Pro Tip:

When arriving in a new city, the first thing I learned to do was to take a walking tour. You get accustomed to the streets, learn about the history, all while meeting other travellers. Also, you can get local insights and good recommendations on where you can head afterwards. 

Location: Mexico City

I still remember some of the stories from my first free walking tour in Mexico City. My favourite was about the famous Day of The Dead parade; the parade that people go to from all over the world to experience firsthand the Mexican tradition of celebrating the decease of loved ones. 

It’s been portrayed in movies like James Bond (2015), where he had to go through the parade to catch the bad guy.

Funnily enough, if you saw it in the movie and got inspired to book a flight to Mexico to experience the parade yourself, it might as well be April Fools because such parade was never part of the celebration to begin with.

In reality, people would celebrate with their families and bring some flowers to the dead.

The parade, on the other hand, was completely a Hollywood manifestation that the Mexican government ended up carrying out in reality for the simple reason of giving tourists what they want, therefore gaining more revenue.

So while for us foreigners it is known as the Day of the Dead parade, locals know it as the James Bond parade. 

This got me thinking about how as much as art can imitate reality, reality is also influenced by art. So when making decisions on where to eat, go out and travel, we always ask ourselves; are we were getting the authentic experience or were we sold the “gringo” tourist version? 

Here are more myth debunks and tips on how to distinguish between what’s authentic and what isn’t:

• If the restaurant says “authentic food” it rarely is. It’s the ones with barely any English writing or menus that are properly authentic. 

• Taco stands are Michelin star quality and are cleaner than you think if you know how to pick them. Firstly, notice if there are at least two people working; one doing the cooking and the other taking the money. This is a good sign that they are keen about not giving you food poisoning. If there is no hand sanitiser, eat at your own risk. Finally, if there is a crowd that’s another reassuring green flag. 

• The city centre or the downtown does not represent the big cities in Latin America. Nicer restaurants and popular neighbourhoods are usually somewhere else. So while Mexico City’s city centre was nice, people would choose to go to other neighbourhoods like Roma Norte or La Condesa. Granted it was gentrified, but it remains locals’ favourite.

• Unlike what you might’ve heard, it felt very safe to walk at night in the previously mentioned neighbourhoods. The ones that are not safe are most likely not even going to be en route.

• Prices are often different for tourists, so don’t be shy to haggle or ask around first before committing to a deal.