Going down Mexico way...

[mooseontheloose]

I’m in the middle of planning a trip to Mexico next Feb/Mar for 4-5 weeks. I’ll be working my way from east to west. At the moment the plan is to a two-week road trip around the Yucatan Peninsula, mostly to photograph the ancient Mayan sites (from Tulum to Palenque and points in between on a big loop from and back to Cancun (want to avoid expensive one-way rentals). Of course I’ll be exploring some of the cities and towns, and a few cenotes and nature reserves here and there. From Cancun I would fly to Oaxaca and spend 5-7 days in the area doing day trips and photographing Carnaval activities, which will be going on at that time. Then up to Mexico City for a few days, with day or overnight trips to the Monarch Butterfly Reserve and the Teotihuacan Pyramid. Then, if the budget allows, I’d have about a week for one other area - Guanajuato perhaps.

I’m not really a beach person, so other than a day or two in the Cancun/Tulum area (to recover from my flights from Japan) that’s not a huge interest. I love ruins and ancient sites of all kinds, interesting towns, nature reserves, etc. I’m interested in any advice or suggestions about the trip in general, but in particular those that are related to photography, such as:

-I know that tripods are not allowed at most of the Mayan sites without an expensive permit. Has anyone used a tripod (or tripod alternative) at any of these sites, with or without permit? I know the permit is expensive, but I might be willing to shell out for one for one site (say, Palenque), as I’d like to do some infrared photography there. However, I’ve also heard that people have had a hard time securing the permit in advance. Also, I’ve heard that you can get into some sites much earlier than the general public if you go with a guide, does anyone have any experience with that?

-Gear-wise, should I be planning on using some very wide angles (I have a 20mm) or will more moderate ones be okay? What about a tele lens (I have a 105mm and some zooms)? My normal set up is 28/50 and occasionally the 105, but I want to keep my gear as minimal as possible if I can.

-Given the time of year and opening hours for these sites, when are the lighting conditions most favourable for photography at the various sites? Morning, noon, late afternoon? My main worry is about uneven light/shadow areas which can vary throughout the day. If I can, I’d like to optimize my visits for the best light. That goes for cenotes or other locations as well. (I know I’m being vague here, but there are just too many sites to list so I’m just going to keep it open-ended). I’m also interested in locations that would work for dusk/night photography (assuming it’s safe to do so).

-Has anyone been to any of the Carnaval celebrations in Merida or the Oaxaca area? If so, I’d love to hear about your experiences there. I’m not interested in the big party celebrations like in Mazatlan or Veracruz.
-On a similar note, any places I should avoid in terms of spring breakers from US colleges?

-Any suggestions on keeping film cool, other than a cooler and ice pack if I can source one? Good places to buy or develop film? Photo workshops or photographers offering interesting shoots (like tintypes, etc)?
-Any photo galleries, museums, or shops worth checking out?
-Also, some of you may be aware of my interest in cemeteries and other “dark” places, so I’d be very open to any recommendations concerning those types of places (the Mummy museum is already on my list)
-Any suggestions for my final week?

I think that covers most of my concerns for now. Looking forward to hearing whatever suggestions you may have!

 

[mike c]

Moose, are you working with a Travel agent or did you set this travel plans yourself, a pretty impressive set of plans. A guide or two might help, weather might be of concern, a lot of Mexico is third world . Hope some one here can help, I have not been to any of these places but hear good and bad story's about them.
Mike

 

[BradS]

I've found that a good local guide and a little bit of well placed "green lubricant of commerce" (US Dollars) are sometimes necessary.

Do you speak spanish? It will be useful everywhere and necessary once you get out of the places that mainly cater to tourists.

 

[mooseontheloose]

I've found that a good local guide and a little bit of well placed "green lubricant of commerce" (US Dollars) are sometimes necessary.

Do you speak spanish? It will be useful everywhere and necessary once you get out of the places that mainly cater to tourists.

Unfortunately I don't (just what I learned from TV) but I plan on doing some self-study in the months before I go. I work at a language university so they will probably have some resources for me there, although I'm sure most of them are Japanese-Spanish, not English-Spanish. My first language is French so there are a lot of commonalities between the two which I think helps. That said, 11 years ago when I went to Spain for the first time, even though I studied some Spanish before I went, when I wanted to speak, the words would come out in English-Japanese-French, and then Spanish. People could barely understand me! ;-)

I do plan on using local guides when I can, but mostly I'll be on my own.

