Mexico City

I know you all have been waiting to hear all about my trip to Mexico City. Well here it goes:
The flight was supposed to leave Monterrey at 5:30 it was a little late. The plane was pretty empty and we got an exit row. We got to DF and it was nearly dark, so we found the official taxi stand in the airport and got a cab to the hostel. Our hostel was the YWCA just south of the Alameda, the city center’s park. It was cheap, and was similar to a dorm. There were 5 floors above the main one, but the elevator only went to the 4th. This worked out since I was on three and my friend Mary was on five. We got our keys and head up. I opened the room to find the luggage of someone else. I went back down and the room’s owner was looking for his “lost” key. We decided to unpack and walk around looking for a restaurant. We headed to the Alameda walked around, then walked from there to the Main Square, or Zocalo, half a mile away. We passed some cool buildings, but surprisingly the city center only had a few buildings over 6 stories. We got to the square walked around then headed to find dinner. We found a cake store walking, with 8 tier (10 ft) wedding cakes for about $100. We then found a restaurant, ate, and headed home. We got back and realized we were never told how to get in the front door. We were shaking the door and the worker heard us, letting us in, and pointing out the bell.

The next day we got a quick breakfast walked around our block and headed for the Basilica of the Virgin of Guadalupe. We went to the subway and for some reason we didn’t have to pay. We got to the Basilica, explored the old one, bought souvenirs, walked the grounds, and went in the museum. In the museum there were guards everywhere directing traffic. I decided to take a picture not being told I couldn’t only to have my camera confiscated after being forced to delete my picture. The museum had tons of old religious items, an amazingly detailed interior and gigantic stained glass. We finished and headed toward the new Basilica where the mystic shroud is. We approached and saw an enormous crowd gathered around crowd control fences. The bells started to toll and slowly a hearse pulled up to the start of the crowd. We thought wow you must be rich to have a funeral here. We then found out that Mexico City’s Former Cardinal, Ernesto Corripio y Ahumada, died the day before and we were at his funeral. We quick looked in the Basilica, caught a glimpse of the shroud, decided to come back, and watched then stood and watched as the casket passed. After returning home I realized how important this cardinal was. Mexico, having the second biggest Catholic population, cut ties with the church when Benito Juarez was president, 1858 – 1872. In 1992 Corripio convinced the government to restore ties and recognize Vatican City as its own country. So he was well liked. Before leaving I bought a totem of a house and pinned it inside the Old Cathedral like the Mexicans, asking to pray for all my family. After this we headed to the Zocalo. We went in the Cathedral, saw the Aztec Templo Mayor (which the city is built on), tried to get in the palace, but lacked any ID. We then saw a terrace restaurant on one of the buildings. We found out it was the Holiday Inn and that is where we had lunch. It was a great view, with a nice breeze, and lots of sunshine. It was then time to walk around the center. This is when we noticed that even the crossing guards have guns. We found some cool buildings and saw a protest against the privatization of PEMEX, the Mexican Oil Company. They were outside the office of public works. Also inside the gate of the building were over 100 cops. We walked past the post office, the Fine Arts Palace, and decided to go to the top of one of the tallest building in Mexico, the Torre Latinoamericana. First we went in the wrong building, but we finally got there. We walked around the 37th floor, saw the museum, and were ready to go down, but accidentally went up the true observation decks on the 42nd and 43rd floors. We again felt stupid. It was then time to go in the Fine Arts Palace, but it had just closed. We walked back through the Alameda to find the Diego Rivera museum also just closed. We were a little frustrated seeing it was only 6 PM. We walked through the park and saw the Monument to Benito Juarez called the Hemiciclo de Juarez. We headed home napped, and went to one of the hip night life neighborhoods, Zona Rosa. Here we saw the most famous landmark in DF, El Ángel. The monument of Mexican Independence, made up of a base with symbolic statues, a large pillar, and a 7 ton gold plated angel. The angel was replaced in 1958 after it was completely shattered in an earthquake. The monument though was inside of an 8 lane round about, which meant risking death getting to it. It was surrounded by talk modern buildings. It was then to the fountain in the next roundabout. After that we explored the area, and found a good, and really cheap Italian restaurant. We were sitting enjoying dinner and chatting only to realize it was 11:30 we hadn’t gotten the bill, it was 5 minutes to the subway and it closed at midnight. We freaked out quick paid, ran to the subway and made it back home with 2 minutes to spare.

