Garuda Indonesia Colours Magazine March 2014 | Page 159

Travel | Bucharest, Mexico City, Atlanta

© Darryl Leniuk / Getty Images

brightest in the funky neighbourhoods of
Condesa and Roma. The mesmerizing mix of
art-house theatres, haute cuisine and boutique
retailers invites countless sun-filled strolls.
Beyond its see-and-be-seen crowd, Contramar
offers countless iterations of seafood, such as a
tostada of octopus in escabeche. In all its forms,
the food is delicious and the service unmatched.
And with outdoor seating near the Fountain
of Cibeles, an exact replica of the same
fountain in Madrid, the restaurant nearly
begs for lunch to be a three-hour affair.

The National Palace serves
as the seat of Mexico’s
government, and has done since
the 16th century when invading
Europeans first made contact
with the Aztecs.

Wandering further around Roma, the
culture-crossing restaurants and shops echo
the hippest parts of Brooklyn. Rosetta feels as
if it were transplanted directly from Italy,
serving delights such as tagliatelle with chicken
livers, and introduces the curious world of
Mexican wines. Somehow, though, it never
seems out of place for such a standout trattoria
to mingle with a neighbouring vanguard sushi
bar, Omiya, while an American Apparel store
waits up the street. And the hip crowd at
Maison Artemisia, a bespoke cocktail lounge,
epitomises the newfound wealth that flows
through the heart of Mexico City. Traditional
at times and chic at others, Mexico City has
more to offer now than ever. And no matter
where you turn along the Paseo de la Reforma
in the centre of the DF, one thing is for certain:
this metropolis is open for play just as much
as it is for business.

5 Senses – Sight

PYRAMID
OF THE SUN

Mexico City’s facts

5 Senses – Taste
Mexico City is the largest
metropolitan area in the western
hemisphere and the largest
Spanish-speaking city in the world.
Meksiko adalah kota metropolis
terbesar di bagian barat serta kota
berbahasa Spanyol terbesar di
dunia.

Mexico City’s Metro is the
largest in Latin America and one of
the cheapest in the world at only 5
pesos per journey (US$0.37).

© Bernd Juergens & f9photos / Shutterstock

Metro merupakan moda
angkutan terbesar di Amerika latin
dan termurah di dunia. Hanya 5
pesos per naik.

Mexico City has the most
museums in the world, with more
than 160, almost all of which are
free on Sundays.
Meksiko memiliki museum
terbanyak di dunia, lebih dari 160
buah dan gratis pada hari Minggu.

STREET FOOD
Though certain visitors avoid it,
some of the most delicious food in
Mexico City comes from street vendors.
Freshly squeezed orange juice, tongue
tacos and creamy flan can be found along
the Paseo de la Reforma, just for starters.
Eating in the open air isn’t anything to
be ashamed of in Mexico City. And when
the kitchen and dining room are all in
one stall, few questions arise as to who’s
preparing the food and how.

Just 40km northeast of Mexico
City, the Pyramid of the Sun leers over
Teotihuacán at 71m in height. Meaning
‘the place where men became gods’ in
the Náhuatl language, Teotihuacán
swelled to an estimated 150,000 people
by AD 450. But by the seventh century,
monuments were burned, inhabitants
fled and the tallest pyramid in the
New World was just a relic in a deserted
city. No artefacts or written language
explain what sparked the rapid decline
of Teotihuacán.

Walaupun banyak pengunjung
menghindarinya, beberapa makanan
terlezat di Kota Meksiko justru dijual
oleh penjaja kaki lima. Perasan sari jeruk
yang segar, taco dan puding krim yang
lezat dapat ditemukan di sepanjang
Paseo de la Reforma. Menikmati
hidangan di ruang terbuka adalah hal
yang lumrah dilakukan di Kota Meksiko.
Penjaja kaki lima ini biasanya memiliki
satu ruangan yang mencakup dapur
dan tempat makan.

Pyramid of the Sun, setinggi 71m
di atas Teotihuacán, dapat ditempuh
dengan berkendara sejauh 40km ke arah
timur laut dari Kota Meksiko.Teotihuacán
dalam bahasa Náhuatl berarti ‘tempat di
mana manusia menjadi dewa’. Kota kuno
ini dihuni sekitar 150.000 jiwa pada
tahun 450 SM. Ketika monumen ini
terbakar pada abad ke-7, seluruh
penduduknya mengungsi dan piramida
tertinggi di Benua Baru ini kini hanyalah
menjadi peninggalan masa lampau.

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