Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with mexicocity

How to Become a Pharmacist in Mexico City?

mynameismandab — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:16:53 -0800

Farmacias mexicanas: Cuéntenme de los requísitos para ser farmacista en DF. (How to legally become a pharmacist in Mexico?) I'm helping someone who is moving to DF. She is an American pharmacist who would like to know how to use her Pharm.D. in Mexico City. Does anyone know what is required to do this - school, exam? Any help you can provide is appreciated.

My trip to Mexico City and ???

smackfu — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 10:40:32 -0800

Nine days in Mexico in early June. Flying into Mexico City. Where else in Mexico should I go after 4-5 days there?

a few days in mexico city

waylaid — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 07:45:01 -0800

So, I will be going to Mexico City for four days in early April. I have read the following threads here and here. I do speak Spanish and I am interested in what I should see (some questions not covered in the other threads) I've lived abroad in other Latin American countries and I'm well aware of safety issues and what is culturally appropriate and not, but I'd like some general advice on things to do outside of what was recommended to previous posters.

1) Any recommendations on a central decent low-end hotel, or maybe even hostel that isn't packed full of sweaty backpackers? I really want to avoid that, it's not what I'm looking for - and I don't like to go to another city to hang out with other foreigners. (I've had pretty good luck with Couchsurfing finding locals to show me around, so that's my plan for this time)
2) The other two threads had posters who didn't speak very much Spanish, and that limited what they could do somewhat. What would you recommend to someone without a language barrier issue?
3) I am obsessed with mass transit, and plan to check out the extensive subway system and the new BRT line (Metrobus) that they have. Any other transit or transportation things (museums or otherwise) that are worth seeing?
4) Other points of interest are quirky historical sites, anything immigration-related - i have a particular interest in immigrant groups TO Latin America from other countries (for instance, the Chinese population in much of Latin America)

First visit to DF

lackutrol — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 13:37:15 -0800

Art, architecture and food enthusiasts: what should I do during my short trip to Mexico City? I've taken a look at this thread, but I thought I'd ask again based on my particular circumstances. I'll be there from Wednesday evening through Saturday afternoon. Any recommendations about museums or churches that must be seen, or especially restaurants that must be visited? I'm not really concerned about budget. I am doing this on a lark, and don't speak Spanish, but can understand it sometimes because of my Italian and will be traveling with a friend who speaks Spanish.

Travel from Mexico City Airport to Toluca Airport

sueinnyc — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 02:44:24 -0800

How long will it take to get from Mexico City Airport to Toluca Airport on the weekend of the 5th of January? A friend of mine is trying to get from Cancun to Houston (and ultimately to London) on the 5th of January. He has flights booked from Toluca to Houston and from Houston to London. He can find a flight from Cancun to Mexico City Airport, but not to Toluca.

How long would he need to get from Mexico City Airport to Toluca Airport?

Bonus question: is there another option for getting either directly from Cancun to Toluca or from Cancun to Houston?

Totally Tout-less Teotihuacan Tours? (Tangentially, Taxco Too?)

Wet Spot — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 11:09:21 -0800

I'm spending a week in Mexico City next month. There are some great suggestions here, but does anyone have a specific recommendation for a tour company or private guide for Teotihuacan? I've read a few accounts of Teotihuacan tours that use most of the time visiting hard-sell tourist traps and precious little time at the ruins, a situation I want to avoid. Can anyone recommend a specific company or tour guide, English speaking, that skips the trinkets and margaritas? Is it better to just take the bus to the site and try to hire someone on-site?

Also, I'm planning to spend some time in Taxco. One night or two? What about Cuernavaca? (As a point of reference, my dream vacation was a month I spent in Oaxaca a couple of years ago.) Fun things to do/see/eat in Mexico City not in guidebooks?

Meetup anyone? I'll be there the week before Christmas, staying near the Zocalo.

Traveling to Mexico City: what to do, and how to stay safe?

jbb7 — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 10:34:49 -0800

I am about to go to Mexico City for 3 days. I am a white American 19-year-old and will be staying at Hostel Catedral. I haven't taken Spanish since 6th grade, so my language skills are at phrasebook level. What should I do? And how worried should I be about safety? I would love to go see the pyramids. Can a person traveling alone safely make that trip? (Assuming I don't meet other people at the hostel to go with.)

