Traveling With Lola

What attracts many to travel is the sense of history, culture, and luxury that we may not get to experience in our daily lives. American travelers seeking novelty and culture often head to the European capitals or Southeast Asia, yet some of the world’s best museums, restaurants, bars, and hotels are housed in a metropolitan area of over 21 million residents, less than a 3 hour flight from Dallas.

At the intersection of modernity and ancient history lies an underrated destination, and the largest capital of North America: Mexico City. 

My dear boyfriend, Breck, and I woke up on our first morning in Mexico City in search of coffee and breakfast. Bright eyed and bushy tailed despite our late-night arrival, the February sun warmed our faces and our hearts as we strolled through Mexico City’s Lincoln Park, a greenspace complete with benches, common areas, sculptures and a reflecting pool, one block from our hotel. 

In the quiet streets around the park, the neighborhood seemed to be coming alive: shopkeepers swept their front steps with twig brooms, a food vendor was already up and selling some kind of roasting meat that filled the air with spice, and a plant shop keeper stood out front, showing a customer the available flowers bursting with color on her front sidewalk. 

It wasn’t long until we stumbled onto a quaint bakery, “La Pain Quotidien”, tucked away on a side street.

We timidly entered the open air shop, trying to decipher the names of the delicious fruit tarts, and chocolate croissant baked goods laid out in front of us. With only a few college classes of Spanish to back me up, my blank stare was a dead giveaway for one of the waiters who kindly asked in English if we’d like to sit down and eat. He sat us outside, where we could witness the neighborhood continue to wake up from its slumber. 

I started with a scrumptious and warming chai latte that warmed my belly and hands  from the nippy February morning air. Not confident in my request after reviewing their extensive menu, the waiter brought Breck his French toast and gave me something called “Divorced Eggs.”

Presented before me were two sunny side up eggs smothered in a duo of red and green sauce, on top of corn tortillas and beans. My uncertainty became delight as the flavor exploded in my mouth. The richness from the beans and the eggs were cut by the not too spicy, not too acidic sauces, and the tortilla was a sponge for the egg yolk and leftover sauce that dripped to the bottom of the plate. 

This was one of the most memorable breakfasts of my life. I felt my soul recharging as it all sank in: I’m sitting here with the love of my life enjoying an effortlessly delicious breakfast from a spontaneous place on a crisp morning in a beautiful, walkable neighborhood on our first international adventure together.

As we polished off the French toast, divorced eggs, and lattes, we watched as posh residents stopped at the shop for a croissant and coffee, or strolled by with their dogs or children. The sun was shining. The birds were chirping. I could see trees and flowers everywhere. This was the first time in a while I felt the visceral sense of awe and wonder at a new destination.

Mexico City touched my heart. And here are a few of my other favorite highlights: 

My favorite drink: Sweet potato cocktail from the King Cole Bar at St. Regis Mexico City. 

Inspired by the head bartender’s visit to the States where he had pumpkin pie for the first time, comes this creamy, sweet & unexpected delight, topped with the perfect hint of cinnamon. Bonus: the avocado Mojito was out of this world. Not avocado-y, just fresh and sweet with a signature hit of mint.

My favorite bite: Chicken & green sauce tamales.

We booked a salsa making class which included several market visits to gather the ingredients. Our local guide took us off the tourist path and deep into the hustling and bustling markets frequented mostly by locals. Our guide bought us a platter of tamales to sample, including those stuffed with mole, beef, veggies. The chicken with green sauce was incredibly savory, and packed so much flavor with simple ingredients. 

The best sleep: Las Alcobas 

We enjoyed our last night in Mexico City at Las Alcobas, arranged courtesy of my employer, Indagare Travel. Las Alcobas was a welcome haven in the heart of Polanco, in a nondescript building on the bustling Avenida Presidente Masaryk. Our Deluxe King room was so cozy, and we enjoyed both the high-tech bathroom and views of Polanco from our windows. The team also treated us to some of the best service we enjoyed in all of Mexico City. 

Another great hotel option is Casa Polanco. I had the chance to tour this boutique luxury hotel with just 19 rooms. It’s right across the street from Parque Lincoln in a discrete building that feels more like a private home than a hotel. Fresh light floods in throughout this property, and there is no shortage of lounge spaces (including three outdoor terraces for guests).  

Favorite smell: Freshly cut oranges.

On our market tour booked through Viator, we maneuvered through small aisles of one of the local markets, where produce, herbs, toys, and candy were piled high. While in the back of the pack, Breck and I stopped in our tracks. 

Something like cartoon dogs, we stuck our noses up to deeply inhale the sweet and strong scent of fresh oranges. We turned in circles with our noses held high, until we located the culprit: In front of a dangerously teetering stack of oranges, one of the stall keepers was meticulously adding little slices to the stack, keeping it intact but almost unrolling the orange like string of potpourri, connected by the remaining peel. 

Biggest laugh: LUCHA LIBRE

Wanting a fun, local experience for our last evening, we booked a Lucha Libre experience with a local artist. With our inhibitions lowered after local tacos, mezcal, and a few Michelada beers, we found ourselves underneath our own Lucha Libre masks shouting insults in Spanish as we watched juiced up & scantily clad actors “fight” one another in a boxing ring. An unexpected delight, it was a lot of fun to experience the fan fare of it all.   

Favorite activity: Stumbling into the city’s largest flower market, Mercado de Jamaica. There are the most unbelievable displays of flowers and plants in ornate & luxurious arrangements. I couldn’t believe my eyes. 

Unexpected moment: Walking barefoot on the grass to absorb the ancient energy of the Teotihuacan Pyramid site. 

Throughout  the long weekend in the city, we would go on to see more green spaces, trees, and parks than I’ve seen in any of the world’s largest cities combined. The culture and history easily rivals that of any European city, and the friendliness of the people and quality of the food (both fine dining and street food) is nothing quite like I’ve experienced so far. 

What tied together our experiences in Mexico City was an undercurrent of love: Love for the scenery around us, love for the Uber drivers who navigated the heavy traffic to get us safely to our destination, love for the delicious food that warmed our bellies and satiated our hunger, love for the beautiful architecture, both modern and ancient, spread throughout the city. And I felt the most in love with Breck that I ever have (which is saying a lot.) 

There is a lot of trust that goes into navigating and experiencing a new destination alongside someone else. This trip and all its new experiences brought us even closer than we already were, and this experience will be close to my heart forever.

Thank you, Mexico City, for the love and joy that you brought me, and thank you Breck for being by my side while we do this crazy adventure called life, in Mexico City and beyond. Here’s to many more trips & many more years of love together. 💝