Mexico City Part 7: Boats, Balloons and Brawls (Best Activities in CDMX)

In addition to the amazing museums, culinary and art scenes in Mexico City, (which you can read about here) there are plenty of activities to keep you busy. Read on to find out which ones I chose and favored during my trip.

Teotihuacan

Of the three activities featured in this post, my favorite was hot air ballooning over the pyramids in Teotihuacan, but it definitely didn't start out that way. If you haven't read any of my previous posts, you're just finding out now that I am quite afraid of heights. That fact made this adventure particularly challenging for me.

Nevertheless, I ended up going. We left CDMX very, very early in the morning and arrived in Teotihuacan while it was still dark. It was so early, that I couldn't see anything, but for the giant flame in the video above.

When the sun did begin to rise, what I saw before me looked like a hot air balloon graveyard. Dozens of balloons were lying limply on their sides.

Soon however, the flames were lit and ...

... the balloons came to life.

While watching the sunrise, we waited patiently (and nervously - or maybe that was just me) until all the balloons were inflated.

Then, we stepped into the basket and I looked into the belly of the balloon with excitement and apprehension.

Our take off was smooth and slow.

Before I knew it, we were floating gently, high above the city and ...

... headed toward the pyramids.

Honestly, and much to my surprise, I didn't experience any fear being so high in the air. Correction: there was one palpable moment of trepidation when, from my perspective, we came a little too close to the top of the pyramid.

The moment passed within seconds and we cleared the top of the pyramid with ease. Thereafter, the overwhelming feelings of awe and gratitude for the blessing of getting a bird's eye view of the beautiful landscape returned.

After about 45 minutes, we were safely back on the ground and escorted to an outdoor patio to enjoy breakfast and ...

... live music, played by mariachis. Not only would I recommend taking a hot air balloon ride, I would definitely do it again.

If you're still on the fence, watch this compilation video of our ballooning adventure that was gifted to us by the tour company. The experience really was a breath of fresh air (both figuratively and literally.)

Xochimilco

The second activity I would recommend is a trip to Xochimilco to ride on the "trajineras" or boats in the canal. The brightly colored boats travel to and fro on these canals, which are the last remains of the expansive water transport system created by the Aztecs.

If you are envisioning a relaxing boat ride through undisturbed waterways, think again. The canals are jam packed with boats, vendors and tourists. Think more along the lines of festive, lively and boisterous or envision a cultural booze cruise with traffic. So much traffic in fact, that it was quite the feat for our gondolier to get us out of our docking spot, through the traffic jam and cruising down the canals.

Once we were on our way, it was smooth sailing.

If you would like to do some shopping while aboard, there are plenty of opportunities, as vendors will pass by selling crafts and souvenirs.

You can also purchase sweet treats, ...

... savory delights and drinks, which they will prepare in front of you as your boats cruise along side by side.

My favorite part of the trip was when a boat full of musicians pulled alongside us. The mariachis boarded our trajinera and serenaded us. The entire adventure, which lasted about an hour, was worth it in my opinion, as it was a wonderful way to experience a new aspect of Mexico's culture.

Lucha Libre

The last activity I would suggest, is a trip to Arena Mexico to see lucha libre, or the Mexican wrestlers.

"Lucha libre" means "free fight" in Spanish and describes this sport in which wrestlers engage in hand to hand combat without protection. The sport has a rich history of more than 100 years in Mexico.

One unique and constant aspect of lucha libre is that the fighters all wear masks, at least initially. Some remove their masks at some point in their career, while others wait until retirement to remove them and unveil their identity.

With or without masks, the individual personas of the wrestlers shine. It became quickly obvious to me that each luchador has their own contingent of adoring fans.

I came to the match knowing nothing about any of the luchadors and not much more about the sport. Nevertheless, I had a great time.

Even if you don't stay the entire time, I think even a portion of a lucha libre match is worth a watch. Grab some street tacos and a michelada, and settle in for an entertaining evening filled with spirit, enthusiasm and even some acrobatics.

I have one final post coming up on this visit to CDMX. It will feature, what is considered, one of the world's best restaurants. See you soon.