I began to think about a trip to Mexico in 2005. I read some books, book-guides and several Internet pages. Fortunately I managed to organize four people to go for a trip. As usual the flight was very expensive. We wanted to buy the ticket as cheap as possible. We waited for very last minute offer and bought return ticket at Air France Airlines office. It was not cheap but we could not find a better price. Later we found out that it was possible. Some people bought cheap return ticket – USD 500 from London to Cancun. They bought it at Internet page: http://www.travelrepublic.co.uk/
The flights and transfers took us about 20 hours. We arrived to Mexico City at 21.30 and took a taxi to our hostel. We asked the taxi driver ‘how much time does it take to get to the hostel?’ He looked at us very strangely and said ‘where are you in a hurry?’ We say nothing but we felt that we are on holidays in Mexico.
Mexico City, Guadalupe, Teotihuacan
We found accommodation in Moneda hostel next to Zocalo. We paid 14 USD for a bed with breakfast and super. Next day we went to The National Museum of Anthropology. Probably this is the best museum in Mexico. There are many exhibitions in the museum. The exhibitions showed different cultures and periods of Mexican history. Everything was very interesting.
In the evening we visited cathedral at Zocalo. The church was built in the 16th century. There are one main altar and several small altars in the church. The small altars are decorated with ribbons. The Mexicans writes their requests to the God on the ribbons. We found following request: ‘God make Mr. Xxx keep my secret himself’ on one of the ribbon.
We bought an excursion to Guadalupe and Teotihuacan in the hostel. The excursion took all day. In the morning we went to Guadalupe. There is holy image of the Lady of Guadalupe – Patroness of the Americas in a Basilica. Please visit http://www.sancta.org/ to get know the history of Apparitions to Juan Diego and information about the Lady of Guadalupe. According to Mexican religion custom every state of Mexico should organize a pilgrimage to Guadalupe once a year. The same day thousands of Mexicans from Puebla state came to pray to the Lady of Guadalupe. They prayed, took part in church services, danced and sang to worship the Virgin Mary. Many pilgrims were dressed in traditional clothes.
There was a statue of John Paul II next to Basilica. Mexicans loved, admired and respected the Pope from Poland. They knew nothing about Poland with exception of John Paul II.
Akurat dniu nasIn the afternoon we visited Teotihuacan. Pre-Columbian religion center was built from 2nd century BC till 2nd century AD. The center looked very impressive but most of it was reconstructed in the 20th century. The reconstructed part of the buildings could be distinguished easily. Small stones were added to a mortar.
Pyramid of the Sun and Moon were the most famous buildings in Teotihuacan. We climbed to the top of the buildings and delighted with a beautiful view.
We went to National Palace to see Diego Rivera’s murals in the evening. The murals were impressive and helped to understand Mexican history.
Mexico City, Guadalupe, Teotihuacan – 2nd time after many years
On the way to Guatemala, I went to Mexico City for the second time. We stopped in the Mexican capital for a few days to see what I had seen before. But this time without a tour. We explored Mexico City on our own at our own pace.
We spent most of the day at the Museo Nacional de Antropología at the first day. This is one of the best museums in the world . The Museum of Anthropology is huge. It tells the history of Mexico from the settlement of the first peoples to the present day. The halls of exhibits are arranged chronologically according to the different civilizations that dominated the territory of present-day Mexico. By visiting the museum, you can get known the civilizations that existed in Central America before Columbus’ “discovery of America”. The most interesting exhibtions are dedicated to the Aztecs and Mayans. However a complete picture of Mexico’s history can only be obtained by visiting the entire museum. When traveling to Mexico, the Museo Nacional de Antropología should be on a must-see list.
Teotihuacan was our destination at the second day. It is a must-see site. I visited Teotihuacan with travel agency at the first time in Mexico city. This time we did it on our own. How to get there? Take the metro (yellow line 5) to the Autobuses del Norte station. At the station, I bought tickets at ticket office no. 8 (60 pesos one way). Buses run every 30 minutes. On an organized tour, a guide will talk about the site. We read it from guide book. However, the tours focus on the two Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon. None of the organized groups went to the citadel, which is located far away from the main attractions. In my opinion, the citadel is worth seeing, as it is beautifully decorated with feathered snake heads. It took almost all day to visit Teotihuacan on our own. Admission to the monument is 95 pesos. During the first trip to Teotihuacan, it was possible to climb to the top of the Pyramid of the Sun and enjoy panoramic view on the site and surroundings. In 2024, it was forbidden. Hurry up to explore the world because there are more and more restrictions.
