8:45 PM
Admin
Many numbers of visitors come expecting pollution and crime and are surprised to find so much history and culture. Also, for one of world’s biggest cities, it is amazingly easy to get around on public transport. Mexico City is the ultimate clash of civilizations, where Spanish cathedrals were built accurately on top of Aztec temples. Now the people, art, culture and music of Mexico City reflects this mix of indigenous and Spanish heritage.
1. The Zocalo and the Templo Mayor
In the heart of Mexico City lies the Zocalo. The huge cathedral towers over the square, displaying the might of the Spanish empire. On the weekends, there are original dancers and people performing smoke ceremonies around the exterior of the cathedral, along with many stalls sales clothes and jewellery. Next to the Zocalo is the site of the Aztec’s Templo Mayor, which was the principal temple of their city, named Tenochtitlan. Until newly the temple lay forgotten under buildings, but now it is a museum that allows you to walk among the ruins, close enough to touch them. There is also an outstanding museum on the site, displaying some of the Aztec treasures found around the temple.
2. The Palacio National
The Palacio National on the Zocalo is a collection of government buildings and would be of little interest if not for the unbelievable Diego Rivera mural inside. In one of his largest and most motivated murals, Rivera tells the story of the history of Mexico on these walls. The scope of his vision is truly excellent and it is worth paying for guide to explain the details of the mural. Entry is free but official ID such as a passport is necessary to entry.
3. Bellas Artes
This effete opera house is a great place to see the work of a variety of Mexican muralists, including Rivera, Orozco and Siqueiros. The walls of the opera house give insight into the Mexican muralist movement, with dozens of stunning works painted onto the walls and stairwells. There is free entry to the murals on Sundays, but there is a lot queues.
4. The Alameda and the Museum of Diego Rivera
Strolling through the Alameda Park in the historic centre on a sunlit Sunday is a great place to see all the way of street performers, food stalls and free concerts. Just to the side of the park is the Museum of Diego Rivera. This is really just one Rivera mural called reverie of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park. In this mural, Rivera depicts the famous figures of Mexican history all together in the park. A key to the mural explains who is who.
5. Plaza Garibaldi
Garibaldi is the place to go to in Mexico City to see mariachis. Guests will know they are close to the square because on a weekend night because the mariachis can be seen and heard blocks away. It costs around 80-100 pesos a song to be serenaded by a group of about eight excellent musicians. There are also groups performing banda and norteña music. One word of warning though: some of the bars around the square often take advantage of foreigners with unfair charges to the bill, so be careful.
6. The Pyramids of Teotihuacan
When most people think of pyramids, they think of Egypt. For this reason it can be starting to learn that the world’s second and third biggest pyramids are in fact in Mexico. The pyramids are a day trip, about an hour and a half out of the city. Leave early to beat the heat, wear some sunscreen and take abundance of water and food: there is not a lot of either for deal at the pyramids themselves. There are two main pyramids to climb, the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon. Both have enough money great views of the area and give a small glimpse of the culture that constructed these pyramids so long ago.
7. Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul in Coyoacan
No trip to Mexico City would be complete without a trip to the bohemian Spanish-style suburb of Coyoacan. Frida Kahlo’s house, named the Casa Azul, is a small walk from the main square. Paintings aside, the house itself is a work of art. The striking blue is contrasted with the green of the plants and the colours of the paintings and artesian items inside. Frida grew up in his house, and finally lived with her husband Diego Rivera. Wandering through her living space gives a intellect of the Frida’s uneasy life and her passion for Mexico. However, in spite of the title, the museum doesn’t contain many of Frida’s paintings as you might expect. Real Frida fans need to go to Dolores Olmeda museum.
8. The Trotsky Museum
But for a few mishaps of history, Leon Trotsky would have been the leader of Russia as an alternative of Stalin. However, when Stalin took power Trotsky had to flee and ended up living out his last years in Mexico City, until he was ultimately murdered by Stalinists. The museum shows us Trotsky’s humble home and documents his life, including his strange connection to Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. It is a short walk from the Casa Azul in Coyoacan and so it makes intellect to visit the two museums in one day.
9. The Anthropology Museum
If visitors only see one museum in Mexico City, it should be this one. This museum houses Latin America’s leading collection of pre-Hispanic culture and artefacts. It is organized into a collection of rooms, covering the different periods and civilizations of Mexico. The pure scope of the collection can be daunting, and so take a break in the café after exploring a few of the rooms. Renting some headsets greatly enhances the museum experience, as it de-mystifies the exhibits and explains the different points of interest in each room. The Aztec or Mexica room is the home of the huge sunstone, displaying the Aztec calendar. This is one of the most impressive rooms in the museum and it is a good room to start your tour.
10. The Dolores Olmeda Patino Museum
This little visiting museum in the south of the city is the hidden gem of Mexico City art museums. It takes a small piece of organization to get there but it is well worth the exertion. Dolores Olmeda Patino was a prolific collector, patron of the arts and friend of Diego and Frida. The museum was once her house and is full of her collections of pre-Hispanic artesian items and Diego’s paintings. But perhaps the most attractive places appearance of the collection is the twenty-five Frida Kahlo paintings, the biggest collection of her work in the world. The house itself is a former Spanish hacienda with huge grounds is home to peacocks and strange pre-Hispanic hairless dogs.
Posted in: Tourist Attraction places
