Some amazing places to go in Tokyo… bucket list city 100%…

You would expect a city that would rank top 40 in population when compared to countries (yes you read correct, 37+ million people live in Tokyo); there would be chaos and basically you see people walking on top of each other. On the contrary you find a city with lots of energy that flows in balance across the people that live and visit this great city.

We had the opportunity to see Cherry Blossoms at Ueno Park

It would be crazy to suggest an itinerary in just one post, my idea is to share some of the places you must go when visiting this majestic city. Tokyo size but most important the role it has in Japan makes it a destination where you need to be prepared to spend many hours exploring and get lost on purpose; once you get situated in the city moving from point A to point B is not difficult and the public and private options are many. You can build multiple day tours for every different type of tourist enthusiast, and not only the transportation will help you but also the great people living in the city will help you and try to navigate to your destination.

Use the Subway, is a great way to travel Tokyo

TOKYO SKYTREE If you want to see how the city can fit more than 37 million people go on top of the Tokyo Skytree and get a 360 view of the city from the tallest structure in Japan. It is a television and radio broadcast site, and when you see it from a distance looks like a futuristic tower where you would control air travel of spaceships entering the city airspace.

Tokyo Skytree, and also the Asahi HQ (Building looks like a beer pint)

I would suggest you buy the tickets online, so you have an easier entrance procedure, in the location you can find many restaurants and some stores where you can buy gifts if you want. You have 2 options floor 350 and floor 450 (high and higher), we bought the basic ticket and for us was great, since the objective was to learn about the place and have a 360 perspective of the city from above. The views are great, and you can truly get a sense of the magnitude of the city and how packed it is… Great to do this after you have an initial tour of the city, in that way you can identify places that you have been, we could identify some of the temples we visited and the Asahi HQ a building that looks like a beer served in a glass (Go and find it!!!)

Great views from the top, we sent some postcard but did not arrive 😦

MEIJI SHRINE One of the things I learn during my visit is that in Japan people based their faith in mainly 2 religion Buddhism and Shinto, interesting that they are more focused on the spirituality and worship rather than doctrines. You can find many shrines across Tokyo; numbers talk of about 85,000 shines in Japan. One of them and an impressive one is the Meiji Shrine in honor of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken.

The shrine was built in 1920 and many of the buildings were destroyed after World War II, it was rebuilt after public funding efforts. As you pass under the gate, there is a great vibe and feel of relaxation; more than 100,000 trees are part of this shrine making it a big oasis in the big city of Tokyo. You can see people doing their rituals and if you are lucky there are weddings happening, so you can get a glimpse of the ceremony and the wardrobes they use (we were lucky to see). Expect to be here at least an hour so you can walk calmly and enjoy all the great images.

SHIBUYA CROSSING Who would have thought that a street crossing could be an attraction, well in Tokyo you can find the busiest street crossing in the world. Complete madness when the stoplight is green, and you see up to 3,000 people crossing at the same time. Not only you have hundreds of people there, also you have Billboards with sound and big trailers crossing the street with proportions of some Japanese artist. Is mayhem but an organized one, as Japan order and cleanliness is top even on this congested street.

Go into the starbucks and get a coffee, spend 15-20 minutes there..,

SENSOJI TEMPLE One of the oldest temple in Japan and for sure one of the most visited sacred places in the world (Some publish it as #1), with the amazing entrance through a gate with 2 goods a long street with plenty of stores ending at the temple. This temple also was rebuilt after World War 2, the gate was burned in a fire so in 1960 was done again. You will find many tourist and locals here, one particular thing here is that you see groups of girls renting traditional Kimono and stroll through the temple.

Expect large crowds, but more important look for the people that go to the temple and have their rituals

KABUKI THEATRE In Ginza neighborhood you can enjoy one of the traditional arts form the Kabuki performance with it dance, drama and decorated costumes. This theater provides you with the opportunity to enjoy the art for, by either buying a full day ticket or buying a third act ticket so you can see a part of it (the complete show takes 5-6 hours). Since is in Japanese is a bit difficult to follow but if you like theatre the experience can be a good way to admire a very traditional art form.

Beautiful Building, but more important great history in the art performed there

Ginza, Shinjuku, Akihabara, Ueno, Harajuku, Odaiba Districts One of the top things I recommend is to spend a day just going in the metro and moving from district to district. Tokyo public transportation is immense and more importantly easy to use. Visiting these districts will give you a clear understanding of the diversity you can find in the city. From well-renowned boutiques to full buildings with everything of Anime that you can imagine, to parks that you can walk at your leisure; it will be a day you will love.

