No Shit Trips

Trips, no traps!

    • Jacaranda trees blooming on the way

      Jacaranda trees in Condesa neighborhood, Mexico City.

      There is a special, fleeting moment when Mexico City goes from green to violet. It happens between February and April, when Jacaranda trees bloom. We call it a little moment, because most of the locals wish these poetic violet flowers would last much longer—decorating the streets like Christmas lights in December, and creating nature-knitted carpets that invite us to slow down and give thanks for the chance to witness such a scene around us.

      If you’ve never been to Mexico City before, you might find it surprising how green it is, in spite of all the concrete and bricks standing everywhere. What’s even more outstanding: thanks to its mild climate, Mexico City is not simply green—it is ever green.

      It was the Japanese imperial gardener who suggested the Mexican government of the time—one hundred years ago—to plant Jacarandas instead of the cherry trees they had planned originally, as cherry trees would not survive under the city’s climate. That is how these fascinating, Brazilian-native trees ended up blooming every year in the streets of Mexico City.

      Especially if you are just a three-to-five-hour flight away, Mexico City makes a great weekend escape. Whether you want to taste great food, capture the Jacarandas scene with your own camera, learn something that actually matters or simply chill out and have fun.

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    • Mexico: In the bellybutton of the moon

      Mexican flag and Metropolitan Cathedral, Zocalo Square, Mexico City.

      The name of this vibrant nation comes from Nahuatl, the most widely spread indigenous language in the country with over 1.7 million native speakers at present.

      Nahuatl was the mother tongue of the Aztec Empire and the lingua franca of its time—just as important as Greek, Latin and French once were. Just as important as English is in modern times.

      Interestingly, Nahuatl was not just a means to produce communication and poetry. Nahuatl was poetry itself—charged with ever-present metaphors and philosophy.

      Some suggest that the name Mexico—meaning the place in the bellybutton of the moon—was the Aztec way of declaring themselves the center of the universe. However, we can discern a deeper metaphor here: a nation nurtured by the moon itself, which they revered as the goddess of fertility.

      You might be surprised to learn that every time you say tomato, chocolate, or axolotl you are connecting with this profound, beautiful language whose legacy echoes worldwide.

      No Shit Trips

    • The dance of life and death

      Walk through Xochimilco’s Ecological Park, Mexico City.

      Duality was the foundation of Mexico’s pre-Columbian worldviews. The universe was conceived as the constant dance of opposing forces—an impossible, eternal embrace. It was the tension between them that beat the even more impossible probabilities and, thus, allowed life to happen.

      Mexicans carry that ancient duality in their DNA. If you stay long enough, you will find people that can be boisterous and party-loving, while deep inside they’re grieving. Lebanese-American poet Kahlil Gibran once said that joy and sorrow are inseparable: “Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.”

      It is no wonder then, that Mexico’s land of the flowers, Xochimilco—a place so full of life, color, and music—is also one of the favorite spots to celebrate the Day of the Dead, every November. By that time of the year, the vibrant colors of marigolds make it look like a living watercolor. Yet, marigolds are known in Mexico as the flower of the dead. On the presumably solemn nights of the commemoration, Xochimilco’s canals are filled with laughter and celebration. That is the constant dance of life and death.

      The seed must perish so it can flourish. Xochimilco is not only a place to grow flowers, it is also the last bastion of pre-Columbian agricultural techniques that feed thousands of Mexico City locals, and home to an unimaginable ecological reserve in the middle of the city: The perfect dance between party and high culture.

      No Shit Trips

    • Where’s the (actual) Aztec Pyramid?

      Stone serpent on the Southern facade of Aztecs’ main Temple vestiges, Templo Mayor Museum, Mexico City.

      The other day we broke one of the biggest sales pitch in Mexican tourism: the famous pyramids of Teotihuacan were not Aztec; in fact they were a ghost town long before the rise of the Aztec civilization! Would you like to catch up? Do it here: Were they Aztec or Mayan?.

      The Aztecs arrived in the Basin of Mexico relatively late in history, around the 13th Century A.D.; they were essentially pilgrims looking for a place to settle. By the time Dante Alighieri was finishing the Divine Comedy, the Aztecs were founding Mexico City—just a few decades before the Black Death swept across Europe.

      The Aztec capital never stopped growing. Eventually, it evolved into the vibrant, 10-million-inhabitant monster we see today. And there, right in the Historic Center of this cosmopolitan beast —hidden silently, in plain sight, on a discrete corner between the majestic Metropolitan Cathedral and the National Palace—lie the vestiges of the actual Aztec pyramid: the core of the their worldview and spiritual life. Systematically destroyed by the Spanish government to build the viceregal city, the remaining structure we can visit today was preserved thanks to one of the city’s relentless enemies: the sinking of its former lake soil.

      Standing almost as high as London’s Tower Bridge, the Aztec Pyramid was known as the Great House of the Gods—Huey Teocalli, in Nahuatl, the original language. It was dedicated to both the God of War, and the God of Water (to whom we’ve also dedicated our blog Thor, the mighty god of thunder?). This double temple was built in seven different stages, one on top of the other; the earliest stages sank into the soft lake bed, and that is precisely why they weren’t completely wiped out after the fall of the Aztec Empire.

