Life as an Expat in Mexico City: May 2018 Edition

I used to write monthly updates about how life was going in Mexico City. Everything was still so new, so strange, so different. At some point, I swapped over to writing newsletters (which you can sign up for below if you feel like). But somehow those morphed into something very different, something that I love writing, but offer very little if any insight into what it’s like to live as an expat in Mexico City.

I’ve decided to bring the series back. I probably won’t write a new one every month, but I think a lot of people come to this blog to learn more about life in Mexico City, whether that’s because you’re traveling to Mexico or you’re considering moving here yourself. There will be stories, current events, recent restaurant finds, and different photos from around the city that I often don’t get a chance to share anywhere other than Instagram stories.

Favorite Recent Mexico City Eats

At the start of the year, I set myself a goal of trying at least one new restaurant, bar, or street stall every week. Last year I found myself heading to the same exact places. It was getting a little bit stale. I’ve pretty much kept my promise to myself and boy am I happy about it. These are the spots I’ve discovered recently that I haven’t really talked about anywhere else on the blog.

Sud 777: The chef here was trained at the famous El Bulli in Spain and the tasting menu shows. It’s creative and so freaking delicious. If you want inventive Mexican food, fresh ingredients, and to have your mind blown by unique flavor combinations, I can’t recommend this place enough. I ate a savory doughnut draped with smoked marlin and I still dream about it. It’s a slight trek from the city center, probably a 30 minute Uber, but I promise you it’s worth it.

The outside of the restaurant because it was too dark inside to take photos of the amazing food.

Lorea: Another high-end restaurant, we headed here to celebrate Luke’s 30th birthday. They only offer a tasting menu (Sud777 lets you choose between the tasting menu and the a la carte menu), but there wasn’t one thing that I tried that wasn’t delicious. It was a true experience with plenty of show and flare. I’d skip the drinks pairings and simply enjoy a few of their AMAZING cocktails.
Tacos Orinoco: On the other end of the dining spectrum is this little hole-in-the-wall spot that is truly incredible. It’s originally from Monterrey, so it’s all Northern style tacos. The chicharron (fried pig skin) is the best I’ve ever had.

The incredible tacos from Tacos Orinoco – I’ve tried them all and now I stick to the chicharron because it is just SO good. It comes with a few little potatoes which are tasty, too.

Life Lately in Mexico City

I spent most of March and some of April traveling both internationally and within Mexico and it was amazing, but I was so exhausted by the time we got back to Mexico City. I was so happy to sleep in my own bed and get back into a routine where I could exercise, eat healthier, and actually do some work (does this make me a bad travel blogger?).

The weather has also been seriously terrible here in Mexico City. If you’ve read my post about what to wear in Mexico City, you’ll know I talk about how amazingly hot April and May usually are. Alas, this year they have been cool, cloudy, and plagued with rainy afternoons. It has meant very few days out enjoying the parks in Mexico City and instead lots of eating and museum exploring.

The library at UNAM – the picture simply doesn’t do it justice (it was cloudy and rainy when we went). It’s made with tons of tiny colorful stones.

Favorite Recent Day Trip in Mexico City

Last weekend I headed to UNAM, the national university here in Mexico City. The campus is absolutely enormous and is full of beautiful architecture, cool murals, and a really nice park where you can sit in the sunshine when it finally comes out! The main event, in my opinion, is the main library. The mosaics around the outside are unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.

We ended up arriving pretty late in the afternoon, but if you wanted to do it all in one day, you can also wander around the Olympic park area and see some Aztec ruins called Cuicuilco.

Mexican Elections

The elections are taking place here in Mexico on July 1st. It is a HUGE election with something like over 3,000 seats up for grabs, including the presidency. The presidential elections only take place once every six years and it’s been very interesting to keep up with. We were at a bar recently when they turned off all of the sports on the TVs and turned on the presidential debate. They turned off the music and turned up the TV volume. It was fascinating (would this happen at election time in the US? I don’t even know?).

We are planning to NOT be in the city for the election as I’ve been told Mexico City sort of shuts down thanks to pre and post-election day protests. For those that are interested, it looks like Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is the front-runner. He’s run for president twice in the past (for two different parties) and lost, but it seems like people finally feel like he’s the answer to the problems Mexico faces in the future.

He’s strong on canceling the about-t0-be-built brand-new Mexico City airport and using those funds for other things. When he lost the election in 2006, he organized a protest that closed down Paseo de la Reforma, one of the main roads in the city, FOR WEEKS! You can see why we don’t want to be here for the election!

I also re-visited Teotihuacan recently and it was absolutely as amazing as it was the first time.

I’m Writing a Guidebook!

I’ve been working on a Mexico City Guidebook for what feels like years. I probably started the whole project about a year ago, but the last six months or so have been when I’ve written most of it. Well, it’s almost done! I’m now in the process of having the book edited, finishing up photos for it, and putting it together into something beautiful. I cannot wait to get it out there.

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