Explore… Explore… Explore… Tokyo is a great place to get lost

TEAM LAB MUSEUM For a unique interactive art experience with the latest digital technology this is the place to go. A different museum versus the traditional ones, you will find multiple digital art exhibitions displayed in a huge space and the artworks are projected across walls and floors, and immersive installations of light and sound that move and reflect by your movements and touches. You will be part of the digital artworks, make sure to bring your camera as it’s the perfect place to take Instagram photos.

Immersive museum, will look into art in a different way

DISNEY SEA For a different Disney experience you can go to the Disney Sea theme park, one of the most visited parks in the world and the second one behind Tokyo Disneyland. As the name refers, you will walk through different ports in the park, from the American or Arabian ports to some more imaginative like the Mermaid Lagoon. The park feels different to other Disney parks, but what makes this park great are the employees and shows, the level of service and showmanship are top versus other theme parks outside Japan.

Disney can always make you feel like a kid again

This is my third post on Tokyo, and as you can see there is tons to do and explore in Tokyo; in my previous posts I also shared about how awesome is the food and bar scene in Tokyo. We have Japan as a most go back place, for sure we will be back to continue exploring and enjoying all the great things this country has to offer.

Thankful of spending some days in this great city!!!

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Tokyo Bar Scene… A must in your travel agenda…

When growing up in Puerto Rico, planning a trip to Japan usually was not at the top of the list (For sure Disney or a Caribbean Cruise). Going to Tokyo from San Juan means to travel more than 20 hours before you land in Tokyo. If you ask me, before moving to Dubai the land of the rising sun was not on our travel plans. As part of my current assignment the opportunity to visit Tokyo arrived and we decided to stay additional days to grasp the rich culture, energy, and history in the most populated city in the world. What an excellent decision it was.

Tokyo impressive nightlife is definitely something to build the schedule around

We spend 5 days exploring the city and the result is we fell in love with Tokyo. This city is so impressive that a year will not be enough to really explore it; from the delicious food (Okonomiyaki, a must try), meaningful theater (Kabuki, so unique art), beautiful parks and public spaces (Cherry Blossom season is inspiring) Tokyo has it all. I have decided that my first post on Tokyo would be what for me was a big surprise, the impressive bar scene you can find in Tokyo and that can be a great complement to your daily activities and a way to end a day of sightseeing. In the post will share 3 bars we went and had an absolute blast, making our visit even more spectacular.

3 great bars that you will enjoy for sure!!!

The first bar is Bar Orchard Ginza, is located at 6-5-16 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo. The premise of this bar is very simple you select a fruit from the display they have on the bar and they will make you a drink. Here come the twist of this place, don’t expect just a drink in a glass with ice, they will create a drink that will tell a story while enjoying it. In Bar Orchard you go for more than a drink, you go for the entertainment, craftmanship, and creativity of the bartender.

Fresh fruits of the day… for you to select and enjoy a drink

It is so cool that you just want to try a new drink to see what else they can master… A Shark that just had lunch… A Hippo that can devour you… A Flower pot, that you need to pour some “water” before drinking… or a trash can with a syringe and test tube for you to make the drink (clean and sanitized before prep). All of this preparation happens in a small locale (not more than 12 people) with the Chief bartender and the apprentice. They are good at the small talk while preparing the drink, also some background music is there to have the proper ambiance, still you can easily have a conversation and unwind after a full day of exploring Tokyo massive landscape.

No 2 drinks are alike… Need to ask for something different every time

Second bar we went is named Tir na nog, different to the first one they are located in the basement of one of the buildings in the Ginza area. Here is the address that will help you find it – 5 Ginza Chuo-ku Tokyo 104-0061 Japan, as you walk in the street you need to watch carefully because there are many signs and you can easily miss it. Once you go down the stairs and enter through a heavy metal door, there is a complete change of mood, you go back in time hundred of years in the time of castles. The décor used is very cool (dark, mix of metal and wood) and really make you forget that you are in Tokyo year 2023, you are now in another time and place.

