One consistent travel recommendation we have received from seasoned travelers, expats and locals since arriving in San Miguel is, “you must go to Mexico City.” The advice so glowing and the directive so clear, we began planning a road trip that seemed set up for a letdown. Now, after four days in that amazing city, we can easily say, “Put Mexico City on your must-see list.”

Research done and plans made, we purchased ETN luxury bus tickets online for April 15. That Sunday morning we took a short taxi ride (30 pesos/$2.50) to the San Miguel bus terminal for the 3.5-hour bus ride to Mexico City (DF).

The San Miguel Bus Terminal, Sunday April 15

If you have not heard this before, buses are the primary mode of travel in Mexico. They are efficient, reasonable, and in our case luxurious, with reclining seats and extended leg room such as we would like to have for air travel. Bus travel couldn’t be any simpler or more carefree.

A movie, some tourist reading and a short nap later, we arrived at the Mexico City bus station (this terminal dwarfs many airports). The pace changed as if a switch had been toggled to big city. Over 20 million people live in Mexico City (altitude 7,350 feet) making it the fifth-largest city in the world. Goodbye laid-back San Miguel, hello major world capital.

We had choices for transportation to our hotel. The metro subway station sits outside the terminal and costs 3 pesos (calculate 13:1). Cabs in DF are even cheaper than in San Miguel so it is tempting to grab a cab to move about this big city. A 30-minute cab ride to our hotel was about $6.

We checked into the Hotel Bristol around 3:30, quickly unpacked and then headed for the Zócalo in the historical center. It was a beautiful afternoon, the last day of the two-week Easter/Spring vacation here in Mexico, and the city was packed with people.

We stepped out of the cab and walked across to Mexico City’s main square, the Plaza de la Constitución (El Zócalo), which is the nexus for government, religion and culture.

The National Palace, (Palacio Nacional in Spanish) was in front of us and the cathedral to our left as we stood at the social nerve center of the city.

National Palace (Palacio Nacional in Spanish)

The site of the Palacio Nacional dates to the Aztec empire (15th century). It is the seat of the federal executive in Mexico and measures over 200 meters long (over two football fields). It is home to offices of both the Federal Treasury and the National Archives.

The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary (Catedral Metropolitana de la Asunción de María) dominates the Zócalo. It was built between 1573 and 1813; Spanish architect Claudio de Arciniega planned the construction, so the similarities to cathedrals in Spain are striking.

As we exited the cathedral, a crowd was forming around the Zócalo. A military detail exited the Palacio in full dress uniform. Horns trumpeted as they marched toward the massive national flag.

A large and appreciative crowd gathered for the daily event…

To give some perspective on the size of the national flag, you can see it takes many men to control it.

The music and pageantry set the tone…

In the next few days we visited the Teotihuacan pyramids, several museums, walked the streets, and learned more about this great city and historical country, enjoying our first — and not last — taste of Mexico City.

Interesting Facts:

• The city rests primarily on what was Lake Texcoco, which has created a serious sinking problem of up to nine meters in some places. Many buildings lean severely and the Mexican government uses technology similar to Italy and other countries to correct the problem.
• According to a study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, Mexico City had a GDP of $390 billion, ranking as the eighth-richest city in the world after the greater areas of Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Paris, London and Osaka/Kobe.
• The metro is one of the busiest in the world, transporting approximately 4.5 million people every day, surpassed only by subway lines in Moscow (7.5 million), Tokyo (5.9 million), and New York City (5.1 million).
• Mexico City is one of the most important cultural centers in the world, boasting more museums than any other city. It also comes third in the number of theaters in the world, just after London and New York.
• Jack Kerouac, the noted American author, spent extended periods of time in the city and wrote his masterpiece volume of poetry, Mexico City Blues, here.
• Mexico City was traditionally known as La Ciudad de los Palacios (the City of the Palaces), a nickname attributed to Baron Alexander von Humboldt when he visited the city in the 19th century and sent a letter back to Europe saying Mexico City could rival any major city in Europe.
• Mexico City’s twin city in the United States is Chicago.