After breakfast we met our guide Ariushka (Ari) and took off on our tour of Mexico City. The first thing we encountered, of course, was traffic. We had read about Mexico City traffic but experiencing it first-hand was still amazing.
On the plus side, while waiting at a traffic light we did get to see a guy juggling 3 machetes. Sadly I wasn’t fast enough to grab a camera in time to catch the act.
Eventually we arrived at the southern part of town where some of the original canals are still in use. There is a thriving business in tour boats in this area.
A few of the hundreds of colorfully painted boatsWe couldn’t resist, and Ari said we had time so we rented a boat for an hour. High point of the day #1Our boatman did a great job of moving our boat literally thru the other boats and into the channel.Sorry, it’s such a great sight from water level I just had to throw this one in.Once out in the canal we encountered numerous vendors selling everything from floral wreathsTo tortillas to roasted corn.
There were also boats carrying mariachi bands and marimbas. One of the latter pulled along side us and we thought of Jesse.
The canals were actually created when the Aztecs built islands in the middle of the lake.
They drove pickings into the lake bottom (you can see tops of some of them here) and filled the center with dirt.
They used these man-Made islands to grow vegetables and such.
Today they grow flowers. Lots and lots of flowers. Throughout the system green houses like this one are transitioning from Marigolds (the official flower of Day of the Dead) to Poinsettias.Along the way we encountered a party (this one sponsored by the health ministry). They tied 4 boats together and carried their own mariachi band. My 70th birthday is coming up.Ari pointed out that the commerce happens in the main channels, but the people who work in the area often live in houses down the side channels.
Our canal adventure complete we dived back into traffic and made our way back to the city center. The way was painfully slow not only because of the volume of traffic but also because the traffic control people were getting ready for a demonstration. Demonstrations are a daily event here and most happen in the cathedral square in front of the royal palace – home of the Mexican President. So our driver (Guierremo) wandered a bit to get us close to the square.
The square is bordered on one side by the cathedralBut we went first to the royal palace.The palace, in addition to being the home of the President, has a set of magnificent murals by Diego Rivera. This one, the largest is actually a fresco. It is a summary of Mexican history from the earliest times 1920.At the center of this mural is the eagle sitting on a cactus eating a snake. Tradition holds that prophesy had told the Aztecs that they would find a home when they saw this symbol – which they did on the shores of the lake where Mexico City now stands. The eagle/snake/cactus is the symbol on the Mexican flag.There are several large murals in this collection. Ari explained the significance and symbolism in each one. They present scenes from different areas of Mexico. This one is Mexico City, the trading capital.These artisans are in the Puebla region.West coastEast CoastHarvesting cactus to make pulque (a traditional alcoholic drink made from the cactus). They also used the fibers to make paper. Ari and Cheryl looking at a part of the mural that shows images printed on cactus paper. The images on the paper actually tell the story of Mexican history. One more note. There are two black dogs drinking from the stream. One or both of these dogs show up in most Rivera paintings.The last mural shows the Spanish conquest from the eyes of the natives.
Leaving the palace we crossed the street to view the excavation of the Temple Mayor. This Aztec era pyramid was dedicated to the god of Rain and the God or War. The Spanish used stones from it in the construction of the cathedral next door.
Foreground: Model of the temple; Background: Actual temple site.Then it was time for lunch. Ari joined us for an excellent meal at one of her favorite restaurants. I finally had Mole. No David, not the chemical unit of measure, not the golf course rodent, the Mexican sauce made from all kinds of goodness. It was amazingly good!
After lunch we headed over to the cathedral.
Outside is a statue of Mexico’s favorite Pope, John Paul II, with the virgin of Gaudalupe. The interesting thing about this sculpture is that it was made totally from keys that people from all over Mexico sent in.Inside was as ornate as you’d expect.But the best part of the experience was when we walked in. The organ was playing an antiphonal piece by Gabrielli. The pipes on the left were one “choir.” The pipes on the right were a second “choir.” It was grand and glorious. High Point of the day #3.This one’s for Steve Smith. They have so many relics that they have a separate reliquary chapel. Prominent is the scull and bones of St. Vital – though I’m not sure which one. The cathedral is also home to a miraculous “black Christ.” The Christ was light-skinned until a miracle turned it black and in so doing saved a man’s life. Cheryl can tell you the whole story.
Following the cathedral we headed out to walk over to the Palice of Fine Arts…when the skies opened up. The downpour was monumental and lasted long enough that we decided to catch an Uber back to our hotel and call it a day.
We rested for a bit, read some, and eventually made our way across the street to the Crepe and Waffle shop in the mall for a light supper. Yum!
In spite of the traffic and the rain we really did get a good overview of the city and some of its best sights.
Tomorrow we are dedicating the whole day (or as much of it as it turns out to be) to the anthropology museum. The more we learn about the history of this country the more eager we are to delve deeper into its history and artifacts.
Oh, and CDMX is short for Ciudad de Mexico (Mexico City) you see the acronym everywhere.
Love the boats & the canal!
Such a cool day!!!!