Out and about with Michael Parker
Our longtime friend and collaborator Michael Parker is, without a doubt, the best tour guide to really “get” Mexico City.
Written by Jorge Fitz | 3 min read
Recently, we hosted five friends that Michael Parker brought us. As he kneaded the lard, everyone sensed his unabashed enthusiasm for Mexico City, the conurbation he says he’ll never leave. We weren’t surprised he works as an in-demand private guide, with a take on every part of town.
His fascination with all things Mexico tickled our teams. He made warm pokes into the kitchen, before and after eating, and his sense of humor led to lavish compliments for our whole staff, stirring up a source of pride for what they do.
We wanted to tour with him. He’s known for wide-ranging experiences, on offbeat routes that cover anything from Lucha Libre to LGBTQI+ history and nightlife. He strolls marvelous quarters like Roma, Condesa and Juárez, or visits favorite mercados in neighborhoods some Mexicans will never know. Every outing is a custom-designed tour that takes his visitors wherever in Mexico City they want to go. In our case, a first for many participants, he recommended a deep-dive into the Centro Histórico, the city’s downtown district.
“His fascination with all things Mexico tickled our teams. We wanted to tour with him!”
We assembled at its main plaza, the Zócalo, and Michael started to roll. In contrast to twenty-head tourist groups marching here and there, or on pre-recorded bus tours, our guide is an anti-pedagogue who discards long lists of historic events, or hurried, memorized spiels. His approach was personalized, seasoned with salt and a notably approachable vibe.
When we saw murals and other artworks, Michael pointed out themes and details we might never have seen without him. He masters the facts, but everything is a shared adventure. He encouraged conversations about the back-stories, the kooky legends, as we moved through colorful streets that have been central to Mexico life for almost seven centuries. Some participants said the experience re-fired their appreciation of the culture that makes the city great.
Architecture is a big part of Michael’s outings. All along the way, he pointed to still-standing evidence that led us to contemplate Mexico City as an eternally grand capital, starting with the Aztecs, later a theatre for Spanish viceroys. We remembered independence brought civil wars and notorious foreign invasions. At different, stunning sites, we talked about a belle epoque ironically associated with a dictatorial regime. Everything was a shared experience and places he took us highlighted intriguing footprints that portray Mexico’s key cultural moments.
Our tour guide, Michael Parker
“ In contrast to twenty-head tourist groups marching here and there, or on pre-recorded bus tours, our guide is an anti-pedagogue who discards long lists of historic events, or hurried, memorized spiels…”
Erudition aside, we couldn’t get over the quirky, yet authentic spots he included, cantinas high and low, new, chic restaurants alongside venerable old-school eateries and whole blocks of street food we sampled. The people-watching was fascinating.
Between landmarks, we popped into stately colonial palaces and extravagant private clubs that now serve as restaurants and stores. This in tandem with a district that peddles glittering quiceañera array, for princesses of every size. We loved our visit to an artisanal ice cream joint that kept the flavors cold the old fashioned way, in deep steel containers. “Whenever you’re bored, or trapped in traffic,” Michael advised, “just look at those venerable, gorgeous trees” you find on almost every Mexico City street.
Wrapping up with his notes on how best to savor tequila, we toasted in a splendid beaux-arts cantina. Our guide directed our attention to a bullet hole Pancho Villa shot into the ceiling, announcing he’d knocked over Mexico’s ancien régime. The Centro would be a new, revolutionary page in history.
“Michael Parker’s secret recipe—blending history and culture, peppered with anecdote and gossip, his love for his adopted country, affection for participants—is indeed inspiring. But most important, it’s just plain fun.”
To get in touch with Michael and book an unforgettable day touring Mexico City’s many neighborhoods, drop him a line at michael.parker3@outlook.com