Five reasons to love Mexico

From history to culture to food , an endless list of experiences on offer

2 Getting religious

BY SANDIP HOR

Drawing annually over 35 million visitors, Mexico today is one of the most sought-after destinations in the world. Its capital Mexico City, second largest metropolis in the world, assaults the senses with sights, sounds and smells of a huge settlement brimming with history, sanctity, art and gastronomy. Here are the top five experiences on offer that make it a ‘mustvisit’, regardless of your travel style.

1 Digging history

Mexico City is an overlay of two historical episodes that took place when Spanish conquistadors gained control of the region from the great Mesoamerican Empire Aztec in 1521. This is best understood when visiting the Historic Centre in the heart of the city. Zocalo, a large public square dominates the precinct. It’s surrounded by Spanish built historic buildings, most photographed of which are the Metropolitan Cathedral and the National Palace. The Spanish ruthlessly destroyed almost everything the Aztecs had built previously. However, archaeologists recently unearthed ruins of a temple complex called Temple Mayor: the remains reveal many ideas of the Aztec civilisation, their rituals and lifestyle in particular. The National History Museum is also a great source to dig into the city’s past.

Mexicans are predominantly Catholic. The church is one of the three ‘untouchable’ institutions, other two being the army and the presidency. To understand Mexican Catholicism, visit the Metropolitan Cathedral featuring a mix of Baroque and neo-classical architectural styles. The city hosts several religious commemorations every year featuring flamboyant parades, dance performances, live music and of course, parties. Visitors from all over the world storm in to take part in them. The two most famous are the ‘Day of the Dead’ festivities in November, a colourful tradition deeply rooted in indigenous culture and ‘Anniversary of the appearance of brown-skinned Virgin Mary’ in December, which is celebrated with pomp and grandeur at the Basilica de Guadalupe, one of the nation’s holiest places. Over nine million pilgrims arrive there during fiesta time.

3 Visiting the pyramids

Like in Egypt, there are pyramids in Mexico built by ancient Mesoamerican civilisations like the Aztec and Mayan. Their apexes are not pointy but truncated to house temples. These colossal structures are a major attraction of Mexico, the most hyped being the Chichen Itza pyramid in the southeast. No less significant are the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon at Teotihuacán. Located 40km northeast of Mexico City, these two architectural marvels dominate the landscape of a lost city that no travel enthusiast should miss.

4 Indulging in art

Not many know that the city has the second-highest number of museums in the world. Over 150 of them exhibit treasures from different periods of time revealing the country’s rich historical and cultural past. At the top of the list stands the National Anthropology Museum which has 12 galleries that showcase the nation’s pre-Colombian culture. The largest gallery displays treasures of the Aztecs that include extraordinary samples made from ceramics and stone such as the sundial. Other museums that you must tick off your list are the Diego Rivera Museum, Franz Mayer Museum and National Museum of Art that preserve and exhibit the best of Mexican art. More creations of Diego Rivera, Mexico’s world-famous muralist, can also be seen inside the National Palace.

5 Dining with the locals

Tortillas, tacos, kidney beans and spicy salsa personify Mexican cuisine. There are several restaurants and cafes throughout the city, but some can be tourist traps. So it’s best to follow locals to find authentic Mexican fare. For traditional breakfast Chilpa is popular. Their speciality is ‘chilaquiles’ which are baked tortilla chips served with eggs and sauce toppings. Paramo is a good place for taco meals, Sanborns Café and Café La Pagoda for caffeine intakes while Salon Rios offers an upmarket dining option. There are some curry joints frequented by brave locals, Taj Mahal and Tandoor being the favourites. And there’s no shortage of tequila shots and beer to wash down the spicy food here.