Goodbye Mexico, Hello Guatemala!

    I got up very early to catch my 7 AM flight out to Guatemala City on July 14. It took almost 5 hours and a connecting flight, but I made it into my next country by lunchtime. I grabbed lunch at the airport and made my way by taxi towards my hotel, Casa W'ies. I spent most of my first day just wandering around the city too tired to do much else at the time. 

    

A jaguar at the La Aurora Zoo

    The next day, my first stop was the La Aurora Zoo, considered one of the best zoos in all of Central America. It was so amazing to witness all the different exotic species of animals that aren't usually present in American zoos. Overall, the zoo is broken up into four sections: Africa, Asia, Granita, and American. Some of my favorite animals were the helodermas, also known as Gila monsters. Not only are they a very interesting reptile to see up close, but the zoo does a wonderful job in protecting the two species native to Guatemala as they are considered an endangered species. 

    Some other attractions I was able to check out while in Guatemala City included the Plaza de la Constitución, the National Palace, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Popol Vuh Museum, and the National Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology. One really cool attraction I visited was the largest theme park in all of Central America, IRTRA Mundo Petapa. 

IRTRA Mundo Petapa's iconic rainbow arches accompanied by some fun performers

    I had a blast at the amusement park, going on a plethora of rides while also checking out Guatemalan history in other sections of the park. It even featured a zoo and botanical gardens! My favorite moment was the incredible view over Guatemala City and the land surrounding it from the top of the towering ferris wheel. This capped off a wonderful excursion to Guatemala City.

Another Two Weeks in Mexico

    I spent my last day in Mexico City eating that sweet sweet street food breakfast and wandering around before hopping on a midday flight Mérida, Mexico through Volaris. I chose Mérida as my second destination because of the Mayan and colonial history represented there which was very interesting to me. I checked in at Hotel Kuklin and spent the rest of the day walking around and admiring the city's architecture. 

Plaza Grande, Mérida's colorful central square

    The place I spent the most time at during my time in Mérida was the Plaza Grande (only a 20-minute walk from my hotel) where dancing, shows, craft fairs, and many other events took place almost daily. I even joined a free walking tour in the morning after I got there on Wednesday at 9:30 AM. This was truly my favorite part of staying in Mérida and where I spent most of my evenings.

    I was very interesting in the Mayan history near the city so I first visited the Gran Museo del Mundo, a museum dedicated to historical and present-day Mayan culture. Before that, however, I did rent a car so I would be able to visit all the Mayan ruins I would like with all the time I need as opposed to taking a scheduled tour.

Cenote X'batun, a beautiful natural pool south of Mérida

    I visited Dzibilchaltún, Mayapán, Kabah, Sayil, Labna, X'Lapal, the Loltún cave, and of course the most important Uxmal. All of the sites were truly amazing to visit and get a taste of Mayan history. I also visited Cenote X'batun which may have been the most stunningly beautiful pool I've ever swam in in my life. Heading there on a weekday definitely let me make the most of it with an almost nonexistent crowd.

    Overall, I had a great time in my two weeks at Mérida with all the Mayan historical sites and the fun evenings at Plaza Grande.

First Two Weeks in Mexico

    I left at 10 AM on Tuesday June 16 through Frontier Airlines to fly to... Orlando! I then had to wait 2 more hours to connect to a flight to Mexico City through Aeromexico and I arrived at 5:25 PM. I grabbed dinner at the airport and took a taxi to my hotel, Casa Pepe, where I spent the next 2 weeks.

Metropolitan Cathedral

    The first thing I did in Mexico City was visit the Historic Center, which is in very close walking distance to the hotel I'm staying at. I spent my first day marveling at the Metropolitan Cathedral, the oldest and biggest of its kind on the American Continent. I also spent time in the Historic Center checking out other places such as the zócalo, the Templo Mayor Museum, the Palacio de Bellas Artes, the Torre Latinoamericana, and the Museo Memoria y Tolerancia!

Holocaust Exhibit in Museo Memoria y Tolerancia

    The Museo Memoria y Tolerancia ended up being my favorite thing to do in the entire city as I spent days pouring over the various exhibits displaying all kinds of history. Of course, I'm partial to the Holocaust exhibit as that one had the most of my personal interest in it.

    Most of my meals came from the wide array of cheap, yet very tasty street food. The pastries for breakfast and authentic tacos for lunch were some of my favorite meals. However, I did treat myself one night for dinner at Quintonil. As a starter, I had a Jerusalem artichoke tamale. I ordered braised oxtail for the main course as well as guava rocks for dessert. It put a dent in my budget, but was one of the best meals I've ever had.

    That about wrapped up my first two amazing weeks in Mexico City, visiting an unending supply of museums as well as eating unmatched street food on a daily basis.