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MeXico City !
Forget Mexico City ’ s fearsome reputation . This megalopolis of 21 million people has many areas that ooze charm , phenomenal cuisine , art and jaw-dropping cultural history . All you need is a good map , reports Janine Stephen .
We ’ d flown across the globe to land in one of the world ’ s mega-cities , and don ’ t let me pretend I wasn ’ t daunted . All the way over , my brain had been pinging with images of swarthy traffickers , gridlock and seas of concrete . And yet , here we were . Sitting on a bench in tree-filled Plaza Rio de Janeiro as a tiny scalloped Inca dove preened in the sun and egg-yellow swallowtail butterflies wafted by . In pride of place stood a replica of Michelangelo ’ s David , all classical curves and rock-hard muscle . Tattooed youth dallied in the shade along with balloon sellers ; hip bars and restaurants graced the surrounding streets . In this area , littered as it is with independent art galleries , even the graffiti was excellent quality .
Mexico City – or “ DF ”, short for Distrito
Federal – is not what I ’ d expected . Sure , it ’ s enormous , and complex , and very , very full of people . But it ’ s also a city of neighbourhoods , some 1 800 of them , and some are positively charming . That plaza I mentioned is in Roma Norte ; neighbours like Condesa are also easy-going and architecturally appealing ( think art deco and colonial mansions ). Hipsters amble past with dogs , beards and steaming coffee . There are skateboarders and a bike-share programme ( yes , park and ride ; such trust !). Bookshops abound . There are achingly hip hangouts , bar shelves lined with superior tequilas and interiors spilling plants . And cheap-as-chips local hangouts with plastic checked tablecloths , selling nopal ( cactus ) and cheese tortillas .
But this does not detract from the mystery of the place . The historical heart of the city is less polished , but just as fascinating .
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