From the airport, we went for some food at my request.  On the way to the restaurant we picked up Mel’s close friend.  After a couple of hours of eating delicious Mexican cuisine and the telling of our life stories, we parted with her friend and went to one of Mel’s favorite area’s called el Centro de Coyoacan.  This quaint little part of the city was once believed to have been inhabited by coyotes. Walking through Coyoacan it is easy to imagine how it must have looked in centuries past, since it is still paved with cobblestone streets and lined with colonial homes.

A typical street in Coyoacan.

It was starting to get late in the day and I still needed to check into my hotel, so we left Coyoacan for Polanco.  This was about a 30km drive and should have taken us about 45 minutes, however due to Mexico City being one of the most populated cities in the world (there are around 20 million citizens), it instead took us 3 hours.  While the traffic did not phase Mel at all, I could barely handle the stress.  About hour 2 into the ride we decided to stop for some dinner in la Zona Rosa.  It was there where I tried mole, a spicy chocolate stew, for the 1st time.  I am not normally a fan of spicy food, but I was able to make an exception for this special treat.  Chilies are the main ingredient, along with unsweetened chocolate, sesame seeds, garlic, ground cloves, coriander, and cinnamon.   Together these ingredients infuse the dish with multiple flavors.

After the satiating meal, Mel finally dropped me off at my hotel.  I chose to stay at Hotel Habita in Polanco, a posh area of the city.  From the website I could tell that the hotel was impressive, but as I stood in my room I thought to myself that I have never seen a more glamorous hotel before.  I jumped into my luxurious bathtub, used the provided Kiehl’s bath products, and let the stress from the awful traffic melt away.

As I drifted off to sleep a little later, I could not help and reflect on my 1st impression of this grand city. Despite the overpopulation, pollution, and traffic, this part modern metropolis and part monstrosity is not to be missed!  This city that is so special it has multiple names (Distrito Federal, D.F., Mexico City, Ciudad de Mexico, or simply Mexico) is the cultural, political, and financial nerve center of the country. I believe this quote regarding Mexico City from the Lonely Planet guide accurately describes it perfectly, “Perhaps more than any city on earth, it is at the intersection of the first and third worlds, with all the ills, thrills and surprises that suggests.  One moment the city is all Latin beats, glamour, and excitement; the next it's drabness, poverty, suffocating crowds, and rancid smells.  In spite of the negatives, Mexico City is a magnet for Mexicans and visitors alike.  You certainly won't be bored in this complex, historic city.”

So, my words of wisdom are to ignore the foolish and incorrect warnings that it is the #1 most dangerous city in the world and make sure to add it as a dream destination!