Mexico City with Jen Nash (May 2, 2026)
The flight from Seoul to Mexico City was long. Our route had us fly over the international date line. So that means when we took off, we flew for 13 hours and then landed an hour earlier than we took off on the same day. What? Exactly. Our body’s circadian rhythms are most certainly off. It may take a day or two to recover. The best part about today, however, is getting to spend time with my dear friend, Jen Nash.
Jen performing her magic … or maybe she was describing the city.
Thanks to her awesome recommendation, Will and I had breakfast at Cafe Nin. Jen has this incredible knack for knowing exactly where to go in any city. In this case she said, “Be there by 8:30am and enjoy one of the best donuts of your life.” She wasn’t exaggerating. Their version of a “Boston Creme” put all others to shame. It was 80% filling. The Dulce de Leche croissant was also out of this world.
Why aren’t all pastries this delicious? A new bar was set today.
From there I enjoyed a few laps in our Airbnb’s pool overlooking Mexico City. The views are spectacular from the 21st floor and the set-up here is really great. Centrally located, easy to walk everywhere and yet it still feels like a home away from home.
Pool on the 21st floor overlooking Mexico City. Not bad at all.
In keeping with the “eating our way through Mexico City” theme, Jen took us to one of the best taco places around. They actually have 5 different restaurants and on our way over to meet up with Jen, this is what Will and I both saw …
Do you think this place sells many Al Pastor tacos? Overwhelming.
Turns out there’s a reason for that massive slab of meat roasting outside. Not only does it attract attention (it sure got mine), but it’s also one of their most popular menu items so they sell a ton of these tacos. They tasted just as good as they looked. We went for a street version, but by 2pm, it was already closed. Jen explained that most of the street food vendors open at 9am and close between 2 and 3 as they cater to the workers coming from outside Mexico City on their morning commute and lunch breaks.
Checking out Mexico City's Chapultepec Park, 2X size of Central Park!
One of my favorite things to do in a new city is walk around. Jen and Will were both on board, so we checked out Mexico City's Chapultepec Park which is more than twice the size of New York City’s Central Park. I didn’t get the feel of this from the ground, but later, Will broke off for some much needed downtime and Jen and I checked out the Ritz Carlton to get sweeping views of Mexico City.
Mexico City's Chapultepec Park as seen from the Ritz Carlton Sky Bar
Which led to my absolute favorite things when visiting any new city: spending time with friends. But Jen Nash isn’t any friend. Jen is one my closest friends. We met back in 1995 when we were both working at Ogilvy & Mather (a large advertising agency) and we both blew off meetings and ended up having a more than 4 hour lunch together. 31 years later, we’re still best of friends.
So you can imagine all the things we got to catch up on since she’s been here in Mexico for the past two years. I’m excited to share that she’s coming home to New York City in a few weeks. And that means we get to hang out more. She’s also close with my wife, Elena, so the three of us have a blast together in NYC and other parts of the world including islands like Turks & Caicos.
I love this picture from the Four Seasons next door. Such a cool hotel!
I almost forgot. Jen and I spent a solid hour in the Museo Nacional de Antropología. What I love about this place is all the hidden features. Sure, you can see the most common artwork (which is stunning), but if you keep your eyes open, there are “secret passages” that are not well marked and they lead to surprising parts of the museum. For example, most people who visit, will see this famous (and often misunderstood) giant disk, called “Stone of the Sun.”
Striking my Warrior One pose in front of this warrior stone (see why)
When it was first discovered, the prevailing thought was that this was in honor of the sun god. But it turns out, this was the ring where warriors would fight to the death. Their blood would fill the cracks — especially the warrior who lost — and THAT was the offering. Similarly, there’s a hoop game where the WINNERS are sacrificed to the gods. Apparently, this was a great honor and one of the best ways to die. I share all this because if you go BEHIND this exhibit, you’ll see a recreation of the bone found from those who were sacrificed.
Those last two pictures are a fascinating recreation of the market would have been like. The figures as incredible as are the details of each vendor selling their wares — did you spot the “snake seller?” Really amazing detail. Speaking of which, Jen mentioned how difficult it would be to create pottery this elaborate:
Anyone who has taken a pottery class marvels at this difficulty level
Finally, Jen and I marveled at the parallel universe happening between the Mayans and the Egyptians. How can entire civilizations thousands of miles from each other both have an innate desire to build giant pyramids, mummify their dead and encase royalty in tombs that are so similar? This feels similar to the story of the 100th Monkey. Specifically, this feels like yet another example of the interconnected web of existence of which we are all apart.
See the similarities to how the Egyptians bury their Pharaohs.
I could keep going here and could spend more than one day at the Museo Nacional de Antropología. As I age, I have a deeper appreciation for museums all over the world. There is an amazing blend of spirituality, art, culture and the universal human experience that spans thousands upon thousands of years.
Perhaps the most amazing cultural event happened outside of the museum. On our way out, we passed by the Danza de los Voladores (Dance of the Flyers). Here, indigenous people carry on a tradition that is hundreds (if not thousands) of years old. These brave souls climb a pole that is about 30 meters high and then the four flyers jump backward, suspended by ropes that unwind as they spin 13 times each—totaling 52 rotations—symbolizing the Mesoamerican calendar cycle. No video of this does it justice, but have a look:
Of course, my first question to Jen was, “Do you think they’d let me try this with them?” To which Jen confirmed it was, indeed, an indigenous ritual, not a thrill ride. Fair point. The “flyer” in me wants to do this badly, and I totally respect that this is a special ritual reserved for those who come from this indigenous culture. It’s really fun to watch live.
Seriously, if I only had ONE DAY to experience Mexico City, I could say that I feel I did about as much as you could hope to do in a single day. And, there’s more. Before we leave, Jen and I will see a live wrestling match and I can’t wait to be part of this cultural experience. Thank you, Jen, for an incredible day and all your expert recommendations. You’ve allowed me to experience so much of Mexico City in a single day. I am grateful and fully appreciate all we did together!
