Every
city is made up of neighborhoods, each with its own rhythm. Like many here in Mexico City, ours is
blessed with an Aztec name: Cuauhtémoc.
Although it’s February, the high for the day will probably reach a
characteristic 22 or 23 sunny degrees, but still, it’s early and with current
temps at 2 or 3 degrees, the customary winter coat still rules.
Being the good Canadian that I am, my winter
garb is a pair of leather gloves and a light sweater, as I leave for school.
But “early”
is a relative term, isn’t it?
Dogs have all been dressed for the morning winter chill...
...and walked,....
...and by now....
.... the hardest workers in the city, the street sweepers,
....with their characteristic twig brooms, have probably begun their second pass...
....as I make my way to the Metro station, I notice that the newspaper sellers are almost out of papers.
Fruit of all kinds, oranges, pineapples, grapefruit, and mangos are methodically prepared for what is hoped to be a profitable day.
Already, first customers are choosing between the large plastic cups, lined like little rows of soldiers, all filled with cool colourful juice or fruit.
 |
| Mexican School Children - Mexico City |
At either end of my Metro ride, there are school kids of every age, all in their uniforms;
...the very young, escorted by their ever-optimistic and doting parents,
....the older, always cool and sporting earphones around their necks like pieces of
high fashion jewelry, chatting as they sip coffee or coke or indulge in a
standing breakfast, with friends, at one of the many food stands parked right
outside the school entrance.
 |
| Oh, the anticipation! |
But this
week, the cadence of the city has changed. There’s a very special feeling here
in Mexico City because we’re having a very special guest.
“El papa número 266”, el Papa Francisco (Pope
Francis, the 266th pope) is on his way. Everyone is taking extra special care to do
their best at work (in case he pops in) and to be on their best behavior….
....why
even the traffic seems uncharacteristically subdued.
 |
| Jim and Beth with Linda |
To help
us enjoy the week, our friends Jim and Beth will be staying with us for the
duration of his visit.
Our plan is not
necessarily to wait for the pope to pass by (although we certainly did that on
a number of occasions), ...
but rather to use our time wisely, going places which
might normally be busy but because of “His Excellency”, probably won’t be.
Wish us luck!
One of the first places on our list was:
Chapultepec Park
One of the world's great urban parks,
rivalling the Bois de Boulogne in Paris or Central Park in New York.
Covering an area of more than 1,600
acres, Bosque de Chapultepec (Chapultepec Park) is....
....Mexico City’s largest oasis for the 20 plus million residents of Mexico City.
....Mexico City’s largest oasis for the 20 plus million residents of Mexico City.
It is a place of historical importance and identity,
a major cultural center and...
...... a favorite place for a Sunday picnic, soccer
game or flirtation.
Our aim:
To visit the Chapultepec Castle perched way up.....
....on top of Chapultepec (Aztec for Grasshopper) Hill.
....on top of Chapultepec (Aztec for Grasshopper) Hill.
It is quite a climb...
...but first, you have to pass the Monumento a los Niños Heroes (Monument of Young Heroes)...
...one of Mexico City’s most
important monuments honouring 6 young cadets who, it is said, refused to surrender to
American troops during the Battle of Chapultepec in 1847, committing suicide just before....
...the castle was taken by American
forces during this decisive battle of the Mexican-American War.
They are
honored with a large mural on the ceiling above the main entrance to the
castle.
Today, the
United States Marine Corps honors the Battle of Chapultepec and the subsequent
occupation of Mexico City in the first line of the "Marines' Hymn,"
that begins with “From the Halls of Montezuma”.
Marine Corps tradition maintains that the red stripe worn on the
trousers of officers and non-commissioned officers, and commonly known as the
blood stripe,..
....commemorates the supposedly high number of Marine NCOs and
officers killed storming the castle of Chapultepec in 1847.
Chapultepec has always been
a crucial place for Mexican history since the pre-Columbian and Aztec times.
The castle, now known as Castillo de Miravalle,
...started to acquire its current look during the Second Mexican Empire, when...
...Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico and his
wife Empress Carlota chose it as their residence and the seat of their Court in
1864.
This is simply a magnificent place!
Among the treasures of the Castillo are beautiful stained-glass windows,...
...spectacular state rooms and impressive "murales" (frescoes)...
with themes from Mexican history, and even a tiny grasshopper fountain!
But revolution has a way of disrupting things!
Poor Maximilian was executed and his wife, Carlota, distraught, died, it is said, of heartbreak in Europe!
