When in Mexico City
The incredible metropolis of Mexico City is home to an estimated 18 million people, 15 million of whom have arrived in the past 50 years. Mexico City offer noise, pollution, poverty and above all, people, but it also provides the visitor with a rare insight in to a turbulant city attempting to get to grips with the socio-economic problems facing it. Visitors will not be bored, as there is plenty to see, experience and understand here.
The Aztec city of Tenochtitlan was established in 1325 on an island in the middle of Lake Texcoco and progressed happily until the arrival of the Spanish in 1519. The subsequent battles and demolition of the original city spawned a new version in 1525, which is the basis for the Mexico City of today. Independence took some time to come, until 1821 in fact. Since then, the city has seen a variety of major political events and been the site for a number of human tragedies.
War with the US in 1847 and the successful Mexican Revolution of 1910 left their scars on the city as did the huge 1985 eathquake that killed thousands and made at least 50,000 homeless. More permanent damage was done to the city's reputation in 1968, when just days before the opening of the Olympic Games in the city, hundreds of student demonstrators were shot and killed as they protested in the Plaza de las Tres Culturas.
Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juárez lies just four miles east of the city's main square, Zocalo. Airport buses will whisk you in to town to a variety of destinations although many may prefer to treat themselves to a short taxi ride. Those arriving or heading to other parts of the country via bus will use one of four of the city's major bus stations, which can take you as far as the borders with the USA, Guatemala and Belize. Inter-city train journeys in Mexico are more or less non-existent these days.
The city's metro system is cheap and efficient, with trains arriving every two to three minutes on the city's 11 lines. The network will take you to most places you need to go although it can get dangerously busy during rush hour. From 07:30 to 10:00 and again from 15:00 to 20:00, the front carriages are usually reserved for women and children ? look for the 'Solo Mujeres y Niños' signs to see if you're about to make an embarrassing mistake.
The bus system in Mexico City is wonderfully easy, as it has just one route. The Metrobus runs back and forth along Avenida Insurgentes and tickets are extremely cheap. Payment is via prepaid cards, which are available from machines at platform entrances. The bus runs throughout the night as well, with a reduced, three per hour service between 12:00 and 05:00.
Mexico City is warm all year round and dry for the most part, too. There is never a bad time to go, as the temperature never climbs much higher than 27°C, even in the hottest month of May, and dips down only as low as 10°C at worst in winter. Visitors arriving from June to September should expect to encounter a few afternoon showers.
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Introduction
