A little Background

Background. Mexico City was originally built in 1521 by Cortes on the ruins of Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire, in the middle of the now drained Lake Texcoco. It is surrounded by gorgeous volcanos which you can see from tall buildings or driving south on the highway. Mexico City is located in the Mexican Federal District "Distrito Federal", or D.F. as us locals say.

The City. It is huge, HUGE. There are roughly 18 to 23 million people according to a 2005 estimation. It is the second most populous metropolitan area only behind Tokyo, and the 6th largest city. And the population doubles every 30 years! Besides being full of Mexicans, it is very spread out and sprawling. The streets are haphazard, and I still have no idea where the cabs are taking me.

The Traffic. Oy. During the week, it took roughly 45 minutes to get to work for what takes only 15 on Saturday and Sundays. It isn’t just during the morning, it remains all day. Also known as a game of chicken. All intersections, stop lights, and stop signs work as ways to test your cojones.

Climate. The sun is so hot that I just want to go, but not in DF. It ranges from like 75 to 45 daily. Due to the elevation and surrounding volcanos, the temperatue remains cool and lovely year round. But when y’all come visit, we shall head for the hot sun and beaches.

Pollution. So many people, including myself comment on the atrocious pollution of a city many of us had never been to. After spending a few days here, I must say that it is quite clear and nice. Unlike Asia where everyone covers their faces with masks, the car exhaust is similar to that of the US. I mean, they have great oil here, so much so that we are contemplating taking Mexico over. So don’t indulge what you think you know, you have no idea….

Montezuma’s Revenge. This is one thing I have yet to mention. According to a source, who cites VH1 Story Tellers, James Taylor wrote the song “Mexico” about his first and last visit to Mexico. Apparently, he had big diarrhea and throw-ups, and JT vowed never to return. True story. But I am doing fine, thanks for asking.