In December, I visited Mexico City for the first time. Below are some observations I would like to share.
There aren’t many poor people just “asking for a free handout,” like the homeless you see in USA. Rather, needy Mexicans are very creative. They really hustle with enthusiasm. Washing car windows at stoplights, selling things – some which may be considered a bit odd, asking to draw your portrait, juggling on a unicycle in front of buses. Down and out Mexicans aren’t freeloaders, they have pride. They want to contribute something in exchange for needed pesos. They are resilient.
People “hustling” are treated with humility. They are not told to move away from the parklets in front of a restaurant, or to take their wares elsewhere. And it’s not like they are just being tolerated — it’s more like they are accepted as the fabric of everyday life.
Female police officers are really foxy. Perfect hair and makeup. Even female security guards seem to really go to the nines. Looking good ladies!
Everyone is down with the Virgin Mary. 99% of our Uber drivers had rosaries hanging from their rearview mirrors.
People “hustling” are treated with humility. They are not told to move away from the parklets in front of a restaurant, or to take their wares elsewhere. And it’s not like they are just being tolerated — it’s more like they are accepted as the fabric of everyday life.
Female police officers are really foxy. Perfect hair and makeup. Even female security guards seem to really go to the nines. Looking good ladies!
Everyone is down with the Virgin Mary. 99% of our Uber drivers had rosaries hanging from their rearview mirrors.
Not all sidewalks are easy to walk on. Watch your step – always. There are stairs, cracks, crevices, wonky bricks, chunks missing, up and down grades, narrow sections… it’s a free for all. No ADA laws here.
There are a lot of abandoned buildings or places under construction. I was obsessed with visiting this huge, deserted hotel I’d read about online – El Pasado del Sol. (Owner had run out of money and supposedly hung himself in the courtyard and it was haunted.) First day in CDMX we were on a street taco tour, and I asked our guide if she had heard of it. She said something to the affect of “Which abandoned building? They are everywhere!” I realized how stupid my question was as we explored the city the next two weeks. Duh!
You can buy all sorts of things from street vendors. Odd things you would not imagine people would be randomly selling from the sidewalk. Need a small towel? Fuzzy slippers? A very large bookshelf in assorted styles? These vendors must be making mucho sales or they wouldn’t be sitting there day in and day out. Right?
When Mexicans are vending, they really get into it. They call out to passerby in elaborate, beautiful sing song phrases, creating unique “jingles” for hawking their wares. Takes barking to a whole new level. They are also not shy about getting close to whatever action is going on. I was at a punk rock flea market and a metal band was playing outside. An old guy selling fruit drinks was practically in the mosh pit with his cart, chanting melodically about his merchandise, seemingly oblivious to the live show.
When Mexicans are moving things, they don’t always have a hand truck or wagon handy. No problem! They just throw large items on their backs and get on with the move. People walking along carrying very, very, very big things is a common sight. Mexicans son muy fuerte!
It’s a family culture. That means if dad’s black metal band is playing, everyone in the familia comes to the concert. Toddlers, siblings, grandma. Doesn’t matter where or what time. And relatives don’t hang out shyly on the sidelines or in back of the crowd. No, they mix and mingle. They get right up there, even if that means one of the younger kids has their head down and is falling asleep at a table right in front of the stage. Meanwhile dad, shirtless, chest dripping with fake blood, is screaming his lungs out two feet away.
Most public restroom stalls are tiny. So tiny that my average size self would step inside, attempt to close the door and back up into the toilet. Scrambling to try and lock bathroom doors, I would feel as if the whole front of me was in the way, I could stick out my tongue and touch the fucking door if I wanted to. It was a struggle every time. I couldn’t imagine what a larger person would do. Aside from the squish, public Water Closets rule. You pay 5-7 pesos (about 25 USA cents), someone hands you TP as you walk in, and they keep the bathrooms clean.
Mexican pharmacies rule. Stuff you’d need a prescription in the USA for – like antibiotics — are sold over the counter. I stocked up on Prednisone for a friend who asked me to get her some. Easy peasy.
During a tour of the Teotihuacan pyramids, when we asked our (very knowledgeable) guide about the Teotihuacan pyramids being aligned astrologically with the pyramids in Egypt she looked at us blanky and said, “They are?” She was not impressed. We brought up extraterrestrial theories (how did those big rocks really get moved while building?) and she shrugged them off. As UFO obsessed gringos we found this lack of interest fascinating.
–Beth
