February 23, 2009

Here we are again….home in La Peñita…..how can I possibly tell you about Mexico City, one of the wonders of the world all by itself. It is huge (9,000,000 people) and from the Latino Americana tower, downtown, it stretches like an ocean from horizon to horizon. The city floats on a lake bed a mile-and-a-half high. The ancient land of the Aztecs is now a thoroughly modern world capital, yet much of it is sitting on ruins built 2000 years ago, and except for some of the ruins that are being uncovered, or buildings rebuilt on top of ruins, the city is sinking at a rate of between one and four inches a year. Its great cathedral has a huge, but beautiful, plumb bob hanging from the center to keep track of its level and movement and then correct for it with pillars and jacks under the low ends. They are using some of the light volcanic rock from the excavated temples to repair some of the walls because it is a lighter material. The cathedral is extremely heavy sitting on the sinking bedrock, as are many of the old and preserved buildings. The ancient buildings in Mexico City are some of the most ornate, beautiful architecture that I have ever seen. The very rich rulers of ancient Mexico had to use a good deal of their resources in building beautiful things. There are gigantic carved sculptures, Aztec calendars, and detailed tiles on roof top trim that Eureka, CA would think (just one of them) to be the very world wonder to have in their city. The temples that are being currently uncovered near the Palace of Fine Arts are at least seven temples in layers. They sit under the ruins of the Great Temple or Teocalli, the once center of the Aztec empire.

Our hotel “Del Congresso” was only as luxurious as necessary to rest and shower, but located within walking distance of the Cathedral, Main square, National Palace, and Fine Arts Palace. We took every advantage of touring the Main Aztec temple museum, Palace of Fine Art (awesome artists murals like those of Diego Rivera and about the ancient history of Mexico), and the National Palace. With our guides, Sergio and Patricio, and their great sense of humor, the tour was enhanced by extra fun details, like climbing to the bell tower of the Cathedral and seeing the military changing of the gigantic Mexican flag in the square below from the top of the bell tower. The Aztec museum is not an ordinary museum. It contains all of the pieces of antiquity that are being excavated from the temple and pyramids, for us to see. Monolithic sculpture remains, portions of actual walls and murals, skeletons still wrapped in partial disintegrated blankets, and tiny reassembled fragments of carvings and animal bones are dramatically lit with background lights and staged to the best advantage. Some are dated from 500 AD.

We tried a few new foods too, like the delicious Pozole soup and prickly pear cactus cooked with cheese, onions, and sauce and called “Nopal”. I love Mexican coffee: strong espresso with steaming cream in a glass.

Our three days there went fast. We had a city tour that included the wonders of the Castle of Chapultepec and the National Museum of anthropology and history. A person could spend a week exploring each and never cover all of the history and things to see. The Anthropology museum alone was fabulously full of information and considered to be one of the best museums of anthropology worldwide.

The last full day we spent at the Teotihuacan archaeological site about 49 kilometers northeast of Mexico City. The site is thought to be as old as 700 BC, although it is not until 100 BC that construction of its two great pyramids began. Archeologists estimate that at its peak around A.D. 500, up to 200,000 people lived there, making it bigger than Rome at the time and one of the largest cities in the world. We climbed to the reconstructed top of the largest pyramid, the Pyramid of the Sun, the third largest pyramid in the world. In front of it is the mile long Avenue of the Dead and at one end of that is the second of its largest pyramids, the Pyramid of the Moon. Our entire group (about 15 of us) explored the site, including the restored Palace of Quetzalpapalotl, Teotihuacan’s most elaborate building. Beneath this palace is the Palace of the Jaguars, so called because of the jaguar images in the rooms (and ringing the courtyard) and the substructure with its feathered snails carvings. Needless to say, there were many Kodak moments.

One surprise visit was to a craft area nearby where the famous precious stones of Mexico are cut and mounted into the Aztec masks and Aztec sculptures sold all over Mexico. These are quality made from stones that were explained to us in their rough forms before we viewed the beautiful finished products to buy if we wanted. I think we cannot find this quality in many places in Mexico. We couldn’t afford any. The cut and polished stones are combined with the best of silver, Abalone, and other shells to make out of this world beautiful masks, jewelry, animals, and sculpture. One Aztec mask was made souly of blue Lapis Deluzy. They cut pieces of Obsidian, Opal, Turquoise, Jade, Quartz, Amethyst, and even Tiger Eye.

The demonstrations also included the uses of one of the local Agave plants that is a different species than the one used to make Tequila. The plant was used by the Aztecs for paper (pulled from between layers); for creams to soothe the skin (like Aloe); for the drink, Pulque (self fermented by the plant in its center); for fiber to make rope; and even to make a needle pre-threaded naturally with plant fibers and pulled from the end of the point of the center.
Near the pyramids our group stopped for dinner. The food was good, but the entertainment, better: both by the four piece Mexican band with heavenly voices, the Indian dancers, and by our own silliness posing with sombreros, Indian headdress, rifles, etc. (check out pictures)

It was a long drive, taking about 12 hours to get to Mexico City from La Peñita, but we never want to change the memories of Mexico City and the wonderful tour group that we went with.