 

[mooseontheloose]

Moose, are you working with a Travel agent or did you set this travel plans yourself, a pretty impressive set of plans. A guide or two might help, weather might be of concern, a lot of Mexico is third world . Hope some one here can help, I have not been to any of these places but hear good and bad story's about them.
Mike

Mike, the thing I love doing more than anything else is planning trips! I have multiple maps on my walls and a very robust collection of guidebooks. I often have multiple itineraries worked out for one trip while in the planning stages so I can try to make the best of my time there. This is not the first time I've considered a trip to Mexico, so I already had some ideas of what I wanted to see and do down there. Getting to Mexico from Japan is long and a bit expensive (although right now I can find some cheapish flights) so I'd rather make the most of my university holidays while I can. I do 1-2 weeks in Asia, but once Europe/North America gets involved, I tend to stay away a bit longer. We get 2 months off before the start of the school year on April 1st, (and again in the summer), but I usually only travel for about half that time (it's all I can really afford). Also, because Japan is far from most places, I always work on the assumption that I probably won't ever go back (I mean I might, but it's unlikely). That said, as I get older, I'm now starting to think about places that I could eventually retire to (both Japan and Canada would be too expensive for me). So I'm starting to explore places that might be possibilities for me, although granted, that's still over 20 years from now.

I've heard various stories about Mexico too, but I think most of the places that I'll be going to are still well on the tourist path, even if some of them are not as popular as others. I do know to avoid driving at night (not something I like to do anyway in a place I don't know), and I'm hoping I won't be stopped by the police too often (not something I've ever dealt with elsewhere). I've travelled a lot on my own (almost 50 countries now, will be closer to 60 after the summer is finished) so I'm used to with dealing with things on my own and in other languages (not always well, but I've managed).

 

[Kodachromeguy]

I have a suggestion. When I visited Mayan sites many years ago, I took a Rolleiflex. With its square bottom and waist level finder, I placed it on rocks or walls and used those as braces. A wallet or cloth can serve to prop up the bottom front or rear. Hmm, now you reminded me of another group of negatives to scan......

 

[MattKing]

My experience in the Mayan peninsula is now so dated (several decades ago) that it should probably be discounted.
However a couple of recollections:
1) Spanish isn't the first language of the true natives there;
2) At least when I was there, Isla Mujeres had to be the most inaccurately named place I had ever encountered.

 

[Theo Sulphate]

About 25 years ago I bought a book, Forest of Kings, by Linda Schele, who tells not only the story of the Mayan civilization but also how archeologists, anthropologists, and linguists reconstructed the story of that civilization, learned to read the glyphs, and then told the stories written on monuments.

It was fascinating. I then proceeded to buy all sorts of books on the Mayan civilization and even language tapes. The modern-day Mayans speak a language not that different from what they did 1100 years ago.

If you can find an old copy of Linda's book, you will certainly enjoy it!

The "Incidents of Travel..." books are accounts written by the Spanish when they first arrived in the New World and encountered the Mayans.

 

[mike c]

WOW, looks like you have done your home work, I'm a bit of a home body, but my wife liked to travel when she could and would always plan things very good, when I went with her it was just as a passenger on a tour. Hope you get plenty of photo opportunity's . .

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

I know we've already spoken a bit about Mexico City elsewhere. To fill in some more - When you get to Mexico City, you should get a Metro farecard - they're plastic, rechargeable cards you can use for the bus and the subway. The Metro is easy to navigate, and fast, and goes everywhere. It is generally safe. If you feel concerned at any time riding it, the front two cars on every train are reserved for women and children only, and the police in the stations are pretty zealous about enforcing it. Fares are six pesos per trip, regardless of distance traveled. In Mexico City, of course you must go to the Anthropology Museum. World class, and a good way to get a grasp on the architecture and culture of the sites you'll have visited. Also in Mexico City, right off the Zocalo, is the Museo del Templo Mayor. The Templo Mayor was long thought to have been destroyed to supply building materials for the Catedral Metropolitana and its site was also thought to be directly under the Catedral. In fact, it is beside it, and was rediscovered and is now an open air archaeological museum, plus a smaller but still excellent museum beside it containing artifacts from the site. The Cathedral has several tours, including the crypts and the bell towers. I haven't done the crypt tour yet, but I did do the bell towers which was totally worth it - it's cheap (like 2 dollars) and you get an amazing view out over the Zocalo from the roof. Take the 11:30 bell tower tour, because you'll be up there in time for the noon ringing of the bells.

