Airbnb options in Mexico City

One of the great things about being an Airbnb host is that you can rent out your place, go to another city and rent an amazing apartment that's completely different than your own. The options in Mexico City were plentiful, so much that it made my head spin.

I ended up renting three different places, and while they were all great, next time I think I'll stay in one spot longer. Since most have a check in time of around 3 or 4pm and a check out time around 11am (as they need time to turn it over, like a hotel), it makes for a complicated tango in the middle of the day with your luggage. Luckily, the hosts were accommodating and early/late check outs worked out, but I know what a hassle it can be for them and hated asking. And moving to a new place in the middle of the day ate up a lot of site-seeing time.

I wrote in a previous post about my first host - Tom, who was a super nice ex-pat from NY, and he immediately set me up with a map and suggestions of where to go. He really made me feel at home, which is something that's really invaluable when arriving into a foreign country you're not familiar with. The next night we hung out with some wine and commiserated on the ups and downs of being a host. Exchanging Airbnb horror stories is always fun. Above is a photo of his beautiful roof deck, which was a great place to hang out and read his guidebooks.

Next I stayed at a place that was like a glass tree house in the middle of the city (the patio shown on the top of this post, with me looking pensive). There was also a private rooftop patio with a BBQ, but I only used it to dry my laundry. I can BBQ at home.

There was a huge double jacuzzi tub off to the right, but since it was so large, the hot water would run out by the time it got to about two inches deep. So I would try to flatten out and splash water on myself, like a sad sea lion.

One thing I didn't expect was to be so cold in Mexico... January days were still pretty mild during the day, but it got chilly at night and apparently heating in homes is rare.  So one of the reasons I booked the 3rd place was for the old clawfoot tub (just like I have at home), and it was perfect to warm up in. And that TILE! I'm a sucker for concrete tile. This whole apartment was visually amazing.

Everything in this place was thoughtfully and beautifully designed. Love how this beautiful wood counter was also a bottle rack. And the drawer under the sink pulled out and drawers fit in around the plumbing - an excellent use of space (something I've done in the past when converting a vintage dresser into a bathroom counter).

The downside was the stairs to get up to this rooftop apartment, which was more like a ladder. Difficult with luggage, but the worse part was the many doors with tricky locks and different keys to get past. My keys kept getting stuck in the door, so I would have to hide my valuables and hope for the best. This unfortunately led me to forgetting my hidden cash and passport when I checked out, and a resulting 2 extra long Uber rides across town to retrieve them. Duh.

One more shot below of Tom's roof patio... these open metal walkways are popular around Mexico City. An excellent use of space again, but stresses my vertigo.

Diego Rivera murals in Mexico City

There's no shortage of Diego Rivera murals in CDMX, but the Secretariat of Public Education was my favorite. Covering all of the walls of these two courtyards are 235 panels of murals done between 1923 and 1928. This was Rivera’s first major large-scale mural project. The themes center around workers, and the glorification of all things Mexican, especially the Mexican Revolution. Rivera named the two courtyards “Labor Courtyard” and the other the “Fiesta Courtyard” based on the themes he painted in each.

Entrance is free, you just have to figure out where to go and get past some armed guards. I don't know the hours, but I went on a Monday afternoon, which was perfect since most all of the museums in Mexico City are closed on Mondays.

Murales de Diego Rivera en la Secretaria de Educacion Publica, Calle Republica de Argentina 28, Mexico City 06000, Mexico

Guess who? My last post was on the Frida Kahlo Casa Azul museum.

I snapped this quickly, because I didn't want anyone to see me taking photos of trash cans in the midst of all these beautiful paintings. But I really dug these cans. They're the same color as my car.

Frida Kahlo's Casa Azul

I've always wanted to visit Frida Kahlo's house, and it was even better than I expected. But the crowds were insane. Luckily my Airbnb host tipped me off that I should buy advance tickets online, and after searching I found that it's a separate website, where I was able to buy a ticket a few hours in advance to skip the line. And the line went all the way down the block.  boletosfridakahlo.org

There's a small gallery of her works, an interesting collection spanning her life. I was particularly moved by an early portrait she made in 1927, though I wasn't quite sure why. Something in the eyes. I looked up the subject, Agustin Olmedo, and only learned that he was a friend and a member of the group known as "Cachuchas".  I also found an interesting story behind the damaged part of the painting in the center of his jacket. The damage was inflicted by Kahlo herself when she learned that Agustin was badmouthing her by saying that "she isn't worth not even a cent". Classic.

