Mexico City – Day 2 & 3: Tacos and Culture
MEXICO CITY
Day 2 & 3: Tacos & Culture
August 05 & 06, 2022
There is much to say about the capital of Mexico. Of the six days I’d have to explore, I decided to spend the first three exploring the heart of the city. I came to appreciate CDMX more than I ever could by reading about it or looking at photos.
The city itself never left me wanting for anything – be it food, art or culture. I got to appreciate chili, lime and salt with anything and everything, from fruit to meat. I got to try tacos of all kinds – from ribeye and chicken to goat and pork. Although I have the palate of a garbage truck, I must admit there was something off about Mexican food. Everything tasted… different. And not in a good way – especially the tacos. The difference, I cameto learn, was that Mexican tortillas are corn-based, unlike the flour-based ones I was so accustomed to back in Europe.Â
Here, it seemed, everyone was simply obsessed with corn. In fact, a common saying is “Sin maĂz no hay pais” which translates to “Without corn there is no country”. But taco after taco, I quickly learned to appreciate the original version. It didn’t take much for me to fall in love with Mexican cuisine. From snacks like chicharrĂłn and plantain crisps to molcajete and carne asada, I started to rethink my notion of going back home looking like a skeleton. Oh and the nopal! Back home, we eat prickly pear like there’s no tomorrow (you wouldn’t believe how many patients I’ve seen in hospital presenting with constipation because of them), but I had never thought the leaves could be eaten too. So sour and acidic!
And let’s not forget the bebidas! From day-drinking Corona and Tecate to multiple mezcal and tequila tours around the city, let’s just say my sobriety was totally questionable at one point. Especially after learning a couple of drinking salutes such as:
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“¡Afloja el codo,
Encoge el codo,
Y chingatelo todo!”
&
“¡Arriba, abajo, al centro, pa’ dentro!”
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These translate to:
“Loosen the elbow,
Tighten the elbow,
And bottoms up!”
&
“Up, down, in the centre, drink up!”
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There’s also the traditional michelada, a drink made from beer, spices, chilli and lime. I can imagine a chicken breast marinated in that stuff would taste great, but when it comes to drinking it, it’s a very hard pass for me. Much more to my liking were the aguas frescas; fruit-flavoured water that you’re bound to find in most street stalls on every road, with tamarind and hibiscus water quickly becoming my new addiction.
Arts & Culture
It wasn’t just the food and drinks that made me enjoy the city. It was certainly a jam-packed schedule, but I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way!
From laying my eyes on some of the best works of art I had ever seen at the Palacio de Bellas Artes and the Museo Nacional de Arte, to fawning over beautiful monuments such as the Angel of Independence and the Monument to the Revolution. From ogling at the most beautiful vistas from atop the Torre Latinoamericana (which gives a full, unobstructed view of the city) to those at the park of Chapultepec (whose castle made me feel like I stepped back in time). From learning more about the Aztec and Mayan legacies at the Museum of Anthropology, to understanding more about the workings of contemporary Mexican daily life at the markets, the Postal Palace and the National Bank… I can definitely say CDMX has much to offer!
Apart from that, I also got a first-hand taste of Mexican culture at its best when I randomly stumbled upon a traditional dance concert held at the ZĂłcalo. The dancers’ costumes and moves left me awestruck to say the least. Okay, one last thing – I promise. I also got to go to a Lucha Libre fight – one of the most awesome things I’ve ever been to (and I rarely use the word ‘awesome’, so that’s gotta count for something. ¡Muy, muy padre!
The Real CDMX
It wasn’t all fun and games, though. Throughout my stay in CDMX, I also got to learn about some of the hardships Mexicans face. Like those living in Monterrey. Water scarcity is such a problem there that more often than not, most people can’t even shower. And that’s the middle- and upper-class population – imagine what it must be like to be part of the lower class and not even be able to access potable water! Or the fact that healthcare is mostly privatised. That the best education must be paid for. Or that around one third of the population cannot afford sustainable housing – or any housing at all!
And there I was… a white, privileged male, once again on the road. I can try and sell it whichever way I want, but at the end of the day, travelling is nothing but a luxury. Especially the kind of travelling I was doing. Hotels, tours, restaurants, taxis. The money I’d be spending on those things could potentially put a roof over the heads of hundreds of people – if only for a short while. It wasn’t my first time thinking this and to this day, I still find myself at a loss. What’s the solution? Cutting back so you can give money to charity? I never really believed in that. Treat the cause, not the symptom. Give someone a fish and you feed them for a day; teach someone to fish and you feed them for a lifetime.
What I’ve come to learn over years of experiencing this angst, is that there is no solution. But I guess, the closest thing we can do is is trying to avoid anything that’s too extravagant or over the top and making do with what you have without impinging on anybody else’s resources.
Stay wild,
Marius
Post-Scriptum
During my first week, I was still a bit overwhelmed by everything going on, and I hadn’t quite fallen into the routine of writing. For this reason, some of these descriptions might seem a bit dry or superficial. It took a few more days for me to start rolling up my sleeves and dedicating more time to journalling – so you can expect better entries from now on, I promise!