Mexican Madness: 2005-2006

What is Mexico City like? First there are the sounds. The calls of the street vendors competing for customers, police sirens, the peeling of church bells, the music from the many organ grinders entertaining shoppers, the high-pitched tunes of flutes for sale and the beat of drums from the indigenous dancers in the Focal. Then you look around, past the ever-present jumble of green and white VW Beetle taxis, at the sea of people all happily filling the streets and squares. As to be expected in a poor country, there are many people begging for coins, but they were not aggressive. I gave money to at least one person each day, especially old women.

Mexico is a city of street vendors, most quasi legal. Especially where we are staying in the historic section, just next to the Zócalo, the main square, every inch of the sidewalks and street edge is covered by tarps on which a street vendor has spread his or her wares. They start setting up at 9 AM and by noon the streets are thronged with shoppers. We are told that this is a daily occurrence but the tempo has increased with the holiday season. The crowds are so thick by the time we return to our hostal in the afternoon that it is hard to find a pathway to the door, although everyone is in a good mood and we are not actually in any danger.

Yes, Mexico City is crowded and busy but we are enjoying ourselves, exploring the city and its many museums. Our journey here was tiring, as usual. Our flights were uneventful, but with an hour delay in Toronto, our arrival in Mexico was late and we were not out of the airport until 2 AM Tuesday morning Dec 20, 2005. The taxi ride from the airport was quick at that hour, no traffic and red lights were only caution lights for our driver. Never again would we see such empty streets!

We had called our hostal and discovered there was a mix up in our reservations and they were not expecting us until later in the day and a double room was not available. Luckily there was a dorm bed free, so not being too choosy at that late hour we accepted. It didn’t matter. There was only one other person in the five bed dorm when we collapsed into bed at 2:30 AM. The beds were comfortable, our roommate was gone by the time I woke up in the morning and we were able to change to a double room with a bath that morning.

Hostal Moneda, on the colonial Moneda Street, named for the first mint across the street from the hostal, has been a good choice for us. It is located one short block from the Zócalo, a huge open plaza, 300 meters of each side, that was the original center of the city before the Spaniards arrived in the city in 1521. The Zócalo is bounded by the Catedral de Mexico, the biggest church in Mexico, modelled after the cathedrals in Granada, Spain, the Palacio National, the office of the President of Mexico, and several other impressive government buildings and stores. The official name of Zócalo is the Plaza de la Constitucion, but was nicknamed Zócalo after the base for a large statue was erected but never finished in the center of the plaza. Even the base is gone but the name remains. In fact, the main plaza in many Mexican cities is called the Zócalo.

The Zócalo was originally the main market place for the city but street vendors are now confined to the adjoining streets. The Zócalo has become the headquarters of several indigenous groups who have set up a craft market under a large tent. A sign outside the indigenous people's tent declares that they are there because there is nowhere else to go. The police seem to turn a blind eye to the set-up. Other indigenous people, dressed in traditional costume with huge feathered headdresses, perform dances all day long to native drums and people stand in line to experience a native cleansing ceremony performed for a small contribution. I decided it would be a good idea to be purified. The Shaman waved smoking incense and sweet smelling grasses around me and anointed my face and neck with coloured oil. I didn’t understand most of what my Shaman was saying in Spanish but he used my name, or Señora and ended with the Christian blessing “in the name of the father, the son and the Holy Ghost". I guess I am now pure according to both native and Christian rites.

In the center of the Zócalo are giant papier maché figures of indigenous featured Mary and Joseph with a straw filled cradle that remained empty until Christmas Eve. At night huge Christmas tableaux on the sides of the buildings around the Zócalo are lit up, providing a sight that would challenge the Christmas lights on the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa. Families come to buy balloons, eat street fare tacos and enjoy the scene. It is a happy time of year.

For 150 pesos (US $15) each, Hostal Moneda provided us with a simple, undecorated twin bedded room with good mattresses, one chair and private bath with tub and shower. The shower head was missing but there was lots of hot water. We also got a simple buffet breakfast and dinner each day on the roof patio, free internet and free guided tours of the city that we took advantage of.

We followed a knowledgeable guide, Alex, for a four hour tour of the historic center, all within a short distance of Hostal Moneda. He took us into the inner courtyard of the Palacio Nacional to view the Diego Rivera murals depicting the history of Mexico. Rivera was originally commissioned to cover all four sides of the courtyard but was fired after his murals became more and more socialistic, anti-government and anti-clerical. They were fascinating to us.