It was very busy day in Mexico City. We visited Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. The red line of the metro (number 6) is the fastest way to get there. The image of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe is located in the basilica, which was built in the 1970s. In addition to the Basilica, you can visit other religious buildings in the complex, including the old Basilica of ‘Santa Maria de Guadalupe’.
Our Lady of Guadalupe is visited by about 12 million pilgrims each year. Depending on the date of the visit, a large number of pilgrims come not only from Mexico, but also from all over Latin America. Most people visit The Basilica on December 12, the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It takes hours to queue to see the image of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe. However you can enjoy the sight of praying pilgrims, often dressed in colorful local dresses. I experienced it at the first visit in The Basilica. The second time was in Guadalupe in February. There were no crowds of pilgrims, and I was able to see the image of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe a few times.
We went to the Diego Rivera Museum. One of the best Mexican painter and the husband of the famous Frida Kahlo. In the museum you can see the 16 meter long mural ‘Sueño de una tarde dominical en la Alameda Central’. The painting tells the history of Mexico from pre-colonial times to the painter’s contemporaries. The leftist artist predicted the domination of communism in the world. The prediction turned out to be wrong, but the work is magnificent. The Diego Rivera Museum is another site on the must-see list.
Beautiful Palacio de Bellas Artes is located walking distance from Diego Rivera Museum. There are galleries, theater and art shows in the Palacio.
Plaza de las Tres Culturas is quite interesting site in Mexico City. Three cultures meet in one place. The three buildings around the plaza represent three periods of Mexican history:
- Pre-Columbian – the archaeological site
- Colombian – the church
- Contemporary – apartment buildings
In 1968, students demonstrated against the policies of the government at the time. Uniformed soldiers massacred the peaceful demonstration at the Plaza. Several hundred people were killed during La Masacre de Tlatelolco. If you are close to the site, take a look at the Plaza de las Tres Culturas.
It’s hard to imagine a stay in Mexico City without strolling through the Centro Histórico. We admired the churches and colonial buildings on our way to the Zocalo, the center of the historic part of the city. The square is dominated by the magnificent Catedral Metropolitana de la Asunción de la Bienaventurada Virgen María. The cathedral was built in the 1620s by order of Cortez. Over the centuries it has been expanded and rebuilt and is now it is a huge religious building. It is the oldest and largest Christian church in the Americas. It takes more than half an hour to see what the temple has to offer.
Near the cathedral, witchers perform magical rituals to heal, resolve family conflicts, ward off demons or bad luck for 20-50 pesos. Witchcraft refers to pre-Columbian rituals.
Next to the cathedral is the Templo Mayor, the ruins of the most important Aztec temple. It was built in the 14th/15th centuries.
The other landmark building on the Zocalo is the Palacio Nacional. There are Diego Rivera’s murals in the Palacio. The murals tell the story of Mexico. The murals are free to view and the palace is visited with a guide. The number of visitors is limited, you must arrive at the organization point on Moneda Street shortly after 9 a.m. and line up. Tourists are divided into groups of 20 people up to 17.00. The tour with an English-speaking guide lasts approximately 1 hour. Backpacks and large bags must be left at the depository. Diego Rivera’s murals and the Palacio Nacional are worth seeing.
Oaxaca, Monte Alban, Santa Cruz Huatulco
We went to Oaxaca from Mexico City by coach. The trip took couple of hours. We could not find cheap accommodation in the city. In the end we paid 350 pesos for a double room with bathroom.
There is beautiful Dominican church in Oaxaca. The church is decorated with frescos and family tree of the founder of the Dominican Convent. One part of the city was called Chocolate district. There were many chocolate manufactures and shops. First time of my life I saw the chocolate production process from cacao seeds. The origin of chocolate name came from Aztec language: czoko-latl and means chocolate drink. Chocolate drinks are very popular in Mexico. Mexicans drink it with milk or water.
There is a small town El Tula at the suburbs of Oaxaca. The town is famous of 2000 years old tree. The Cypress is huge and circumference of its trunk is the biggest in both Americas.
Next day we went for a trip to Monte Alban (bus ticket 38 pesos and entrance fee: 45 pesos). The ancient capitol of Zapotecs was built on the hill. It was founded approximately 500 years BC and flourished until 750 AD. 25000 Zapotecs lived there in splendor times. The ruins are situated on a very large area. The archaeologists explored only part of the buildings. Unluckily we could not see any graves and the museum. They were closed during our visit. Generally I can recommend the Monte Alban. It is worth to visit.