There's a photography museum just behind the cathedral, and a block or two past that is the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso, which began life in the 16th century as a monastery, and has gone through phases as a hospital and a boys school, and now is a major art museum. The cloisters are decorated with murals by Rivera, Siqueros and some of the other famous muralists.

The Palacio de Bellas Artes is primarily the home of the Mexican Folkloric Ballet, but they have multiple exhibition rooms including an architecture museum, and several salons usually dedicated to photography. They have one day a week that has free admission (I forget which- might be Thursday?). They have a dining room with a nice view of the Alameda but the food is forgettable.

Take a stroll along the Alameda, and near the opposite end from the Palacio de Bellas Artes is Foto Regis, one of the better camera stores. There are a bunch of camera stores along Donceles between the Alameda and the Zocalo, many of which do carry a limited stock of film including some 120, but much of the 120 is out of date. 135 is easier to find and is more likely to be fresh.

To feed your macabre side, there's the Museo de El Carmen, a 17th century church in the San Angel neighborhood, that has a display of mummified clergy. It is walking distance from the Plaza San Jacinto, which has an art fair on Saturdays. Saks is a very nice, upscale restaurant facing the plaza, and I highly recommend it. There are a number of very nice restaurants there around the plaza. A long-ish walk but still manageable from Plaza San Jacinto is the Casa/Studio de Diego y Frida, the 1920s Modernist studio and residential complex built by Juan O'Gorman for Frida and Diego. Not far in the other direction from Plaza San Jacinto is the Plaza Loreto, which houses the original location of the Soumaya museum (it was started by Carlos Slim's wife). This location has several exhibition spaces, and often has something related to photography on display. They are regular participants in FotoMexico, which happens every other year from September - November. Look up the FotoMexico website to see a list of past venues - the festival is national in scope, and there are galleries and exhibit spaces for it in Oaxaca and the Yucatan that you can check out to see what they're showing in the off-season.

To go to the Pyramids at Teotihuacan, the cheap way to do it is take the subway to the Terminal del Norte bus station, walk in, and buy a bus ticket for the next bus. I'll check with my Mexican friends about pre-purchasing the return ticket - I forget if we bought them in advance, or just bought them on the bus when we were ready to return. This might be a little dicey if your Spanish is weak. The other way to do it is book a package tour - there are many options for this. Find one with an english-speaking guide. You can research these online in advance, or have your hotel book one for you.

Be aware that Mexico City is at 8000 feet above sea level. Until you're used to it, walking around on the flat and level will be fine, but hitting the stairs will be a killer. Don't try to climb the Pyramid of the Sun until you're acclimated - it's a 300 foot near-vertical ascent. By the time I got to the top, I sounded like I was going to die, and scared some of the locals for a few minutes.

For some general guidance, keep yourself well supplied with bottled water. There are OXXO, 7-Eleven, and Circle K convenience stores all over, and bottle water is cheap (under $1/liter). Popular brands are Bonafont and E-Pura. You can find Evian as well, but expect to pay more. Many pharmacies also sell bottled water, and are sometimes cheaper than OXXO and 7-Eleven. If you must, there are Starbucks all over Mexico City. A local competitor is Cielito Querido Cafe, and you can buy their Mexican coffees to bring home with you (I do every time I visit).

In the Coyoacan neighborhood (where Frida's Casa Azul and Trotsky's house are located), there is a local coffee roaster called El Jarocho (they have two locations in Coyoacan, maybe others around the city, not sure). They also sell their beans to go. IF you want to go see Casa Azul, look up their website and buy your timed entry ticket online in advance. Otherwise you'll be standing in line outside for 2+ hours waiting to get in. The Trotsky house is just a few blocks away, much cheaper admission, and has far smaller crowds - I ended up having a tour with me, two women from Chile, and the guide. You can see the chair he was sitting in when he was assassinated, and the bullet holes from the previous assassination attempt are still in the walls.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Don;t drink their water or eat foods washed in their water. I love Mexico and their people. But I got so sickly sick from their water, I wanted to die.

The Archaeological Museum (Museo de Archeologica) was wonderful in Mexico City. They divide it by Indian people groups of the past. The pyramids outside of Mexico City were great. Definitely climb the Pyramid of the Sun or the slightly lower Pyramid of the Moon.

