"For my first trip with The Jaunt I visited Haida Gwaii, and was definitely more introspective overall. It was more centered around nature, long hikes, beach visits and taking in the natural wonders of the archipelago. This second trip was going to be much more in a bustling urban experience, so my approach was to lean in and really take in the city from an arts and culture perspective. After doing my research looking up the best areas for food, museums and galleries, I ended up choosing to stay in the La Condesa neighborhood. I knew it was going to be a lively trip, and that I would have no problem filling my days.

I was thankful to be in the midst of all the cultural stories, arts and crafts, seen through the Mexican and regional lens during my trip. The museums I visited definitely left a lasting impression on me, and of course the food, which might not come as a surprise, but I can attest that it lives up to every expectation. I spent a lot of time walking and taking in all the different storefronts, signage and entryways. The architecture overall was a surprise for me, I wasn't expecting such a European and decorative aesthetic to some of the buildings and neighborhoods.

I took a lot of pictures throughout the trip and the one thing that kept drawing my eye were the decorative gates, lattices, and doorways. I think that these modest, everyday objects were interesting to me because they served a functional means, but were also decorative and unique from what I'm used to seeing. I imagined iron workers or craftsmen forging these many different designs, and all the labour and effort that goes into that. It's sort of an under appreciated folk art that I wanted to shine a light on."

Sunday, January 14th, 2024

I took an early flight from Vancouver to Mexico City and arrived around 2pm local time. Once I got to my hotel, I took a bit of time to gather myself from the travel and figure out what I wanted to do with the rest of the day. I decided to just walk around a bit and get oriented with the neighbourhood, La Condesa. There’s lots of parks here, tree-lined streets, small coffee shops and little boutiques. I was walking through some of the parks which in the evening were still quite lively. large groups of people dancing in the middle of parks, street food vendors, people walking their dogs. I started to think about my first trip with The Jaunt to Haida Gwaii, and how this trip would be in major contrast in such a special way. Here I am in a major metropolis, compared to the quiet, serene,  and slow pace of Haida Gwaii. I had to mentally prepare myself for a new and different experience. To be honest I have spent the past year finding a solid routine in my home life, and if it weren’t for this trip I wouldn’t get the inspiration that only now, I realise how much I needed. I had a bit of uncertainty whether the timing was right for me but sometimes you have to just do it anyway. Take the cold plunge. I’m grateful that this is what that is for me in my life right now. I walked over to get some tacos and a churro after that too. Vancouver is certainly not known for Mexican cuisine, so I will be trying to make the most of it while I'm here. I had a bit of an earlier night with all that travel behind me.

Monday, January 15th, 2024

After a good rest, I ventured out on what I planned to be a big walking day. My goal was to walk towards Roma Norte, a nearby neighbourhood with lots to see along the way. A lot of the museums and galleries on my list to visit are closed on Mondays, so I figure today would be a nice way to warm up to see more of the neighbourhoods around me and just take in the scenes from the street. First stop was breakfast and coffee at a cafe in Le Condesa. It might be the weather here but I was surprised at how much Mexico City (or at least this neighbourhood) reminds me of Europe. The streets are lined with cafes and eateries, with most of the seating outside with people socialising in the streets. The architecture is really ornate and beautiful too, much like Europe. I was taking lots of photos along the way, and one thing I kept getting drawn to were the beautiful doorways and windows. Many of them have metal grates in front, but they are in a countless number of different patterns and designs. I was really drawn to them, the contrast between the purpose in added security, yet exercising an honest effort to beautify within that function. It's a design choice to make them not all linear like jail bars. To me it's an underappreciated element of folk art in the city landscape. I spotted a couple of busy line ups in front of street food vendors along my travels and I didn't hesitate to join the line up.  

