We are back in the city that stole our hearts last year. Some things have changed, most haven’t.

A week after we left CDMX  (Mexico City) in 2017, a devastating earthquake shook the city to its core. It hit especially hard in the La Condesa neighborhood, where we stayed. The construction is still going strong, almost a year later.

This year we stayed in a very cool condo in the Roma/Condesa ‘hood. The location was even better, close to 3 major parks, restaurants and shopping. I have been warned that for any item I buy on this trip, I have to shed one. (Yeah, right!) Our little rental car has zero space left in it, and we are picking up a friend (and her luggage) in a couple of weeks for the rest of our summer touring Mexico. Damn!!! As it is, Chance has to sit in one of our laps, and Roxie is confined to half of the backseat. Guess Nancy’s gonna have a lap-dog when she joins us!

This time we allotted two weeks in CDMX, so we weren’t so balls-to-the-wall with a go go go schedule like last year. It actually felt more like we were part of the neighborhood. I bought some new rx eyeglasses at Ben & Frank, (they carry a line for tiny pea-heads like mine so I don’t have to buy children’s glasses) we learned all the local weekly markets, found a good vet and became regulars at Parque Espana across the street.

Mexico City has So Many Dogs!!!! Not the desperate, half-starved, homeless street dogs that break my heart all over Mexico, but pets. And what really stands out is that these dogs are rarely, if ever, on leash!! (Except for the professional dog-walkers, who may have up to 12 or so dogs at one time.) They are taught early to stay on sidewalks, don’t cross the street until told, and be nice. (And they  are!) Never have we encountered an aggressive dog in Mexico, with the exception of two separate times when gringos dogs attacked Chance.

Every day when we were in Parque Espana, dogs of all colors, breeds and sizes were lying in a line, being totally chill. I’m talking anywhere from 10 to 30 dogs!  If a dog decided it wanted up, the trainer would go to it, gently explain that it wasn’t time yet, and Rover would simply lie back down. Even when Chance took a pee in front of one of them, as if to dare him to cover it, they didn’t budge. I was amazed! I will add, though, that nearly all the dogs we saw (the males, anyway) were intact- balls and all. It’s just the Mexican way, I guess.

The “Pink Umbrella Walking Tour” is just that, a 2 1/2 hour walking tour around the heart of Mexico City, led by a guide with- you guessed it- a pink umbrella. I like to do this type of tour early-on in our trips, that way I know what interests me enough to return for further exploration. We did lots of the usual, but also toured the famous Pasteleria Ideal, the bakery that supplies a lot of the cities smaller shops and restaurants with breads and sweets. It has a second floor that is nothing but models of Quinceañera and wedding cakes, plus more. OMG!!! Quinceaneras are a girls 15th birthday celebrations, often costing more than a wedding. If family money is slim, community or specially-appointed “god-parents” have the responsibility to help pay for the dress, cake and venue.

Did you know that Mexico City is sinking? Yeah, that’s right. It was built on a series of lakes, and the now 21 million residents consume nearly 287 billion gallons of water each year. In fact, the city has sunk more than 32 feet in the last 60 years because most of the water people rely on is extracted from the aquifer below the city.  The water table is sinking at a rate of 1 meter (3.2 feet) per year. Our guide pointed out several buildings that are seriously leaning, and also explained that the sinking has caused sidewalks and roads to buckle and collapse. Steps have to be built frequently when whole city blocks drop lower and lower. When you’re walking around the city, it is imperative that you watch your step. I know. I have stumbled more than I care to admit while just strolling down the street.  Here is an interesting article about the cause/effect of climate change on Mexico City and beyond. It’s serious business, and really brings it home when it’s obvious to the naked eye.

We also visited the walled-in place where “mentally unstable” women, along with women who wanted a divorce, were sent to live out their lives. In other words, if you wanted to divorce your abusive, or crazy, or both, husband, the woman was classified as nuts. Imagine that! When I wanted to escape from my seriously crazy-ass first husband, they’d have put ME in a looney-bin!

One rainy day, Jeff and I visited the Museo Soumaya, aka The Carlos Slim Museum. He is The Richest Man in the World, and has quite a collection of really neat stuff. Truth be told, until recently I didn’t even know who Carlos Slim was. I figured he was a cool musician or something, with a name like that.

A couple  of other highlights of our visit to CDMX were a day trip to the famous Teotihuacan pyramids and a morning in the quirky Toy Museum, which I’m going to save for another post.  In the meantime, if you are hungry for more on Mexico City, please visit my post from last year’s trip here. 

I’ll be back soon, hope you will, too! Until then, Hasta Luego!