Mexico City, Mexico

I arrived in Mexico City mid November with a plan to stay a full month but was forced to alter arrangements when I discovered my bought and paid for Airbnd apartment was fraudulent. And unfortunately, it was a very busy time in Mexico's capital so affordable places were limited - especially on a monthly basis. Ultimately, I found options that partitioned my stay into three segments. The first, two weeks upon my arrival, the second, a short week after ten days in the lake town of Valle de Bravo and finally, a full month after spending time with family on my annual trip north during the Christmas holidays.

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Mexico City is massive. At 545 square miles and 22 million people the city represents the most populated in North America and the sixth largest in the world. Mexico City or Ciudad de México (CDMX) sits in an old lake bed around 7200 feet above sea level that was originally built by the Aztecs (Tenochtitlan) on an island surrounded by water. Then came the Spanish Conquistadors who, as they typically did, destroyed most of what existed and rebuilt all of it within the Spanish urban standards during the early 1500's. Today's Mexico city is represented by sixteen distinct boroughs and hundreds of neighborhoods reflecting unique characteristics and socio-economic realities that cover the entire spectrum. For example, you could be sitting in a cafe next to one of the beautiful parks in Contessa and feel like you're in a better part of Madrid followed by a short metro ride to a more typical, disheveled and underfunded neighborhood found in much of Latin America. Or, you might find yourself in one of the many recently built business districts and feel like you're back in any first world city of the north. 

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All of my stays in Mexico City were located near the center so I could focus on the historic heart of the city and all that comes with high density urban life. The the main square, Plaza de la Constitución or Zócalo is the largest in Latin America, exhibits a powerful presence upon entry and is home to multiple civic and cultural gatherings. The Zócalo has a natural draw given its sheer volume, frequent activities and physical frame represented by repetitive Spanish Colonial colonnades. As with many city centers, it is a place where you can find lots of free entertainment. I was there often.

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Aside from a daily exploration of neighborhoods within this intensely urban environment, I spent extended periods of time in the city's world class park known as Chapultepec, a full day in the dry and hilly barrios of the southeast riding a seven mile cable line while viewing the rooftop art below and another at the celebrated Mesoamerican pyramids of Teotihuacan. Extended stays of a few days to a couple weeks included the quaint village of Valle de Bravo a couple hours to the west and the resort town of Acapulco on the Pacific Ocean.

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Mexico City was never on my list. It's too large and congested to take seriously as a future place of residence or multi month stay. However, the direction of my art work essentially dictated I spend a few months exploring the city for its abundant display of wall art, graffiti and aging paint. What I discovered was far from what I imagined and a city that probably deserves greater recognition on an international stage given its robust and vibrant culture within a historic matrix that dates a millennium. 

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Off to Bogota and a long awaited return to South America!