It was time to relax. We spent at Pacific coast two days. The Santa Cruz Huatulco was small and very nice resort. The accommodation was not expensive 250 pesos /double room. Beach and warm Pacific water was for free. We found a nice bay to take sunbath and swim in the Pacific.
Chiapas
Two days passed very quickly and we went to San Cristobal de las Casas by bus. It was very long trip (11 hours) for 300 pesos. W found cheap accommodation in a hostel for 45 pesos/person. San Cristobal de las Casas is nice and peaceful Mexican city. It was a great pleasure to walk around the city
Next day we bought a trip to San Juan Chamula (120 pesos). The village was famous of Indian religious ceremonies. English-speaking guide told us a lot of details about Indians, their life and religion. We began the trip at a cemetery. The cemetery was full of colorful crosses. Children were buried in the graves with white crosses, middle-age people with blue crosses and old people with black crosses. The cemetery was situated on the hill. It was good view at the village from the hill. San Juan Chamula looked like a typical Mexican small town. Every Sunday there was a huge market on the main square of the city. Indians came to the village to pray in the church and buy/sell products from surrounding villages. They were dressed very colorful and drank a lot of coca-cola.
During the excursion there were some restrictions. Pictures could only be taken from specific places. The rules had to be obeyed because Indian bodyguards with long white bars supervise the tourists. We visited a small museum in the village. Then we went to a church.
Outside it looked like ordinary church. When I went inside I was shocked. The floor was covered with dry grass. There were many candles on the floor. Statues of Saints stood next to the walls. Small mirrors were fixed to the statues. The mirrors helped Indians in their prayers to the Saints. There was a statue of Saint John Baptist, the patron saint of San Juan Chamula, on the main alert. I didn’t see any tabernacle or even The Cross in the church.
There is no priest in the church. Only Indians take care of the church. Catholic priest comes to baptize children and this is the end of priest influence in Indian religion. There is no masses or church services in the church. The Indians pray directly to the God and the Saints in Tzotzil language.
Witch doctors cure local Indians in the church, too. Sick person, his/her family and witch doctor come to the church. The witchdoctor takes sick person pulse and this is the first diagnosis. Then he takes chicken, eggs etc. and tries to find spiritual causes of the illness. Indians believe that every illness of the body comes from the illness of the soul. When the witch diagnoses the illness, he starts to cure ill man. First the witch puts and lights several colorful candles on the floor in the church and whispers spells and prayers. It helps to cure the soul. The witch cures the body with herbs. When the sick person recovers, he and his family come to church. They thank God and Saints for recovery. Most Indians go to witch man. If he fails they will go to the hospital in San Cristobal but it is usually to late for recovery.
Indian belief that burp make evil go out of the soul. Sparkling drinks make burp easier and coca-cola is very popular in Indian society.
Next day we went to Canyon del Sumidero by motorboat (160 pesos). The cliffs are 1000 meters high. Canyon del Sumidero is very special for Indians from historical point of view. Indian soldiers preferred to commit suicide than surrendered to Spain soldiers in 16th century. They jumped from the cliffs to the rivers. Besides, the canyon is the symbol of the Chiapas State.
Palenque, Aqua Azul
Palenque is a ruin city of ancient Mayan civilization (entrance fee: 55 pesos). We hired a guide to show us the ruins (250 pesos). He guided us around the most interesting buildings.
We saw not only well-preserved and reconstructed pyramids but also ruins covered by plants. The archaeological site is about 15 sq. km. The archaeologists have explored a part of it. A lot of work is to do. I liked most the Pyramid of the sun and the Temple of the Inscriptions.
In Palenque village we were accommodated in a very nice hotel for 350 pesos/room for 4 people.
Next day we went for a very nice trip to Aqua Azul (125 pesos). There were beautiful very big waterfall and a lot of small water cascades. We swam in the river and took sunbath. It was a very nice day.
Merida, Celestun
It was very hot in Merida. During a day it was hot because of sunshine. During a night it was hot because of Carnival. Merida was founded in the 16th century. It is typical colonial city. There are some interesting churches, Zocalo and zoo. Carnival is a special time in Latin America. Everyone knows about Brazil Carnival. . Every city and town organize parties in Mexico, too. The rule is: the bigger city -the bigger fun. Merida is a big city, capitol of Yucatan. The greatest parties are organized at the end of Carnival.
