Final Thoughts

Here are the random musings from/about my trip that I promised in the last post:

As bad as the traffic is in the DF, the drivers manage to terrify me when they get moving. Traffic lights are taken more as a suggested course of action rather than a command and street signs were apparently placed around the city as decorations because nobody pays them any mind. On many one-way streets there are dedicated bus lanes in which the buses travel against traffic which makes crossing these streets nearly as stressful as driving on them. And people love to honk & curse but rarely seem to take offense like folks in LA made famous for their road-rage.

The spiciness of the food in Mexico is a bit misleading/overstated. Most things to eat actually aren't spicy in & of themselves, but there is an array of condiments & accompaniments which provide a range of heat from slightly tingly to stick-your-face-in-a-tub-of-yogurt. If you have trouble tolerating spice heat there are very few foods you'd need to avoid as long as you left off the condiments. My experience is that real Mexican food is much less spicy than Thai or Indian/Pakistani cuisines unless you choose to turn up the heat right before taking a bite. In fact, outside of condiments & soups with red broths I can't think of many things I ate that were spicy.

Just about everything that can be eaten or drank here comes with fresh limes for squeezing. Maybe it's the quality of the citrus or traditional flavor combinations, but the bright freshness and light acidity the fresh hit of lime juice adds really seems to improve all of it (and it was great to begin with). It doesn't work as well for the Polish foods indigenous to my neighborhood in NYC. Regardless, whenever you're in México feel free to squeeze away without fear that you'll mask other flavors.

The DF houses some of the wealthiest people in the world, but it has an enormous poor population. People beg for donations or try to sell trinkets everywhere you go (often through their children), & they don't just target tourists. Almost every restaurant, store & market allows people to wander in to press the customers to part with their money. I never got used to saying "no, gracias" & "no, lo siento" so many times a day.

Just about every woman I met, hung out with or was served by took my meals personally. Quite a few of the men did, too. Even though international chains are making inroads, there aren't many cultures in the world who value their food traditions as much as Mexicans. While France & Italy tend to be the undisputed kings of cuisine in Western traditions, I would put México up there with them.

I'm not sure if it's a cultural thing or just due to the huge amount of people living there, but personal space doesn't really exist in the DF. I was pushed, bumped into, rubbed against & close-talked far more often than the available space would necessitate. I once heard of a phenomenon called the "Latin/Anglo Tango" which happens when someone with Mediterranean blood meets someone with Northern European genes & the Latin is always advancing to interact while the Anglo is constantly backing away. Guess which one I was.

Overall, most people were very patient with my fumbling linguistic skills. Quite a few were even eager to help, especially if I was trying to order or eat classic Mexican foods. That said, I did notice that the posher the setting, the more likely someone was to lose their patience.

So that wraps up my Mexican month, and therefore the purpose for this blog. I may go back to add photos if I get my hands on some new shots, but odds are I won't continue to post until/unless I go back. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share this experience with me & let me know if I can ever help advise you on a trip down to this extraordinary city. ¡Besos!