Now that you found the place, need to ask for a good a good drink… and let me tell you here they are also very creative in the way they put together their drinks. In the bar you can find a Candy Floss machine, not for kids to enjoy but to put together as part of a drink!!! talk about sugar rush. One of the drinks we order was the Empress Garden, thy use Mochi as part of the garnish like a cherry; another drink we tried was the Bridgetown Old-Fashioned, here the mix of rum, angostura, Pomegranate, sugar and orange oil makes one delicious cocktail that will make you have more than one (My wife preferred drink now).

Cotton Candy machine… not for kids to enjoy

Tir na nog, is much bigger than the other bars we went; here you can easily have 35-450 people in the bar at the same time, but the service was also very good and like I told you earlier once you enter time will stop and you forget that you are in one of the most impressive cities in the world where million of people leave in a fantastic display of harmonic chaos. I would recommend the bar if you are in a group.

Nice music in the background, but you can talk and enjoy a laugh with friends

The last bar we visited is named Star Bar also located in Ginza (1-5-13, Chuo-ku, Tokyo), you find it also in the basement of the building but more easy to identify as it has a good size sign in the entrance. This bar is very classic, you enter the room and is all dark wood and leather with the right light (Not to dark or to bright). You will served by the Chief bartender, the apprentice, and 1 or 2 additional supporting staff (one speak great English and help us translate to Japanese) they all are focus to provide top notch service and upscale experience.

Japanese whisky is fine!!! Here master Hisashi Kishi sharing some of his stories

Here at Star Bar you find “Ninja Ice”, this ice is so pure that is invisible to sight when in a drink, they use very pure water and 72 hours to freeze it creating the effect of Ninja Ice. I tried a Whisky highball and it is really impressive the quality and purity of the ice, but for me what I found impressive was Japanese whisky. During the trip had the opportunity to try and bring home a couple of them: Yamazaki, Hakushu (2021 Single Peated Malt was my favorite), Hiniki – this are some of the brands you can find at every bar, feel free to explore them you will not be disappointed. My wife had the crème de cacao /menth and fresh cream a sweet drink that is an excellent choice for after dinner.

Look at that ice on my drink… Ninja style!!!

During our visit we meet Hisashi Kishi, owner and master bartender of Star Bar. Winner of bartending championships his a celebrity in this arena. We had the opportunity to chat with him and also learn that Seiko used 2 of his drinks to create special watches for a collection. This guy is so famous that someone enter the bar to get his autograph and have a drink prepared by him. At the end of the night we took a photo with him outside the bar, we were so impressed not only by the level of service but also by the personal touch.

What a great opportunity to meet bartender champion…

The bar experience we had in Tokyo was not only great from the drinks we had, but also by the great people that work in there and how each place reflects a different personality; they made our Tokyo visit even better. At the end of a long day of sightseeing we were energized by the fact of going to one of the many bars they have in Tokyo and explore something different. Some of this bars have been in top 50 bars in Asia list, and is clear now for me why they have been selected.

Need to be on the watch to find the entrance to this different bars… Cheers!!!

This is my first of a couple of post I will do on Tokyo, it is a great city and the people we met and places we went are a small sample but we can say Tokyo needs to be high on the list of places to visit. Thanks for reading the post, please share it and sign in to receive our updates; also follow us on Instagram, or Facebook look for #BORICUASLIVINGABROAD. Until next time….

Dubai Marina: Impressive promenade, close to JBR beach with many restaurants and activities for all ages

30 minutes from the airport on Sheikh Zayed road you will arrive to Dubai Marina, one of the top communities in the UAE, established in 2003 is considered one of the biggest man made marina in the world (If you ask here they will tell you is the biggest). For the developers to make it real, they excavated and brought the Persian Gulf waters into the development creating a 3KM long canal.

A great urban space with activities for everyone

There are 2 big areas that are part of of the community, one is Dubai Marina with many buildings across the canal and the other is JBR (Jumeirah Beach Residence) which is in front of the JBR beach. The JBR project is massive with more than 30+ buildings, that include hotels and apartments with many retail outlets. JBR is the largest single phase residential development in the world (another Guinness record for the UAE), the project looks impressive when looking it from the sea.

Great Skyline of the Dubai Marina from the different points in the Promenade

There are hundreds of boats that go in and out every day, from daily excursions, big yachts rentals, and private boats that are anchored on the marina. Just sitting in one of the many restaurants and look into the canal and see the boat movement can make for a relax experience. You can rent from a couple of hours to full days and get to explore a different view of Dubai from the sea.

