My name is Marion Vermazen. I am a traveler, hiker, reader, Sun alumnus, computer geek, YouTuber, Spanish and French language student, knitter, weaver and genealogist.
We had a very leisurely last day in Mexico City. Several parks in Mexico City have Audioramas. An Audiorama is a quiet, separate place within the park. They often have music and comfortable seats. We walked to the Audiorama in Parque España and then to the one in Parque Mexico. We enjoyed the peaceful settings and sat and read. We had ice cream and saw the sites along the way.
Enjoying the Audiorama in Parque EspañaA stop for ice cream
Saturday night we had tickets for another concert at Parker & Lenox. Before the show we shared guacamole in the hotel then at the show we had more snacks. The concert was a great Blues group. They were doing two shows and we went to the first one.
At Parker & Lennox
Sunday morning we got up at around 3:30 a.m., caught an Uber to the airport and arrived back to San Francisco about 9:30. Duke and I were picked up by Allison. She drove us to Walnut Creek where we picked up our car and drove home to Reno. It snowed A LOT in Reno while we were gone!
This morning for breakfast we went back to Toks where we ate yesterday morning. Our breakfast was delicious.
After breakfast we went back to the hotel and then walked to the Monument to the Revolution. The giant arch has a museum, a cafe and an observation deck. It is the tallest triumphal arch in the world. Our visit included going down into the foundations and up to the lookout at the very top.
The Monument to the Revolution Going up in the elevator. The elevator is in the very center of the arch.
Next we walked to the Biblioteca Vasconcelos. The library is nothing special on the outside but it’s stupendous on the inside.
The outside of the libraryThe inside
For dinner we had tacos at Taquería Orinoco. We agreed that it looked like an In-N-Out for tacos. They were busy. The tacos were wonderful. And the people were very friendly and helpful. We ordered a second round.
Tacos OrinocoOur tacos
As we walked back to the hotel after dinner we had a great view of the arch.
We are staying at the historic Casa Sauto Hotel overlooking the Zocalo in Mexico City. On our first full day in the center we had breakfast across the street at Bisquets Obregón. Then we went to the Department of Education to see their murals. They have over 100 murals primarily painted by Diego Rivera.
Inside the department of Education Building.
As we were entering the museum they warned us that there would be an earthquake drill at 11. And so at 11 our phones and the buildings buzzers all went off. It was all very organized. The drill took about 20 minutes. We had to line up with the employees in the courtyard and be counted. Apparently the simulation involved a big earthquake near Oaxaca. In the simulation the shock waves took about ten minutes to reach Mexico City.
Here we are all lined upon the courtyard.
On the way back to our hotel we walked by the excavations where the prehispanic Templo Mayor was excavated.
The Templo Major with the Cathedral in the background
During the afternoon we went to the exhibit at the Museum of the City. Then in the evening we went to see the Ballet Folklorico at the Palacio de Bellas Artes.
Today we visited the wonderful Museo Soumaya. It is an art museum with an extensive collection of art through the ages. It was given to the city by the Mexican billionaire philanthropist and businessman Carlos Slim.
It’s about a mile walk to get from our apartment to the Soumaya. This is in Abraham Lincoln Park. We walked by lots of street vendors and food stands We had to wait in line for about 20 minutes to get in. The top floor of the museum is primarily sculptures and mostly Rodins
On our way back to our Apartment we had street tacos at Turix. They were really good.
Briana delivering my tacosEating our tacos
For dinner we went to a nearby restaurant called Steins
Our flight from Mexico City to the coastal town of Puerto Escondido is tonight at 8:30. So we had the whole day to do a bit more exploring. Check out time was noon so we spent the morning at the hotel before we checked out and stored our bags.
This morning the Mexico City fire department had a parade. We had a great view of the parade from the window of our room.
Fire fighters paradingFirefighters paradeLots of cool equipment
First we went to a Diego Rivera Museum built especially to house the Rivera mural – Dream of a Sunday afternoon at Alameda Central. The mural was originally commissioned for and housed in a luxurious Mexico City Hotel. The 8.1 earthquake in September 1985 destroyed the building but the mural was not destroyed. It was relocated to its current building. There was a good English description of the mural and a key to who all the people in the mural were.
Diego Rivera Mural
Just outside the museum there were several hundred people selling and exchanging trading cards. I saw lots of Pokémon albums.
Trading card exchange
We walked back to our hotel and walked through a few museums on the way. I think my favorite was the old post office building across from Bellas Artes.
Post office
Around 4:00 we had an early dinner at the same restaurant we had dinner at a few days ago, Cafe Tacuba. It was just as good today as it was the first time.
Dinner at Cafe Tacuba
Then we went back to the hotel, retrieved our bags, and took an Uber to the airport.
Waiting for our Uber
At the airport the woman at security decided that my circular knitting needles and small tube of lotion (123 gms) were a threat! So we had to go back out and check my bag for a $50 fee. I was not happy.
My dangerous knitting needles
We have had a wonderful time in Mexico City but I am ready for a rest! And it will be nice to have clean air again. We only had a couple of days of our time in Mexico City that didn’t have bad air quality. It will be in the 80s in Puerto Escondido which will be nice too.
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