      Although you will never see an Aztec pyramid standing in its former splendor, the stories these vestiges have to tell are mind-blowing and hundred percent worth seeing.

      No Shit Trips

    • Were they Aztec or Mayan?

      Rear view of the Pyramid of the Sun, as seen from above. Teotihuacan, Estado de México.

      Spoiler alert: They were neither!

      It is possible that your travel agent advised you to go see the “Aztec Pyramids” in Teotihuacan. They might have called them Aztec because it is the easiest way to convey the magnificence and importance of this place in just a few words. After all, the Aztecs and the Mayas are Mexico’s most famous pre-Columbian civilizations worldwide.

      However, the Aztecs and the Mayas are far from being the only civilizations. There were hundreds of them! Throughout time and across the territory. In fact, these pyramids were built more than a thousand years before the Aztecs appeared on the stage. And they were likely far more impressed than you might be when they first cast an eye on these solid rock giants. There were no higher or more massive buildings around; the pyramids were to them what the Burj Khalifa or the Petronas Twin Towers are for us today. By the time the Aztecs appeared, the complex had already been abandoned for centuries!

      So, who the heck built the Pyramids in Teotihuacan? Archaeologists believe Teotihuacan could have been a multi-ethnic confederation, and that they chose this valley because of its strategic location, controlling trade routes from all four cardinal points. But safety could have been another reason: this spot protected the city from volcanic eruptions. Before the rise of Teotihuacan, an important village named Cuicuilco had been devastated by this phenomenon, and the sacred city of Cholula was continuously threatened by its nearby active volcano. Some archaeologists suggest that the massive size of the pyramids was a direct consequence of the psychological impact these eruptions had on them.

      No Shit Trips

    • Thor, the Mighty God of Thunder?

      Tlaloc vessel, Templo Mayor Museum, Mexico City.

      Did you think that Thor was the mighty god of thunder? Well, you might wanna think again!

      The Aztecs and the most iconic civilization before them dedicated temples to him. He was served by his own assistant deities, known as the Tlaloques. Their sacred duty was to smash clay vessels filled with water, thus releasing rain onto the earth. The sound of those vessels breaking was the thunder people could hear. This mighty character also possessed his own paradise, where he would welcome the souls of the people whose death was related to water—whether by drowning or being hit by a lightning bolt. Tlaloc was his name.

      The Aztecs renamed the structures that today we know as Pyramid of the Sun and Pyramid of the Moon. However, evidence suggests that these massive, not-to-be-missed buildings were originally meant to be home to Tlaloc and his wife—whose name must be read and pronounced with patience: Chalchiuhtlicue. It translates to something like ‘She of the jade skirt’ or ‘The one whose skirt is made of waves’.

      Today, even though most Mexicans are catholic and pre-Columbian religions are rarely practiced or understood, everyone still thinks of Tlaloc during droughts or storms. Just like in the past, if the rain is timely and kind, social media gets flooded with hilarious memes about Tlaloc’s affection for his people. On the other hand, when it causes destruction, news reporters refer to his wrath.

      The Aztecs’ most sacred building is considered to have been a double pyramid with two temples on top: one for their god of war and the other for Tlaloc, the god of water. Archaeologists and historians suggest that this was a constant reminder: You were born to be a farmer and a warrior. The remains of Tlaloc’s temple in Mexico City don’t look as fancy as the Pyramid of the Sun, but the spot is just as fascinating.

      No Shit Trips

    • A complicated city

      Skyline from Condesa neighborhood, Mexico City.

      There is no question: Mexico City is a masterpiece of a place, but its traffic is an absolute nightmare.

      Pollution levels have frequently been high in recent years, often where outdoors activities such as exercising are discouraged. Since the pandemic, the number of vehicles has surged—partly due to a reluctance to use the public transport system, usually overcrowded, insufficient, and unreliable; and partly due to the explosion of ride-hailing and delivery apps. Mexico City has never been easy, but nowadays, all of its main avenues and streets have become inescapable prisons of vehicles and stressed-out drivers for the better part of the day.

      This problem is not exclusive to big cities, it is also reaching small towns, especially those that depend economically on tourism. Environmental awareness and the determination to preserve destinations for future generations are no longer just an option; they have become vital for true travel-hearted people. These future generations we talk about are not an abstraction; they are already here, among us—they are your own children, nephews, nieces or students. The youngsters that cannot travel by their own means yet, but eventually will.

      At No Shit Trips, we have come to understand that true luxury is not having a car pick you up at your accommodation; instead, it is the freedom of not being trapped inside one, wasting valuable time, while at the same time contributing to the preservation of this planet that we call home. If you think about it, isn’t being part of this life—being interstellar dust capable of thinking, feeling, breathing, loving and commuting by using your own body—fancy enough? Besides, by walking or cycling, cities and towns reveal themselves in a truly special way.

      You want a pro tip? Although we wouldn’t generally recommend Mexico City’s public transport, we make one exception: Eco-bici. As a traveler, you will likely find it easy to use the hundreds of bike stations located around the city’s most iconic spots. You can hire the service for a single day or an entire year to move around more easily and ecologically. Of course, we recommend great caution while riding, because, even with designated bike lanes, the city’s traffic remains complicated. Still, it is a great way to get around.

      Whomever you choose to organize or host your trip: please, travel eco-friendly.

      No Shit Trips