In this episode of DeMochilas, we begin exploring Mexico City borough by borough, starting with Miguel Hidalgo and one of the city’s most recognizable cultural areas: Plaza Carso.

During this visit we explored three places located within the same complex: Museo Soumaya, Acuario Inbursa, and the interactive aquarium inside Plaza Carso. What started as a simple plan to finally visit an aquarium turned into a full day of art, science, and unexpected discoveries.

The underground aquarium features large tanks filled with sharks, turtles, and many species of fish, while the interactive aquarium focuses more on education, conservation, and environmental awareness. This second space also includes one of Mexico’s most beloved creatures: the axolotl, a species that has become both a cultural icon and a symbol of conservation.

After exploring marine life, we stepped into the Museo Soumaya, famous for its distinctive architecture and massive private collection of around 66,000 pieces of art. Walking through its six floors felt like revisiting many of the art movements I studied years ago, from European masters to modern Mexican art and Rodin’s sculptures.

Between aquariums, art, and family conversations about culture and education, this episode marks the beginning of exploring Mexico City from within, one borough at a time.

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In this episode of DeMochilas, we travel to Gotemba, a place that feels intentionally removed from the density and rhythm of Tokyo. After days of movement, trains and constant stimuli, Gotemba offered distance — both physical and mental.

This chapter is about contrast. Wider spaces, fewer people and a slower tempo created a different way of experiencing Japan. Being outside the city made time feel less compressed and allowed for observation without urgency. Gotemba wasn’t about ticking off locations; it was about changing perspective.

This episode captures the importance of leaving major cities during a trip. Sometimes understanding a country means stepping away from its center and letting the surroundings reset how you experience everything else.

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In this episode of DeMochilas, I reflect on the last moments of the trip and the unexpected conversations that often become the most memorable part of traveling.

While in Monterrey, I originally wanted to conduct a few interviews, but approaching strangers can be difficult for me. However, an unexpected conversation with an Uber driver named Ozi turned into a spontaneous interview about music, tattoos, traveling, and even the curious cultural tensions that sometimes exist between different cities within the same country.

The episode also covers the journey back home: taking a night bus to San Luis Potosí, waiting at the bus terminal, meeting people along the way, and the final challenge of recovering my mom’s truck before returning to Mexico City.

To close the Monterrey chapter, I share my overall impressions of the city: a place full of contrasts between industrial history, mountains, caves, parks, and urban development. From places like Fundidora Park to the food, markets, and people we met along the way, Monterrey proved to be a destination with many layers and much more left to explore.

Because in the end, travel is not only about the places we visit, but also about the conversations and stories we encounter along the road.

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In this episode of DeMochilas, I talk about Tokyo in a very honest way: not as a perfectly planned destination, but as a city we mostly experienced by wandering, taking trains without overthinking, and letting curiosity guide the day.

Because of how we explored, memories from Tokyo sometimes blend together — stations, neighborhoods, random stops that weren’t on any itinerary. And that’s exactly what defined this part of the trip. Tokyo isn’t a city you fully control; it’s a city you move through. With hundreds of train and metro lines, getting lost is easy — and for me, that was part of the fun.

This episode focuses on everyday moments: eating inside stations, discovering how entire mini-cities exist underground, walking alone through non-touristy areas, and realizing that Tokyo reveals itself slowly when you stop chasing landmarks. It’s a chapter about observation, small encounters, and learning to feel comfortable not knowing exactly where you are.

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In this episode of DeMochilas, I talk about gastronomy in Nuevo León, focusing on the food experiences we had in Monterrey and its surroundings.

I’ll start with a confession: I’m Mexican… and I don’t eat chili or spicy sauces. Because of that, this episode became a very honest look at what it’s like to try everything anyway, even when it pushes you outside your comfort zone.

Throughout the trip, we visited traditional restaurants, cantinas with decades of history, casual diners, and street food spots. None of these are paid promotions, every place was recommended by friends or family, or we simply walked in and decided to eat there.

From classic breakfast spots and 24-hour restaurants, to century-old cantinas with strong traditions, unexpected restaurant experiences in Santiago, iconic Monterrey institutions like cabrito, and street snacks like tostilocos, this episode is about food as culture, memory, and social space.