Take a long lens and shoot a bullfight. I thought I wouldn't like it. Sangre y Arena. Gory and all. But I was captivated by it and thought I was Hemingway. Olé.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

Don;t drink their water or eat foods washed in their water. I love Mexico and their people. But I got so sickly sick from their water, I wanted to die.

Thinking of drinking the water, don't brush your teeth in it either. Keep a spare bottle in your room for this purpose. If you need medical attention, there are urgent care clinics. The hotel I stay in when I go to Mexico City, the Hotel Geneve, has a Sanborns department store off the lobby, including a full-service pharmacy. I made the mistake of drinking the water there one night before I realized there was a 24-hour 7-Eleven around the corner. Got a stomach bug, went down to the pharmacy at the Sanborns, and they gave me an over-the-counter antibiotic that did the trick and got me back up and running within 24 hours, and at full strength within 48. I think the box of 20 pills was something like six or seven dollars.

The aforementioned bullfights are still around, but they're much much less popular than they used to be. I'd be more likely to go see one in Spain than in Mexico, but I did do that when I was in high school, and have no real need to do it again. There are cultural differences between Spain and Latin America with regards to bullfights - if you have an interest in such, it would be worthwhile to check out.

 

[mooseontheloose]

I know we've already spoken a bit about Mexico City elsewhere. To fill in some more - When you get to Mexico City, you should get a Metro farecard - they're plastic, rechargeable cards you can use for the bus and the subway. The Metro is easy to navigate, and fast, and goes everywhere. It is generally safe. If you feel concerned at any time riding it, the front two cars on every train are reserved for women and children only, and the police in the stations are pretty zealous about enforcing it. Fares are six pesos per trip, regardless of distance traveled. In Mexico City, of course you must go to the Anthropology Museum. World class, and a good way to get a grasp on the architecture and culture of the sites you'll have visited. Also in Mexico City, right off the Zocalo, is the Museo del Templo Mayor. The Templo Mayor was long thought to have been destroyed to supply building materials for the Catedral Metropolitana and its site was also thought to be directly under the Catedral. In fact, it is beside it, and was rediscovered and is now an open air archaeological museum, plus a smaller but still excellent museum beside it containing artifacts from the site. The Cathedral has several tours, including the crypts and the bell towers. I haven't done the crypt tour yet, but I did do the bell towers which was totally worth it - it's cheap (like 2 dollars) and you get an amazing view out over the Zocalo from the roof. Take the 11:30 bell tower tour, because you'll be up there in time for the noon ringing of the bells.

There's a photography museum just behind the cathedral, and a block or two past that is the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso, which began life in the 16th century as a monastery, and has gone through phases as a hospital and a boys school, and now is a major art museum. The cloisters are decorated with murals by Rivera, Siqueros and some of the other famous muralists.

The Palacio de Bellas Artes is primarily the home of the Mexican Folkloric Ballet, but they have multiple exhibition rooms including an architecture museum, and several salons usually dedicated to photography. They have one day a week that has free admission (I forget which- might be Thursday?). They have a dining room with a nice view of the Alameda but the food is forgettable.

Take a stroll along the Alameda, and near the opposite end from the Palacio de Bellas Artes is Foto Regis, one of the better camera stores. There are a bunch of camera stores along Donceles between the Alameda and the Zocalo, many of which do carry a limited stock of film including some 120, but much of the 120 is out of date. 135 is easier to find and is more likely to be fresh.

To feed your macabre side, there's the Museo de El Carmen, a 17th century church in the San Angel neighborhood, that has a display of mummified clergy. It is walking distance from the Plaza San Jacinto, which has an art fair on Saturdays. Saks is a very nice, upscale restaurant facing the plaza, and I highly recommend it. There are a number of very nice restaurants there around the plaza. A long-ish walk but still manageable from Plaza San Jacinto is the Casa/Studio de Diego y Frida, the 1920s Modernist studio and residential complex built by Juan O'Gorman for Frida and Diego. Not far in the other direction from Plaza San Jacinto is the Plaza Loreto, which houses the original location of the Soumaya museum (it was started by Carlos Slim's wife). This location has several exhibition spaces, and often has something related to photography on display. They are regular participants in FotoMexico, which happens every other year from September - November. Look up the FotoMexico website to see a list of past venues - the festival is national in scope, and there are galleries and exhibit spaces for it in Oaxaca and the Yucatan that you can check out to see what they're showing in the off-season.