Tuesday, January 16th, 2024

I have been starting my day at this one cafe called Ojo De Aqua, which is a short walk from my hotel. They have a great menu with lots of options, and since I’ve been eating a lot of amazing street food in the evenings, it's been a nice balance. I got in an Uber after my meal and headed up to Museo Jumex, which was high on my list of museums to visit. The architectural style of the building is really unique, and almost Fortress-like, with an unmistakable “Sawtooth” roof. The main exhibition was titled ‘Everything Gets Lighter” consisting of works from the Jumex Collection, threaded together by ideas around light - almost as a healing power in dark times. It seem like a very appropriate theme today. There was one work that really spoke to me, and it was a piece by Gabriel De La Mora (Mexico, 1968). It was a smaller piece, (compared to others in the room) and its iridescent blue colour drew me over from afar. It was a very tight pattern almost like bricks, and each one being about ⅛ x ½ so quite tiny. The material is actually cut from real butterfly wings, carefully collaged together. If you pan across the piece from one side to the next the colours change almost like chameleon paint on cars. The artist is known for employing fragile or discarded materials to give them a second life in abstract compositions. I thought the resourcefulness was beautiful along with the end result. Other notable mentions were works by Felix Gonzales Torres, Lisa Lou, Peter Halley, and Laura Owens. I didn’t photograph all of the works but I assure you I soaked it all in. The weather was really nice when I stepped outside, so I decided to sit just outside the museum and take in the book I brought with me. I’m currently reading ‘When You Make No Art” by Wen-You Cai. I started to feel like I might get sunburned if I stayed any longer so I decided to walk and explore the area a bit before heading back to the hotel for a break. I ended up wandering around a bit and walking back to the hotel which was a couple hours all in. After resting up a bit I looked up a local gym to go in for a workout. I’ve been making a real effort to be consistent with training at home so I didn’t want to miss a week! I then embarked on more walking, but for tacos before heading in for the night. 

Wednesday, January 17th, 2024

So the gym last night might not have been the best idea, I mean, I was generally fine but I think it was all the walking in combination that had me feeling a bit slower this morning. First thing I did was meet with Teo, owner of “Mooni” , a gallery space nearby. We talked about his programming, and the upcoming art week in Mexico City in early Feb. He’s doing some great things here, making art accessible, and working with some amazing artists. I went and got brunch afterwards at a new spot my friend Pablo from back home recommended. I chatted with a busker there playing outside of the cafe. He was playing american rock music, which wasn't what I was expecting, but I appreciated the familiarity.  I carried on, and on my list were a few commercial galleries in and around Roma. It was a bit of a bust actually, a lot of the spaces were in between exhibitions or closed. I still got to see just a couple spaces but my legs were practically falling off at this point so I headed back to the hotel. I think it's common when travelling to a new place, especially a metropolis like Mexico City, there's an urge to pack as much in as possible. I think this was a bit of a sign to practise some slow travel and take it easy for the afternoon. I laid up in the hotel for a bit just reading, and eventually, although difficult, gathered myself to a cafe for dinner. I had a nice meal  just looking out onto the street and people watching. I also brought my laptop with me to catch up on some writing for my travel journal. 

Thursday, January 18th, 2024

It's my last full day In CDMX, and I wanted to make the most of it. Today is the day I head to La Marcel Market. It is the largest market in Mexico City. It was about a 40 minute drive to get there, and it was by far the most bustling scene I have seen so far. It reminded me of Tsukiji Market in Tokyo. It was truly a maze, and I walked weaving in and out of different aisle and pathways to try and see as much as I could. I was particularly blown away by the amount of party supplies - Pinatas, balloons, floral arrangements etc. It really was a feast for the eyes from all the food, cooking supplies, pottery, clothing, candy and the list goes on. I had some lunch near the market, and decided to make my way back. There was a large protest in the area, which made finding a ride a bit of a challenge. Eventually I got one, and made my way to Museo Tamayo, with enough time to see everything before they close. A beautiful space with an ambitious installation by artist Petrit Halilaj and a very moving video work by Ragnar Kjartansson. I walked back to the hotel after shortcutting through a large park. There seems to be green spaces around every corner in Mexico City. I had a drink at the hotel before heading out for my nightly routine: Dinner at the cafe and some writing. 

Friday, January 19th, 2024

I had a bit of time to kill between my check out and my flight back home, so I stopped for a coffee nearby and headed to Kurimanzutto, a well established gallery and one of the first in Latin america. I was really looking forward to seeing their space, and to my surprise when I got there, it was the Index Book Fair taking place in their main exhibition space. They had over 20 exhibitors from around the world set up, and displaying rare books, prints and collectables. I felt a tap on my shoulder, and was surprised to run into Teo from Mooni Gallery. It was surprising to me since I wasn't expecting to run into anyone I knew in Mexico city, let alone someone who recognized me. It was cool to have a community moment like that while travelling, however small. The time flew by at the book fair and before I knew it I had to make a move to grab some lunch before heading out to the airport. I arrived home to a city that was freshly blanketed in snow from a cold snap the week I was away.