Mexico City

Cochinita Pibil – Bringing a little bit of Mexico to Brazil

~ The Travelling Chopsticks ~ 5 Comments

Mexico City will always have a very special place in my heart. In fact a year and a half after leaving Mexico, both C and I still miss the country, the life we had, and our friends dearly. The older more travel weary Foreign Service Officers say that your first post is always your favourite, and I think there is an element of truth to that.

Our life in Mexico had so many firsts and life milestones. Not only was it the first time C and I lived in the same country, it was also the first time we lived together!  So many experiences go hand in hand with that such as discovering ourselves and each other, as well as discovering the country we were living in. It was also during this time, that we got engaged, adopted our beloved Mexican street cats and got married. Ultimately Mexico was where our family started.

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C and I at our engagement party!

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My Absolute Favourite Tourist Attraction in Mexico City!

~ The Travelling Chopsticks ~ 11 Comments

Mexico City can be rather overwhelming the first time you visit this colossal city. There is so much to see and do, but where to start? Here are my top ten absolute favourite places to go when we have guests in town, and I thought I would share them with you.

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Magical Malinalco and Ancient Rituals

~ The Travelling Chopsticks ~ 2 Comments

Between having houseguests, the insane amount of travelling C was doing  in May and having a very active social calender in June, I don’t think C and I have spent any quality time together since April!

So when my incredibly lovely friend Kirsty got in touch with me one day when I was feeling particularly burnt-out, and said that she, and her equally lovely boyfriend Fer wanted to treat us to a weekend in Fer’s family hotel as a wedding present – I couldn’t have been more excited or jumped at the opportunity more quickly! Keep Reading

Las Cascadas Resort – Riding in Mexican Country Side

~ The Travelling Chopsticks ~ 2 Comments

As promised a couple of posts ago, now that I am leaving Mexico in only a few months, I seriously need to get blogging on all these amazing things to see and do in this wonderful country.  So I thought I would start with Rancho Las Cascadas.

http://www.lascascadasresort.com/

I been to the Ranch a couple of times last year, once with my good friend Miako, and another time with C along with another couple. Both times I thoroughly enjoyed it and both times I promised myself to write something about it. Keep Reading

BIKO

~ The Travelling Chopsticks ~ 1 Comment

After two weeks of being away, C flew back into town last week and took me out on a surprise date night!  He didn’t say where we were going, just that we had dinner reservations at 9pm and to wear something nice!

Although C and I are really fortunate to have a lovely social life here in D.F. there is something still so exciting for me about Date Night! Maybe it is because C and I never really ‘dated’ so to speak. We went from a long distance relationship (C in D.C and me in Singapore), to living together straight away in Mexico. Not that I would change that for the world – but when we do go out for a special evening just the two of us – I think I enjoy it that much more!

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Restaurante Litoral, Condesa

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On the last Thursday of every month the four of my closest girlfriends in Mexico City make a point of meeting up for dinner. We found that with all our work commitments, various social commitments and of course boyfriend/husband commitments it was very easy for months to have gone by without seeing each other.

I really look forward to these Thursdays. Not only is it a chance to hang out with 4 lovely ladies and talk about everything of importance and of non-importance going on in our lives, but it also gives me a chance to try restaurants that I may not have found on my own. Keep Reading

Ballet Folklorico

~ The Travelling Chopsticks ~ 2 Comments

I’m back! I know it has been pretty silent over here on the TTC, and I apologise for that! However, it’s not because I have been uninspired or have had nothing interesting to write about – quite the contrary actually, I just physically have not had the time or energy.

Over Christmas and New Years my parents and brother came to visit, and C and I were busy gallivanting around the country with them, exploring the Yucatan Peninsular, discovering new alleyways in Guanajuato as well as doing the usual sightseeing rounds in good ol’ Mexico City.

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Day of the Dead and San Angel

~ The Travelling Chopsticks ~ 4 Comments

Yesterday was Day of the Dead or rather Dia de los Muertos – which has to be one of Mexico’s most interesting, extraordinary and colourful celebrations. You may think the combination of the words ‘dead’ and ‘celebration’ in one sentence slightly off-kilter, but this is what the day is all about – a celebration of death, and hence a celebration of life.

Unlike in Europe or most “Western” culture death is not something to be feared here in Mexico, it is (quite rightly) something to be embraced, as ultimately we are all going to die so why be scared of it? Traditionally the Aztecs believed that life was a dream and that you only started living once you died – then you were truly awake.

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A day at the park!

~ The Travelling Chopsticks ~ 2 Comments

I fell in love with Mexico pretty much the first time I came to visit ‘C’ almost two years ago! I don’t know if I initially fell in love with it because of the country itself, or rather because the man I was in love with lived here and it represented an unknown future– but now that I have been living here for over a year, I can say without a doubt that I love it because of the country that it is.

When I talk to my friends back in Europe and Asia, they always ask me what is it like living in Mexico? Aren’t I scared due to all the violence? How do I cope living in one of the world’s largest and most dangerous cities?

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My Mexican Observations

~ The Travelling Chopsticks ~ 5 Comments

Well, I have now been living in Mexico City for exactly one year and thirteen days, and I thought I would share with you some of my observations on various aspect of Mexican life that I have encountered:

The People:

  • The Mexicans are some of the most polite and courteous people I have come across (except when they are driving)
  • They dress according to the official season and not to the actual weather. If it’s supposed to be Autumn, they will dress for Autumn wearing jeans, jumpers, boots, scarves and jackets, despite it being sunny and 28°C outside!
  • Chivalry is still alive – as a woman you will never have to open a door, or pull out your own chair as long as you are here. Note: this does not apply while driving.
  • Plastic surgery is perfectly acceptable – the older you are, the tighter your face
  • Spending 3-4 hours in the salon every morning is the daily routine for the women of Polanco.
  • Tipping is a way of life. Be prepared to tip everyone you encounter – which means carry lots and lots of loose change.

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