These are personal experiences, not reviews. Taste changes, contexts matter, and revisiting a dish or a place can completely change your opinion. The goal is not to judge, but to invite curiosity: to try new things, even if you’re not sure you’ll love them.

Food is one of the most direct ways to understand a place, and Nuevo León definitely left an impression.

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In this episode of DeMochilas, we travel to Nikko, a place that feels completely removed from the pace of Tokyo. After navigating busy stations and constant movement, Nikko offered a shift toward silence, nature and reflection.

This chapter focuses on contrast. Forest paths, cooler air and historic spaces create an atmosphere where Japan feels older, calmer and more grounded. Being in Nikko wasn’t about rushing from point to point, but about walking, observing and letting the environment guide the experience.

Nikko helped rebalance the trip. It reminded me that Japan isn’t only neon lights and efficiency — it’s also deep history, quiet moments and landscapes that invite you to slow down and listen. This episode marks a pause before returning to more intense cities and experiences.

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In this episode of DeMochilas, I explore San Pedro Garza García, one of the most well-known and economically influential areas in Nuevo León. Often labeled as exclusive or luxury-focused, San Pedro reveals much more once you slow down and walk through it.

Staying in this area allowed me to experience its balance between urban development and nature. From wide avenues like Calzada San Pedro and Calzada del Valle, to parks filled with greenery, informational signs about local flora and fauna, and people exercising, walking dogs, or simply enjoying the outdoors, the city shows a quieter, more grounded side.

I also visit Parque Rufino Tamayo, where unexpected activities like disc golf coexist with daily routines, and Museo La Milarca, a private collection that left all of us impressed, especially considering it was once someone’s personal collection. The episode also touches on nightlife, shopping spaces like Fashion Drive, and how San Pedro offers very different experiences depending on how and where you choose to spend your time.

This chapter is about contrasts: wealth and simplicity, routine and discovery, museums and parks. A reminder that places often have more layers than their reputation suggests.

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In this episode of DeMochilas, we arrive in Shinagawa, one of the major transportation hubs of Tokyo and a place defined by constant movement. After the calm of Hitachi, Shinagawa felt like a shift in energy — faster, louder, and more demanding.

This chapter is about transition. Trains, platforms, crowds and schedules all converge in a space where people are always going somewhere else. Shinagawa wasn’t about staying, but about learning how to move within Japan’s systems: understanding directions, timing, and the unspoken rules that keep everything flowing.

Being in Shinagawa made it clear that Japan requires awareness and adaptability. It’s a place where you don’t stop to look around — you learn by keeping up. This episode marks the moment when the trip stopped being slow observation and started becoming active navigation.

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In this episode of DeMochilas, I explore the markets of Nuevo León, moving through very different environments that, at first glance, might feel unrelated, but are deeply connected by the people who bring them to life.

From Mercado Juárez in downtown Monterrey, to temporary stalls in the Macroplaza, the small market in Santiago, and the open-air gathering spaces of San Pedro Garza García, each market has its own rhythm, layout, and atmosphere. Some are permanent, others appear only at certain times of the year, but all of them share something essential: families, friends, vendors, and locals creating moments of community through daily life.

Walking through these spaces, I notice how markets are more than places to buy things. They’re places where traditions continue, small businesses are born, and people gather simply to walk, talk, eat, and spend time together. Whether it’s candy stalls, bakeries that have survived for generations, handmade crafts, or street food, every stop reveals a different side of the city.

This episode is less about what you buy, and more about what you feel—how markets reflect the character of a place and the people who call it home.

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In this episode of DeMochilas, we arrive in Hitachi, a coastal city that quietly became our first real window into everyday life in Japan. After the intensity of arrival, Hitachi offered something essential: time to slow down and observe.

This chapter isn’t about famous landmarks or packed itineraries. It’s about trains that arrive on time, neighborhoods that feel lived in, and the subtle differences that start to reveal how Japan functions beyond what most visitors expect. Walking through the city, using local transportation, and simply being present helped the country begin to make sense.

Hitachi — a place to adjust mentally, understand the rhythm of daily life, and prepare for the faster, louder cities that would come later. Sometimes the most important parts of a trip happen where nothing “big” is supposed to happen.

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