Hola from Monterrey again!
Can you believe it? Today is my 100th day in Monterrey. What a mile stone. Last time I informed you about the University Tecnologico de Monterrey and its differences in comparison to the Macromedia in Berlin. So, this time I will talk about the various opportunities outside of campus.
Monterrey is surrounded by Mountains and offers many trips that allow one to escape from the city. It is a nice weekend activity to drive out into nature with friends. I personally, enjoyed hiking to the waterfall „Chipitin“ and climbing up the most famous mountains called: „Chipinque“ and „Cerro de la Silla“. It is always very exhausting, but afterwards you will feel like you accomplished something quite impressive. Also, the view from the mountain peak makes up for everything.
Besides hiking, there are a lot of opportunities to leave the couch potato you used to be behind. From mountain climbing to water rafting and playing paintball, everything is possible in Monterrey. I, myself was a big fan of the extreme experience in the „Matacanes Nationalpark“, where we, as a small group, went through a rough pathway of swimming, hiking, abseiling, and jumping off cliffs. You can imagine how exhausted I was after the 10 hour-tour.
Of course, sometimes, a nice evening out with your friends is exactly what you need after a stressful week at university. One district in Monterrey offers many bars and clubs, where one can go Salsa dancing, listen to live rock music or enjoy a beer by one of the local breweries and experience the local love for Reggaeton. My favorite club so far was either „Cafe Iguana“, which has a cool alternative line up of live bands or „Sierra Madre“, which is a brewing company offering the largest variety of beer in a cozy bar.
During my Semana I (https://macro-worldwide.blog/2017/10/05/monterrey-mexiko-semana-i/) I visited all the local museums, which is a must do. Interactive learning about culture and history was so much fun and on some days of the week the entrance is for free for students. During Semana I, a bonus was definitely, that Mexican students were able to explain a lot about art pieces and historic artifacts. The most I liked the local history museum, since I am super interested in the Aztec Temples and I learned a lot about Latin American history in one of my courses.
Even Mexicans visit Monterrey for its variety of shopping malls. You would not believe how huge these malls are. Surprisingly, there are no local Mexican brands. Also, it is quite funny to see locals buying big winter jackets, which they will only wear inside buildings, since the air-conditioning can be very cold. Even I bought a big pullover for myself, because I felt like freezing to death in the classrooms of the university. One of my favorite malls is called „Fashion Drive“, which seems to have never-ending halls of popular shops.
Going out for lunch and dinner is essential in Mexico. Not only is it affordable, there is also so much exotic food to try in Monterrey. Especially in the district „Barrio Antiguo“ (The old city center), there are endless options of traditional restaurants. One of my personal favorites is called „Trece Lunas“, which serves vegan Mexican food in a relaxed atmosphere. Must try dishes are: Enchiladas; Chilaquiles, which are Nachos with sauce and cheese, traditionally eaten for breakfast; and of course Tacos at any occasion. Be prepared to order any food in any restaurant in Spanish though.
¡Que te vayas bien!
Lina
