Pixiq

Today is Mexico's Independence Day (the bicentennial, in fact), and while our brothers across the border are getting a lot of bad publicity these days, there is still more beauty and hospitality to be found there than anything else. Maybe Americans have always avoided Mexico City, and it's no wonder, given all the horror stories about kidnappings and pick-pocketing. Don't get me wrong, bad things happen, but it's no more dangerous than New York City. Rather, Mexico City should be known for what it is: a city so vast and diverse that, in ten-ish visits to the world's eight largest city, I have never done or seen the same thing twice. So, if you have even a drop of adventurous blood in your body, I highly recommend visiting El D.F. (Distrito Federal), as it is called in Mexico. And take your camera!

Get yourself a hotel room in El Centro (downtown) if you like a bustling, culturally rich experience; or if you'd rather shop till you drop and eat in fancy restaurants, stay near La Zona Rosa. Almost all hotels have safes, either in the room or at the front desk, where you can lock up the laptop, extra gear, cash, whatever. There are some very affordable hotels (US $20-40 per night) on Republica de Cuba, just five blocks north of the Zocalo--the center of Mexico City. This huge plaza is also the former center of the Aztec Empire (ruins of which still sit just northeast of the square), the site of a colossal outdoor market most days of the week, and a great place to see performances of all kinds, from painted statues to indigenous dancers to big rock concerts.

You could spend days within one block of the Zocalo, capturing every photogenic thing you see, and still miss plenty. The nearby government palace might seem trite and touristy, but Diego Rivera's murals make it a must-see. The church is breathtaking, but takes on a macabre quality when you learn that the conquistadores built it partly with stones taken from the Aztec main temple next door.

The pirated DVDs and fake Louis Vuitton purses in the market will definitely hold your interest, but if you're lucky enough to see how fast those hundreds of vendors pack up when it starts to rain, you'll be amazed! And do not forget to take a walk around the ruins of Tenochtitlan, the former Aztec capital, and its accompanying museum. 

Get in a cab or a bus and go to Xochimilco, where you'll find a whole different experience, both photographically and culinarily. For just a few bucks, you can charter a colorful chalupa--a flat-bottomed boat, not a menu item at Taco Bell--to take you on a ride through the Mexican Venice.

The Chinampas, as these canals are called, are a vestige of the Mexico City that existed here 500 years ago, when Hernan Cortes and his men first laid eyes on it. Right there, next to this city of 18 million people (more like 25 million if you count squatters), farmers tend milpas (mixed-crop, compact farms) on islands made of mud dredged from the lake bed into which all of Mexico City happens to be slowly sinking.

As you float through the canals, you'll want a telephoto lens and a polarizing filter on your camera and a squash flower or huitlacoche (corn fungus) quesadilla in your belly, which "kitchen boats" will tie off to your boat and cook for you on the spot!

And, if you get the extended tour of the Chinampas, you can stop off at Isla de las Muñecas (Baby Doll Island), where dolls of all kinds hang from trees and there is an altar to a drowned child who's thought to haunt the area.

All of these places I mentioned are great destinations, but take care not to ignore all the spectacles in between, like a bus-driver's iridescent Virgin Mary stickers all over the dash, an Aztec in an orange jumpsuit sweeping the busy streets of his ancestors' city with a hand-made broom, a vendor's larger-than-life balloon bouquet, or a grandmother running a business out of a retail space the size of a closet.

For your adventures in D.F., I recommend packing an inconspicuous camera--maybe a Pen or a Lumix, and carrying it across your chest, not over your shoulder. I never felt as though my safety or my belongings were in danger any time of day or night in Mexico City, but it is one of the most populous cities in the world. Crime happens.

If you like to shoot architecture, perhaps a tilt shift lens would be worth bringing. If you're more the street photography type, 50mm ought to do the trick. Remember, however, that some indigenous groups do not want to be photographed. If you're out in the streets taking pictures of people and you see someone in traditional-looking garb, it is a good idea to ask before you snap. If you don't know how to ask in Spanish, show them your camera and put on your best inquisitive face. Keep in mind that due to the high altitude and the air pollution that cannot escape the valley that Mexico City occupies, there are many overcast days, so make sure your camera performs well at high ISOs. And, VIVA MEXICO!