Last Stop - Mexico City (22nd + 23rd Mar.)

After the culinary adventures in Lima, it's time to head off to our final stop of our long journey - we're going back to Mexico City for 2 nights. At 05:15, our taxi picks us up and takes us to Lima International Airport, where there is already a lot of hustle and bustle. The usual procedures are quickly taken care of, and finally, we're sitting in the airplane by 08:00, ready for a 6-hour flight.

The flight is quite enjoyable and thanks to the time difference, we land in the largest city in Central America with an hour gained. We drive through heavy traffic to the Cuauhtèmoc neighborhood, a business and tourist district that is easily recognizable by the many glass palaces and international brands. According to our Mexican friend Marco, it's one of the safest corners of the metropolis.

We check into our small but fine boutique Hotel Casa Emilia and decide to rest and catch up on the past few days in terms of photos and updating our blog. For dinner, we venture out again and find a wonderful Argentine steakhouse in the immediate neighborhood. Wonderful Malbec red wine and a 400g filet steak, that's how a long day should end.

After sleeping in, we start the next day in the charming little courtyard garden with breakfast. Our host serves us fresh fruits and a delicious croissant filled with spinach, cheese, avocado, and ham. We pass on the waffles, as we have booked a comprehensive "food tour" for today. We stroll into the historical part of the city, where we take a combination of a food and culture tour. We meet Laura, our guide, and together with four US ladies and a couple from South Africa, we delve deep into the cuisine of this city.

The tour lasts from 12:00 to almost 17:30, and we get to know an exciting cross-section of this vibrant city. We start with Mole, a bean mixture that is prepared in different colors and slightly different ways depending on the region of Mexico.

At the San Juan Market, we are served different sauces, insects, wild boar, and get an overview of the country's fruits. The variety of products available here is fascinating.

We wander through the busy streets and stop in the middle of the sidewalk for classic street food, where we enjoy delicious ceviche with shrimp and squid on plastic Coke chairs, simply delicious.

Our next stop at a classic Cantina introduces us to a surprising concept. Order three drinks and you get all the food on the daily menu for free. The margaritas are fantastic and the atmosphere is absolutely authentic.

After the very down-to-earth Cantina, we wander to a modern interpretation of a Cantina, where we get to try a delicious cocktail with mezcal, as well as two very exciting dishes.

The tour ends at a classic Dulceria, which offers traditional Mexican sweets, but doesn't completely convince us.

After the tour, we wander through the Plaza de la Constitucion and the grand streets of this metropolis back to the hotel. Along the way, we find the perfect opportunity to taste the traditional churros in its best form and make Kathi very happy.

Tomorrow, we'll be heading back to beautiful Austria in the evening. We'll enjoy the last day of this special trip until 17:00 and then head to the airport.

The Daily Two:

Insight: Mexico City has just under 9 million inhabitants in its core, with the entire metropolitan area being home to 22 million people. The city itself is located at around 2,300 meters, which visitors should not underestimate, especially if coming from very low altitudes (altitude sickness!).

Moment of Happiness: The churros with Nutella sauce for dipping was the sweet highlight of the day.