June 2022. Although I have been in Mexico before, the last time was in 1994-1995. Twenty-seven years later, Oriol and I are doing a classic tour of the United Mexican States, featuring Mexico City (CDMX); Palenque in Chiapas; Villahermosa in Tabasco; Uxmal, Mérida, Chichen Itza, Ek’ Balam, Valladolid,  and a few cenotes (waterholes) in Yucatán and Tulum in Quintana Roo. We returned via Cancún to CDMX and Amsterdam Airport Schiphol.

Mexico City is a humongous city wih a population of 9.2 million in CDMX proper and a whopping 21.8 million inhabitants for Greater Mexico City. We only scratched the touristy surface. 

I’m happy with our three full days in the capital. Yes, we didn’t thick all the tourism boxes, but we saw interesting things. I am especially pleased to have visited the Chapultepec Castle or Castillo de Chapultepec and the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

Zona Rosa

CDMX’ official colour is pink, pantone 226C. It features everywhere. People also do wear pink a lot. I should have brought more pink clothes to blend in.

Our accommodation, Hotel Carlota, was / is situated in the Zona Rosa or Pink Zone, Mexico City’s clubbing area and gaybourhood. We did not go out gay or queer club, but we did have dinner at the very LGBTQIA+ inclusive Lucerna Comedor food court. 

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Calle Amberes or Antwerp Street is said to be the gay street, but it’s on Calle Génova or Genoa Street we found a very rainbow market. 

In general we saw many queer people and same-sex couple publicly displaying affection. 

We didn’t club or party but we did venture on the Yellow Pages, better known as gay dating app Grindr. I didn’t hook up in CDMX, but I did have some friendly conversations. The general vibe is less bitchy and entitled than in Antwerp. It helps being the exotic candy. 

Traffic

Traffic is notoroius in Mexico City but overall we coped well. We only took the very cheap metro once, and forgot to go to the last car. Apparently the last cars are cruising hotspots.

But taking Uber rides were so reach and easy. 

Three days

We had three full days in CDMX and at the pace I and so it turns Oriol travel, that was okay. But you can easily fill five or seven days if you want. 

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Mexico 2022

1. REVIEW | KLM Amsterdam Schiphol to Mexico City on a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner in economy.
2. MEXICO CITY | Zócalo.
3. MEXICO CITY | Templo Mayor.
4. REVIEW | Hotel Carlota in Mexico City.
5. MEXICO | Teotihuacan.
6. MEXICO CITY | National Museum of Anthropology or Museo Nacional de Antropología.
7. FORMULA 1 MEXICO CITY GRAND PRIX | Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
8. MEXICO CITY | Museo Nacional de Historia at Castillo de Chapultepec.
9. MEXICO CITY | Frida Kahlo Museum.
10. MEXICO CITY | Coyoacán.