Jason’s family went to visit Jeff in Berkerly, CA in July 2024 and brought back Benjy and Lucy with them for a couple of weeks in Houston. Then, we traveled with Benjy and Lucy to Mexico City to join Jeff and Jennifer for a 12 days trip to visit Mexico City and San Miguel de Allende. It was our first time to visit Mexico inland and it's Jeff and Jennifer’s 2nd visit to Mexico. Since we have 2 Spanish speaking grandkids with us, we had good time doing self touring and enjoying great food. It was a surprisedly interesting trip.
Sunday, September 15, 2024
July 15 - July 26, 2024 - Benjy & Lucy visited Houston
This was the 3rd year for Benjy and Lucy to visit us during summertime by themselves. As usual, they had tennis camps to attend. However, this summer they only had one week for the camp. We were able to spend another week with them and together with Jason’s family in Houston.
July 27, 2024 - Flew to Mexico City to meet Jeff and Jennifer
The flight time from Houston to Mexico City is only 2 hours and 20 minutes. However, it took 4 hours and 25 minutes for Jeff and Jennifer to fly from San Francisco to Mexico City. We got there first and waited for them. Later, we met up with them and got an Uber to XOMA Hotel by Viadora. For this trip, Jennifer made all hotel arrangements and she got us wonderful suites with sitting area, kitchen, dinning room and two big bedrooms. It is roomy and beautiful. The hotel is in a walkable areas and close to the city center. It also has a rooftop for overlooking surrounding areas and for relaxation. They even have a pool on the rooftop.
Once we settled down, we went out to the neighborhood to find a restaurant for dinner. Jeff and Jennifer found a nice Italian restaurant with wonderful dishes. After dinner, we went to a market and bought bottled water for drinking and brushing teeth with.
July 28, 2024 - Visited the Chapultepec Castle and Dinner at Entremar
In the morning, we went up to the rooftop for coffee and breakfast. It was nice and the view from the rooftop was impressive. We took many photos there.
Then, we walked around the neighborhood and got nice coffee at Puebla 93. Then, we walked by a perfume shop Fueguia 1833 for browsing around.
Then, we walked to Chapultepec Park to visit the Chapultepec Castle. Chapultepec, more commonly called the "Bosque de Chapultepec" (Chapultepec Forest) in Mexico City is one of the largest city park in Mexico, measuring in total over 686 hectares (1,700 acres). It turns out that Chapultepec Castle is the site of National Museum of History since Feb 1939. This building has served several purposes during its history, including serving as a military academy, imperial residence, presidential residence, and observatory. The museum hosts twelve showrooms that house objects from various stages in Mexican history, including the foundation of the Spanish Empire (known in Mexico as “The Conquest”), the New Spain and the Viceregal era (known in Mexico as “The Colonial epoch”), the Mexican War of Independence, the Liberal Reform, and the Revolution of 1910.
We had fish tacos, grilled octopus, tuna tostada and other dishes. They were all delicious. Now we all had our first Mexican cuisines in Mexico City.
July 29, 2024 - Explored the City and Dinner at Rosetta
In the morning, we went to the rooftop again for coffee. It was a beautiful day.
Then, we walked to a nearby Cafe De Raiz for Mexican breakfast. This small, simple, low-key cafe has rice tamales wrapped in leaves and special coffee. Since they only speaking Spanish, Jennifer and grandkids were doing all the questioning and ordering. Everything were tasteful and good. We just enjoyed the food, even we could not describe what they were.
After breakfast, we walked by Plaza Luis Cabrere. There is a giant gorilla statue and Lucy did a funny post with it. Then, we walked to a nice boutique mall to shop around, We saw nice clothing boutique stores, jewelry stores, and even a fancy shoes store with impressive LED display. Then, we went to Cacaos Lavados for Cacaos fermentados. Based on online info, there's a difference between cocoa and cacao (hint: Cocoa is the highly processed version and the Cocao is raw, organic, and non-GMO). This is all new to us, but it is interesting that we can get Cacaos fermentados here in Mexico City.
