Some

Some
700 years ago, a wandering tribe of Aztecs arrived at a
steep mountain valley and discovered an island in the middle of a
crystalline lake that stretched out before their eyes. They drained
the swampy waters, creating floating gardens and canals, and gave
their new home the name Tenochtitlán.

Then the Spanish arrived in 1519 and the rest is pretty much
history; little is left to remind us of this glorious Mexican
Venice. But Mexico City has somehow retained the passion,
ingenuity, intensity and warmth of its ancestors.

This is a city of countless cities. Nearly 22 million people
flow across the patchwork streets – some live in ramshackle slums
with little access to water and nutrition; others in cosmopolitan
colonias (neighbourhoods) made up of majestic stone mansions and
hip cafés as well as verdant park squares.

Each area offers its visitors something special: in the chaotic
centre, sweeping colonial palaces have been built atop indigenous
temples, and silversmiths bustle for space alongside butchers and
wedding-dress makers. Look closely and you will find some of the
buildings are tilted – it turns out the dried-out bed of a lake
isn’t the best foundation for construction, and Mexico City is now
sinking.

Down south lies the capital’s intellectual heart. Names like
Mathias Goeritz, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera are on everybody’s
lips, and highways give way to lazy cobbled streets, bohemian cafés
and sluggish canals. The oasis here reminds you that the metropolis
has one foot in the future and another rooted firmly in the
past.

Mexico City, or DF (Distrito Federal) as the locals call it, is
unexpectedly lush. Jacaranda trees line the avenues, and their
flowers bathe the streets in a carpet of bright purple blooms
throughout the spring. There are also palm trees with trunks so
robust that you’ll wonder if they outlived the Aztecs
themselves.

Young entrepreneurs are taking the reins in the design
and art scene, and the city pulsates with exhibitions, film
screenings, innovative architecture and fashionable new labels.
There are more museums here than in any other city in the world,
and Mexico City is home to the largest university in Latin
America.The sheer number of protests that take place along the main
boulevard Reforma could give the French a run for their money.

Gastronomical choices abound – on any given day you can choose
between market stalls which source the freshest produce from all
over the country, taco joints, gourmet bistros, traditional
cantinas, artisanal mezcal bars and inventive takes on the local
cuisine.

The Mexican people display an unrivalled hospitality. They will
throw open their doors and treat you with such courtesy that you’ll
end up wondering how you’ll ever go home. Nothing means “no” here,
which doesn’t exactly mean yes either – but it’s certainly a
start.