One of the secrets to view Dubai Marina is the RTA public transportation boat you can board, at 4:30PM every day the boat leaves from a station near the Dubai Marina Mall it goes through the canal and to open sea, making it way back when it reaches the hotel Atlantis, the trip is one hour long and provide great views of the many attractions in the area. The price is around $30 Dirhams ($8 USD)

Dubai Marina connects with JBR beach, this adds tons of additional things to do and enjoy

If you like to run the Marina promenade give you the opportunity to run around the marina, with great views of the buildings, boats and tourists. The route is around 6KM so you can do some work before going to one of the many restaurants and then to the beach. The views are simply spectacular, the massive buildings and the canal waters makes it for great views something very difficult to find elsewhere.

Great place to catch a run or simply walk to relax after a hectic day

There are restaurants for every taste from the classic fast foods, to local cuisine or international restaurants; many of them have tables outside and when the weather is good makes it for a spectacular gathering. One of my favorite places is Pier 7, this locale has 7 different restaurant where you can go to eat, drink and have fun with great views of the marina.

Walking distance from the JBR beach is a new development called Bluewaters also a place with many entertainment options and also restaurants, here you can find Ain Dubai the tallest and biggest observation wheel, another record set in Dubai. Is a great place to get a good view on the Dubai Marina skyline

Ain Dubai and Bluwaters at the top of the photo

If you are in Dubai do not miss it, take at least one full day to enjoy it. For sure I will be writing again about this great place, if you just read the post please forward to a friend and sign in to receive our updates; also follow us on Instagram, or Facebook look for #BORICUASLIVINGABROAD. Until next time….

La Perle by Dragone… Great show, must see if you are in Dubai

Dubai is full of great activities to do… some outside and extreme like Skydubai and the tandem skydiving jump, others inside live Ski Dubai where you can go and have a great time doing some skiing in an enclosed ski park. Options are numerous, so companies need to put lot of thought and investment on great shows with the best of the entertainment industry.

If you been to Las Vegas, you would know regular shows like KA, O, Blue Man Group, Mindfreak. This are regular shows that have their own theater, with shows almost every day of the week (2 functions per day). The theaters used for the shows in some cases in some cases are built with unique specifications only designed for that show, investment goes into millions of dollars.

La Perle is located in Al Habtoor City – Close to the Dubai Creek

La Perle is based on the same concept of a permanent, 2 daily functions held in a custom made for the show theater in Dubai consisting of performances by acrobats, gymnasts, and daredevils with awesome music and special effects. The show opened in 2017 and was developed by Franco Dragone, hi is one of the creators of some Cirque du Soleil shows.

Theater Ambience is great, you feel close to the show

You can buy tickets for one of the 3 zones they have, in my view all tickets are good since the theater is not that big and the way is designed let you have a good view from any vantage point. Once you enter the ticket area, you can buy a drink and some snacks, take them to the seat and enjoy the 90 minute show.

One of the performances… The acrobatics were awesome

The show has a good balance of big performances (high flying) and other more light (comedy), making the 90 minutes very enjoyable with a very energetic finish. As you will see in the photos the theater decoration make you feel that you are part of the show.

If you want you can go earlier to the theater and have some food at restaurants that are in the same area where 3 Hilton properties are located, also you can do it after the show as Dubai is a night city where people are outside enjoying themselves until late in the morning. It is a great alternative for entertainment in the city, it doe not matter if you been to similar shows La Perle has it’s own essence.

If you are in Dubai do not miss it. This is all for now, if you just read the post please forward to a friend and sign in to receive our updates; also follow us on Instagram, or Facebook look for #BORICUASLIVINGABROAD . Until next time….

Expo2020 Dubai… Great opportunity to meet the world

The premier event of these year to showcase Dubai to the world and also showcase the world to Dubai is the expo. The event started on October 1, 2021 and will be open until March 31, 2002, it was suspended last year due to the COVID outbreak and the organizers move it for one year (right decision to go ahead). A world expo is an international event where the nations can showcase their achievements, their vision, and how they want to continue contributing to earth development

Just get your passport and fill it with memories

In the event you have participation from 192 countries, each pavilion has a theme usually based on their culture and customs bringing the best they have to offer and sharing it with the audience in a interactive way. In many of them you also have representation of their foods, and flavors with smalls cafes/restaurants offering their best of home recipes. One important part also are advancements on technology, education and sustainability, in this area you see current projects or ideas to build a safer and connected world.

