(Sharp transition from my last post.)
Lyn and I just got back from a week in Mexico City (aka CDMX) where we went to the wedding of one of my students. Our very first Mexican wedding! What a joyous occasion and a lovely event. I even danced!
Felicitades Arni y Alejandra, y gracias por la invitación!
Touring around
While we were there, we stayed a week with a friend and toured around the city. Of course, it was the week of Día de Muertos so there was much to see and do. We did our best to experience the city, although I have to say, it wasn’t easy. The logistics of getting around are a nightmare! No matter where we went, it took at least an hour and a half to get there, sometimes longer.
In fact, just getting from the airport to our friend’s home (estimated at 45 minutes) took 2 1/2 hours (!) because of (1) a Formula 1 race being held in the city that weekend, and (2) the traffic. So, a 1 hour and 40 minute flight to get there from the Gulf and 2.5 hours to cross town!
El Palacio de Bellas Artes, El Museo National de Arte, El Palacio Postal & El Zócalo (La Plaza de la Constitución)
On our first free day, we took the Turibus from the Fuente de los Cibeles around the historic center of the city. We got off at the Palacio de Bellas Artes, an enormous building that houses a collection of 17 murals depicting the history of Mexico as well as an auditorium for music and performing arts.
The murals didn’t hold back. The story of the colonization of Mexico and the subjugation of the indigenous peoples was well captured by the nine famous Mexican muralists commissioned for the task, Diego Rivera among them.
We also visited the Museo National de Arte, where there was an exhibit by Rodrigo Pimental. In another area of the museum the architecture was on full display. Many people laid down on the floor to marvel at the intricately painted ceilings.
In front of the museum, there were local indigenous groups playing music and dancing and selling souvenirs to the gathering crowds.
My favorite stop was the post office — El Palacio Postal! Those of you who read this blog regularly know that mail here is virtually non-existent, but that wasn’t always so. Apparently, the Spaniards used the mail (correo) to send information across the Atlantic. Later, that system was expanded and combined with the mail system for inside the country. This post office building was constructed by President Porfirio Diaz in 1907 and has been in continuous operation since then.
The building was incredible and filled with artifacts from throughout its history. It even had an ofrenda (the altars erected at this time of year to honor the dead).
Our final stop of the day came after a long, crowded walk down Avenida Francisco I. Madero to the Zócalo, the city’s main square (also known as the Plaza de la Constitución), where they were setting up for Día de los Muertos. This year’s theme was the revolution. Of course, we walked we passed the famous Sanborn’s restaurant covered in hand-painted Talavera tiles, and saw the spirit of the season reflected in the many costumed visitors to the area who were happy to stop for a quick pic.
A rest stop at Gran Hotel
As you can see, this was a very full day.
At the end of it, we stopped for a quick drink and snack at the Gran Hotel de la Ciudad de México. The art nouveau building is breathtakingly beautiful, with a Tiffany-style stained glass ceiling and ornate metal work. Never mind that the desserts and drinks were delicious.
The restaurant was on the third floor with a walk-out window where you can take-in the entire plaza. To get to there, we rode in an old elevator and then walked up a flight of stairs.
While we had already had a very full day of bus and walk tours, we still had to get back home. That required a 40-minute walk back to our car parked near la Fuente de loss Cibeles and another 40+ minute ride back to the apartment where we were staying.
Stay tuned for more — we were here for a week, after all!
donnageisler.com 