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Little money, lots of fun

If you're traveling on a shoestring, head for Mexico City, where you can live it up for pesos.

By KIMBERLY N. CHASE, Associated Press Writer
Published March 18, 2007

A mariachi violinist plays in the Tenampa bar in Mexico City’s Plaza Garibaldi. Lots of free and inexpensive entertainment options are available in Mexico for the tight-budgeted traveler.
	[AP photo]

MEXICO CITY

In Mexico, a dollar goes a long way. Cough up $20 and you'll be thoroughly entertained, by anything from a professional wrestling match to a night of dancing to Latin music. And many of these options will steer you clear of the ready-made foreigner-friendly Mexico, while you save money and live it up with the locals.

Start exploring Mexico City with a free, self-guided walking tour in the Historic Center, where you'll be impressed by the scale of the huge central plaza, the Zocalo. If you go on a weekend evening, you may run into an outdoor concert; during the day you'll find street protesters, crafts vendors and traditional dance groups.

The buildings surrounding the square date to the Aztecs, whose ceremonial center was located there before the Europeans built over it. At the Templo Mayor, just off the plaza's northeast corner, archaeologists continue to excavate ruins of the civilization that fell to the Spaniards. You can tour both the museum and the archeological site for $4.

Next to the Aztec ruins is the city's Metropolitan Cathedral, designed by 16 architects and built over two centuries. To the east is the National Palace, where stunning murals by Diego Rivera lay out the entire sweep of Mexican history. It's free to enter, but well worth finding a free, accredited guide to the left as you enter or paying about $9 to one of the guides outside to explain the images.

Hear music for a song

As for Mexican music, there are plenty of options - swaying with a partner to romantic Norteno cowboy music, getting serenaded by a mariachi band or dancing to the Mexican version of the cumbia.

One of the best places to hear the costumed, guitar-playing mariachis is Plaza Garibaldi, where they ramble across the plaza and take requests from customers in the many surrounding bars. Another is the canals of Xochimilco on the city's south side, where you can rent a 14-person boat for about $13 an hour, order lunch from passing boats for about $6 and request songs from mariachis floating by. Official prices are $2 to $7 per song depending on the type of melody, but as with most services in Mexico, prices are negotiable and tipping is customary.

To dance to Norteno music in a club that mixes rodeo, traditional Mexican sounds and modern music, go to the Rodeo Sante Fe in Satelite, in the northern part of the city, for bouncy banda rhythms, cumbia and a separate room with rock, pop and techno. For prices, concert listings and directions, visit www.rodeosantafe.com.mx.

From fights to art

The intrepid traveler on a budget shouldn't miss the Lucha Libre, the Mexican version of the WWF, where you can see masked, muscled giants like Mistico and Blue Panther pummel one another in a crusty downtown arena that will bring Jack Black's Nacho Libre to life.

You can even buy a mask for about $5 and scream obscenities at the fighters along with the rest of the hyped-up crowd. While nerve-wracking for the faint of heart, most of the fighters' swings, jumps and slaps are choreographed and safe, but be prepared for the stomach-curdling, accidental injury. Reserve tickets at www.ticketmaster.com.mx or buy them ahead of the show at the Arena Coliseo or the Arena Mexico for about $13.

After seeing the city's wild side, it is worth getting serious and exploring the wide array of local museums, most of which charge $4 or less. Many are scattered throughout the city's expansive Chapultepec park, where you'll encounter outdoor monuments, playgrounds and street performers as you take a break from the city streets.

Navigating the city

To get around, hop one of the city's red, double-decker Turibuses that, for $9 during the week and $10 on weekends, will take you to all the main highlights. Their routes and schedules are listed at www.turibus.com.mx. The city's efficient metro system will also ferry you around for a mere 18 cents a trip. Get off at the Auditorio or Chapultepec stops and meander along the park's winding paths.

After all this adventure, treat yourself to an evening at La Bodega, at Popocatepetl 25 in the trendy Colonia Condesa, where you can have dinner for about $15. Throw in $5 to $10 more on weekends and you can dine while listening to live pop, rock or blues, or a standup comedian. Check the schedule www.labodega.com.mx. This is a night to relax and have fun after days of budget exploring in one of the world's most interesting and exciting cities.

IF YOU GO

In Mexico

For information about traveling in Mexico, go to www.visitmexico.com or call toll-free 1-800-446-3942.

[Last modified March 15, 2007, 10:45:14]