Very wide spaces for you to walk, also many places to sit around the expo… You will walk a lot!!!

The expo has and area of 438 hectares (equal to 1,081 football fields), divided into 3 big themes (areas): Sustainability, Mobility, and Opportunity. In addition to the country pavilions each area has parks, theaters, restaurants, and stores with full day activities makes making multiple trips to the expo necessary. Every day a country is selected to have special events in the main plazas, great opportunity to drive their message even stronger.

You will find music in any corner… great to learn a little of their music…

In the first month I have been able to see 67 country pavilions, want to get to all of them but takes time because it is also about connecting with the people that work there and are very happy when you ask about their countries. People have shared great stories about their countries for example the story of Lucy in Ethiopia a human fossil that has 3.2 million years, how some Islands in the pacific have citizenship programs to drive investments to their government or the vision of Indonesia to become the 5th largest economy by 2050.

Some of the people from around the world I have met!!!! incredible….

The Expo Dubai presents a great balance of fun, education, and business that should not be missed. If you ever want it to visit Dubai, I would say now is a good time. Getting to know this fabulous place and combining it with the opportunity to know the world is something that only Dubai could offer. The place where records are set….

UAE Pavilion is the biggest, great experience inside!!!!

Will continue the updates from the Expo Dubai from time to time as I continue stamping my passport, meeting new people and learning new stories from all over the world. For now if you just read my post, please forward to your friends and sign in to receive our updates; also follow us on Instagram, or Facebook look for #BORICUASLIVINGABROAD . Until next time….

The Sierra Gorda Biosphere Reserve, great place to connect with nature…

Just 3 1/2 hours from Queretaro you can go and explore a great natural reserve with beautiful mountains, rivers with cristaline water and small towns were you will feel welcome as soon as you step in. We have been a couple of times to the Sierra and I can tell you that we finish the weekend with the desire to come back again.

You will need at least 3 nights to enjoy a visit to the Sierra, there are great outdoors activities during the day or night, a good combination of OFF Road rides with ATV rides or RZR and remarkable sightseeing of forests, rivers, and waterfalls. A good day trip is at least 6-8 hours with a couple of stops to relax and enjoys the gorgeous views the Sierra Madre has to offer.

These last trip we had the opportunity to enjoy the trip with 3 additional families, it added to the experience since there was a good mix of experience people and others that the sights were all new to them. It is important that you have a good portion of the schedule planned before you go, it will facilitate mobilizing the group and prepare a budget for the trip. You will find good 3 stars hotels at great prizes with good location and good laid back service, similar to the island living time pass at different speed here in the mountain also …. relax and enjoy.

There are many tour operators that will offer you different alternative to explore the Sierra, some of the highlights are: Cascada Chuveje, Puente de Dios, Puerta al Cielo, Franciscan Missions from the 18th century or the Edward James gardens just to mention some of the best places. We used the Aventurate MX tour operators, their service and knowledge of the are were incredible. I would like to share a special thanks to Osiris and Marcelo they really make a difference in our weekend trip, you can find them in facebook by Aventurate Sierra Gorda.

Words cannot describe the views of the Sierra, I hope that the pictures shared help better explain why you need to go there and explore. One last important thing that you need for the trip is to share it with great friends, I would like to thank Juan Manuel Coronel and the great Gaby Coronel for the invitation, we have been blessed to found friends in Mexico that have become family.

Great group, people that make you feel like family!!!!

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Casa Herradura: One of the many great Tequila producers. Knowing their history improves the tasting experience

If you have known tequila outside off Mexico, probably your experiences were doing shots in a party or drinking a 30 oz Margarita using a blend of tequila not made of Blue Agave. Now living for 5 years in Mexico I can tell you that these experiences do not relate to the craftsmanship of Tequila making and how these producers make a great product that can compete with a good Whiskey or Wine.

Arriving to Casa Herradura you go back in time immediately…

We been to the tequila region a couple of times and on our latest visit we decided to focus on visiting one of the big distilleries that we also enjoy their products, Casa Herradura. I specially enjoyed Herradura Ultra an añejo tequila that at the end of manufacturing they add a little bit of agave syrup to make it sweeter.

