The Nerve-y Traveler: Maureen Callahan & Belinda Carlisle Explore History & Mythology of Mexico City

Podcast: The Nerve with Maureen Callahan
Host: MK Media
Date: December 30, 2025
Guests: Maureen Callahan, Belinda Carlisle
Theme: A “troublemaking” travelogue: Maureen and pop icon Belinda Carlisle dig deep into Mexico City’s storied past, its mysteries, and its under-discovered wonders – embracing “nervy” adventures and irreverent humor along the way.

Episode Overview

In the inaugural “Nervy Traveler” edition, Maureen Callahan teams up with legendary Go-Go’s singer Belinda Carlisle for an atypical, curiosity-driven tour of Mexico City. This isn’t your typical travel show; the duo sidestep the clichés and tourist traps, seeking out the city’s weirdest, wildest, and most meaningful history and mythology. Belinda, who has lived in the city for over four years, acts as both tour guide and partner-in-troublemaking. Along the way, they challenge the conventions of celebrity travel (“Tracy Ellis Ross, take note!”), revel in the eerie and the awe-inspiring, and blend hilarious pop culture wit with true curiosity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

How the Collaboration Began (00:30–04:50)

• Social Media Serendipity: Belinda contacted Maureen at the launch of The Nerve for lunch, bonding instantly over a mutual passion for offbeat travel.
• From Fan to Friend: Maureen was a longtime Go-Go’s fan; their relationship quickly became a creative partnership.
• Their Mission: To show a side of places like Mexico City “no other travel guide” ever would, with Belinda as the knowing guide.

Belinda’s Adventurous (and Sometimes Dangerous) Travel Philosophy (04:51–11:03)

• Seeking the Unusual: Belinda is drawn to “places that people don’t normally go to,” often with State Department travel warnings.
  • Quote (Belinda, 04:51): “My traveling are the places that people don't normally go to. I love traveling in Islamic countries because I feel safer.”
• Archaeological Obsessions: The pair discuss how churches and sites worldwide are often built atop ancient civilizations, and how new technology is upending our historical knowledge.
  • Quote (Belinda, 05:18): “A lot of the archaeological finds in this, especially in the eastern part of Turkey, can potentially rewrite the history of mankind.”
• Traveling in Hermit Kingdoms: Belinda recounts a harrowing visit to a "hermit country” (implied to be Turkmenistan), where public figures and journalists are considered unwelcome.
  • Quote (Belinda, 08:16): “I've never been... so, I mean, I was really scared. We were there for about a week and trying to figure out how to leave.”
• Thrill-Seeking Roots: Maureen wonders how a “nice girl from suburban California” became a hotspot-seeker. Belinda half-jokes that it’s “the former drug addict in me for thrill. It’s like an adrenaline thing.” (10:28)

The Pyramids of Mexico City - Surprising Layers of History (11:03–19:19)

• Pyramids Beyond Egypt: Maureen is stunned at the prevalence of pyramids in Mexico, even within city limits.
  • Quote (Maureen, 11:03): “I thought pyramids were really only in Egypt. They're everywhere. And there's a bunch in Mexico, in Mexico City.”
• Tour Guide Carolina Explains Mesoamerican Myths (14:51–17:26):
  • Founding myth of Mexico City: an eagle eating a snake atop a cactus (now the symbol on the Mexican flag).
  • The city’s geography—built atop a lake, more than 2000 meters above sea level.
• Altitude & Adaptation: Practical tips on managing the high altitude—herbal pills over pharmaceuticals, Belinda’s regular travel routine.
• Engineering Marvels: The team marvels at ancient homes designed for natural airflow—an “ancient version of air conditioning.”
  • Quote (Maureen, 19:00): “What struck both she and I about this ancient, ancient structure… they were engineered in such a way that the doors… captured the direction in which cool air would flow through…”

Humor & Subversion—Mocking The Clichés (12:32–13:54)

• Satirizing Celebrity Travel: Maureen and Belinda lampoon moments from Tracee Ellis Ross’ show, “Always searching for places to put your camera to take pictures of yourself.”
• “Marveling at Trees”: Inspired spoof: the pair pretend to be awestruck by ordinary roadside trees.
  • Standout moment (13:14):
    • Maureen: “Trees, trees, trees. Oh, my God. It’s fall. It's maybe dying, but it's a tree. Oh, I can’t believe it.”
    • Belinda: “A tree.”
• Beauty Regimens in Bizarre Places: Embracing self-care, they dry-brush at the pyramids—cheekily linking ancient sites with modern rituals.

The Island of the Dolls—Dark Tourism and Urban Mythology (22:59–38:34)

• The Quest for the Real Island: Navigating sketchy boatmen and fake “islands of the dolls,” the duo insists on reaching the authentic weirdness.
  • Colorful Description (approx. 24:00): “Some of these are hoax boats… they take you so far, and then they’re like, ‘here’s the island of the dolls,’ and there’s like, one doll hanging…”
• History & Myth: Belinda recounts the legend: A drowned girl’s body led a local farmer to hang dolls to appease spirits—he, too, drowned in the same place.
  • Belinda (27:04): “There was a farmer and he saw the body of a young girl washed up on the shore... He put dolls everywhere to ward off evil spirits... And I think he died the same way, actually.”
• Atmosphere: Disquiet mixes with humor: “I thought, you know, I’ll bet some of these dolls could use a good dry brushing… So instead I brought a toothbrush.” (31:59)
• Staging the Macabre: The dolls are positioned ever-more ghoulishly. The pair compare it to “the Blair Witch Project”—eerie, but also a bit tongue-in-cheek.
  • Belinda (36:45): “There is kind of funny. Like I was saying, it feels like it's a competition. Like, how can you freak out visitors?”
• Life on the Island: Local families actually inhabit the site; Maureen ponders the young “heiress” to the island’s weird legacy.

