30 Comments
Aug 15, 2022Liked by Marko Ayling

This series has been amazing and timely, my girlfriend and I are moving to CDMX today and we’ve been trying our best to not perpetuate these issues. We both got temporary residency visas, have been studying Spanish for several years now and plan to live somewhere other than the popular places you point out in your article.

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I really appreciate this series on CDMX. I lived there in 2019 and 2020 until the pandemic hit, and what you've written both here and in the previous newsletter ring true to my experiences in the city. And thanks for mentioning Cineteca National - I rarely see other foreigners talk about it but it's one of my favorite places. Looking forward to reading more from you - cheers!

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Great suggestions for how to start to address some of these issues. To your list of things to do, I would add visit the Museo Nacional de Antropología, which is an amazing introduction to the history of this region. Reading your thoughts makes me feel good about having taken Spanish lessons from a local man while we were there and the numerous daytrips we took. I know our presence in CDMX had some downsides, but I feel like I can look myself in the mirror because we did really try to be good guests.

As for the masks, don't even get me started. We lived in Puerto Vallarta for seven months during the pandemic and it enraged me to see all of the Americans and Canadians coming to PV so they could act as if there was no pandemic happening.

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Hi! Local here, outside of Downtown-Condesa-Juárez-Roma-Coyoacan. I have some recommendations near San Ángel and beyond:

Museo de Arte Carrillo Gil, small museum that holds art from Rivera, Orozco and Siqueiros, and caters to really interesting exhibitions of contemporary art. You can plan a Saturday and visit Bazar del sábado, have breakfast around plaza de San Jacinto or Avenida de la Paz, and later visit the museum. Metrobús station Altavista or La Bombilla.

Grounds of Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). Enjoy a Sunday at the “islas” to people watch, admire the outside mural at the Library Rectoría building. The Olympic Stadium is across the avenue from Rectoría, there’s an underpass for walkers and bikes.

Centro Cultural Universitario, UNAM's cultural and performing center. It is a space nestled between volcanic rock and there is a Library, Theater, Movie hall. Sala Nezahualcoyotl is an amazing concert hall. And on the main plaza, visit MUCA, an amazing and beautiful museum focused on contemporary art. You can also take the Metrobús to get there.

Hit me if you want more recommendations.

P.S. pay your cleaning ladies and workers wages above of what they ask for. And if a local artisan asks for a price, don’t bargain. Pay that price.

If you ride a bike, please be really really careful bit stay on roads or bike lines and don’t drive on the sidewalk. Respect pedestrians.

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Enjoyed reading this perspective. (Also just ordered a copy of Breaking Out of Beginner's Spanish to read before my next trip down.)

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I'm really loving this series, Marko! One subject I'd love to hear more about in regards to foreigners is tipping culture. I've visited Mexico a lot and some locals I've talked to say they expect foreigners (especially Americans) to tip 20% whereas some say it's not expected at all, and some have said if you do tip then 10% is more than enough. Also, is there an argument for seeking out Airbnbs that are actually hosted by local families so that they can benefit from the tourism, while the traveler benefits from meeting and living with locals? Indeed they tend to be few and far between these days, but by educating travelers on what to look for so that we can avoid the "bad" Airbnbs I think that could do a lot to help! I adore a boutique hotel as much as the next person but I have found that compared to living with the locals I find on Airbnb, staying in hotels of any sort sterilizes my travel experience and puts me in a "hotel bubble" of sorts. There's just nothing like having coffee with your local host/housemate in the morning, chatting about their life and the city they call home, and getting to know each other in a meaningful way.

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Here's a tip about Mexico City: go somewhere else.

Why visit somewhere where people have bad or xenophobic attitudes?

Plenty of better and cheaper options in Mexico, Latin America, and beyond.

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I've spent nine years in San Miguel (no, it is NOT Venice. The reality is far more complicated.) Having spent 30 years in NYC, I'm ready to be back in a big city and will be spending much of the Fall, maybe more in Mexico City. I'm older than most of your digital nomad crowd, but intrigued by what you are doing here. I vote for "Bad Mexicans", but let's also read/watch Paco Ignacio Taibo II.

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