They have maintained the property as an Hacienda, so you get the early 1900 feeling

Casa Herradura has been producing tequila for more than 125 years in Amatitan, Jalisco. They still make their products in the same place but have modernized the process to make more than 9 million bottles per year. They have 3 brands: Jimador, Antiguo and Herradura with prices from $12 dollars to more than $150 dollars.

If you come to Casa Herradura you will see a working manufacturing plant and have the opportunity to taste almost all of the different varieties of tequila they sell in Mexico and around the world. Tequila today is one of my favorite liquors, once you know how to drink tequila (small sips, not the whole tequila shot) and learn the difference between a “Blanco”, “Añejo” or “Reposado”. Having a tequila shot in one hand and a beer on the other while making a BBQ is like doing a sprint and a marathon at the same time. Important that the tequila you drink is 100% Agave Azul, these guarantee quality in the product

Great opportunity to see up-close and personal the process

Tequila region is just 1 hour away from Guadalajara and is a great day trip to have, give a chance to explore the many places to eat, see, and drink you will not get bored. If you just read this, forward to your friends and sign in to receive our updates about how you can enjoy Mexico as much as we have done #boricuaslivingabroad . Follow us on instagram, look for BORICUASLIVINGABROAD . Until next time

HOLBOX a hidden gem in Mexico… Great place to relax and enjoy life

If you ask people outside of Mexico for beach places, you will definitely receive answers like Cancun, Los Cabos, or Acapulco but somewhere in the Yucatan Peninsula there is a small island still not heavily touristed but rapidly getting noticed by foreigners specially Europeans. You have two ways to get there: by ferry from Chiquila (2 hours from Cancun) or by plane into a landing strip that fits small planes like a 13 seater Cessna. You will not see cars in HOLBOX if you want to move there are plenty Golf Carts used as taxi or just walk, this is one of the cool things and get you immediately connected to island life.

Holbox Sign right in the water, see the white sand and clear water

There are plenty small hotels or airbnb available for short and extended stays, my recommendation if you want to fully enjoy the place and disconnect from the rest of the world you can do 4-5 nights were you can mix outdoor activities with relaxing beach days and during the night go into the town center to eat in many of the restaurants or get someone to cook you dinner and eat by the stars in your terrace looking to the beach!!! One thing you will need to try during your stay and is the Lobster Pizza, signature dish of Holbox. We went to a place called ROOTS were you will find a great pizza but also live music, setting the stage for a great dinner night.

Day life in HOLBOX moves at island time, just relax and enjoy a beach day in front of the water and hear waves crashing into the white sand or take one of the many tours they offer in the island from Whale Shark sight seeing to a bicycle ride . I personally took a tour that went to Bird Island, Passion Island and Yalahau Lagoon all 3 places are unique with great views and things to do like jumping into a water hole, eat fresh fish or walk through the sand. One great thing about the island is how easy you can move thru the island, rent a bike and you can move basically to every corner: get a beer, eat a pizza, take a splash in one of the many beaches.

During the night you can find great nightlife all around the island, from bars and restaurant with live music to places were you can watch the latest soccer or football game. I am a football fan and was able to catch the game of my team the Chicago Bears on a Thursday during thanks giving weekend, great place called “La Chingada”. The people that work and live there are great and they will do whatever they have at their disposal to help you and have a great time.

Rustic Places, but the food and the ambiance great!!!

Holbox is unique, their one of a kind infrastructure and their welcome people makes it one of the best place to enjoy Mexico.

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Xochimilco one of the most colorful and fun places in Mexico…

Mexico city consist of 16 boroughs and on every one of them you will find great places to have an excellent time with friends and family, but one in particular offers the chance to go back hundreds of years in a time were people use the land for agriculture using a particular technique called “Chinampas” and move their trade by water canals using a boat “Trajineras” that is moved by pushing a wooden stick to the bottom of the water canal. The catch here is that the boat can carry 20 people with music, drinks, food and in the middle of the trip you can order some quesadillas and hire mariachis!!!! Too much fun…

I have been lucky to been there multiple times with great friends and family, every time bringing back great memories from the trip. If you want to have a celebration it can be a really a great option or if you just want to spend some time with friends on the weekend. Prices are $20 to $25 dollars per hour to rent a “Trajinera”, 2-3 hours are enough to enjoy what the Xochimilco canal has to offer. Before you rent the boat be sure to buy drinks and food from the shops to bring aboard, you need only money because you will find everything in the plaza were you rent the boats and I mean everything… Radio, Beer, Soft Drinks, Ice, Carnitas, Tacos, Quesadillas, Mariachis.

