Latin America’s largest metropolis can be intimidating for the first time visitor, but follow a few key tips and it is possible to plunge into Mexico City's unique past, from pre-Hispanic culture through the baroque golden age of Spain’s colonial conquistadores through revolution, independence and today’s vibrant art and architecture scene.
While the metro and bus systems are efficient and safe, to get around swiftly stick to Uber, resist the temptation to hail a street cab, and you'll enjoy 72 hectic, exciting and fun hours in Mexico's capital.
Day One: Downtown treasures
The ideal base for exploring CDMX as everyone calls Mexico City is the downtown Centro Historico around the landmark Zocalo square. There are plenty of hotels to choose from, but difficult to beat is the fashionable Umbral, housed in a renovated Art Deco bank, with arty designer rooms and rooftop pool.
Head out early the first morning to explore downtown, beginning at La Merced, a dazzling, chaotic food market that dates back to the 1300s. Marvel at the multicoloured chillies, tropical fruits, piles of cactus leaves and wild mushrooms then enjoy a traditional street food breakfast of steamed fish tamales or, if you're feeling adventurous, pancita or beef tripe soup.
The immense Zocalo is one of the world’s largest squares, and the perfect introduction to CDMX with its sacred ruins of the original Aztec city of Tenochtitlan in the recent Templo Mayor archeological excavations, alongside gothic and baroque monuments of colonial New Spain symbolised by the National Palace and Cathedral. The downtown side streets are lined with lavish post-independence buildings in a unique Mexican style, from a palatial Post Office inspired by Venice’s Doges Palace to 1890s department stores that mirror La Samaritaine and Galeries Lafayette in Paris. Soak up this very special atmosphere over lunch in House of Tiles, an 18th century baroque mansion adored by locals for its affordable and tasty tacos, tamales and enchiladas. It prepares you for an unforgettable afternoon of museum visiting, beginning with the grandiose Palacio de Bellas Artes, where the murals collection showcases the best of Mexico’s hallmark political murals, above all the controversial masterpiece of Diego Rivera, Man, Controller of the Universe.
Head to the Museo de Arte Popular, a hidden gem that's housed in an Art Deco fire station and presents a visually stunning exhibition of Mexico’s artisan folk crafts, spanning textiles, pottery, glass, paper-mache. Having survived all this on the first day, head back to the peaceful oasis of the Umbral and enjoy a gourmet dinner of creative Mexican cuisine in the elegant Paixa restaurant, tasting authentic dishes such as plump shrimp flambee in pulque sauce.
Day two: Museums, markets and more
Skip the hotel breakfast and walk over to the venerable Pasteleria Ideal for cafe con leche and a selection of irresistible cakes and pastries, then grab an Uber to La Ciudadela, a maze-like artisans market that's perfect for souvenir shopping. The quality is high here, though you need to bargain for the best prices for everything from colourful Indian masks and textiles, glassware and garish Day of the Death figurines.
A drive along the grand Reforma boulevard brings you out in the exclusive Polanco neighbourhood and verdant Chapultepec park, home of the city’s famed National Anthropology Museum. In the same league as the Louvre, British Museum or Smithsonian, the collection of pre-Hispanic art is immense and unparalleled, clearly explaining the cultured, complex world of Mexico’s indigenous Olmec, Mayan and Aztec people. After a marathon visit here, a good lunch is necessary, and the place to reserve is the 17th century colonial Hacienda de los Morales, a reminder that chic Polanco was once farming land. Converted today into a grand restaurant, guests come for the old-fashioned service and classics such as tortilla soup with cheese and avocado, seabass ceviche or stuffed peppers in a nutty nogada sauce.
Polanco has a huge shopping mall adjoining two recently completed private modern art museums housed in spectacular futuristic architecture. Museo Soumaya resembles the Guggenheim Bilbao and showcases the private collection of Carlos Slim, Mexico’s richest man. He has donated all his artworks to the nation – Monet, Manet, Gauguin, Titian, and dozens of Rodin sculptures – and entrance is free. Right opposite is the more minimalist Jumex, which hosts blockbuster temporary exhibitions devoted to the likes of Damien Hirst.
End the afternoon by exploring La Condesa, the city’s most cosmopolitan neighbourhood, with fashion and design boutiques, cool cafe terraces and the lively Espana Park, where locals walk their numerous dogs and take outdoor classes in Thai boxing, yoga and tango. To spend the most surprising and entertaining evening in town, arrive at Arena Mexico by 7.30pm. Home of the nation’s famed Lucha Libre masked wrestling, it plays host to 10,000 avid fans three times per week and is a flurry of thrilling competition performed by incredibly athletic male and female stars. The atmosphere is electric, fun for all the family and it could very well be the highlight of your trip.