I especially enjoyed seeing unfinished works, as a glimpse into her process.

There was also something so stirring about seeing her home, personal objects and work spaces. 

The house was amazing, especially the beautiful courtyard. It's a walled-off haven from the busy streets surrounding it, a private vibrant jungle inside the city. 

This still life was made for the dining room of the Mexican presidential residence,  but was later returned, perhaps because its fruits were too voluptuously graphic. The fruits are very sexually suggestive, as is the frame she had made for it. 

Much of her work and collections focused on her infertility, a subject I'm all too familiar with as well. Probably one of the many reasons I'm drawn to her work. I also paint self portraits (link here), have a blue house, questionable taste in men and unmanageable eyebrows. 

Diego Rivera summed up her universal appeal better than I can: "Frida is the sole example in art history of someone who has torn open her breast and her heart in order to tell the biological truth of what she feels inside them."

Despite her life-long health issues, Frida apparently got a lot of action. She began a 10 year affair with Nickolas Muray (the photographer who took the portrait above) just a year after her marriage to Diego Rivera. Supposedly she also had an affair with Georgia O'Keefe, as this letter she wrote to her in 1933 suggests. I thought it was a charming letter, full of genuine sincerity.

Georgia, 
Was wonderful to hear your voice again. Every day since I called you and many times before months ago I wanted to write you a letter. I wrote you many, but every one seemed more stupid and empty and I torn them up. I can't write in English all that I would like to tell, especially to you. I am sending this one because I promised it to you. I felt terrible when Sybil Brown told me that you were sick but I still don't know what is the matter with you. Please Georgia dear if you can't write, ask Stieglitz to do it for you and let me know how are you feeling will you ? I'll be in Detroit two more weeks. I would like to tell you every thing that happened to me since the last time we saw each other, but most of them are sad and you mustn't know sad things now. After all I shouldn't complain because I have been happy in many ways though. Diego is good to me, and you can't imagine how happy he has been working on the frescoes here. I have been painting a little too and that helped. I thought of you a lot and never forget your wonderful hands and the color of your eyes. I will see you soon. I am sure that in New York I will be much happier. If you still in the hospital when I come back I will bring you flowers, but it is so difficult to find the ones I would like for you. I would be so happy if you could write me even two words. I like you very much Georgia. 
Frieda

On the left is a pre-Columbian urn containing Frida's ashes. I read that Diego Rivera's last will and testament specified that his body was to be cremated and his ashes were to be mixed with those of Frida's and their ashes were to be kept in the Blue House in Coyoacán. However, Diego's two daughters and his wife at the time refused to respect his last wishes. 

I'm inspired by Frida's urn to make an urn for myself. That sounds creepy, but people buy their own grave plots, don't they? This photo is of an urn I made for my dog five years ago. RIP, Shaft.

Diego Rivera also stipulated in his will that sections of the Casa Azul remain closed off from the museum for 50 years past his death, and they were filled with their personal items. So about 10 years ago these items were finally uncovered. There's a temporary exhibit at the museum (though I think it's been up for years) of Frida's clothing, corsets, jewelry, shoes, photos, plus a selection of pieces by major fashion designers that were inspired by her style. One of her legs was shorter and thinner due to polio as a child, which is why she usually wore long skirts. It's speculated that it's also why she wore so much jewelry, colorful tops and elaborate hairstyles, to draw the eyes up and away from her legs. But I can't believe she was hiding these fabulous boots under long skirts! I'm really longing for a pair of boots like these.

Plaza Hildago

Coyoacan, where the Casa Azul is located, is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Mexico City. South of the museum, it's an easy walk to the lovely Plaza Hildago, which has many restaurant options. I went to Los Danzantes, which I highly recommend. I made a poor ordering choice though, getting a dish featuring chaupilines (AKA grasshoppers). They were listed as the last ingredient, so I wishfully thought that it would be just a sprinkling of them, and I could just give them a try. But there were at least 100 little crickets piled up on this tostada, and I could only stomach a small amount. Years ago I somehow ended up rescuing a beaded dragon (long story), and had to regularly buy crickets to feed it. I just kept thinking of the horrible smell of that cricket container, and it wasn't appetizing. I wish I could go back to that restaurant and have a do-over! The artwork inside was amazing as well.

Carvings and mosaics upstairs in Los Dazantes. Embryos were the theme of the day.