The French attacked, then the Americans, then the rebels, then the rebels against the rebels, and so on. Dine at the Bar Le Opera, which proudly displays a bullet hole in the ceiling. Remember that as you're sipping your spicy crab soup while listening to a mariachi band play Beer Barrel Polka. The Spaniards destroyed every Aztec relic they could find, but they missed a lot. In this one small area, it is possible to see relics from every era in Mexico's history.
Most tourists think of a Mexican vacation in terms of lying on the beach in Acapulco.
No one actually goes to Mexico City. It's filled with crime. The reality is quite different. The local government has addressed many of the problems. Air quality is up, crime is down.