Our first stop was the National Palace where we saw the mural paintings by Diego Rivera which depict the history of Mexico.
From there we passed the excavations of the base of the Aztec Templo Mayor (Main Temple), an archaeological site in the heart of downtown.
Next we visited the huge and ornate Metropolitan Cathedral, the largest in the Americas.
It was time to have a bit of lunch, so we stopped at Café La Parroquia, a traditional spot that is famous for its "café lechero", a shot of strong coffee with steamed milk.
After lunch, we walked down the main street of the "Centro Histórico", pedestrianized Madero Street.
At the end of Madero Street is the Latin American Tower. When it was constructed in the 1950s, it was the tallest building in all of Latin America.
Our last stop was the observation deck atop the Latin American Tower. In spite of the smoggy air, the view was still impressive.
There was much more we could have seen in "El Centro", and by this time it was 4:00. Even though rush hour was approaching, the public transportation was not yet packed. We made it back to their hotel, and Cliff and Jeramie were relieved that the air conditioning in their suite had been repaired. After a hot day of exploring the city, the cool air was a relief for them.
El Centro in CDMX would probably take weeks to explore! It is quite amazing. I have favorite places that I like to stop for a respite. I also think the stepon-stepoff bus is the best bargain in the city. Then you get a complete overview on a double decker bus and can then return to the places that pique your interest. Last time I used it, it was 100 pesos. Quite a bargain.
ReplyDeleteSorry, but I have to disagree with you on the hop-on, hop-off Turibus. I found it very frustrating to spend hours crawling along in horrendous Mexico City traffic. On the open upper deck you have to watch out for tree branches slapping you in the face. The earphones for my "audio tour" did not work, and they didn't have change for my 200 peso bill. A thoroughly unpleasant experience!
DeleteOn the other hand, the new double decker buses of route 7 of the Metrobus, take you along Paseo de la Reforma and beyond from Polanco to Indios Verdes in air conditioned comfort, and only cost 6 pesos.