Can I Tell You About ... Mexico City
STAY
Las Alcobas is a chic boutique hotel situated in the posh Polanco district surrounded by designer shops, restaurants,interior design stores and nightclubs. The international design firm Yabu Pushelberg created the luxurious contemporary look of the hotel and that is enough reason in my opinion to stay here.
EAT
Contramar is the place to see and be seen in Mexico. Get there at noon and you will be able to get a table but arrive an hour later and you will have to wait another hour. From our table it looked like everbody knew everybody. The scene was social, jovial and super chic. The tuna tostadas are so popular the dish is even the password for their wifi!
MUST SEE
Museo Soumaya is the iconic museum designed by Fernando Romero showcasing the private art collection of Mexican business tycoon Carlos Slim. The entrance is free and it is even open on Mondays when most museums are closed. Do not miss the top floor that displays a large collection of Rodin sculptures. The outside structure of the museum is quite inspiring. Grab a drink at one of the bars behind it at sunset and you'll see the building glows like seashells with the sun's reflection. La Casa Azul is Frida Khalo's home where she grew up and lived with Diego Rivera. It has now been converted into a museum where you can get a glimpse of how they lived. The furniture and the gardens are well maintained but there isn't a lot of her artwork to see. Walk over to Mercado de Coyoacan and grab a spot at Tostadas Coyoacan. It's a fun convivial place that is packed with people eating their famous tostadas.
SHOP
Carmen Rion works with artisans in Chiapas to weave her traditional textiles and she transforms them into contemporary silhouettes with a nod towards current fashion trends. Her shop is conveniently located within the Downtown Hotel shopping complex.
DO
Hire a driver and go to Teotihuacan (about an hour away from Mexico City.) It is otherwise refered to as the "City of the Gods" and home to some of the largest ancient pyramids in the world. Climb up to the top of the Temple of the Moon and Temple of the Sun to see the vast area the site covers and you can almost imagine what it must have been like when the Aztecs found these ruins which were abandoned hundreds of years prior.
WHAT I LOVED MOST
Diego Rivera's incredible murals depicting the history of Mexico at the Palacio Nacional were everything I had imagined them to be. The murals swarm with symbolism, detail, emotion, and political commentary. I walked around the murals several times, and each time I saw something new and fascinating.