Inside the cathedral Alex pointed out a curious mound of padlocks in front of one of the side chapels. If you have an event that you would rather forget, you write it down on a piece of paper, attach it to a lock and join it to the other locks already thereAnyone who dares to reveal this secret is considered to have committed a serious offence and must . The event is now forever secret. cleanse himself or herself of this sin.

Next to the cathedral is the Templo Mayor, originally constructed as seven interlocking pyramids with a flat section on top on which ceremonies were conducted. Mexico City was originally a small island in a large lake. The Zócalo and the Templo Mayor were the center of the City in pre-Hispanic times. When the Spaniards arrived, they built the cathedral and other buildings over the Templo and they drained the lake. After much heated discussion, permission was granted in 1978 to demolish several colonial building to begin excavations to uncover this most important Aztec temple area and turn it into an open air museum. All the buildings in the historic center of Mexico City are sinking into the soft lake bottom. Many of them have lists that rival the Leaning Tower of Pisa and are in a constant state of reconstruction or abandonment.

A few blocks from the Zócalo is the Plaza Domingo, named for, according to Alex, the hated Dominicans, who brought the Inquisition to Mexico. One side of the plaza is lined with paper shops and booths offering writing services, as they have done for centuries. Besides the baroque Iglesia de Santo Domingo, currently closed due to sinking problems, the plaza contained the offices of the Inquisition and the Customs and Tax Offices. Legend has it that people who refused or could not pay their taxes were sent next door to the Inquisition Office. Alex led us to a stall in the center of the plaza and suggested we sample a local traditional delicacy, fried grasshoppers. We were told that they are an excellent source of protein, require no upkeep and are plentiful. In a land with no domesticated animals in pre-Hispanic times, grasshoppers were a staple of their diet. They are crunchy, but not about to become part of our daily menu.

We walked past the ornate Central Post Office, built in 1907 in Italian Renaissance style as the most elaborate Post Office in the Americas with all the latest early 20th century technology. Our post office counters in corner stores do not compare. We ended our tour in front of the Palacio de Bellas Artes. The building was started in 1904, almost entirely of Carrera marble, but it was so heavy that it started to sink even before it was completed. The interior was eventually finished in the 1930s in beautiful art deco style. Twice a week the famous Ballet Folkloric de Mexico holds performances in the beautiful theatre in the Palacio. We went that night and were not disappointed. We enjoyed two hours of beautifully choreographed and costumed folk dances performed by an excellent troupe of over thirty dancers and musicians. It is well worth a visit.

Since our breakfasts and dinners are provided by the hostal, we seek our different lunch opportunities. Most restaurants offer a very good Menu del Dia, a three or four course meal at very reasonable prices. A favourite menu choice of mine is Pollo Mole, or Chocolate Chicken, which is chicken in a chocolate sauce liberally spiced with chillies. We ate one day in the very ornate Casa de Azulejos, now the main branch of Sanborns, a restaurant and department store chain. The original owners, the Condes (Counts) del Valle de Orizaba, covered the entire outside with blue tiles. In those days the number of blue tiles signified the wealth of the owner. The Condes were very wealthy. A trip to the washrooms is a must in this building. An ornate brass staircase leads past an unusual 1925 mural by the artist Orozco to the second floor washrooms.

The Anthropological Museum in Mexico City is the second largest in the world. Only the one in Cairo is bigger but our guide Pepe said that the exhibits in Mexico are far better. To get there Pepe led our small group on the Metro (subway) to the museum. The Metro is the biggest transportation bargain in the world. For 2 pesos you can ride anywhere, including transfers, but you must contend with extreme crowding. We had to make two transfers. Pepe warned us that we must be very quick getting onto the subway when the doors open as they don’t remain open for long. Sure enough, three people in our group got left behind on our second transfer, but they arrived safe and sound on the next train just a few minutes later.