We were there on time, last weekend of carnival. There were big parades on the city streets. The Latin music was heard everywhere in the city. Scantilly dressed girls danced on trio elétrico. There were colorful and fancy dressed dancers and children danced between the adopted trucks. The Locals and tourists stood down the streets. It was great fun. At the end we went to Zocalo. There was live Latin concert. The Locals danced samba and tourist watched and learned.
Next day we visited Celestun Biosphere Reserve by motor boat. The boat ride cost 150 pesos. The Celestun is famous of birds eg flamingos and pelicans and mangrove forest.
Chichen Itza, Tulum, Coba
We stayed In Chichen Itza only one night in a room with two nice lizards (150 pesos/ double room and 2 lizards).In the evening we took part in light and sound show – it is nothing special. Next day we visited Chichen Itza ruins (95 pesos include light and sound show). They were very well preserved and reconstructed. There were many interesting buildings and places to visit. There was the biggest Juego de Pelota (Ball Court) in Mexico. It was 90 meters long. Nobody knew the exact rules of the game. Roughly there were two teams and the players had to pass a hard rubber ball through the openings of the rings without using their hands. It was not only a game, it was a part of religious celebrations. The lost team was sacrificed to gods. Many Indians civilizations played pelota eg Maya, Aztec, Zapotec.
I also liked platform of skulls and Plaza of a thousand columns. In my opinion Chichen Itza, Palenque and Teotihuacan are the most interesting ruins in Mexico.
Next day we went to Tulum. We spent in bungalow three nights. First time in my life I slept in a hammock. It was hard to sleep at first night, later I got used to it. We visited ancient Mayan city in Tulum. The city was surrounded by walls and situated at the seaside.
It is not far away from Tulum to Coba. Coba is Mayan ancient city located in the jungle on huge area. It is possible to rent a bicycle to visit around the ruins. I liked big pyramid. It was a beautiful view on the jungle and a lake from the top of the pyramid.
Cozumel, Isla Mujeres
The last part of holidays we spent at the Caribbean seaside. We went to Cozumel from Tulum by bus (25 pesos) and by ferry (110 pesos). The accommodation cost 220 pesos for double room in San Miguel. The city had two faces. Exclusive shops, restaurants and pubs were located next to the sea. A hundred meters inside the island the city changed into typical Mexican city. Outside the city Hurricane Wilma devastated the island. The power of the hurricane must have been very strong.
The biggest disadvantage of the island is lack of sandy beaches. But Cozumel was famous of beautiful coral reef. We bought snorkeling tour. It was another disappointment. Hurricane Wilma destroyed the reef, too. The Mexican tour operators ensured us that the reef was still beautiful deep in the sea. We only had to buy diving tour for 100 USD. We didn’t buy the tour but I did not believe that it was true. We were happy to move from Cozumel to Isla Mujeres.
The Island and small town are very nice. We spent a three days on the beautiful beach with palms tree. The water was very clear and warm. It was just like paradise.
The nightlife was organized for American tourists. There were a lot of bars and pubs with pop and country music. The prices were for Americans too. We found nice Mexican club walking around the town. There was life music. The Cuban band played great Latin music. The Locals danced salsa. They were perfect. From time to time Cuban artists organize the funny contests eg shaking bottoms.
Last night we spent on the beach, swimming in the warm Caribbean Sea.
Useful Information
- Exchange rate February 2006: 1USD = 11 Pesos
- The most expensive was the flight from Warsaw – Paris – Mexico City; Cancun–Mexico City-Paris-Warsaw. Bus tickets and guided tours was a crucial part of expenses.
- It is possible to travel in Mexico by rented car or bus. Buses are the cheaper way of traveling. There are three classes of the buses: economic, first, lux. I think the first class is the best. It is comfortable, safe and cheaper than the lux.
- Meals. Mexican food is very good. It depends on you how spices the meal is. Breakfast or dinner sets are the most economical way of eating. This is a good idea to eat with the Locals. The food is fresh and not expensive.
- Mexican people are very nice. They often smile at you. From time to time they encourage tourists to buy something, but they are very polite. It is enough to say thank you and they go away.
- Souvenirs prices can be negotiated up to 40%-50%. From time to time the accommodation price can be negotiated up to 10-15%.
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