10 Things You Must Do in Mexico City
Russell Maddicks
Freelance travel writer and author focusing on Latin America and Spain. Member of British Guild of Travel Writers.
Built on the ruins of the ancient Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, Mexico City has mushroomed into the largest Spanish-speaking city in the world. A melting pot of all that makes Mexico great - food, drinks, art and music - and with more museums and cultural institutions than any other city in the world, apart from London, it can be hard for first-time visitors to fit everything in. Travel writer Russell Maddicks, author of the recently-published Culture Smart! Guide to Mexico, brings you his top tips for enjoying this magical city like a local in this month's Latino Life magazine:
Sing Along with Serenading Mariachis
Mariachi is a music that expresses the bitter-sweet soul of Mexico like no other and the best place to experience it is at Plaza Garibaldi. Dressed in sombreros and silver-studded charro (Mexican cowboy) outfits troupes of musicians hang out here ready to serenade passers-by or be whisked off to play at weddings and parties. At the heart of the plaza is Salon Tenampa, a bar that has been championing the music since 1925. Decorated with huge paintings of mariachi greats, it's easy to soak up the atmosphere - and a few cold beers - as the resident mariachis play classics like “El Rey” (The King) and “Cielito Lindo” (Pretty Little Heaven), with its catchy “Ay, ay, ay” chorus. As the night wears on and the tequila flows, the impassioned singing and cowboy yelps grow ever louder.
Boo the Rudos at the Wrestling
With their masks, capes and lycra tights Mexico's luchadores look more like comic book superheroes, but the blood, sweat and tears are for real. The masks and elaborate aerial maneuvres that make Lucha Libre such an exhilarating spectacle were adopted in the 1930s and 1940s and have only got more theatrical over the years. Contests pit técnicos (heroes) against rudos (villains) or exóticos (flamboyant gender benders) in bouts that can often involve three-on-three battles, both inside and outside the ring. This is fun for all the family, with children joining the adults in booing the bad guys late into the evening. Arena Mexico is the most popular venue but you get closer to the action at the smaller Arena Coliseo where beers and hotdogs are brought to your seat.
Click here for the full article in Latino Life magazine.
