If you go to Mexico City, be sure your GPS is working. I learned this last week, when I went to Mexico City for the first time, to meet an old friend flying in from France and to spend a couple of days there before returning together by bus to my home in San Miguel de Allende.
My French friend, Marie-Laure, a retired high school teacher in Paris, and I have been friends now for fifty-one years, and we’ve often travelled internationally together. Now well into our seventies, we are, you might say, old-school travelers: We like maps. That is, the paper kind, the kind that can be folded up and tucked into a backpack, then spread out onto a table to see where you’re going — from YOU ARE HERE to WHERE YOU WANT TO GO. Oh, and with a legible typeface.
But we learned last week that no such thing exists for Mexico City. Mexico City is just too, too vast. My beautiful map of San Miguel, which lives in the backpack I carry everywhere, is 26 x 31 inches (66 x 78 cm). A readable map of Mexico City would likely be many times larger than that, and it would, when unfolded, fill up a room. (In terms of population, Mexico City is the eighth largest city in the world; New York is only number eleven.)
Of course there is GPS now. But Marie-Laure’s iPhone had fallen and broken irreparably just before her flight, and my phone’s Maps feature wasn’t helpful either. So we found we had to rely on our taxi drivers to guide and teach us, and these experiences were mixed.
One, a driver called by our hotel, informed us when we got in his cab at 10:30 in the morning and promptly got stuck in four-lane, bumper-to-bumper inner-city traffic (due to a subway breakdown, a manifestación [demonstration] up ahead, and a bus convoy tie-up on our right) that we’d be wise to head straight to the Frida Museum if we wanted to get there by our one o’clock appointment. He was right. It took that long to get there. I’ve never in my life seen such traffic.
Two other, subsequent, taxi drivers, hailed on the street, took advantage and charged us many times more than the fares should have been. But we learned this too late.
On the plus side: The Frida Kahlo Museum – her former home in the lovely Coyoacán district — was well worth the hassle and traffic. And the lunch we had at the Los Danzantes restaurant within about six blocks of Frida’s house was superb.
The following morning, overcast and chilly, we went for a walk near our hotel – sin mapa (without a map) — in search of the famous wide boulevard, Paseo de la Reforma, which we ultimately found. On the way we discovered this lovely plaza:
Then it was on (via reliable taxi) to Mexico’s deservedly world-famous National Anthropology Museum, where we spent the rest of the day before returning by bus to SMA. This museum is a masterpiece. I could have spent a week there. Maybe, maybe, maybe one day I’ll return.
The takeaways for me from this brief trip were two-fold. One: crowded, messy Mexico City, like life itself, is a mixed bag of bad and good; but the good outweighs the bad. And two: as with life, there are no big, clear, tangible, immutable, reliable maps to get us from HERE to THERE. We have no choice but to travel our respective bumpy roads, hit and miss, sin mapa, by faith and hope.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Note:
- One must buy tickets and reserve in advance to see Frida’s house/museum. For more information, go to: museofridakahlo.org.mx .
- The Museo Nacional de Antropología (anthropology museum) is also a must-see. Allow many hours there, broken up by lunch at their fine restaurant, Sala Gastronómica. For more, visit: www.mna.inah.gob.mx .
- Both museums are closed on Mondays.
- Beware of unscrupulous taxi drivers. Use taxis either called by your hotel or from booths marked “Taxi Seguro” (like this one pictured), which are prepaid.
- Marie-Laure and I stayed at a safe, clean, modest hotel in the Roma district, the Stanza Hotel on Ave. Alvaro Obregon; stanzahotel.com .
- We traveled to/from SMA/Mx City by ETN bus, a luxurious yet affordable bus line; etn.com.mx :
find me on facebook
Bonnie! So glad you got to enjoy some of the city’s treasures. I love Mexico City!
Yes, me too, querida! xx
Thank you so so much for this Bonnie! I hope to be able to visit mexico City end February after some time in San Miguel!!!
You’re so welcome, Rae Marie. I hope my praise and warnings are helpful to you. 🙂
Hi Bonnie, the best way to get around Mexico City without getting ripped off or having to deal with money and tips is to use Uber. It is safer, cleaner, and an all over more pleasant experience. You register your credit card and get picked up and dropped off at the door. I lived in Mexico City for 38 years before retiring in SMA…sorry you had to go thru all that!
Thanks so much for sharing this info, Karen. I’m sure WOW readers will benefit! But even Uber drivers will get stuck in traffic, si?
Bonnie Dear, sounds like your meeting up with ML for a couple of days in Mexico City was, overall, worth the effort. I’ll bet it was tough just to have a single day at the Anthropology Museum, but at least you know it’s well worth a few more visits. I’ll bet if Barb Mandaville had gone with you that cab driver never would have ripped you off. I’m sorry that happened. Nice that you and Marie Laure are still friends after all these years. And that you still travel well together, even when it’s sin mapas. xoxo
Thanks so much, BeDear! Yes, it was certainly worth it. Maybe Barb Mandaville might have argued with the unscrupulous taxi drivers; but when your baggage is in their cab’s trunk, they have the upper hand, I think. 🙂
By the way, that is a darling photo of you in front of Frida’s house! You look muy healthy! xoxo
Gracias!
How wonderful you got to share this precious time together! ❤️
Yes, thanks, dear MM, we did! — xx
What a great trip, la Bonnie! I love your photo in front of Frida’s house, que bonita. Yes, taxi seguro next time!
Gracias, querida Te! Yes, I’m sure you would love Mexico City, especially these two museums. — xx
Oh Bonnie, if only life did emulate a road map! I would retrace my steps and take an easier route. But it doesn’t work that way, does it?
I’m glad you enjoyed your trip. I honestly would have found the population and traffic overwhelming. But maybe not, if I had a friend to share the travel with.
Hugs!
Thank you, dear Loula. I can always count on you for getting my point: Ah, a life road map would be SO helpful! 🙂 But we stumble along… Hugs back to you.
So happy you got a taste of Mexico City, a favorite in all the world. Trying, but well worth then effort. There are other wonderful museums as well to explore and parks and conies and Mercados..of the places you’ll go! big hugs Judith
Yes, dear Judith — Maybe some day I’ll see it all! — Big hugs back to you, BB
Had a chuckle reading this. We actually bought a real map one time ; totally useless! Uber is the way to go! Glad you stayed at the Stanza-lovely staff and right across the street from great churros!
Thank you, dear Alice, for your experience. Whenever we asked a shopkeeper about a (real) map, they shook their heads and looked at us pityingly, as if to say, “Don’t you old ladies have GPS on your phones?” They were young, of course, and never heard of a paper map for the city. Ah… progress. 🙁 And as for Uber — wouldn’t they get stuck in the thick traffic too? 🙂
Hi Bonnie, I just wanted to tell you that on your recommendation in one of your recent blogs, I read against a loveless world, the story of a Palestinian woman. It knocked my socks off and I want to thank you for the recommendation. In this period of such strife and horridness in the Middle East was very refreshing and educational. understand Palestinian point of view. Thank you so much for that. Have you read it?
Wonderful to know that my review of AGAINST THE LOVELESS WORLD prompted a WOW reader to read the book! Isn’t it stunning? I hope other WOW readers follow suit. After reading it I wanted to press it on everyone in the world. 🙂