Reflections on Travel, Authenticity, and the Joy of the Unexpected (38:44–41:14)

• Belinda’s love for Mexico: Embracing the “Wexican” (white Mexican) label with humor and gratitude: “I aspire to be a Wexican or a Mexican. I mean, I love the culture here so much and the people.” (39:05)
• Style on the Go: Maureen insists on discussing Belinda’s stylish jacket and scarf amidst the haunted dolls.
• The Magic of Missed Plans: Travel mishaps (missing the sunset, logistical headaches) become the source of magic—the evening boat ride back in golden light, surrounded by peaceful nature.
  • Quote (Maureen, 41:02): “Even the things that sort of mess up your plan or your agenda for the day can really actually turn out to be, like, the greatest… We have this beautiful light, this quiet. We just lucked out.”

Philosophy of “Energetic Tourism” (41:14–41:47)

• Avoiding the Crowds: Belinda’s spiritual approach: “When a place is mobbed by tourists, it actually kind of interferes with the energy exchange… You’re on a site that has seen a lot where people have lived, people have died, where significant consequential things have happened…”
• Special Moments: Early mornings, off-hours, and time alone make for the most meaningful site visits.

Day 3 Highlights—Frida Kahlo Museum & Celebratory Silliness (47:02–49:54)

• Frida Kahlo Museum: An exclusive look inside (photos and video not usually allowed!), celebrating Mexico’s artistic and feminist legend.
• Mimicking Tourist Stereotypes: Belinda and Maureen embrace “ugly” souvenirs and stage an impromptu rooftop rendition of “We Got The Beat”—sombreros and maracas included.
  • Memorable musical moment (49:38):
    • Belinda (singing): “See the people walking down the street / Falling lines and spots and all their feet… We got the beat, we got the beat, we got the beat. Suck it, Tracy Ellis Ross—try to do that with a real Go Go.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (With Timestamps)

• Belinda Carlisle on safer travel in Islamic states:
  “I love traveling in Islamic countries because I feel safer.” (04:51)

• Travel as Thrill-Seeking:
  “I think it's that the former drug addict in me for thrill. I mean… it's like an adrenaline thing.” —Belinda Carlisle (10:28)

• Maureen discarding travel clichés:
  “I thought pyramids were really only in Egypt. They're everywhere…” (11:03)

• Tour Guide Carolina on Mexico’s mythic origins:
  “That was our foundational myth… our flag, it's green, white, and red, and in the middle, it has an eagle on top of a cactus.” (16:07)

• Island of the Dolls, in a nutshell:
  “It is an island full of dead dolls.. that are hanging everywhere…” —Maureen (27:02)
  “And I think he died the same way, actually. I think he drowned.” —Belinda (27:45)

• On the dolls’ macabre “competition”:
  “It feels like it's a competition. Like, how can you freak out visitors?” —Belinda (36:45)

• On finding joy in travel mishaps:
  “Things that sort of mess up your plan… can actually turn out to be the greatest…” —Maureen (41:02)

• Belinda’s gratitude for Mexico:
  “I aspire to be a Wexican or a Mexican. I mean, I love the culture here so much and the people.” (39:05)

Key Timestamps for Major Segments

• [00:30] – The origin of Maureen & Belinda’s travel partnership.
• [04:51] – Belinda's travel risk philosophy; exploring Eastern Turkey, hidden archaeology.
• [07:17–09:59] – Stories from hermit states (hint: Turkmenistan), close calls for public figures.
• [11:03] – Discovery: pyramids in Mexico City.
• [14:51] – Tour guide Carolina on the Pyramid of the Sun and founding myths.
• [19:00] – Marveling at ancient urban engineering; ritualistic dry-brushing humor.
• [22:59] – Introduction to the Island of the Dolls mythos.
• [24:00] – Navigating to the real (not fake) Island of the Dolls.
• [27:02–29:55] – Story, superstition, and the island’s strange ecology (hello, peculiar fish!).
• [31:59–36:00] – Exfoliating the dolls; comparing the experience to the Blair Witch Project.
• [39:05] – “Wexican” identity, candid & affectionate.
• [41:02] – Reflections on serendipity and travel magic.
• [47:02] – Frida Kahlo Museum; procurement of loud, kitschy souvenirs.
• [49:38–49:54] – Rooftop “We Got The Beat” jam.

Tone & Style

Part travel doc, part pop-culture roast, equal parts affection and irreverence—Maureen and Belinda take listeners on journeys that are as much about attitude (and self-mockery) as about location. They blend deep curiosity for the world with skepticism toward conventional wisdom and cliché, all while gleefully poking fun at themselves and celebrity travel norms.

Summary for New Listeners:
This episode is a love letter to the delightfully weird, obscure, and mythic corners of Mexico City—led by two boldly curious troublemakers. If you think you know travel podcasts, or even Mexico City, this episode is sure to surprise, inspire, and make you laugh out loud.