In the afternoon, Jeff and Jennifer went out to do more exploration of the city. We stayed in the hotel with grandkids. One of Lucy’s friend came to visit and they enjoyed swimming in the rooftop swimming pool.
Jennifer made a reservation at Rosetta which is one of world’s 50 best restaurants in 2023. Not only they have great food, they also have a very nice setting. We took the opportunity to snap some photos. Again, we were depending on Jennifer and grandkids to inquire and order the food. Everything they served in the restaurant were wonderful and matching up to their reputation.
Then, we walked back to the hotel. On the way, we stopped by a newly opened (on that day) Golden Goose La Roma. It is a high-end store with a lot of exciting stuff. We had fun in trying on their unique clothings and enjoyed their special setup.
July 30, 2024 - Private Tour of Museo de Antropología (National Museum of Anthropology)
Jennifer arranged a private tour for us to visit the Museo de Antropología (National Museum of Anthropology) within the Chapultepec Park in Mexico City. Prior to the visit, we had lunch in another famous restaurant Castacán near the museum for great tacos. It has many different types of decorations regarding pigs. Netherness to say, Fei got a lot of Kodak moments there.
We met our guide in front of the Museo de Antropologia. He started with introduction of the Tlaloc Monolith (Aztec rain god status) in the entrance area. It is among the most photographed public artworks in Mexico City. He also challenged us to tell him that this statue is authentic or a replicate. We had different opinions, however, he finally told us that this statue is authentic. In 1963, it was moved to be in front of the National Museum of Anthropology.
Then, he led us to the museum. This monumental building contains exhibition halls surrounding a courtyard with a huge pond and a vast square concrete umbrella supported by a single slender pillar (known as "el paraguas", Spanish for "the umbrella"). It is very impressive and we took many photos right in front of it.
The museum has 23 rooms for exhibits and covers an area of 79,700 square meters (almost 8 hectares) or 857,890 square feet (almost 20 acres). He shown us the most important 3 rooms which are Los Mayas (The Mayans), Culturas de la Costa del Golfo (Gulf Coast Cultures), and Sala Teotihuacan (the hall of the place where gods were created, in Aztec term).
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July 31, 2024 - Traveled to San Miguel de Allende
Today was the last day we stayed in Mexico City. In the morning, Jennifer found another wonderful restaurant Lalo for breakfast. They make their bread at the restaurant every morning. It tasted great and we had to ask for more. Every dish was enormous in size. They also have a wonderful painted decoration wall. We had to take many photos for fun.
After breakfast, we walked around to an art center that Jeff and Jennifer visited yesterday. It is a small court yard with shops, however, the decorations are just amazing. Again, many more Kodak moments.
Then, we went back to our hotel to check out and called Uber to the bus station for a 3 1/2 hours ride to San Miguel de Allende. After we got on the bus, then we realized that it was the most comfortable and luxury bus we ever had experienced. The chair’s can be reclined and it has a special designed leg rest at every chair. The cushion of the chair also is very thick, everyone of us was able to take a nap.
The scenery on the way to San Miguel de Allende is beautiful, however, it was too comfortable to not taking a nap.
After we got to San Miguel de Allende, we settled down in a nice hill top B&B with wonderful patios and nice view of the whole town. That was a lot of wow moments when we look out from our rooftop patios. Thanks to Jennifer's arrangements.
Then, we walked downhill to a nearby Mexican restaurant called El Manantial. It is a typical Mexican restaurant with Spanish speaking wait staff. We relied on Jennifer and grandkids to order wonderful Mexican dinner for us again.
After dinner, we walked to town center where everything happening there. With the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcángel in the town center, there is a square next to it and people can walk around and sit. The lighting was on, it makes the whole place magically wonderful.
Then, we walked back to our B&B. After a while, we heard the fireworks going on in the town center, and we all enjoyed the fireworks from our rooftop patio.
It was an enjoyable day for all of us.
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