CDMX = Mexico City

This was my first international trip since the beginning of the Pandemic. Sarah and I had just returned from India in February, 2020 and a few weeks later boarders were closed and flights canceled around the world. My sons and I had planed to travel to Istanbul in May of 2020 to watch the playoffs of the Champions League finals. Our family is huge soccer fans and were excited to travel to Turkey to cheer on our favorite squad. Like everyone else, we never left our home and watched the match on TV in a sodium with no fans.

This spring we decided to go international again to catch the playoffs, but closer; Mexico! I secured an Airbnb apartment in the Roma Notre section of downtown Mexico City. (When looking for housing I prefer Airbnb or VRBO for the extra room and cooking capabilities. I also try to be as central to the action in a city as possible.) 

We purchased Delta Airline tickets and flew into Juarez airport for a long four day weekend together. Each of us arrived on different flights, managed the emigration process and took an Uber to the apartment. Everything was safe, friendly and affordable. 

Fortunately the three of us (Johan, Stephan and me) have similar interests and are veteran travelers. We walked a lot, the boys went for runs in the morning, we visited museums and ate a lot. Most of the restaurants were open and quite a few of them had sidewalk seating. It had the vibe of Paris and was not crowded at all. The guys even introduced me to mezcal, a smoky flavored tequila. Yes, I liked it! 

Saturday afternoon we sat outdoors at a restaurant and watched Chelsea beat Manchester City, much to our and the crowd’s delight. As fortune would have it, the Mexican Championship game was played on Sunday night. We found another bar to watch and cheered on Cruz Azul as victors. We joined in the revelry late into the night as thousands of fans converged in the city center to wave flags and honk their horns with glee. 

Johan needed to return to work and flew home early Monday morning. Stephan and I decided to to take a day trip out of the city. We walked to the metro station and took three transfers to the bus station on the north side of the city. From there, we traveled 45 minutes to the entrance of the fascinating Teotihuacán pyramids. We spent the better part of the afternoon walking and climbing the impressive ruins of this ancient culture. Around 3:00 we returned to the the city by retracing our journey on foot, bus and Metro. 

Everywhere we went we felt safe. The locals were kind, beautiful and mostly wore masks. We had the fun experience of being in the minority. There were hardly any caucasian or English speaking people during the entire time were were in CDMX. We never felt in danger but were respected and assisted when needed.

I could see returning and staying longer to soak up more of the delights of this amazing city. Day trips are possible, the cost of living is affordable and the history is fascinating. Oh, and I must remark on the galleries and museums. There is so many intriguing perspectives by our neighbors to the south. I just began to peel back the layers of their fascinating and complex history. 

We all three retuned home refreshed and eager to return some day. The tree-lined boulevards will stay with me as a sweet memory of this engaging city. 

​