To go to the Pyramids at Teotihuacan, the cheap way to do it is take the subway to the Terminal del Norte bus station, walk in, and buy a bus ticket for the next bus. I'll check with my Mexican friends about pre-purchasing the return ticket - I forget if we bought them in advance, or just bought them on the bus when we were ready to return. This might be a little dicey if your Spanish is weak. The other way to do it is book a package tour - there are many options for this. Find one with an english-speaking guide. You can research these online in advance, or have your hotel book one for you.

Be aware that Mexico City is at 8000 feet above sea level. Until you're used to it, walking around on the flat and level will be fine, but hitting the stairs will be a killer. Don't try to climb the Pyramid of the Sun until you're acclimated - it's a 300 foot near-vertical ascent. By the time I got to the top, I sounded like I was going to die, and scared some of the locals for a few minutes.

For some general guidance, keep yourself well supplied with bottled water. There are OXXO, 7-Eleven, and Circle K convenience stores all over, and bottle water is cheap (under $1/liter). Popular brands are Bonafont and E-Pura. You can find Evian as well, but expect to pay more. Many pharmacies also sell bottled water, and are sometimes cheaper than OXXO and 7-Eleven. If you must, there are Starbucks all over Mexico City. A local competitor is Cielito Querido Cafe, and you can buy their Mexican coffees to bring home with you (I do every time I visit).

In the Coyoacan neighborhood (where Frida's Casa Azul and Trotsky's house are located), there is a local coffee roaster called El Jarocho (they have two locations in Coyoacan, maybe others around the city, not sure). They also sell their beans to go. IF you want to go see Casa Azul, look up their website and buy your timed entry ticket online in advance. Otherwise you'll be standing in line outside for 2+ hours waiting to get in. The Trotsky house is just a few blocks away, much cheaper admission, and has far smaller crowds - I ended up having a tour with me, two women from Chile, and the guide. You can see the chair he was sitting in when he was assassinated, and the bullet holes from the previous assassination attempt are still in the walls.

Wow, thanks Scott, that's fantastic! I was planning on taking the metro when in Mexico City so that's good to know. Japanese trains sometimes have a single women's only car (during rush hour periods) yet people are debating whether that's discriminatory or not. I like using them of course, if one is available (they tend to be less crowded that the other cars). I'll put in your recommendations into my Google Map plan to help me plan out my days better. I will have been in Mexico for 3 weeks by the time I get to Mexico City/the pyramids, so hopefully I will have acclimated by then (although I don't know how high above sea level are the other places I'm going to). Living in Japan where I do doesn't help since we are pretty close to sea level. A few years ago I went on a mountain hike in Bhutan and had to stop every minute for at least a minutes rest (to the annoyance of the local porters bringing my stuff up) but I was fine once I was up there (unlike some of the local kids, who you would think would be acclimated; a few of whom suffered some altitude sickness at the camp). Anyway, if I do take the stairs it will be slowly but surely. ;-)

As for liquids - thanks for the coffee recommendations, even though I don't drink coffee (had a bad coffee experience when I was young, have never been able to drink it (including mocha drinks and foods) since). I may bring back some beans as gifts for friends. And with water, I've been drinking bottled or filtered water (including brushing teeth with it) for years -- travelling in SE Asia, that's a must! I've been sick enough times to be vigilant about it, so hopefully I won't have too many issues. I'm more worried about the spiciness of foods - even though I love spicy food, I just can't handle it anymore, and that will often cause more problems for me than anything else. I have a very sensitive stomach, and new environments (=bacteria) often take a while for me to get used to.

 

[mooseontheloose]

About 25 years ago I bought a book, Forest of Kings, by Linda Schele, who tells not only the story of the Mayan civilization but also how archeologists, anthropologists, and linguists reconstructed the story of that civilization, learned to read the glyphs, and then told the stories written on monuments.

It was fascinating. I then proceeded to buy all sorts of books on the Mayan civilization and even language tapes. The modern-day Mayans speak a language not that different from what they did 1100 years ago.

If you can find an old copy of Linda's book, you will certainly enjoy it!

View attachment 225815

The "Incidents of Travel..." books are accounts written by the Spanish when they first arrived in the New World and encountered the Mayans.

Thanks for the recommendations Theo! I've been looking for some books to give me some background before I go, so I've added to my Amazon cart (there's a newer edition available now). I was also looking to see if I could find some interesting (not overly touristy) photo books of the sites (or of Mexico in general) but I'm having a hard time finding anything inspiring. Still looking though.

