¡Viva Mexico!

What images spring to mind when you think of Mexico? Having never been to this country, my reference comes straight from the movies and television. So when I first landed in Mexico, I expected to see men with bullet belts strapped across their ponchos, donning huge sombreros and equally impressive mustaches. Tumbleweeds would roll down the dirt streets, past the white churches and swinging cantina doors. Everything would be in a muted sepia tone. Imagine my shock when landing in Mexico city – slick businessmen on their Blackberries, glamorous fashionistas strutting in 5 inch stilettos, and trendy urban youth rocking out to their iPods. There wasn’t a donkey carts or gun toting bandit in sight.

Luckily, Kim has family in D.F. (Distrito Federal, aka Mexico City) who could be our guides in this daunting mega metropolis of 25 million people. We went out with Kim’s cousin Rodrigo to some clubs in Condesa, and it could have been a scene straight out of LA or NYC – BMW’s and Mercedes cruising the streets and lines of finely dressed people waiting to pay $20 covers and $7 per drink. In some ways I would say D.F. is ahead of it’s neighbors to the north. Gay marriage is legal and there’s even a bike sharing program similar to those in Europe.

The best part of Mexico City, however, is that it still retains a slice of authenticity around every corner. Amid the Starbucks and fancy restaurants you can still find taco stands on almost every block. If you’re in the need for some mariachis, just pick ’em up off the street and bring them to your party. For a true Mexican experience, head to a night of lucha libre, a wresting show that puts WWF to shame. With all the best parts of a modern cosmopolitan city, mixed with authentic Mexican culture – crazy delicious food – it’s shocking that there aren’t more tourists here. Perhaps like me, they never bothered to look beyond the Hollywood stereotypes. Man, are they missing out.