Hola amigos...from Mexico City -- or Ciudad De Mexico -- or CDMX!
This pop-up was set up by our friend, Max, and his family... and it was no small feat. CDMX is HUGE with so much to do and see, it was hard to decide which attractions made the final cut for our itinerary. And I don't think I've ever taken so many photos in one week before (except maybe at Hobbiton in New Zealand, because that's a photogenic destination, too!).
*Photo Credit: Max Lee, Teotihuacan Pyramids
Our weather was darn near perfect -- warm, sunny days and comfortable evenings -- which made exploring all the better. Mexico City is just too big to explore in one week, but the pop-up brought us to the highlights starting with so many museums, we couldn't do them all!
Here are some pics from the Diego Rivera Museum as well as another of his murals at Palacio de Bellas Artes. Then we found the same Salvador Dali melting pocket watch sculpture at a little outdoor park as well as the Soumaya Museum.
Also, it wasn't unusual for our group to meet up in pieces... so we only have part of our crew who joined the afternoon at Palacio de Bellas Artes. Our Pop-Up Itinerary designs are flexible and adaptable. Some families take an occasional day off and others need an afternoon rest-time. Other families are tied to work schedules and join us sporadically during the week. If you'll ever run into a crowd of understanding people, it's at one of our pop-ups! You show up the way you are and it just works.
*Photo credits: Rachel Carlson & Max Lee
Though we weren't always in a large group, it was so much fun exploring with other worldschoolers. One of our very favorite experiences was the boat ride at Xochimilco!
Now this experience came highly recommended to us (by another worldschool friend) and we highly recommend it to you! This area has canals and natural beauty and plenty of flat-bottomed boats. Although this is the natural habitat of the curious axolotl salamander, we did not spot one during our ride (not for lack of trying, though). However, the ride was surprisingly relaxing and fun! And we did see a few axolotl murals!
Most boats are equipped for 18 people and as you travel the canals you'll find other boats with mariachi bands, floating restaurants, xylophone bands, cold beer, soft drinks, tequila, pulque (a fermented drink made from agave sap), trinkets, crafts, and plenty of souvenirs.
Boats are capped at how much they can charge regardless of the number of passengers (MEX$500/hr which is ~US$25). As you float down the river you can order food and drink and entertainment which is ~MX$75 for a song of your choice. The vendors then rope their boat to yours while the service is provided.
The charge for food and beverage vendors are also capped -- however, do ask what the charge will be up front. Even though we knew meals were capped at MX$150, we were charged $MX200 (but talked them back down to $150). The beverage vendors had a great system... each person paid for their empty bottles (beer & soft drinks) and the vendor moved the empty bottles into a crate to show what had already been compensated.
I should also mention the picture about the dolls. So... there is a legend that a young girl died by drowning before the local land owner could help her. The land owner felt terrible about the whole ordeal but was also haunted by her spirit.
In order to appease her spirit he placed a doll outside -- which she loved -- and then demanded more! So he kept placing more and more dolls around his property to subdue her spirit. The actual island where this happened is a long boat ride, and it's totally possible to visit it via canal (we did not). However, the local properties have embraced this story and there was a whole section of creepy dolls displayed.
Our group also took a day trip out to Teotihuacan to view the pyramids there. What an incredible experience! The pyramids were immense and we saw areas with intricate carvings and original paint (see the jaguar photo below).
Teotihuacan does not have much shade, yet everyone took it in stride. The kids certainly found ways to entertain themselves with games, funny pictures (the ones where you take a panoramic photo while the kids run behind the camera as to capture them multiple times in the same photo -- which didn't exactly turn out but were hilarious in the making) and eventually some popsicles to cool down.
Mexico City has so much rich culture... from native ruins, artifacts, and ceremonies to colonization and influence of the church, to modern art and architecture. Exploring the streets was just as fun as poking into the buildings, churches, and museums. Definitely a little something for everyone.
Metropolitan Cathedral, Museum of Modern Art, street art, Pasteleria Madrid, swimming in the fountains at Alameda Park
And I really felt like we got a wonderful overview of the whole city and all it offers.
Breakfast in a bookstore? ✓
Passion of the Christ Play for Holy Week? ✓
Famous museums? ✓
Energy cleansing ceremony? ✓
Amazing architecture? ✓
Parks and plazas and street vendors? ✓
Cafebreria, Soumaya Museum, Zocalo, Parque Las Hormigas, Museo Nacional de las Culturas
And great times with our new friends? ✓✓✓✓✓✓
We're so happy to expand our pop-up family with each new event. Thank you so much to our participants for joining us for another busy, fun-filled, but totally fulfilling week. We can't wait to see you again! PS Thanks Max for the wonderful event! If anyone else would like to host an event with us, please read more here: Hosting Q&A