What other places in Mexico City would you recommend? I've got no plans other than exploring the city for the next 3 days.

Also, I understand Mexico City does not have the best reputation for safety. I will keep my wits about me, but how worried should I be about traveling around? Should I only visit places that I know to be safe? In Asia, I enjoy riding public transportation to the end of the line and exploring the outer suburbs of cities. I assume I shouldn't do that in Mexico City, right?

(Found this post about moving to Mexico City, but nothing about traveling there.)

Mexico City and Puebla at Easter

mdonley — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 11:53:21 -0800

My mom and I are going to Mexico City and Puebla for the rest of this week and next and we're curious about a few (small!) things. We'd love to know, if you can spare a few kind words:

- what's open (and where to eat!) on Easter Sunday
- tips for a nice cup of coffee and a sit down after doing the museums/churches/etc in the Bosque de Chapultepec and the Zocalo
- the best times of day to hit up the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe and Teotihuacan, as they're a bit further out of the center

We're staying a few blocks north of Reforma in the Zona Rosa in DF and in the colonial center of Puebla. We've got a guidebook or two and we can speak some Spanish.

Gracias!

Travel in Southern Mexico/Yucatan: drive or bus?

kittyprecious — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 08:49:33 -0800

Travel in Southern Mexico/Yucatan: drive or bus? I've seen the threads on crossing the U.S.-Mexico border with a car, but what about renting a car in Mexico? I'm planning a trip to D.F. (am something of a muralism/Aztec- & Mayan-aesthetics nut and I want to see all the big museums) and was thinking about taking an extra week to check out Oaxaca and/or the Yucatan (excluding Cancun).

The bus system in Mexico appears to be universally loved, but I really like the idea of renting a car. Dollar.com says the base rate for a week's rental of an economy car is about $80--which sounds surprisingly affordable even with the inevitable taxes, insurance, and gas costs on top of it--and is infinitely more convenient for tooling around to various parts of the peninsula than waiting for a bus would be. But...is it practical? Is it safe? Is it a nuisance? I know it's recommended not to be out on the highway after dark, but I haven't seen much other info on the well-advisedness of renting a car in that area.

Otherwise: any preferred bus carriers?

How to survive/thrive in Mexico City

donpedro — Mon, 26 Sep 2005 15:57:46 -0800

Advice on moving to Mexico City. Background: I’m leaving at the end of October to move to el Distrito Federal for a job. I expect to be there for one to two years. I speak Spanish well though I’m not a native speaker (and my accent marks me pretty easily as a foreigner who spent time in Spain). I’m not looking for travel tips, which is all a search of AskMe dug up (although I won’t turn down any recommendations). More precisely, I need advice on how to live well and safely while I’m there.

1. Housing. My research so far suggests that the Condesa neighborhood would be a good fit for my tastes (cafes, art galleries, restaurants, etc.). It’s also pretty close to my workplace, which is central (on Reforma, near the Monumento de Indepencia). Any experience with this neighborhood, or nearby Roma? Other recommendations? How much should I expect to pay per month for a smallish one-bedroom apartment, preferrably furnished and with a terraza or some other outdoor space? Strategies for finding a place (Craigslist Mexico City exists but in a still-sucky version).

2. General Living. Any advice on banking, cell phones, Internet, what kind of clothing/goods to bring, & what to buty, etc.?

3. Safety. For better or worse, Mexico City has a certain, erm, reputation. In summer 2004, in another big Latin American capital, I had a violent and very unpleasant encounter that I’d very much like not to repeat. While I know on a rational level that this kind of thing can happen anywhere -- or nowhere, if you’re lucky -- the prospect of returning to Latin America to live has me a little unsettled. The last two weeks I’ve started having dreams again about being assaulted. This thread from July was helpful re: coping, etc. But I’d like to go down there prepared, both for my own peace of mind and simply to avoid any nastiness. What are good ways to avoid being a target? How to dress? (I should say that I’m rather tall and definitely on the rubio side, so it’s unlikely that I’ll “blend in.” What should I walk around with in my wallet? How to take taxis & metro safely? And so on.

That’s a lot of questions; feel free to chime in on whatever little piece you want. Thanks!