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TRAVEL MEMOIRS

Visiting One of Mexico City’s Poorest But Most Colorful Barrios

Don’t let its reputation stop you

Darren Weir
Travel Memoirs
Published in
8 min readDec 4, 2024

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Arial view of a densely populated urban neighborhood — many of the buildings in the foreground are brightly colored — contrasting with the beige and white buildings in the background
In a cable car over Iztapalapa, CDMX —

We arrived at the meeting place a half hour before the tour. I was just clicking off a few photos while waiting for the group to arrive when my friend pointed out a man focussing his long lens on some of the surrounding sites. “That looks like Rob. But it couldn’t be.”

As we walked closer, both my friend and the man with the camera recognized each other. “It is my neighbor Rob!”

I don’t know Rob but I thought the odds of the two of them meeting here were a longshot. Both were in Mexico City on the same day, at the same time, and neither knew the other was going. But what was even more of a coincidence? They were signed up for the same tour.

It wasn’t just any tour but was billed as a chance to explore an area seldom seen by visitors. Iztapalapa is the most populous and one of the poorest neighborhoods in Mexico City. It was once the most dangerous area of the capital but the community has managed to turn things around.

Billboard showing a brightly colored stylized human heart — words next to it say, “Bienvenido Al Corazon De Iztapalapa” (Welcome to the Heart of Iztapalapa)
“Welcome to the heart of Iztapalapa” — billboard on the street —

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Travel Memoirs
Travel Memoirs

Published in Travel Memoirs

A place for unique non-fiction stories based on travel memories.

Darren Weir
Darren Weir

Written by Darren Weir

I write about Travel, Photography, Music - Parasol Publications Editor - Publisher of Travel Memoirs - TV News Producer (retired)

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