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Mexico > Mexico City
By Jessica Lloyd
 The
largest city in the world
Being the capital, Mexico City is the main financial, political and
cultural centre of Mexico. This is the world's largest city with a
massive population of over 15 million people. It is definitely an
interesting place to visit, the rich history of the Aztecs and
Spanish is fascinating. The city is sinking - after the Aztecs
settled on a sacred island in the middle of a lake, the Spanish
invaded and decided the surrounding water was a waste of space, and
so they drained it. They replaced it with what is now Mexico City -
the rapidly sinking city. A look at any of the landmark churches
here will show you just how much, with the angles of the buildings
clearly evident with just the naked eye.
The Aztec Empire was built here, and the current town square is on
the same spot where Montezuma's palace used to be. A lot of the old
public buildings and mansions here were built hundreds of years ago,
using the stones that the Aztecs had previously used to build their
temples (at least they recycle!). They were destroyed by the
Spaniards. The Zocalo is the largest main square in Latin America,
with over 13 acres. It is usually crowded at nights and weekends,
despite its size.
A massive earthquake of September 1985 killed over
10,000 people and thousands more were made homeless With hundreds of
buildings destroyed much of the city has now been rebuilt giving
some areas of the city a very modern look.
Getting Around
Mexico City is one of the most difficult places to drive in the
world, so it is recommended not to drive here! The organised tours,
taxis, buses or metro are more than adequate. Some of the main
attractions are the museums and churches, and the heavily catholic
influence is apparent everywhere, as is the Spanish architecture.
The archeological treasures of this city are never boring - they may
be old but the people here have fought bloody battles for a long
time, and it is painted on the walls in vivid colours. Find a good
guide, and you will be kept entertained for hours.
In the Streets
Paseo de la Reforma is the citys main road, and gives you an elegant
boulevard with many monuments. This is where the monument of Mexicos'
independence from Spain stands, and it is the unofficial trademark
of Mexico City. Around here you will find office blocks, embassies,
hotels, mansions and promenades. The Spanish have a love of
monuments and fountains, and just like Spain, Mexico City is full of
these - fountains everywhere, monuments of men and horses, and
plazas - displaying their triumphs gallantly. Also check out the world
renown “Plaza Garibaldi” which is the meeting place for the famous
Mexican Musicians “The Mariachis”.
Places to Visit
Centro Historico, Zona Rosa, Polanco, Roma, Condesa and Lomas de
Chapultepec are all reasonably close to each other, and also near to
Paseo de la Reforma - these are the main areas of the city of
interest to tourists. In the southern suburbs you will find San
Angel and Coyoacan, and the wonderful Floating Gardens of Xochimilco.
The Pyramids also provide a most amazing sight and interesting
history.
The Pyramids
 The what? If you thought pyramids only existed in Egypt, think
again. The worlds third largest pyramid is just a short drive
outside of Mexico City, near an ancient abandoned civilisation.
They aren't sure what happened to the people who used to live there
though. Teotihuacán is the home of Piramide del Sol - Pyramid of the
Sun, and there are 3 pyramids here - all are amazing to look at and
prepare to get sweaty when you climb! The 'steps' are huge, and they
have a rope down the middle to help you climb, because it could get
precarious if you trip. There is a cafe here, and some souvenir shops. There are
also many people selling very beautiful volcanic rock ornaments,
there are some magnificent pieces so take some extra cash! They tend
to hound you every 2 seconds which can get annoying.
Parks
Chapultepec Park is a big park with lots of greenery in the middle
of the city. It's the largest in Mexico City, over 2000 acres in
fact. It contains many attractions and important museums - you can
make a whole holiday out of visiting this park. Alameda Park, near
the Zocalo and Palace of Fine Arts, is the cities oldest park - it
was created in 1541. There is often music playing here at night.
There are a few interesting historical points near here as well.
Mexico City Accommodation
Mexico
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