Galerías Plaza de las Estrellas

Opened in 1982, Galerías Plaza de las Estrellas was one of Mexico City’s first indoor shopping malls. In order to stand out from its competitors, a Walk of Fame was installed inside. Some peculiar prints are to be found here, boxer Julio César Chávez left his right fist, for example. A TV presenter known mononymously as Facundo, famous for his provocative, often controversial gonzo reporting style, left one hand doing the ILY sign, while the other raises its middle finger. These make a fair amount of sense, but there are some that require more explanation.

The character of El Compayito is somewhat similar to Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, as it is played by the performer’s hand, with him voicing it almost like a ventriloquist. However, whereas Triumph was a puppet, Compayito was a bare hand with a pair of plastic eyes affixed on top. A t-shirt on the performer’s wrist often stood for the character’s “body”. His “handprint” is probably the most unique to be found here.

One might consider Ronald McDonald’s clown shoe print, or that of Abelardo’s avian feet (he is Big Bird’s Latin American cousin on the localized Plaza Sésamo) a bit absurd, but the walk’s most one-of-a-kind print is unfortunately now gone. Keiko, the orca that portrayed the title character in Free Willy, had its tail molded and the “print” featured prominently on display in this mall. In addition to the tail mold, its display proudly announced its Guinness World Record as “the world’s largest print of the whale Keiko” (probably not the most contested record).

The mall has a history beyond its walk of fame, as in 1985, it saw the opening of the first Thai restaurant in Mexico City. Restaurante Bangkok, which was still in operation as of early 2022, might have even been the first in the country and maybe in Latin America. As the cherry on top of the sundae of uniqueness that is this mall, it also has an “esoteric passage.” This passage is a series of shops selling supplies for witchcraft such as candles and soaps, as well as statues of Santa Muerte and New Age items such as crystals and incense.