And, "up on the roof"....
Although the castle has beautiful green spaces at the ground level,...
Although the castle has beautiful green spaces at the ground level,...
...it's the aerial garden located on the roof of the palace that is so stunning!
Stunning too.....
...of course,
......is my wife....
.....who made two visits to the Castillo de Chapultepec.
A Little Side Trip...to the Pyramids:
O.K. It’s Saturday and the
Pope is in town....
....a great time to get out and make a little side trip to the
Pyramids of San Juan Teotihuacán... (we call it "Teo")...
...about 50
km NE of Mexico City. Our guide and driver, Francisco, was fantastic, making interesting stops along the way....
...where we learned how to carve silver... and drink “Pulque”, an alcoholic drink made from the fermented sap of the
maguey (agave) plant.
But it was the Pyramids
of San Juan Teotihuacán...
...that we came to see and see them we did.
At its pinnacle, Teotihuacán (remember, it's Teo") was one of the first great
cities of the Western Hemisphere.
Built
by hand more than a thousand years before the arrival of the Aztecs,..
....it was the
largest city anywhere in the Western Hemisphere before the 1400s.
Then, the magnificent pyramids and palaces covered about 30 sq. km,and....
...at its zenith (around A.D. 500), counted more inhabitants than contemporary Rome.
However, little information about "Teo's" inhabitants survives:
What language they spoke, where they came from, why they abandoned the place around A.D. 700.
Most striking is the Pyramid of the Sun, the world’s third-largest pyramid, surpassed in size only by Egypt’s Cheops and the pyramid of Cholula.
When Teotihuacán was at its height, the pyramid’s plaster was painted
bright red, which must have been a radiant sight at sunset.
We all clambered “carefully” up the pyramid’s 248 big steps – yes, we counted –
and what a view of the ancient city, especially the Calzada de los Muertos (the
Avenue of the Dead) and the Pyramid of the Moon.
The Pyramid of the Moon, at the north end of the Calzada de los Muertos, is
smaller than the Pirámide del Sol, but more gracefully proportioned.
Completed around AD 300, its summit is nearly the same height as Pirámide del Sol because it’s built on higher ground,
Reflection: What really struck me was the fact that Teotihuacan has no military structures....
.....though experts say the
military and cultural weight and wake of Teotihuacan people was heavily felt throughout the
region.
It is unclear why "Teo" collapsed; one theory is that poorer classes carried out an internal uprising against the elite. But rather than asking why Teotihuacan collapsed, it is more interesting to ask why it lasted so long? What were the social, political, and religious practices that provided such stability?
....just click!
The Pope’s Visit to Mexico City:
For us, the pope was most elusive.
Our first close encounter, was when we happened to be...
...when he jetted in.
Outside tens and tens and tens of policemen were lining the streets....
...any number of questions got us nowhere as to what time the pope might be passing by...
Meanwhile, life went on. Touring the city and shopping were the order of the day...
almost all of D.F.'s museums
were closed
I had emailed the pope offering him some special protection from me and the boys but again, no answer was forthcoming.
Finally it was Sunday, February 14th, which turned out to be...a great day for all.
After all, it was Valentine's Day (with flowers for everyone), Jim's birthday, and hey, the pope was still in town.
What more could we ask for?
There was a little something for everyone. :)
Oh, and although I had emailed (again), with an invitation to supper at our favourite restaurant, Quebracho, we didn't hear back.
His loss! What a great meal!
Still, everyone was waiting.
And then it happened.
Through
all of the on-lookers, his parade of bishops and police cars was seen...ever so briefly.
Ballet Folklórico de México and Jim’s Birthday
To cap off this memorial
February 14th, Valentine’s Day and Jim’s birthday,....
.....we were off to the Palacio
de Belles Artes to watch the “Ballet Folklórico de México”.
Ballet!!!
Thank goodness, they weren't in tights...
...and
the moment we stepped into that beautiful hall, we knew we were in the right place. What a magnificent hall !!!
It is said that the
nightlife in Mexico City is second to none, providing a vast array of
entertainment, but this show — the 'Best Dance Show of the World in Mexico' (roughly translated)—
was not to be missed.
For two hours, we were mesmerized by the most incredible dance
choreography, all from Mexico’s past and present, with never-ending onstage
energy.
In fact, the dancers in their
vibrant costumes made the whole evening infectious.
And just
before turning in, well, why not!!!
A little
chocolate cake to celebrate the birthday boy’s big day.
Wow, what a night!
What a great week!
Until next time!!!!
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