Mexico City 2012
Mexico City trip January 2012
In November I suggested going to Mexico City via the bus from Nuevo Laredo because my brothers, Jimmie and Warren, had done that in August 2010. Just an idea.
We started checking flights and found that all Austin-Mex flights go through Houston as does San Antonio Mex. The price was about 360 each. So we had to check more and more. Then on a Sunday night I found AeroMexico flights out of San Antonio non-stop two hours to MEX! for about 260 WOW!!! Then I checked the full price and it was about 320. That was good but deceptive. It was like "I will fly you to your destination for a good price, but landing costs extra." Not too good.
Since the good fares come out on Tuesday, I checked Hotwire on Tuesday morning and they had SAT to MEX for $198 with American Airlines. Full price! Depart 10:30 AM Arrive in Mex at 3 PM. The Aeromexico flight landed at 9 PM. (Hotwire publishes FULL prices)
This was very good so we bought two tickets and planned to park in long term parking at SAT (about 10 dollars/day)
Tuesday 10 Jan
depart Austin drive to SAT, park car on 4th floor long term parking, get on plane, go to DFW, get on MEX at 3 PM
waited over an hour at immigration for extra clerks.
pressed the button for customs and got a green light which goes on through.
bought a taxi ticket for 150 pesos to hotel and got to Hotel Marlowe for 4:30 PM
Taxis charge by the zones and you can get a firm price before getting in the cab. It was also good that we had printed the name and address of the hotel for the driver.
There was a note from Kenza (daughter of Colin & Hamida) that she would meet us at 7 PM
We walked around for a while. Marlowe is right near Bellas Artes and the Blue Tile house of Sanborns. Quite a busy city. With 20 or 22 million, it is easy to look crowded and busy.
Met Kenza for dinner and it was delicious
Wednesday 11 January
43rd Anniversary Breakfast at Sanbornes
bought tickets for Balllet Folklorico to see the inside of Bellas Artes.
went to top of Tower of Americas (45th floor) to see a very good view of the city
walked over to Hotel Isabella to see Jimmie's digs. While walking towards Zocalo, found the Pastriella Ideal which makes wedding cakes and any other pastry you can think about.
visited the lobby of Hotel Ciudad on one corner of Zocalo.
walked around Zocalo a few times.
took the Turibus to visit the whole city - upper deck - good view.
Found the Templo Mayor near the end of the day and it was almost closed, so we have something else to visit on the next trip
Went to Ballet Folklorico at night "Viva Mexico".
Thursday 12 January
breakfast at Hotel Marlowe.
took cab to Hotel Geneve in Zona Rosa.
Our room was ready so we left the bags there and
then took MetroBus Insurgentes out to Terminal del Norte to catch a bus to the Pyramids.
Very worth seeing and I think it is full of people with ideas about everything during a Solstice or Equinox or any other day. Today they stayed home and there were just a few hundred people there.
Took the bus back to the Terminal and caught the Metro to the Hotel Geneve
Then we dressed up and caught a cab to Pujols, a very good five-star restaurant in the Polanca neighborhood (Embassy Row?) and they did not disappoint. The bill said "Aren't you glad you're not here at night?" We liked it.
We walked home through Chapultepec Park and passed the Museo of Modern Arts. It was closed already, and we got home OK. Save something for next trip.
Friday, 13 January
up early to get to the Museo Anthopologia. caught one of those chancy buses on Reforma and got there on time - actually early.
This museum is definitely WORLD CLASS. Such a very clever way of exhibiting things. The model of the Pyramids was very good and we were glad that we had visited them yesterday. The exhibits of all of the different cultures of Mexico were very good.
In haste to get back to the hotel to meet Kenza for lunch,
we took another one of those buses but it stopped early and we had to hoof it the rest of the way. I thought that the buses went up and down Reforma and 99% of them do, but I found the other kind.
Saturday 14 January
Went to Frida Kahlo's house. via Autobus Insurgentes and walking around San Angel and a then a bus to the edge of Coyocan and then a LONG walk around the park.
Frida's place is worth seeing. We met someone from Austin who was there with her husband who studies the educator John "learn by doing" Dewey.
It seems that Trotsky was a great fan of Dewey and Dewey had visited Trotsky at Frida's house back in the 30's before Trotsky moved over a few blocks. It is a small world.
took the metro back to the southern end of Condesa-Roma neighborhood which has the best walking in town - even if it drizzling.
Sunday 15 January
up at 6:00 AM at the airport before 7:30 and arrived home at 4:30 PM
more details and pictures will be added
One thing about the Autobus Insurgentes: It needs a pass to swipe in and one buys the pass at any station. OK? But it must be "validated" at only certain other places which are open Monday to Friday only. So we have an un-validated Autobus pass which we will keep as a souvenir.
On switching hotels: The Hotel Marlowe had a good price for two nights only and some friends had stayed at the Hotel Geneve which had a good rate for three nights. Moving from a clean, neat hotel in El Centro to a clean, fancy hotel in the Zona Rosa was a very good direction to go. The other direction would have seemed like a burden.
