I’ve been back in Mexico City for two weeks. Fourteen weeks to go.

I hatched the plan to stay for a longer spell in Mexico City – “CDMX” as it’s now called by those in the know – a few years ago on what was I think my eighth trip here. After each visit I left feeling as though I hadn’t seen enough, as though I’d been rushed trying to see everything and there was still a bunch of other stuff hiding, waiting for me to find it. It deserved a longer look.

The Zocalo, heart of the Centro Histórico

If you’ve been here you know how rich the city is, how many cafes and restaurants and leafy plazas and historical buildings and hip bars and museums there are. There’s something around every corner, and despite being a regular visitor to the place I felt I needed to carve out a larger chunk of time to try and get a more complete handle on it.

Church and square at the Plaza de Santa Catarina, just a few blocks from my place

I’ve long thought Mexico would be a good place to live longer term. Maybe not Mexico City exactly (though it’s a pretty compelling place for the sort of things I’m interested in), but Mexico. I figured, well, I love Mexico City, and staying there for a four month stint will give me both a good taste for life in CDMX as well as Mexico as a country, so why not?

A hot time in the old town tonight; kissing in the Zocalo in the late afternoon

A school girl on her way home. There are murals and graffiti everywhere in the city

I’m sure – no, I know – Mexico City doesn’t represent a balanced view of the entire nation, but no other place in the country does either. And because I love the city it’s as good a place as any to plant a flag and learn more of the history, culture and language. And did I mention how cool and interesting it is?

Diego Rivera murals in the National Palace

The Vasconcelos library near Buenavista

I’m renting a furnished place in the Centro Histórico district from Arturo, a local artist whom I met several trips back. He lives in the same building and owns two other units that he rents out to short or longer terms guests. Living in Centro is a bit like living in a perpetual festival, or one long public holiday. The streets are crammed nearly all the time with shoppers and merchants and vendors and sight-seers all milling through the cobble stone avenues and in and out of the colonial buildings and squares. A quick trip across town to the more gentrified areas of Roma and La Condesa illustrate how mad Centro is. Over in that part of town things are a lot calmer and greener. Attractive people in hip clothes sip coffees and trip through the used record stores. But I like Centro. I like the chaos and the colors.

My digs on Leandro Valle street, Centro Histórico

Alison, the girl who lives beside me and puts flowers on my doorstep

Laundry day at my place

Shoppers on the streets of the Centro Histórico

Taco stand gearing up for a night of hungry patrons

I have everything I need for a prolonged stay: my flat is well furnished, and I have a regular place to buy groceries, fruits and vegetables, coffee, breads and pastries and sundries. I have a pre-loaded metro card, a local cellphone and plan (and it’s cheap!), and a number of the vendors I buy from nod in recognition. I joined a gym (it’s really cheap too).

I’ll post now and then on my progress and put up a few photos. Mexico City is gaining a reputation as a cool and trendy place to travel these days as witnessed in the North American press, so there’s no shortage of websites and cool Instagram accounts to follow where you’ll find better and more artistic photos than I can take. But it’s fun finding the neat angles and shots when wandering around, so I’ll put up a few now and then. Humor me.

The leafy streets and gardens of Roma. There’s little like this in Centro

Square and art at the National Library. There is a lot of free art and music in CDMX

Stay tuned!