The next day was spent exploring much of what Cuernavaca had to offer. For better or for worse, they flew over my head. The restaurant’s entertainer, a crooner/comedian, immediately noticed my conspicuous gringo entrance and cracked rapid-fire Spanish jokes in my direction. We finally founded a restaurant to our liking it boasted considerable ambiance in its courtyard setting and tapas-like cuisine. One pedestrian street just two blocks away was lined with tables, but they fronted bars, not restaurants. I was immediately charmed by Cuernavaca’s colonial moonlit look, but was soon underwhelmed by its selection of restaurants. Our hotel was situated on a quiet, cobblestone street. We checked into our hotel, the basic – but spacious – Hotel Juárez, and headed out for dinner.

A series of first class, direct buses serve several cities directly from the airport Cuernavaca, Querétaro, and Pachuca are among them. I met her at MEX (Benito Juárez International Airport) on a rainy Wednesday afternoon and we embarked for Cuernavaca directly from the airport. Vero lived with her parents, and we had discussed wanting to spend some time together “in a more private setting” than her parents house, and thus settled on Cuernavaca. She worked the front desk at the Mexico City hostel in which I stayed during my first visit to Mexico City just five months prior. I was infatuated with a Chilanga when I visited Cuernavaca in 2003. Fun fact: according to Wikipedia, the Shah of Iran once had a house in Cuernavaca! Cuernavaca has been a long-time weekend destination for many wealthy Chilangos (Mexico City residents), and I’ve heard – but have not been able to verify – that Cuernavaca has more swimming pools per capita than anywhere else in the world. Often called the “City of Eternal Spring,” Cuernavaca sits in a 5,000-foot valley south of Mexico City’s volcanic southern slopes, and features a wonderful year-round climate. It was over 12 years ago, in April of 2003, when I made my second trip to Mexico City, with my eyes set on an extended weekend destination one hour to the south of DF: Cuernavaca. My love affair with Mexico has lasted for many years.

Mexico city airport to cuernavaca