Saturday started with the trip to Xochimilco, one of the last remaining canal systems of Mexico City. For those that didn’t know before the Spanish came Mexico City, Tenochtitlan, was built on a lake and had canals instead of streets like in Venice. Only Tenochtitlan was reported to be more beautiful. The Spanish drained most of the lake and only a few canals are left. We had to take the Light Train to the last stop and get off. The light train was a two cared above ground Metro that went about 20 mph. We got to the second to last stop only to be kicked off and finding out the line was being renovated after that. We found a dock to rent a boat, but were told in an hour more people should be there so we could split a boat. After exploring this former suburb we went back to find no one else to split the cost with. We bargained and took an hour ride. The canals are filled with mariachi bands and marimba players on boats, along with food venders, and flower sellers. The sides are lined with small houses, greenhouses, and flower shops. We stopped at the most well know shop where they have seas of flowers of all types. It was then back to the shore. We got back and headed toward a former hacienda of friends of Frida and Diego which is now a museum. We took a mini bus there and got in free as students. The grounds were riddled with peacock, which I have now discovered are a status symbol in Mexico. The museum was short, but had some good pieces. It was then off to Leon Trotsky’s house. On the light train I looked at my watch and realized it was 3:50 and we had two things left to do before 6. We pretty much ran the mile to Trotsky’s house and I said we need to leave by 4:55 to make it Frida’s Blue House with time to see it. Upon saying this Mary looked at her watch and said, “Um, Matt my watch says it is only 3:05.” I realized I had forgotten how to read a watch. We walked through his house and I got to take unlimited pictures for $1. We walked through the photo gallery of his exiles, saw his grave, the bullet holes from the first murder attempt, and the room he was murdered in we swore we still saw blood on the wall. It was then time for Frida’s Blue House, just up the street. It started raining on us, but we made it and stayed pretty dry. We got to see some more of her art, and how parts of the house were set up when they lived there. We saw her bed and the mirror over it. After that we saw the average sized courtyard and headed to the Diego Museum in the Alameda. We got soaked and finally made it. The museum was free for students, except the 50 cents for my camera. Here all they housed is Diego Rivera’s masterpiece Sueño de una tarde dominical en la Alameda Central, A Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in the Alameda Central. It was then to the Basilica again to see the shroud. We got there during a Quinceañera. We sat and waiting thinking the moving sidewalk was on the altar. We started walking around and found the sidewalks were actually under the altar and you looked up through a hole in the floor. After that we decided to check out the other lively night areas south of Zona Rosa. On the way we stopped at the subway station where while building they found an Aztec Pyramid. We couldn’t find any hopping spots and decided to return to Zona Rosa. We found a Vip’s on the way there only for it to be closed. We then found another one in Zona Rosa. This night there we went to bed early planning to get up early.

Sunday started with a trip to the palace. It turned out that the protesters were back and due to them the palace was closed. We went to the post office to check out the museum, to find out it opened at 10, the same was true at the Fine Art’s Palace; so much for the early start. We looked through the gift shop and afterwards saw the museum. They had a large exhibit on Mexican Cinema, and then we saw the famous murals inside. It was then off to the giant park on one end of town. The park is named Bosque de Chapultapec, meaning the forest on grasshopper hill. We entered and walked past the Monumento a los Niños Heroes, where six teenage cadets are buried. The cadets who despite being told to retreat and let the US army take the castle held strong all dying until the last one took the Mexican flag, wrapped himself in it, and jumped from the Castle. This park has some museums, the former Presidential Castle, and the current Presidential house. We walked through the Castle, which now houses a history museum. From the Castle we got a great view of the city and the Financial District next to the park full of skyscrapers. We then stopped in another history museum which was made up of XXXXX. We walked to the Modern Art Museum to see Frida’s Masterpiece, Las Dos Fridas, but it was on lend. We left and headed toward the Anthropology Museum. We walked through every exhibit, and looked at everything. After a few exhibits, we stopped reading ever single sign and decided to just skim. We found beaded bowls like the ones we made in Real de Catorce. Three and a half hours later we finally made it to the finally of the Aztec Sun Stone. This is an Aztec Calendar, which was used as an altar. After that we tried to explore the zoo and park some more, but it had closed. We walked toward the metro, and not being able to find the Presidential House on maps decided to skip it. We headed home for a nap, and then back to the center for dinner. We planned to eat at the restaurant in the Torre Latinoamericana, but it closed at eight. We walked around the gift shop we thought was the top, but found out we needed the bands to stay up there. We headed down and walked past the Tile House again, and decided why not eat at the Sanbourns inside. It was very cool inside and we wondered why we hadn’t stopped there yet. It was then time to get one last look at the Zocalo. We then headed home, and on the way realized we meant to see the monument of the Revolution. We headed that way and looked around. This building is a giant dome that was going to be the Senate building but during the Revolution for some reason they stopped building and made a monument.

We woke up Monday, packed, and headed for the airport at 8:20. The hostel called us a cab, it got there and was just a car no markings. The hostel workers assured us it was okay. We got in and made it to the airport. We got breakfast, and noticed that the prices at 7-11 were way marked up. We got to the terminal and started summarizing our trip. It was time to board and we all got on a weird bus thing to take us to the plane. It was then time to head home. Again we got an exit row. Before we knew it we were home. It was such a great trip, we saw a lot and still didn’t get to do it all. Mexico City is a fun place, but one downfall was restaurants were hard to come by. Well be sure to check out the pictures. Sorry there are so many. Until next time.