Everyday Mexico City: A Photo Journal

It’s late enough in the morning that the streets are already packed with people who flit in and out of restaurants and stores, wait in line at taco stands and ice-cream shops, and [like me] point their cameras at or above eye-level to capture the city’s sights.

I use the Zocalo [main plaza] as a starting point to guide myself through Mexico City’s Centro Historico [historic center] – A UNESCO World Heritage Site that contains several hundred years of indigenous Mexican history.In between the main road and an open park sits Palacio de Bellas Artes [Palace of Fine Arts] – a center for showcasing music, paintings, literature, photography, etc. by Mexican artists. 

∗∗∗

On pedestrian roads blocked off from cars, people walk freely in the middle of paved streets. There’s no need to look left or right or straight through a windshield to plead -wordlessly- for cars to stop.

I stop for yogurt and order [for the third time] one made with activated charcoal- a flavor I’ve come to love and have so far only seen in Mexico City. It’s a beautiful inky black swirl at the top of my cone, feels cool on my tongue and tastes almost flavorless. Apart from a mild sweetness, I can’t place any other flavors.

Nearby, the scent of cooked flour tortillas wafts from streetside taco stands, making me hungry.Within the blue and white painted walls of Café de Tacuba, I satisfy my craving with crispily fried tostadas – stuffed with well-seasoned beef, avocado, a combination of piquant spices, and topped with small mounds of soft, white cheese. I drink something [overly] sweet alongside it.

∗∗∗

Good to Know 

Tostadas – a Spanish word meaning ‘toasted’. in this context, it’s used to describe a fried tortilla.

The title ‘Everyday Mexico City’ is used figuratively. I do not – as a tourist- assume to know what it’s like to live every day in Mexico City. 

∗∗∗

All photos shot on iPhone 8+ 

As always, 

thank you for reading.

For other posts from Mexico City, you can start here. 

same footprints, different sands