In November I suggested going to Mexico City via the bus from Nuevo Laredo because my brothers, Jimmie and Warren, had done that in August 2010. Just an idea.
We started checking flights and found that all Austin-Mex flights go through Houston as does San Antonio Mex. The price was about 360 each. So we had to check more and more. Then on a Sunday night I found AeroMexico flights out of San Antonio non-stop two hours to MEX! for about 260 WOW!!! Then I checked the full price and it was about 320. That was good but deceptive. It was like "I will fly you to your destination for a good price, but landing costs extra." Not too good.
Since the good fares come out on Tuesday, I checked Hotwire on Tuesday morning and they had SAT to MEX for $198 with American Airlines. Full price! Depart 10:30 AM Arrive in Mex at 3 PM. The Aeromexico flight landed at 9 PM. (Hotwire publishes FULL prices)
This was very good so we bought two tickets and planned to park in long term parking at SAT (about 10 dollars/day)
Tuesday 10 Jan
depart Austin drive to SAT, park car on 4th floor long term parking, get on plane, go to DFW, get on MEX at 3 PM
waited over an hour at immigration for extra clerks.
pressed the button for customs and got a green light which goes on through.
bought a taxi ticket for 150 pesos to hotel and got to Hotel Marlowe for 4:30 PM
Taxis charge by the zones and you can get a firm price before getting in the cab. It was also good that we had printed the name and address of the hotel for the driver.
There was a note from Kenza (daughter of Colin & Hamida) that she would meet us at 7 PM
We walked around for a while. Marlowe is right near Bellas Artes and the Blue Tile house of Sanborns. Quite a busy city. With 20 or 22 million, it is easy to look crowded and busy.
Met Kenza for dinner and it was delicious
Wednesday 11 January
43rd Anniversary Breakfast at Sanbornes
bought tickets for Balllet Folklorico to see the inside of Bellas Artes.
went to top of Tower of Americas (45th floor) to see a very good view of the city
walked over to Hotel Isabella to see Jimmie's digs. While walking towards Zocalo, found the Pastriella Ideal which makes wedding cakes and any other pastry you can think about.
visited the lobby of Hotel Ciudad on one corner of Zocalo.
walked around Zocalo a few times.
took the Turibus to visit the whole city - upper deck - good view.
Found the Templo Mayor near the end of the day and it was almost closed, so we have something else to visit on the next trip
Went to Ballet Folklorico at night "Viva Mexico".
Thursday 12 January
breakfast at Hotel Marlowe.
took cab to Hotel Geneve in Zona Rosa.
Our room was ready so we left the bags there and
then took MetroBus Insurgentes out to Terminal del Norte to catch a bus to the Pyramids.
Very worth seeing and I think it is full of people with ideas about everything during a Solstice or Equinox or any other day. Today they stayed home and there were just a few hundred people there.
Took the bus back to the Terminal and caught the Metro to the Hotel Geneve
Then we dressed up and caught a cab to Pujols, a very good five-star restaurant in the Polanca neighborhood (Embassy Row?) and they did not disappoint. The bill said "Aren't you glad you're not here at night?" We liked it.
We walked home through Chapultepec Park and passed the Museo of Modern Arts. It was closed already, and we got home OK. Save something for next trip.
Friday, 13 January
up early to get to the Museo Anthopologia. caught one of those chancy buses on Reforma and got there on time - actually early.
This museum is definitely WORLD CLASS. Such a very clever way of exhibiting things. The model of the Pyramids was very good and we were glad that we had visited them yesterday. The exhibits of all of the different cultures of Mexico were very good.
In haste to get back to the hotel to meet Kenza for lunch,
we took another one of those buses but it stopped early and we had to hoof it the rest of the way. I thought that the buses went up and down Reforma and 99% of them do, but I found the other kind.Saturday 14 January
Went to Frida Kahlo's house. via Autobus Insurgentes and walking around San Angel and a then a bus to the edge of Coyocan and then a LONG walk around the park.
Frida's place is worth seeing. We met someone from Austin who was there with her husband who studies the educator John "learn by doing" Dewey.
It seems that Trotsky was a great fan of Dewey and Dewey had visited Trotsky at Frida's house back in the 30's before Trotsky moved over a few blocks. It is a small world.took the metro back to the southern end of Condesa-Roma neighborhood which has the best walking in town - even if it drizzling.
Sunday 15 January
up at 6:00 AM at the airport before 7:30 and arrived home at 4:30 PM
more details and pictures will be added
One thing about the Autobus Insurgentes: It needs a pass to swipe in and one buys the pass at any station. OK? But it must be "validated" at only certain other places which are open Monday to Friday only. So we have an un-validated Autobus pass which we will keep as a souvenir.
On switching hotels: The Hotel Marlowe had a good price for two nights only and some friends had stayed at the Hotel Geneve which had a good rate for three nights. Moving from a clean, neat hotel in El Centro to a clean, fancy hotel in the Zona Rosa was a very good direction to go. The other direction would have seemed like a burden.
posted by Richard Gravois at
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