Mexico City By Myself
I’m on a solo vacation to Mexico City. I flew here on Saturday, and so far I’ve enjoyed it. I’m still getting used to doing a solo trip. I have taken so many journeys over the past 22 years, but those have all been very different. Press trips spoil you, they pick you up at the airport, put you up in a hotel like the St. Regis (where I stayed when I last visited CDMX), and then the day is packed with museums and lunch; nobody takes out their wallet to pay.
Well, those days are over, for the most part. And so I am getting used to having dinner alone, walking around taking pictures, and paying for everything. The good part is that Mexico City is not expensive, so nothing has been tough. I went to a classy cocktail bar called Rayo’s last night. To get there, you take a 3-story elevator ride, and en route, a special tiny cocktail is proffered. I stepped out, and the scene was pretty cool: a five-story rack of booze, an open balcony overlooking Palenco, and an impressive drink roster, all priced at 230 pesos. That’s around $12. WOW.
Taking Ubers here is also a relief, unlike my January trip to NYC, where every time I got into an Uber, it cost $20 or $30. Nope, here it’s more like the early days of Uber, it’s never very much. The difference is that Uber drivers in Mexico aren’t the least bit chatty. Things in this city are always less than you’d expect; that’s a nice thing. The other thing is kindness. I was riding my bike and dropped my glasses, and a guy ran to me to return them. Again and again, people smile warmly and are friendly.
One of the highlights of this visit was the Sunday morning pickleball I played. I showed up at some rough-looking courts and met a bunch of really good players. We played like maniacs for 90 minutes, I was beat but inspired because of the tips I picked up from my teammate Victor. Twelve dollars to play for two hours here.
I wasn’t sure what to do today, Monday, so I booked a tour at one of the city’s most iconic places, Xochimilco, for a touristy boat ride on these canals. I have heard about this many times so I will check it out soon. It will be nice to be with other people on a tour.
On Sunday afternoon, after playing pickleball, I rented a bike using the city’s Eco Bici bike sharing operation. Although the bike was pretty beat up, no gears with questionable brakes, it was fun to join a throng of riders to enjoy the car-free Reforma, a major avenue in the city.
Every Sunday between 7 and 2 pm it’s closed so that a parade of bikers, strollers, roller bladers and others can enjoy the boulevard.