Forks and Jets

The true story of a couple or amateur foodie travelogues going around the world

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Once Upon A Time in Mexico

March 23, 2009 Mexico

10 Comments

After two rough plane rides, (is it me or is airtravel getting to be “the not so friendly skies?”) we arrived late in Mexico with our heads filled with stories of robberies, violence, kidnappings and we had no idea if a hotel would give us a room at midnight. This might not be the way to start a year long trip. Once we worked out the taxi situation (Go to a desk. Pick a destination. Pay. Go outside. Find the right cab company. Get in and go) our two 30 pounds bags and us found their way to the hotel. It turns out our reservations were fine, the hotel was nice and the next morning, Mexico City was open to our exploration.

What we found when we set out was that Mexico City had done its own exploring and ancient ruins called Templo Meyor were unearthed in the middle of the city in 1978. Seems like ancient Mexico was big on the blood sacrifices. We should have paid more attention in school, but the modern Mexican actually seems helpful and friendly, so no harm.

With Jeremy’s 15 year old Spanish, and Eva’s Speedy Gonzales memories we’ve been able to order some food from stands (Ok, mostly pointing) and find our way across the Historical District. We kept noticing a recurring pastry box that everyone seemed to have, and they were headed east. So somewhere, out there, was a really popular bakery. We followed the crumbs halfway home and found Pastelaria Ideal. Huge, packed and wafting with delicious flavors, we checked out the selection in shock at the sheer volume of it all. Jeremy picked 3 huge pastries, and it came to a grand total of … $1! Pastries aside, all the food has been amazing so far: street tacos are a big hit, and we found dinner at an Argentinian grill where the mixed plate for two came on a wooden tray muy rojo.

We had the salsa, drank some beers, ate the peppers and are here to tell the tale. Still figuring out if we should brush our teeth with tap water.

Check out our other pictures from Mexico here.

Comments

  1. Geoff says:
    March 23, 2009

    Wow. Great tip about the Pasteleria - I arrive a week today and this has just made me more excited than ever!

    Reply

    • Team Rees says:
      March 24, 2009

      I wonder if we will be in any of the same areas at the same time, it would be great to have another partner in crime? Eva and I are in our travel the small cities of Mexico phase and are in Veracruz right now with a plan to swing through some of the small towns and a little of Guatemala. I think we are starting to get over our culture shock a little and even left our “valuables” in the room while we went out to adventure tonight. Funny thing, we ran into a girl from our plane ride into Mexico and had a great time.

      Reply

  2. Vanessa says:
    March 23, 2009

    Hey Guys,
    Awesome pastry pics! Made my mouth wa-tah! Looking forward to my Cabp trip even more after hearing about your street tacos!! yum! Have fun in mexico!

    Reply

    • Team Rees says:
      March 24, 2009

      Yeah, street food is awesome, cheap and usually a surprise. Pastelarias are everywhere and again, cheap and awesome. I don’t know what Cabo will be like but we are getting the hang of Mexico City and now are traveling into Veracruz, Merida and more of the little cities. We will have to compare notes on Mexico after this.

      Reply

  3. alexis says:
    March 24, 2009

    Hi guys! If you’re looking for great seafood, go to Fisher’s in Mexico City- they have the best ceviche! And there’s an incredible Argentinian Grill called Puerto Madero. Enjoy!

    Reply

    • Team Rees says:
      March 29, 2009

      Thanks Alexis! We will be back in Mexico City in mid-April, and Fisher’s in on our list. I LOVE ceviche!

      Reply

  4. Dan M. says:
    March 27, 2009

    We are so glad we can see how you guys are doing through this site! Looks like your trip has started off well. (I’m Jealous!)… and those pastries look awesome.

    Reply

  5. Christian says:
    April 5, 2009

    Raised by Mexican immigrants with the pleasure of going back there, I’m so happy that you’ve had such a positive experience there! While I’m unfamiliar with Mexico City (my family’s from Celaya, Guanajuato) — you can definitely find loads of bargains at yummy, incredible, cheap prices. Just keep exploring and I wish you two the best of luck!

    Reply

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