet, and lo and behold he was waiting for us with her bracelet at the end.

Ricardo took us for a quick pit stop to see the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), a prestigious public research university, founded in 1551, known for its significant contributions to education, culture, and research in Mexico and Latin America. Our reason was mostly to see the sweeping murals on their buildings done by Rivera. We learned about some of the successes coming out of the school while admiring the artwork and architecture.

From there we headed to the main event, Coyoacán, the birthplace of Frida Kahlo. We started our walkthrough at a fountain of two coyotes as the neighborhood's namesake translates to Place of the Coyotes in Nahuatl. Something unique about our visit was that the Festival del Mundo 2025 was happening, with the annual country theme celebrating Japan. Obviously my inner weaboo went nuts since the fair itself was absolutely massive. The downside was that the plaza outside of the church Frida was born in was occupied by the festival and the tents and crowd congestion made it difficult to take pictures outside. We did a brief town walkthrough before exploring the Mercado de Coyoacán where I grabbed some fish tacos and a Dos Equis at one of the stalls inside. After seeing some shops inside, we continued on to our reservation at Casa Azúl the lifelong home of Frida Kahlo and her family— which became a museum following her and Rivera’s passing.

Roughly 10 years prior, the NY Botanical Garden had a flower show themed after Frida Kahlo's work with it's centerpiece echoing the look of Casa Azúl. It was really mind blowing seeing the space in real life after nearly a decade of wondering, it really was a work of art. We were able to see never before seen works that permanently live there, as well as so many of her personal possessions that featured in her artworks.

Each piece was a window into who she was as a person, I feel that there was no holding back in regards to her internal and external pain. There were many works featuring her suffering at the forefront, as you can see the lasting pain she experienced from her bus accident, as well as the loss of her child. This was juxtaposed by featuring some of her eccentric outfits and beautiful kitchen. Her bedroom was really personal, with her unique bed that she sometimes painted in, her mirror used for many of her self portraits, and her ashes hauntingly displayed in front of us. Leaving Coyoacán was difficult because we still felt there was so much unseen, so we quickly looked into Uber prices to return, which were surprisingly reasonable.

The next and final day we returned to Coyoacán to explore some of the food spots that Ricardo recommended. We got some incredible churros with melted chocolate at Churreria de Coyoacán per his recommendation, while walking the streets with a little more intention. We found a huge Bazaar with hundreds of little shops that we could have spend hours in, and I left with more cutesy nerdy accessories than cultural pieces, but I can only hold back so much. I got to share my love for onigiris with my Mom as we returned to the Festival del Mundo, as we also got more bottled water to hydrate in the same place.

I had to buy a paleta from a street vendor as well as it was the last truly authentic one I'd be able to have for a while. We spent most of the day taking photos and taking it easy (with the exception of me catching a million Fuecocos for the poorly timed Pokémon Go Community Day). This trip and the town itself felt very spiritual to me, as in my personal life I was in a period of great transition. The more spiritual side was on a mission to find Rose Quartz to carry with me and bring me some luck in my love life. I was able to find a crystal to carry in my wallet, as well as a necklace with a heart shaped rose gold pendant, which made me so happy.

We had our last meal right in the square where we first started in Coyoacán, on a rooftop overlooking the coyote fountain. We had a slightly more elevated but still authentic meal at la Restaurante de Ave Maria. We had our meal as the sun went down, to the sound of Mariachi performers just downstairs. It was the perfect way to conclude our magical trip.

We had an early flight the following day, but not without a final adventure to finish things off. Our hotel had been boarded up in preparation for an upcoming celebration. The beginning of the group of tens of thousands were already grouped outside of our hotel, and our Uber couldn't get to us. My mom and I had to shuffle through a thankfully peaceful but nonetheless intense crowd with our suitcases and all. We learned later that the country was celebrating the decision to postpone tarriffs on US goods.

In conclusion, I think the trip was a really special one, packed with history, aesthetics, art and culture. The people were so nice, and I felt safe the entire time I was there. Considering I didn't travel with a native speaker, I was really impressed by how quickly I was able to pick up the language and how much I remember from my 6 years of Spanish classes growing up. I think locals really appreciated my genuine effort, and honestly at some points in the trip, it was all we relied on. I insisted on ordering in Spanish in every restaurant, and only relied on English when I absolutely had to.

My one point of note is that all of the rumors regarding the water in Mexico are unfortunately 100% true, at least it was for me. I am not sure exactly how we both contracted Montezuma's Revenge. I don't want to get into the details but it was really torturous and went on for almost 2 weeks. I'm not sure if it was the paletas made with water, ice in drinks, or brushing our teeth with regular water rather than bottled, but I would be mindful of all of it. Suffering through room temperature drinks is worth it, plus there is bottled water on every floor of the hotel we stayed in to brush teeth with, nothing is worth the risk. I say this because I wouldn't wish that particular experience on anyone, I was just very lucky that it didn't hit me ‘til the day I had to head home. With most public restrooms being pay-to-enter, trust me on this.

If you're interested in going to CDMX, make your restaurant reservations in advance if you can! Definitely keep this list in mind, and feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions at all. This was such a fun trip to go on, and I hope to one day return !