Lau On Tour Day 8: Mexico

Part 8 of my new series, Lau On Tour. Catch up with yesterday's destination and find out what the series is all about before you join me in today's destination, Mexico.

Hey there, Cancun. Image: Andreas M/Unsplash

The itinerary

When I think of Mexico, three things come to mind - beautiful beaches and oceans, Aztec archaeology, and Frida Kahlo. The latter is ticked off the list first, with a virtual tour of the Frida Kahlo Museum, in her Blue House in Mexico City. The vibrant colours and lush greenery of the exterior put me in mind of Morocco's Jardin Marjorelles. Inside is a mixture of art gallery and traditional Mexican house.

Image: Museo Frida Kahlo

Heading closer into the centre of Mexico City, we can tick off the Aztec civilisation aspect of our trip with this virtual tour of Templo Mayor, an Aztec temple that's been on the site since 1325.

Out on the coast, Baja California is known as the 'world's aquarium', with various opportunities to see the wildlife, including whale and dolphin watching tours. Scroll down the Baja Whales website to see videos of some of the animals spotted on their trips, such as blue whales, humpback whales and dolphins. Splash yourself with water from the tap for the full immersive experience.

Image: El Chepe

Having attempted to attend a friend's wedding in Mexico a few years ago, I knew that public transport in the country was limited, but I was still surprised to find that there's only one passenger route still operating. El Chepe is a 405 mile route between the cities Chihuahua and Los Mochis, via Copper Canyon. This video offers a brief look at the experience of travelling on El Chepe.

Where I'm staying

Image: Azulik

Mexico has the whole hotel spectrum covered - luxury city hotels, gorgeous beach resorts, secluded eco lodges. My penchant for the quirky and the unusual has led me to Azulik, a series of beachfront villas in Tulum, also described as a 'treehouse resort'. It'll be quite an experience, with no electricity (or WiFi), but I think I can stick it out for a couple of nights of luxury with beach on one side, and jungle on the other.

In pop culture

It's been a while since I watched any of the new Disney/Pixar films - I'm more of a traditionalist - but I'm giving Coco a go. As soon as I heard the Mariachi version of When You Wish Upon A Star, I was hooked, and the gorgeous colourful papercuts in the opening sequence drew me in further,

Throughout, the animation uses such vibrant colours, I regret not seeing it on a full-size cinema screen. The scenery too is so aesthetically-pleasing (that railway station!), I found myself adding it to my must-visit list before remembering that it's a cartoon, though apparently it is based on some real-life locations. Before I fall down that particular rabbit hole, just know that Coco gets 10/10 from me.

On the menu

People who know me and my fussy eating habits are always surprised to learn about my love of Mexican food -it's the closest I come to eating anything that could be classed as spicy. For this meal, nachos would have been the easy way out, but I've opted for fajitas, as it's something I've not had for a while.

I didn't follow a specific recipe, just fried up a mix of chicken, peppers, mushroom, onions and other vegetables in spices and sauces, scooped it into a tortilla wrap, and topped it with sour cream. Tequila chaser optional.

Souvenir shopping

Well, the obvious choice here would be a sombrero, would it not, but I already have so many hats I never wear, I don't need an imaginary one to add to the pile. One thing Mexico does do very well is chocolate, so I'd definitely pick a few bars up. And some hot chocolate powder. Perhaps some vanilla to stir in as well...