"Distrito Federal" Mexico City by Ramonq

click: Mexican music

Supposedly, this is the city with the largest populationin the world. I can somehow agree. When the plane was gliding over the city on the way to Benito Juarez Airport, I thought that Mexico City went on forever. It stretches for miles! So vast is this city, it has more than 20 million people living within its boundaries.

Mexico City is a mestizo city. It's a combination of Aztec and Spanish culture producing something that's uniquely Mexican. In the streets of Ciudad Mexico DF, one can definitely observe the almalgamation of these two distinct cultures. The citizens' faces have features that vary from the Iberian to the Mayan, and everything in between. The buildings have Hispanic and Aztec embellishments. The churches are full of reminders that hark back to European and native American symbolisms. Even the way the people speak, although Spanish, the accent is uniquely Mexican.

view from Chapultepec Castle

Despite its vastness, Mexico City is made up of "barrios". There are poor barrios which are mostly located in the outlying suburbs that seem to grow organically each day. Many of the residents here are migrant "campesinos" escaping from poverty and drudgery in the countryside. These stretch out all the way to the barren and dusty mountains that surround Mexico City. Even some are under the shadows of Mt Popocapetl, an active volcano, which is visible from the city on a rare clear day. Yet, there's community spirit in many of these barrios. One will observe religious processions, fiestas, and even ridiculous American-style wrestling matches at the local squares.Life in these barrios appear to have a simple rural atmosphere, that one forgets that these places are part of the big urban conurbation like a small star in a huge galaxy.

A world away from these poor barrios are the mansions and pedicured lawns within the exclusive the rich surburbs. These are the people who benefited from the American-Mexican free trade zones, and the huge market place of Mexico City. They dine at Zona Rosa in their finest costumes, go to Cancun for weekends, and have holidays in Miami or Nueva York.

These two Mexicos meet in the city centre. CEOs in their flash cars are confronted by the ubiquitous ambulant street vendors and acrobats all vying for a slice of the peso. It's a rat race in Mexico City and definitely worth a visit if you're into people-watching.
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If one takes a pause and reflect on the city, one will notice that Mexico City does have its charm despite the relentless rush. The Paseo de la Reforma, is one of the most majestic streets I've seen. Those stately statues and monuments at each major intersection of the avenue; and the tended mini-gardens along the drive is a nice touch.

The vast Chapultepec Park is a fantastic place to wander around and see the city in a different light. There are castles, mini-lagoons, botanical gardens, museums here. A whole day isn't enough to explore this wonderful park.

The barrio of San Angel is also a nice oasis. Quaint Mexican-style houses in quiet cul-de-sacs create a village-type atmosphere where eveything is civilised and orderly.

But for me, the Zocalo and the Centro, stands out as the most fascinating place in Mexico City to visit as this area is where one can witness the whole kaleidoscope of Mexican life and appreciate the history of the city from the Aztec period to the present times. The Zocalo is the spot where the Aztecs built their towering temples and the old Centro used to be where the old Aztec city stood. The city was once an island and it had extensive waterways and canals. All that have been obliterated through time and only a few traces of the Aztec empire can still be seen at the Zocalo. The huge paved square is now surrounded by the not-so-subtle reminders of the Spanish conquistadors who destroyed the Aztec city and replaced them with cathedrals and palaces.

Mexico City's history is thoroughly fascinating, but the daily life of its present citizens can be interesting too.

• Pros:Fiesta atmosphere
• Cons:Air Pollution
• In a nutshell:Mestizo City