The Anthropology museum is located in the very large and popular Bosque de Chapultepec park. The park, formerly the summer home of Aztec nobility, was originally on the edge of the lake in which Mexico City is located. It is a favourite with families who come every weekend to stroll in the forests, visit the Fun Park and Zoo and the many museums found in the park. We stopped outside the Anthropology museum to watch a performance by several indigenous Totanac men. There was an illustration of the "voladores" in one of Diego Rivera’s murals in the Palacio National and we were able to watch a recreation of this ancient rite. Four men dressed in traditional costume, climb 30 M to the top of a pole where thick ropes have been wound around a spindle. A fifth man climbs up and sits on a small pedestal on top of the pole. The men each attach a rope around their waist and drop over the side of the pedestal to dangle upside down in the air. The fifth man starts the pedestal turning, spinning the men like a carousel, gradually unfurling the ropes holding the men until they are finally on the ground again. Of course this performance, repeated several times each day, earns them a good contribution.

Pepe led us through only a small part of the exhibits, giving us an overview of the development of Mexican people up to the Spanish era. There is too much to take in for just a half day visit. I would willingly go back to learn more about the different cultures.

Instead of taking the Metro back to the hostal, Ray and I elected to walk back along Paseo de la Reforma, Mexico City’s main boulevard, through the Zona Rosa. We stopped for lunch in one of the busy restaurants, then continued on past modern office buildings, embassies and expensive apartment buildings. It took an hour to walk the distance, but we got to view another section of this vast city.

A “must see” are the pyramids of Teotihuacan, about 70 Km north of the city center. We took advantage of a minibus tour, sponsored by the hostal, to visit. We drove north through the city along Paseo de la Reforma, passing several groups of people walking in the center bike and pedestrian path. Each group held a large banner or flowered altar with a picture of the Virgen of Guadalupe. They were heading to our first stop, the Basilica of Guadalupe. December 12 is the festival of Guadalupe but every day in December finds pilgrims coming to the Basilica, some walking great distances and some on their knees. An indigenous Christian convert, Juan Diego, claimed to see a vision of a beautiful brown skinned woman in a blue robe at this spot in 1531. No one believed him so he gathered roses in his robe and went to the same place again. When he released the roses from his robe, an image of the Virgen of Guadalupe was imprinted on his robe. The fact that her skin was brown made it easier for Mexicans to accept this vision as their Virgen Mary. She is now so popular that she is the patron saint of Mexico. The original robe with the image is displayed in the Basilica and mass is said for the faithful several times daily. A huge modern Basilica, built in the 1970s, replaced the badly sinking and far too small older one, still on the site. Both are set amongst beautifully manicured lawns and gardens. A large tableau of bronze statues depicting indigenous people and Juan Diego paying homage to the Virgen is set next to a waterfall. A prominent sign declares that the water used for the waterfall and the gardens is not drinking water but recycled water. We wandered around the ground for a while and climbed a small hill where the vision is said to have taken place. From there we had a good but hazy view of Mexico City.

Our next stop was at an artisan center near the pyramids. An employee was waiting to show us how useful the local Maguey plant, an Agave, is. The center stalk is cut off and the resultant liquid is collected and distilled to make Pulque and Mescal. We were given samples of those two traditional drinks plus an almond flavoured mezcal. We found the pulque sour and unappetizing but the Mescal, especially the Amaretto-like one quite good. A plastic film is torn from the center spike of the Maguey and a liquid from the leaves is reputedly a good shampoo. Fibres are extracted, coloured with natural dyes, mixed with cotton and woven into various cloths. We also had a demonstration of carving using the local black obsidian, a volcanic rock. Of course there were many articles for sale in the shop and several of us bought souvenirs as the quality was quite good.

Our guide Zaly and driver Oscar provided us with a small snack of traditional food, empanadas filled with beans and covered with cactus pieces and cheese. They were very tasty.

Teotihuacan was the biggest ancient city and the capital of pre-Hispanic Mexico. It originally covered 20 sq Km but only the buildings along a 2 Km road, called the Avenue of the Dead, have been excavated. The Pyramid of the Sun, the largest at 70 M, was built about 150 AD and most of the others, including the equally impressive Pyramid of the Moon, were built between 250 - 500 AD. The whole site was abandoned about 750 AD, before the Aztec empire, probably due to a combination of drought, lack of food and ascendency of neighbouring tribes. Even so, it remained a holy pilgrimage site for Aztec royalty.

