Getting Around Mexico City

Spending your money in MexicoFirst of all, let me stress this point: Always count your change! This applies to anywhere you go. People who deal with tourists a lot know that foreigners don’t pay close attention to their money, because they are not familiar with it. Thus, they are easy targets for short-changing. Don’t fall victim to this. When I bought my ticket to Teotihuacan, I gave the counter person a $100 peso bill (the ticket cost $36). He handed me $14. I waited a moment for the rest, and when it didn’t come I said, “This isn’t enough”; at which point he promptly handed me the $50 and said, “Oh, excuse me”.That being said, there’s no need to get paranoid or angry; just be smart.Mexico City by numbersAt the time of this writing, the conversion rate is about $0.75 American dollars to $1 Mexican peso. I will just give you the cost in pesos, so don’t get confused since they both use the “$” sign.-       Taxi from Mexico City Airport to Roma Norte neighborhood: $195(note: When you get a taxi at the airport, you pay at a window, so no need to worry about bargaining with the driver)-       Bus to Teotihuacan (place with cool pyramids): $36, one way(note: On your way back, you pay the bus driver. Buses are constantly leaving, and you just hop on one)-       Entrance to Teotihuacan: $51(note: There are lots of shops and people selling pretty cool gifts, and people offering guide services. I didn’t get the price, but you might want to bring some extra cash)-       Street quesedilla: $12-       Beer (at a bar): $30-       Soda (bottle): $10Public TransportationYou have 3 options here: the metro, the metro bus, and the bus.The bus looks like a very large van and costs $4. You have to be somewhat savvy to figure out where to catch one, and which one to take in order to get where you’re going.The metro bus is similar to the trolleys in San Diego, and they follow tracks (not like train tracks, but tracks along the road). Metro maps include metro bus routes. The metro bus costs $5, and at each station you can purchase a rechargeable card from a machine.The metro costs $3, and once you’re in you can go as far as you want, and transfer as many times as you need. At the entrance of each station is a booth where you can buy an individual ticket, a packet of tickets, or a rechargeable card.Fun stuff I did in/around Mexico CityTeotihuacan (tay-oh-tee-wah-kahn)- Pretty much an obligatory stop when visiting Mexico City (or D.F.- Districto Federale). This is where you will see the Temple of the Sun and Temple of the Moon. If I had been with other people I would have gotten a guide, since guides pretty much always enhance your experience.How to get to Teotihuacan:Go to the Autobuses Del Norte metro station (yellow line). Once you leave the metro station, you will see the bus station across the street. I asked a security guard to direct me to the booth that sells tickets to Teotihuacan (so you see, you will need to be able to pronounce it ;) ).My bus left at 11:15am, and arrived at around 12:30, because it made a lot of stops in the city. I walked through the exhibit they have at the first entrance, climbed the pyramids, and wandered around a bit. I left around 4pm. I went during the week, which I recommend because that place would not be fun with a weekend crowd.Xochimilco (so-chee-mill-koe)- This is the place to come and have a party! If you are alone or are with only 1 person, you can still take a boat ride and enjoy the spectacle. My friends have even invited lonely looking couples onto their boat before. My Xochimilco video does a good job of illustrating the atmosphere here, so I won’t go into too much detail.The cost:We paid $500 for 3 hours, which we divided between 12 people (oh, by the way, they seem to always tack on another hour gratis; so be aware because 4 hours on a boat is a long time). They do stop frequently for bathroom breaks (there is usually a charge of $4-5 to use the bathroom), and you can buy food from vendors on other boats. When it gets dark, you can even by a plastic lantern with candle in it ($10).How to get to Xochimilco:The only downside of this place is that it is a mission to get to.Take the blue metro line all the way to Tasquena. At that same station you will buy a ticket and board the train (Tren Ligero) and take it all the way to the end. Then take a bicycle taxi to the boats (my understanding is that it is a long and confusing walk). I think the bicycle taxi cost about $45.Pulqueria (pull-kay-ree-ah)- There are a few of these scattered throughout the city, but a really cool one I recommend checking out is Pulqueria Insurgentes. This place is also cool nightclub, with a couple of different rooms.Pulque is an alcoholic beverage made from the century plant (maguey cactus). It has a pretty interesting history, so you should read more about it at Wikipedia. It is very viscous, almost slimy. The plain version doesn’t taste like much of anything, but you can get different flavors like guava, mango and oatmeal. You can get a 1-liter pitcher for $45. You should also try crème de mezcal, which is like baileys, except made with mezcal instead of whiskey. Like pulque, it comes in different flavors, so ask what they have available.Speaking of mezcal, try a shot of this in some funky flavor.  If you aren’t familiar with mezcal, it is also made from the maguey cactus, but much stronger. Tequila is a type of mezcal, made specifically from the blue agave. Mezcal is the stuff that has the worm in the bottle (not tequila).Coyoacan (coy-oh-can)- This is a small town that has become part of Mexico City. It is where Frida Kahlo was born, and spent part of her life. You can actually visit the house, which is now a museum.Condesa (con-dess-ah)- This is a neighborhood close to the center of the city. It is really nice, and is the place to go out at night. There are all kinds of different bars, clubs, and cafes. For salsa dancing, I recommend the Mojito Room.