Really Great food available before you made the boat trip

You will find everything for the trip… Music… No Problem

Once you have the essentials, begin your trip and just enjoy, put some music or call some live musicians and they will get to you by boat and start the party!!! Shout out to other “Trajineras” and do some competitions by dancing or singing. Time will fly because it will be fun, and if you are out of something no problem just talk to the captain and he will find what you need (Food / Drinks / Bathrooms). A good advice when navigating is to look out for other boats that come close and hit yours, you would not want to fall in the water!!!!

If your plan is to have an afternoon to party or just relax Xochimilco is for you, the place and their people will fill you with great energy and at the end great memories. I cannot wait to plan and go again with great company and enjoy one of the best places to have fun in Mexico… XOCHIMILCO

Monterrey… More than Carne Asada, a great place to go eat, see, and enjoy a game of “beisbol”

One great thing about living in Mexico is the opportunity to explore the vast geographic extension of this country. On November 20 they celebrate the Mexican revolution, so we have a great excuse to go out on the long weekend and have a family road trip. A seven hour drive north will put us in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon or how some “Regiomontanos” call it “Tierra Santa”.

Having Fun in Monterrey / Huge City – 4 million people living there

Monterrey founded in 1596 is currently the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Mexico with more than 4 million persons living there, it has a unique topography with huge mountains surrounding it. With this size of population you can find almost everything a big city has to offer: Live Events, Sports, Great Restaurants, many tourist attractions. Definitely one weekend is not enough to know every place but I guarantee you we did visit some of the best places to have a great weekend.

Mexican History Museum to the left / Chair Hill in the background, huge mountain

We stayed close to the Macro Plaza one of the top 10 biggest town squares in the world, it is a great place for a morning walk with the large spaces, also you can find places to have breakfast and eat morning tacos “tacos mañaneros”. We had them in a place called “Tacos Leal”, it was definitely a great find (Thanks to an uber driver) and a great way to begin our day.

Macro Plaza covering multiple city blocks

ONe of the great findings of the weekend – Tacos Leal with the selection of stews ( Pork / Beef / Chicken)

Around the Macro Plaza you will find many government buildings and museums, we went to the Mexican History Museum were they have a very nice exhibit of Mexican history with a focus on the north of Mexico. From there they have a man made riverwalk were you can go to another gem of Monterrey: “Parque Fundidora”. The park is located were the old Fundidora de Acero Monterrey was located, it is huge with many outdoor activities like riding a bicycle, skateboarding or you can do some zip line in the old steel mill. People from all ages gather here to have fun and reduce stress, we finished the afternoon having a beer in a restaurant on the top of the steel mill. Great way to end the day!!!

Then next day after some shopping we went to the “Cerro del Obispado” from this hill you get a 360 degree view of Monterrey and on a clear day fantastic views of the many mountains surrounding the city, there is a showcase of the different variations of the Mexican flag until the current one. There is a great view of the “Cerro de la Silla” the mountain top of the hill seem to be a horse chair.

I love sports and as you know from one of my post also wrestling, so if there is a chance to see some live sport event we are there. Monterrey has professional teams in every major, there are 2 huge immensely popular soccer teams: Tigres and Rayados (more on soccer on another post). Monterrey has a professional baseball team celebrating 80 years of existence the “Sultanes” and on 2019 they began participating in the Mexican Pacific League, they were playing the “Tomateros” from Culiacan, Sinaloa one of the top teams in Mexico. The stadium is top notch and the atmosphere even better with live banda music and continuous entertainment from the mascot, cheerleaders and entertainers. If you like baseball go, it has MLB quality.

Baseball game is a party from the beggining to the end, must see!!!

The last place we visited was “La Huasteca” were you get up close and personal with the great mountain scenery of Monterrey. We saw many mountain bikers that definitely enjoy the trails , also you find climbers and campers. If you like the outdoors is a place to know and spend time. In 2006 the Park was declared a World Nature reserve by the UNESCO.

Monterrey is definitely a must see as part of exploring Mexico, it has many great things to enjoy and the people are great I have personally get to know one of the best BBQ chef Francisco “Paco” Martinez one true “Regiomontano”, he will definitely be missed in the office …

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