MEXICO - CDMX - Bonus

Well blog readers you have a bit of a bonus report from Mexico as my flight is delayed by almost 24 hours because the pilot is ill. So I find myself in an airport hotel until tomorrow lunchtime. Before coming to the airport I spent a lovely few hours wandering around the city centre soaking up which should be that last winter sun I have this year - all be it with the Factor 50 on!

Here are some further pictures from Mexico City that I have taken over the last few days

 

MEXICO - CDMX - 2

This dome topped monument is the Monument to the Revolution. It was originally to be part of a new parliament building but problems with construction meant that the building was never completed. Rather than demolish it the structure was re-purposed as a monument dedicated to the 1910 Revolution.

In the suburb of Coyoacan you can find the former home of artist Frida Kahlo. A beautiful vibrantly coloured dwelling housing some of her paintings and artifacts relating to her life. I'm going to admit I knew very little about her before I went but it was a very pleasant spot and interesting the only place on the trip where I have encountered queues of tourists.

In the same area (although I didn't visit) is a museum dedicated to Leon Trotsky who apparently was exiled to Mexico and was assassinated here.

As you know I have been travelling around for part of the trip with Claudia's family and some of those are football fans. We therefore ended up at the Aztec Stadium where Mexico has hosted two World Cups (and Pope Jean Paul II celebrated a mass!) Not something I would usually visit I but very interesting to see inside one of these big venues never the less.

MEXICO - CDMX - 1

Over the last couple of days I have done quite a bit of sightseeing in Mexico City and this post is going to show you some of that. Firstly though I must reveal that today started with a practice session for a new Olympic sport - Getting on and off a Mexican metro train at rush hour!

Keeping 23 million people on the move is a major feat and to keep things flowing and to provide the number of trains per hour required, the metro system has to cut station dwell times during the peak periods. Consequently the doors are only open for 15-20 seconds at each stop.  There is no time for the British niceties of letting the passengers off first, it's a case of "He who pushes hardest gets to where he is going"

First sight to see for us was the Bosque de Chapultepec a large park in the centre of the city and in the middle of that is the Castillo de Chapultepec the only royal palace in Latin America. After Mexico got independence from Spain the country at that time was vast including all of Central America and the now US states of California, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona etc. It appears that the Mexicans had a bit of difficultly controlling this large area and consequently ended up inviting the French to help them out. That at least is the official line but lets face it the Europeans were never invited to help with anything - France effectively took over Mexico. At this point the Castillo de Chapultepec became the official residence of Emperor Maximilian - who was the Habsburg monarch ruling Mexico at this time - and it took on a very French style. Later it became the presidential palace and is now open to the public as a museum. 

Bedroom - Standard Palace Fare

Beautiful Stained Glass Windows in this Gallery

The Central Tower was once an Observatory

Roof Garden

The mural is of Benito Juarez, a leader who championed Mexican independence. You know he was important to the country because the airport is named after him. All people who are important to their countries get airports named after them - John F Kennedy, Charles de Gaulle, John Lennon, George Best ,,,,,,,,,

The Zocalo is the main square in the centre of the city flanked on one side by the city's cathedral built in a very Spanish style and as you saw from yesterdays post the observation deck of the Latin American Tower  just up the road from the Zocalo gives good views of the city.

6 Things I Have Learnt About Mexico

I am now in Mexico City or in Spanish Ciudad de Mexico and this then gets shortened to CDMX. It's a very modern vibrant city of 23 million people. I'm not sure what I expected, indeed I am not sure what I expected of Mexico full stop but it definitely isn't what I have seen.

It's time therefore for 6 things I have learnt about Mexico

It's clean - The streets here are spotless, there is no litter - sure labour is cheap so there is an army of people sweeping the streets but Mexicans simply don't drop litter. When on the coach or train I have been through some areas that are pretty run down but generally the street environment here puts the UK to shame.