Day three: Floating gardens and historic cantinas
An hour drive from the Zocalo takes you to the magical floating gardens of Xochimilco, a paradise for biodiversity, and the last remnants of the immense lakes upon which the original Mexico City was built by indigenous people. Everyone explores this Unesco World Heritage Site by hiring a brightly painted trajinera boat, languidly punted through a maze of lush canals. With serenading mariachis ready to board, small boats offering tacos and corn cobs, flower garlands and sombreros, the experience is totally kitsch but irresistible and memorable. Be sure to stop in the buzzing local food market, as smallholder farmers on the wetlands "chinampa" islands cultivate highly prized vegetables, with food stalls selling delicious quesadillas stuffed with rare huitlacoche mushrooms and spicy cactus salads.
For lunch, head into the romantic neighbourhood of Coyocan, whose baroque churches, ornate Liberty villas, parks, cafes and bistros make it the most popular spot for Mexicans at the weekend. Tourists make an obligatory visit to the Frida Kahlo Museum, the stunning cobalt-blue mansion and gardens that has been perfectly preserved since it was home to the two superstars of contemporary Mexican art, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. Reservation is essential, though you still have to put up with big crowds.
For a genuine slice of Coyocan life, feast off traditional but creative Mexican cuisine at hip diner Los Danzantes, serving the city's best duck enchiladas, one smothered in a rich chocolatey mole sauce, the other in a tangy green adobe. In the evening, back in the Zocalo, wander through the old city’s historic cantinas, stopping off for drinks at the opulent Art Nouveau Mancera, lavishly-tiled and frescoed Cafe de Tacuba, and then join Chilango locals and musicians in the 1920s Salon Espana, where you can tuck into a late comfort food supper of the signature Azteca steak with Oaxaca cheese and refried beans.
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Expert input
If you had all the money in the world, what’s the one sneaker you would buy or create?
“There are a few shoes that have ‘grail’ status for me. But the one I have always wanted is the Nike x Patta x Parra Air Max 1 - Cherrywood. To get a pair in my size brand new is would cost me between Dh8,000 and Dh 10,000.” Jack Brett
“If I had all the money, I would approach Nike and ask them to do my own Air Force 1, that’s one of my dreams.” Yaseen Benchouche
“There’s nothing out there yet that I’d pay an insane amount for, but I’d love to create my own shoe with Tinker Hatfield and Jordan.” Joshua Cox
“I think I’d buy a defunct footwear brand; I’d like the challenge of reinterpreting a brand’s history and changing options.” Kris Balerite
“I’d stir up a creative collaboration with designers Martin Margiela of the mixed patchwork sneakers, and Yohji Yamamoto.” Hussain Moloobhoy
“If I had all the money in the world, I’d live somewhere where I’d never have to wear shoes again.” Raj Malhotra
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Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
Federer's 19 grand slam titles
Australian Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Marat Safin; 2006 bt Marcos Baghdatis; 2007 bt Fernando Gonzalez; 2010 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Rafael Nadal
French Open (1 title) - 2009 bt Robin Soderling
Wimbledon (8 titles) - 2003 bt Mark Philippoussis; 2004 bt Andy Roddick; 2005 bt Andy Roddick; 2006 bt Rafael Nadal; 2007 bt Rafael Nadal; 2009 bt Andy Roddick; 2012 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Marin Cilic
US Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Lleyton Hewitt; 2005 bt Andre Agassi; 2006 bt Andy Roddick; 2007 bt Novak Djokovic; 2008 bt Andy Murray
Juliot Vinolia’s checklist for adopting alternate-day fasting
- Don’t do it more than once in three days
- Don’t go under 700 calories on fasting days
- Ensure there is sufficient water intake, as the body can go in dehydration mode
- Ensure there is enough roughage (fibre) in the food on fasting days as well
- Do not binge on processed or fatty foods on non-fasting days
- Complement fasting with plant-based foods, fruits, vegetables, seafood. Cut out processed meats and processed carbohydrates
- Manage your sleep
- People with existing gastric or mental health issues should avoid fasting
- Do not fast for prolonged periods without supervision by a qualified expert
UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FIXTURES
All kick-off times 10.45pm UAE ( 4 GMT) unless stated
Tuesday
Sevilla v Maribor
Spartak Moscow v Liverpool
Manchester City v Shakhtar Donetsk
Napoli v Feyenoord
Besiktas v RB Leipzig
Monaco v Porto
Apoel Nicosia v Tottenham Hotspur
Borussia Dortmund v Real Madrid
Wednesday
Basel v Benfica
CSKA Moscow Manchester United
Paris Saint-Germain v Bayern Munich
Anderlecht v Celtic
Qarabag v Roma (8pm)
Atletico Madrid v Chelsea
Juventus v Olympiakos
Sporting Lisbon v Barcelona
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Trippier bio
Date of birth September 19, 1990
Place of birth Bury, United Kingdom
Age 26
Height 1.74 metres
Nationality England
Position Right-back
Foot Right
The specs: Fenyr SuperSport
Price, base: Dh5.1 million
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm
Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
'The Sky is Everywhere'
Director:Josephine Decker
Stars:Grace Kaufman, Pico Alexander, Jacques Colimon
Rating:2/5
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