Zaly conducted us on a one hour tour. We trooped through the Palacio de Quetzalpapaloti, an astronomical observatory. A central courtyard was flooded to act as a mirror from which the movement of the stars could be traced. We admired the still vibrant wall frescoes in the Palacio de los Jaguares and the Templo de los Caracoles Emplumades. Sacrifices were rampant in Teotihuacan. Other cultures sacrificed people as a punishment, but it was considered an honour to die in Teotihuacan. It was also a crude form of population control for a city always short of food and water. Every sunrise and sunset required a new sacrifice to ensure the sun continued its appearance. The temples were constructed from local volcanic rock and rubble and covered in stucco. They were painted red to symbolize the sunset and blood. Just small patches of colour remain but they are still an impressive sight.

We were left on our own for the next two hours with instructions to meet at Gate 1 at 3:45 PM for our ride home. Of course if there are steps or a hill to climb, we climb them. We made it to the top of both the Pyramid of the Moon and the Pyramid of the Sun, but not without a lot of rest stops to get our breath back as the elevation was 2300 M. We did have good views at the top. All would have gone well except for the non-appearance of the only Spanish speaking couple in our small group. We waited and waited for them. Finally Zaly phoned her manager who suggested she see if they were at Gate 2 or 3 by mistake. We drove the short distances to both gates to no avail. We made one more pass to Gate 1 and there they were, one hour late. They were very glad to see us. They had misunderstood and gone to Gate 5 on the opposite side of the broad Avenue of the Dead. Zaly said she has more trouble with Spanish speaking tourists.

Saturday December 24 was a bonus day for Ray and I. We took an easy one hour trip by Metro and Trolley Car to the Museo Dolores Olmedo Pantiño. Dolores Olmedo, a rich socialite and patron of the Arts, still lives in a portion of her mansion, surrounded by beautiful gardens. Near the entrance to her private quarters was an enclosed garden housing several very ugly hairless Mexican dogs, apparently her pets. Only a Mother could love them.

Dolores Olmeda has opened her vast collection of Diego Rivera paintings and pre-Hispanic pottery figurines to the public. We spent several hours viewing the artwork. The collection also included colourful folk art and a special exhibit of tableaux created each year for the Day of the Dead, which is an important festival on November 2. Families gather to pay homage to their ancestors and to eat skull shaped candies and breads. The tableaux were rather ghoulish depictions of painful deaths or murders. The only disappointment was the collection of Frida Kahlo paintings. The permanent collection is currently on tour in Spain so we viewed photographic reproductions of the originals.

Finishing our tour of the many rooms, we exited into the gardens where a stage and seating was being readied for a concert. Two classically trained singers, Belinda Juarez and Daniel Garay were to present a concert of Christmas Carols at 1 PM. We ordered a snack of tacos and enchiladas from the museum restaurant to stave off our hunger and took our places to enjoy one hour of very good music. We picked the right day to visit.

By the time we returned to the Zócalo, crowds had gathered. Christmas Eve is the big family celebration in Mexico. Many of them were on hand to listen to musical groups entertain in two large tents set up for the purpose. People were eating good-looking cake but by the time I lined up for my piece they had run out and were handing out spaghetti. I declined the spaghetti, but I did come away with a large bottle of water, never pass up a freebie!

Ray and I returned to the square later in the evening, the tent providing the entertainment in the afternoon had departed and a second tent was filled with people eating dinners in styrofoam containers and listening to a combination of professional and amateur singers. Cotton candy was still being sold and small souvenirs were being sold but families were starting to depart and the day was coming to an end. We called it an early night too.

Christmas Day is quiet in the city and most establishments are closed to allow families to celebrate together. We did find a restaurant open for lunch. Restaurant Popular lives up to its name and attracts crowds at all hours. We were lucky to get a table right away and enjoyed our four course menu del dia. In the afternoon we walked over to Plaza Garibaldi, where the Mariachi bands hang out. Several different Mariachi bands gathered as we watched, probably looking for a few more patrons than were present. We did hear a few perform for families enjoying a meal in the restaurants surrounding the square, but most seemed to be merely passing the time of day. It was a nice walk anyway.

We leave Mexico City tomorrow, heading for Morelia, a colonial city about four hours away by bus. We have enjoyed our time in Mexico City visiting many of the sites, but there are lots more we didn't see. Maybe we will see more when we fly home from here the end of March. The days have been pleasant and sunny during our visit but the evenings require a fleece or two to keep warm. It should be a little warmer in March.