Hardly anyone smokes - Smoking has been really noticeable by its absence. I queried this with my hosts who told me that the government has almost eradicated smoking by making the price of a packet of cigarettes to be around a days wages for someone on the minimum wage. This means that people (especially the poor) simply can't afford to smoke. A similar policy in the UK would put the price to around £65 per packet!

The traffic is civilised - I expected the roads to be a seething mass of beeping horns and traffic going in all directions at the same time. In fact there are loads of cars on the road (air quality is a big problem) but the whole thing is very normal and organised. It's not as difficult to cross the road here as it is in somewhere like Naples.

The altitude - As I have said previously Mexico City is very high up. I know that international footballers always have to acclimatise before a match here. I feel a little more tired at the end of the day than usual but that's all. However, this thing with the UV rays being stronger at this altitude has caught me right by surprise. Factor 50 suncream, all day, everyday and my head still looks like a tomato.

The metro - The metro at 5 pesos (20p) a go is even cheaper than Kyiv. It really does provide transport for the masses. When it was designed a large part of the population was illiterate so the signage even today reflects that. Each station has a symbol as well as a name and the symbols are actually more prominent than the written text. In London for instance Knightsbridge might have a suit of armour, Green Park a tree, Trafalgar Square Nelsons Column etc. It makes the whole thing very easy to navigate for a stupid foreigner like me!

It's normal - I am not going to sit here and try and make out that Mexico doesn't have any problems. It has loads of problems and they are big problems but it also has millions of ordinary people, living ordinary lives, doing ordinary things day after day. I think the thing my hosts have successfully tried to convey while I have been here is that in this day and age you can not believe everything you see and hear in the media (or what comes out of the White House!)

Today's pictures are a couple of the Mexico City skyline and some night time pics of the city from the top of the Latin American Tower.

Full sightseeing report to come tomorrow!

MEXICO - To The Pyramids!

This was the day (other than the wedding) that I have been looking forward to the most - a trip to the Pyramids at Teotihuacan and they did not disappoint. 

The site had been founded in the pre Christian era and was subsequently "upcycled" by the Aztecs. The larger of the two is the Pyramid of the Sun with the other being the Pyramid of the Moon. Although they are different sizes they reach the same height because of an inclination on the land they have been built on. 

View of the Pyramid of the Sun and the Avenue of the Dead

Pyramid of the Sun

The Pyramid of the Moon

Looking down from on the Pyramid of the Sun

The avenue running up the centre of the site is known as the Avenue of the Dead. It got this name because the Aztecs thought that the platforms on each side were tombs. It is now thought that there were originally temple buildings on the top of them.

Part of the Avenue of the Dead

The pyramids themselves have chambers inside them but also flat tops which it is believed is where religious ceremonies took place. It bears testament to the size of Mexico's tourist industry that you are still allowed to climb up the pyramids.  Part of me would like it to stay that way but part of me would love the country to receive the economic boost that would come from increased tourism - it is a difficult one.

Another view of the Avenue of the Dead

As with Egypt there are a number of painted and carved panels but there are much fewer of them here as many were destroyed over the years.

 

And also cactus fields

MEXICO - An Evenings Entertainment

Firstly lets talk food - there are three rules with Mexican food.

1) If a Mexican tells you "It's not spicy" - The flavour will leave you gasping for air but you'll live.

2) If a Mexican tells you "It's a little bit spicy" - The flavour will leave you in hospital.

3) If a Mexican tells you "It's spicy" - Your travel insurance will not cover you to eat it.

My hosts have been a little amused at my inability to cope with the food here. I think they were feeling sorry for me because they took me to a restaurant where I could get Fish & Chips! OK the chips were sweet potato but wow was it a welcome relief from tacos and tortillas that set you on fire!

Secondly lets talk entertainment.

In London if you have guests that you want to entertain you may like to take them to the theatre especially Shakespeare's Globe or if they are a bit sporty then possibility Wimbledon or the cricket.