 

[TheFlyingCamera]

Wow, thanks Scott, that's fantastic! I was planning on taking the metro when in Mexico City so that's good to know. Japanese trains sometimes have a single women's only car (during rush hour periods) yet people are debating whether that's discriminatory or not. I like using them of course, if one is available (they tend to be less crowded that the other cars). I'll put in your recommendations into my Google Map plan to help me plan out my days better. I will have been in Mexico for 3 weeks by the time I get to Mexico City/the pyramids, so hopefully I will have acclimated by then (although I don't know how high above sea level are the other places I'm going to). Living in Japan where I do doesn't help since we are pretty close to sea level. A few years ago I went on a mountain hike in Bhutan and had to stop every minute for at least a minutes rest (to the annoyance of the local porters bringing my stuff up) but I was fine once I was up there (unlike some of the local kids, who you would think would be acclimated; a few of whom suffered some altitude sickness at the camp). Anyway, if I do take the stairs it will be slowly but surely. ;-)

As for liquids - thanks for the coffee recommendations, even though I don't drink coffee (had a bad coffee experience when I was young, have never been able to drink it (including mocha drinks and foods) since). I may bring back some beans as gifts for friends. And with water, I've been drinking bottled or filtered water (including brushing teeth with it) for years -- travelling in SE Asia, that's a must! I've been sick enough times to be vigilant about it, so hopefully I won't have too many issues. I'm more worried about the spiciness of foods - even though I love spicy food, I just can't handle it anymore, and that will often cause more problems for me than anything else. I have a very sensitive stomach, and new environments (=bacteria) often take a while for me to get used to.

I too used to hate coffee. Then I was in Italy and decided to do as the Romans do and tried an espresso. While it was a bit like jet fuel in the caffeine content, it changed my mind. Now I'm a cappuccino junkie. Trying straight cafe con leche in Mexico also changed my mind about coffee. I love the #3 from Cielito Querido Cafe - a coffee bean from Chiapas. I still don't drink my coffee black, but a judicious quantity of cream and a heaping teaspoon of raw sugar and I'm a very happy camper.

As to the food - it's relatively easy to avoid overly spicy stuff in the big cities- I think they tone it down a tad for the tourists. And if in doubt, ask "Es picante?" (is it spicy).
Another restaurant recommendation if you want something fancy but easy on the stomach - De Mar A Mar - it's a seafood restaurant just off Avenida Reforma behind the big Marriott. I've eaten there three times now, and each time it has been equally good. Just skip the green salsa for the chips that come with dinner and you'll be fine. If you're a wine drinker, they have some excellent Mexican wines - I had a red from a vineyard that's been operating since the 16th century that was beyond delicious (obviously the bottle in question wasn't that old - it was a 2011-2012-ish vintage if memory serves).

The Yucatan is pretty much all at sea level. Oaxaca is higher, but I'm not sure how much. I think I'm getting adapted - up and down stairs at my hotel in either Mexico City or San Luis Potosi (6000 feet) really didn't register to me, nor did climbing up and down hills in Cerro De San Pedro outside San Luis Potosi. Just take it easy and you'll be fine.

More places to visit - there's Diego Rivera's final studio, which he was collaborating on with Frank Lloyd Wright at the time of his death. It's called Anahuacalli, and in addition to housing some of his work, it also has his collection of pre-Colombian pottery and sculpture. To get to it, you take the Metro to the end of the line at Tasqueña and transfer to the light rail toward Xochimilco. Get of at Xotepingo, and it's about a 20 minute walk.

For hotels, if you don't already have plans, I can strongly recommend the Hotel Geneve - 130 Calle Londres. It's in the Zona Rosa, which is a popular tourist area and very safe. It's also super convenient, because it's 2 blocks from the Insurgentes Metro station/Express Bus depot. To get down to San Angel, you get on one of the express buses heading toward El Caminero. Get off at either La Bombilla or Dr. Galvez. If you overshoot Dr. Galvez, you'll go right through the UNAM campus, which is HUGE. The second stop (Centro Cultural Universitario) is where the university art museum is, and the sculpture garden, which is pretty cool too. The famous part of the campus center is a 20-minute walk from Dr. Galvez.

Another hot tip- most museums and even public parks are closed on Mondays. Use Monday as a day for shopping or just resting, or transiting between places.