Xochimilco
Mexico City’s central location makes it a great base for making day trips. One was particularly memorable, Xochimilco, the Venice of Mexico. Located at the southern edge of Mexico City, Xochimilco is what is left from what was an extensive lake and canal system that connected most settlements in the region in pre-hispanic times. Today, you can gather a group of friends or family and explore the canals via the colorful gondola-like boats called “trajineras”. Like Venice, gui
Mexico City
At long last, I arrived in Mexico City. I booked a full month’s accommodations here, slowing down the trip to allow myself to finally get some work done on my heretofore neglected apps. Mexico City is a monster, plain and simple. The city proper is home to about 10 million residents and the broader area to about 26 million. The city was originally founded by the Aztecs in 1325 and constructed on an island in the middle of Lake Texcoco. Hernan Cortes arrived in 1519, event
Cuernavaca
My last stop before making it to Mexico City is in Cuernavaca (“cow’s horn”). Cuernavaca is a popular weekend destination for residents of Mexico City, who favor its slightly warmer climate in the fall and winter. While there are some lovely parks in the city, I didn’t get to visit any of them, as I was still recovering from food poisoning in Toluca. I did get to tour the town center though. The central plaza is anchored by the Palace of Cortes. It was built in 1526, atop
Toluca
I'll just get this out of the way now. Toluca sucks. OK, now I can carry on. Making my way in the general direction of Mexico City, I made a three-day stop in Toluca, a rapidly expanding urban center (now the fifth largest city in Mexico) known mostly for the nearby Volcano, which features a beautiful lagoon in its interior. However, I didn’t get a chance to visit it, as I came down with a horrific case of food poisoning on my second night there after eating a hamburger for
Valle de Bravo
Continuing the slow march toward Mexico City, I stopped in Valle de Bravo for a few days. Located two hours from Mexico City, this small lakeside town is a popular weekend destination for the capital's upper middle class. As a fun fact, it's also considered Mexico's "Woodstock", having hosted a rock festival back in 1971 that legendarily attracted about 300,000 hippies. You can still see the remnants of the Day of the Dead celebrations: Valle is a top destination for paragl
Morelia
Leaving Chapala, I decided I would make my way toward Mexico City. But, rather than heading direct to the capital, I would stop for three days in each of several smaller cities along the way. Given that the day of the dead celebrations were approaching, I asked around and was told that the best place to see the celebrations is in the state of Michoacán. So, I headed to Morelia, the colonial capital of Michoacán, to ride out the festivities. Like so many spots in central Me
