Ph. From www.mexicodesconocido.com.mx
This is not a regular post, it is not based on what locals do, but on what tourists, travelers, and experiencers can do in two very exciting cities: Mexico City, an article made by me, and Las Vegas, an article made by Kendra Thorntorn. Hope you like it…
My Beloved Mexico
by: Bettina Guisa
HISTORY, CULTURE, AND TRADITION
I don’t know how to begin to explain how amazing, vibrant, and exhilarating this city can be. Especially when I’m proud to say that it’s one of own. A city full of wonders, colors, culture, history, tradition, and hospitality: my beloved Mexico City.
This city has more to offer than what you’ve probably have heard on the news, there is not comparison of what you hear than what you can experience in every unimaginable way.
It’s a city that has it all, even a piece of heaven. I’m talking about an extraordinary place in the middle of chaos that makes you believe in magic: Bosque de Chapultepec (Cerro del Chapulin), one of the biggest “urban” parks in Latin America. With 686.05 hectares it welcomes around 15 million visitors per year providing them a historic, recreational, and environmental place to enjoy and conquer every day. It has 9 museums, including the National Museum of Antropology and History, one of the most important museums in Mexico with 26 rooms of astounding archaeological and ethnological pieces gathered since the eighteenth century. Another museum, which is also an emblematic building of the city and the country, and one of the most wonderful places to visit in Mexico, the Museum of National History. Known as the Chapultepec’s Castle (Castillo de Chapultepec), an eighteenth century castle that compiles most of the history of Mexico including the building itself: a gunpowder factory, home of emperors, headquarters of the military school, residence of the presidents of the country, until 1939 when it was turned into a museum. You can see everything in this unforgettable piece of land, it has it all, including a museum where children can play, touch, and learn (Papalote, Museo del Niño); to an amusement park, two lakes, a zoo, and a forest with great restaurants and activities to relish.
If you are looking for a more contemporary and modern art, The Jumex Museum is the place to go. Designed by the British architect David Chipperfield, it’s a place designated to learn, explore, and discover contemporary art. Another museum, which is worth visiting at least once, is the Soumaya Museum, a non profit establishment that collects, researches, conserves, and exposes masterpieces of art from Mexico and Europe.
Besides museums, Mexico City has an astonishing place waiting for you to discover. The Palace of Fine Arts (Palacio de Bellas Artes), one of the most beautiful places I have seen in my life, a place where artists turn opera, dance, and theater into national jewels.
FOOD FOR THE SOUL
How can I talk about Mexico without naming its traditional and one of a kind food? Known and well desired in many countries around the world, Mexican food is best savored in Mexico. One of the best places to eat authentic Mexican food is called Tacuba Coffee (Cafe de Tacuba), founded in 1912. The restaurant is a big house from the seventeenth century, fueled with inspiring gastronomical history and high quality standards; a true gastronomic gem in the City. Another Mexican food devoted restaurant is El Cardenal, a beautiful traditional place full of character where you can taste genuine Mexican flavors. They are a reminder that food tells a story through its aromas, techniques, and savors. You can really tell that this food was made to inspire and conquer every palate.
BEST OF THE BEST
Mexico City is compiled with different kinds of zones that suit different personalities. Two of my favorites are Polanco and La Roma. Polanco is a chic and high end zone that offers great restaurants, shopping, and culture. It has all kinds of restaurants for all types of palates and distinctions. You can taste extraordinary traditional food from Yucatan (cochinita pibil) in a small and not so fancy restaurant called Turix. You can have one of the best brunches in the city in this pet friendly place Maque or have the night of your life in Gravity a pop music nightclub with great drinks and great ambiance.
La Roma is now considered one of the best zones in Mexico, it’s hipster, trendy, and so out of the ordinary. You can take a walk over its streets feeling completely in a different kind of world; it takes your breath away. My favorite place here is Rosetta, an Italian restaurant offering amazing food and great service with the most romantic scene you have ever experienced. A must visit in Mexico City. If you want a drink or two you must visit Salinger, foamous for its gin and tonic combinations, the food is limited to snack bar but really delicious. And if you are looking for more of an alternative place to dance and drink the place for you is Mono, a speakeasy nightclub designated to make you move under the beat of electric, progressive, and techno music with no strings attached.
RECREATION AND ADVENTURE
I couldn’t leave the fun out of this amazing journey through my city. There are a million things to do here but these two are my favorite. Take a ride on a hot air balloon above the dreamiest place in Mexico: Teotihuacan, a national heritage gem full of wonder and history. The ride is extraordinary, you can see all the pyramids from above and learn more about our culture. The other wonderful adventure and a must do in Mexico City is a promenade in the Xochimilco canals inside the colorful gondolas (or “trajineras” as we call them) where you can hear Mariachi, taste authentic Mexican food, and have a shot of tequila. Xochimilco is a World Heritage Site that welcomes tourists and locals for a once in a lifetime experience.
This is just a taste of my beloved Mexico, there are still so many wonders and adventures waiting for you, so book a trip to Mexico city and have the best experience of your life.
Four Ways to Get Your Thrills in Sin City
by: Kendra Thorntorn
Everybody knows that Las Vegas is a fun place to be. In fact, if you bother to step outside the air-conditioned comfort of your hotel or casino, you’ll find that there are some truly thrilling, once in a lifetime experiences available to the intrepid Las Vegas vacationer.
FOOD FIGHT!
In true fashion, visitors can seize the day (and some antacids!) in any number of larger than life food challenges. There are several to choose from – the buffets alone can qualify if you do them right – but two of the best are right next to each other. You can grab a monster-size eight pound burger at the Monte Carlo, and true steak lovers and / or gluttons for punishment (and everything else!) can stroll on down to BRAND, a hip steakhouse on the Strip with a gut-busting challenge of its own: a $250 USD, 120 ounce steak grilled to perfection, a side of your choice, and two sauces of your own choosing. In either case, come hungry, and be ready for an audience, because your fellow diners and visitor’s love watching these spectacles almost as much as they love watching an underdog win it big!
YOU’RE GONNA NEED A BIGGER BOAT
Remember ‘JAWS’? It’s a classic, right? Well, it just so happens that the fine folks of Mandalay Bay resort have something you can only find in Sin City: The only predator-centric aquarium in the whole of North America. They’ve got it all – piranha, carnivorous Moray eels, and lots of other deep-sea hunters. Know what else they’ve got? Sharks. Fifteen species of them, in fact, and wouldn’t you know it, you can go diving with them! Participants get fitted for a shark suit made of chain mail, and then you and a crew plunge beneath the waves of the indoor ‘Shark Reef’ exhibit.
MUSEUMS
Las Vegas has quite a cultural scene. It boasts several museums, and while they range in specific content and exhibit type, it’s easy to find something anyone can enjoy. Suitable for individuals, couples, and families alike, a favorite example of Sin City’s must-do museums is the National Atomic Testing Museum, which chronicles Nevada’s unique history as a nuclear testing site. It’s located just a few miles away from the Strip, so make sure you don’t miss it!
THRILL RIDES
Last on our rundown of a thrill-junkie’s preferred pursuits of Las Vegas, but certainly not least, there is the collection of adrenaline pumping roller coasters and other such rides and attractions. Whether you’re looking to jump off a one hundred plus story platform or take on El Loco’s negative-G drops, if you look to amusement parks for your rush, Vegas has you covered.
These are some of my personal favorites. The attractions here are truly unique and the hotels make you feel right at home. With so many to choose from, sites like Gogobot make it easy to read user reviews so you can feel more comfortable on your next trip to Vegas!
Ph. by http://lasvegas.haasalumni.org
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