Mexico City is full of surprises. It is a
place where you can buy voodoo dolls
at the market, eat insects for dinner
and wander through streets lined with
buildings that are disappearing into
the ground. It is also famously busy,
with 20 million inhabitants all eating,
sleeping and working side by side.
A SMOGGY SOLUTION
Mexico City is one of the most polluted places in the world, but it
is finding some unique ways to clean up its act. One hospital even
eats the smog created by cars. The hospital’s walls react with the
smog and break it down so that the fumes are no longer harmful,
helping to improve the air for dwellers across the city.
CHOMPING ON
CREEPY CRAWLIES
Mexico City has some amazing
street food, with stalls serving up
tacos
, burritos
and everything
in between. Insects have also
become a popular choice.
Many fancy restaurants in the
city have ant larvae, stink bugs
and other creepy crawlies on
their menus! As the demand for
bugs has shot up, so have the
prices. Farmers can make a lot of
money from selling giant winged
ants and other exotic insects.
MUSEUM MANIA
Mexico City claims to have more museums than
any other city on the planet. With so many to
choose from there is something for every interest,
from an antique toy museum to a shoe museum
or even a museum just for pens. One of the city’s
most striking buildings is the Soumaya Museum.
The modern art space is clad in more than 16,000
hexagonal, metal plates. The plates don’t touch
the ground or one another, making it look as if
they are floating.
MAGICAL MARKET
When people want to mend a broken heart, wreak
revenge on an enemy or treat a health complaint, one
of the places they turn to is Sonora Market. Devoted
to witchcraft and the occult, the market is packed
with magical wares – browsers will find spiritual
cleansing, voodoo dolls, remedies
and potions all for sale
on its tabletops.
THAT SINKING
FEELING
Mexico City is sinking at
an alarming rate. Around
the city, buildings are
tilting and edging into
the earth as the ground
begins to swallow them
whole. The problem is
down to the lack of water
underneath the city. Vast
quantities are pumped
up to be used above the
surface, leaving a void
that makes the ground
sink. As the population
grows, more water is
needed and the city’s
buildings get
lower and lower.
LUCHA LIBRE
Watching masked wrestlers take to the ring and unleash
high-flying acrobatic moves on their opponents is a
favourite pastime for locals in Mexico City. Lucha libre
is the most popular sport in the country after soccer –
thousands turn out to cheer on their favourite competitors
every week. The wrestlers are famous for their exciting,
daredevil moves and colourful costumes. The best in the
ring quickly become household names.