Well here in Mexico they took me to the wrestling!

Wrestling is big business here and they have graffiti that depicts the stars too. It was good fun and with all the Mexican's cheering and shouting the atmosphere was great. Definitely something I would not have done without a local present.

MEXICO - Cholula

Cholula is a bit more touristy and with this weekend being a Public Holiday weekend it is quite busy.  Today (Monday) has very much been a day to recover, so this post is a combination of what I have been doing wandering around over the past couple of days. This evening my hosts have planned a fun evening of entertainment for the "gringos" (I do hope it's not another 4am finish!). I'll let you know what we get up to tomorrow. In the meantime .......

Popocatepetl is looking very big here and we had some black smoke appear yesterday morning - those of you that have heard my tales of trekking on Stomboli and Etna will know that black smoke is not usually a good sign, but by lunchtime all looked well again.

Cholula is the site of the Great Pyramid, which was the largest pyramid in the Americas consisting of a number of structures superimposed on each other over six centuries. Over time however, it was covered with earth and took the shape of a hill and when the Spanish arrived, to assert their authority and stamp out pagan worship, "Los Conquistadores" built a church on the top. Today it is a curious mix of religious shrine and archaeological site.

As with the pyramids in Egypt there are tunnels and passageways inside.

What has been excavated and preserved can be seen outside in an archaeological park

This is an area that would have been an amphitheatre - like the Greek and Roman ones - and this has very good acoustics as guides were demonstrating by standing in the middle and clapping.

Then there is a steep climb up to shrine of Our Lady of the Remedies at the top (I'm already over 2000m above sea level  why do I need to go higher?) which is a local place of pilgrimage and is very ornate - the custodian/guide made a point of telling me all the gold was real and solid!

There is also a good view of the town from the top.

And finally a note about yesterday's wedding. The ceremony was much the same as in the UK but the reception was very different, especially the dancing. It's Latin America and the folk here have rhythm - as they say on Strictly "It's all about the hips darling". There is some really incriminating video footage of me out there somewhere .............

Claudia & Raphael 02.02.2020

Groom's family

Bride's family

MEXICO - Puebla

After a very welcome and good nights sleep, I have been left to my own devices today as everyone gets ready for the wedding tomorrow. The only thing I had to do was transfer from Puebla to Cholula 17km away where the wedding is taking place.  Oh and by the way that also means 17km closer to that grumbling volcano!

I therefore spent the morning and early afternoon strolling around Puebla's historic centre, just seeing what I could find - and wow the architecture is amazing.

First up I paid a visit to the cathedral the main sight of the city on the main square called Zocalo

In a parallel street behind I wandered into the Casa de la Cultra and came across the Biblioteca Palafoxiana. Originally the private library of Bishop Juan de Palafox y Mendoza it was donated to the city in 1646 on condition that it's use should not be limited to the clergy. Consequently it became the first public library in Latin America. 

After a good wander through the beautiful streets I happened to return by the Casa de la Cultra and heard lots of music coming from the main courtyard. On going inside I saw that a "concert" of traditional dancing was taking place. In one of the dances they were standing on wooden boxes, dancing with only their legs moving "Riverdance style" but just to reinforce the fact that only their legs were moving the dancers were balancing a tray with 4 glasses and a bottle of beer on their heads!

Late afternoon meant that I needed to move on to Cholula and instead of an Uber I decided on one of the strangest train journeys I have ever been on.

Now Mexico doesn't do trains - at least not for passengers - there are no long distance train services here and only a few suburban trains around Mexico City catering for commuters. Mexico City does of course have a metro which is one of the busiest in the world. However, in 2017 the local government in Puebla started a train service between Puebla and Cholula specifically to move tourists between the two. It only does three return trips a day during the week but at weekends is much more frequent and it's - wait for it - completely free. It was quite busy but not to the point that there were many people standing for the 30 minute journey.