Mexico City: First Impressions
First of all, this is my first trip to Mexico that’s not a beach... and it’s very different. Locals are less friendly and 99% of locals do not speak English. I don’t mind that barely anyone speaks English here; it’s their country, after all. It’s that they speak at the speed of LIGHT, which makes me feel completely unconfident and incompetent in my espanol. This is simply not the case in the beach towns... which I know are touristy, but I’m now realizing how UN-touristy Mexico City is. Locals in the beachy places appreciate when tourists speak (or try to speak) English. And when they speak, they speak slow enough and enunciate so it’s understandable. Nobody has let the locals know that speaking slowly and using kid words helps us out immensely. I read an article recently that the locals here are annoyed about the evolution of the city due to tourists: the food is less spicy, prices are higher, etc.
As a recovering architect, this city is also challenging in that I want to always be looking up and around at the architecture and people and trees... but it’s impossible to do so here with the condition of the sidewalks. At first I thought this was a result of the 2022 earthquake, but I quickly realized that the sidewalks are just not a priority. A bit shocking to me, since it seems like an otherwise very walkable city and the streets are always populated.
Surprisingly, the streets are smooth and in fabulous condition- way better condition that the streets in Portland. That said, there’s a lot of honking! You know how in Portland, when someone sneaks in past the yellow traffic light and their car sticks out into the intersection? HOOOOOONKS. Earplugs are essential for sleep. It’s no wonder why there are so many parks.
One thing I have yet to figure out is the Asian influence here and in other places like Belize. Is it just that many products are imported here, so there’s been a constant stream of people from Asian countries (and then some of them just decided to stay)? I’ll try to figure this out and get back to you.
Some other random observations:
- Dudes wear WAY too much cologne. I seriously think they shower in it.
- Prices are almost always displayed! Yay!! (At the beachy places, they tell you the price based on their best guess about how much you can afford.)
- Every single dining table is wobbly except at Panaderia Rosetta Puebla.
- Guava everything!
posted by nicole @ 10:26 AM
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