First Impressions of Mexico City: Wins, Warnings, and 1,400 Pesos Later
Our first full day in Mexico City felt exactly how a great adventure should begin. Equal parts awe, adrenaline, and a small lesson in humility.
We stayed at Hotel Galería Plaza Reforma, and I genuinely loved the location. Reforma is busy but polished. Walkable. Safe. A great launching pad into the chaos and beauty of the city. I stumbled across a place that reminded me of the 16th street mall in Denver. After dropping our bags Tuesday afternoon, Beau and I set out toward the Historic Center.
I distinctly remember telling him, “Watch your pockets.”
The irony.
Walking Into History
We made our way to the Zócalo, officially known as Plaza de la Constitución. Standing there, surrounded by layers of history, you feel the weight of it all.
On one side sits the Palacio Nacional, where murals and politics intertwine. Towering over the square is the breathtaking Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico City. Step inside and the noise of the plaza disappears into incense and gold.
Then there are the Templo Mayor ruins, sitting almost defiantly beside the cathedral. Ancient Aztec foundations pressed against Spanish colonial architecture. You can literally see conquest layered into stone.
This is what I love about travel. Perspective shifts.
A Balcony, a View, and My Gut Feeling
Before the bus tour I had booked that evening, we had time to kill. That’s when it happened.
A woman in the plaza waved us toward a balcony with a view. “Drinks upstairs!” she said.
My spidey senses immediately went off.
I’m well traveled. I know better than to follow the “no menu, no prices, great view” pitch. But sometimes curiosity wins. And the view did look incredible.
We walked up.
No prices listed.
We ordered two margaritas.
1,400 pesos.
Over 80 U.S. dollars.
The drinks barely had alcohol in them. While sitting there, we quickly pulled up reviews and realized we were at El Balcón del Sabor. The one-star reviews said it all.
Tourist trap. Inflated prices. Weak drinks.
To be fair, the view of the cathedral and the Zócalo was stunning. And it could have been worse. We had all our belongings. Nothing escalated. It was just an expensive lesson in trusting your gut.
We paid. We left. We moved on.
Travel win and loss logged within the same hour.
El Mayor: Redemption With a View
Earlier in the day, we had found El Mayor, and this was the real highlight.
Another balcony, yes. But this one felt right. Transparent pricing. Professional staff. A clean, elevated atmosphere. It overlooked the Templo Mayor ruins and the cathedral, and this time, we didn’t feel scammed.
Good cocktails. Good energy. A reminder that not every balcony in Mexico City is out to get you.
The Bus Tour That Was… Fine
That night I had booked one of those open-air city bus tours. I didn’t pay much, so expectations were low.
Good thing.
The English audio guide wasn’t working, so we were holding our phones up using Google Translate while bouncing through traffic. Not exactly seamless.
At one point we realized the bus route was heading back toward our hotel area near Angel of Independence. While stopped at a light, Beau and I ran downstairs to ask if we could hop off.
The driver said no.
Then he opened the door anyway.
We didn’t ask twice.
We took that as a win. It saved us a two-mile walk or ordering an Uber. In a city this large, small conveniences feel like victories.
First Day Reflections
Our first day in Mexico City had both wins and losses:
- We stood where empires collided.
- We got mildly scammed but survived it.
- We trusted our instincts, except when we didn’t.
- We took small wins where we could.
And most importantly, we still had our phones.
The next morning we woke up early to head to Teotihuacan, which would become one of the true highlights of the trip.
But that is a story for another post.
For now, lesson learned:
If your gut says don’t follow the balcony lady, listen to it.
