Tom`s travels: Mexico Trip (22-28/11/17)

During our third semester of the master's which we were spending in the U.S., we were able to book a cheap flight to Mexico City for a few days. So after flying from Chicago, which we reached by bus, with a layover in Dallas, we reached Mexico's capital in the late afternoon. After a long wait for the passport check, we finally exited the airport and took the metro to check in our hotel for the night. We had found an accommodation close to the city center but as we had read the capital's center was not the safest to walk around at night, we stuck to eating at a nearby street vendor for dinner. The next morning we decided to visit the archeological site of Teotihuacan situated north west of Mexico City. We headed to one of the main bus stations and from there took a ride which took us to the site an hour later. After reaching the destination, we got off the bus and headed to the ticket office where we bought the entrance to the archeological site. The place was incredible and unlike anything I had seen before. This ancient Mesoamerican city which is thought to have been around between 100 BC and 550 AD used to be the most populated in the Americas and probably the sixth largest in the world at its zenith. The name Teotihuacan was used to name both this city as well as a population which covered large areas of what is now Mexico and far before the Mayas and Aztecs were around. As we entered the site we immediately headed forward to the first main sight we encountered: the Pyramid of the Sun. At 225 meters in diameter and 75m in height, it is the largest of the complex and still the third largest in the world. The climb us was very steep and not easy but granted us an incredible view over the whole archeological complex and the landscape around. Once back down at ground level we walked further admiring the remains of a once great city and reaching the southern end where the Temple of the Feathered Serpent is located. It was called so due to the decorations referring to a feathered serpent god which would be similar to the later Aztec god Quetzalcoatl. The temple was used as a sacrificial site due to the many remains found underground. After walking all through the archeological site again we reached the northern side and climbed the second largest pyramid: the Pyramid of the Moon. This is the second largest of the complex yet older than the larger one of the Sun. Nearby we then entered what used to be the Palace of Quetzalpapalotl. Some murals and stone reliefs were still present and gave an impression of what the whole complex could have looked like.
We were then done with visiting the archaeological complex so we directed ourselves to the exit where we then caught the bus back to Mexico City. After arriving an hour later we then took the metro to head back to the city center, however as we were switching trains on the blue line a whole mass of people started pushing me and I briefly got separated from Ania, it was at that moment and with just the time of one metro stop that my phone got stolen. As I realized it, I panicked and headed to the nearest policeman I saw; I explained the situation but he said he could not do anything and gave me the address of the tourist police which might help us out. So after feeling totally vulnerable and worried, we headed to the police station to report a theft. In the end, after hours of waiting, being sent from one office to the other without much success, I managed to arrange to meet a super friendly young Mexican officer who calmly helped me change all my passwords of apps, emails etc and feel safer for at least most of my data. However, apart from making me then worry about going out each of the remaining days of the trip, I was very sad and angered that all my data in the phone went lost particularly all the photos I had in there. In fact, after fixing my phone at the end of July I had forgotten to enable the automatic upload of the photos and thus I managed only to recover those before that period, while all the others from the summer and Indianapolis had gone lost. That same night I then decided to head to the hotel and not go out anymore as I really felt bad. The next day, after long overthinking, and a fierce convincing by Ania, we headed out again and went to visit the National Museum of Anthropology. The most visited museum of the country is an impressive building featuring important archeological and anthropological artifacts of Mexico's pre-Columbian history. The museum possessed some really interesting objects ranging from impressive statues, bas-reliefs, decorations, costumes, and ancient stone calendars. I was so captured that it took us nearly three hours to see all of it. After the visit, we then found a little place to eat something inside the Bosque de Chapultepec, a huge city park right by the museum. After lunch, we then climbed up to reach the Chapultepec Castle, where we had an incredible view over all the city. Despite being just 67meters above the rest of the city it actually stands at over 2300m above sea level. The castle was built as a summer residence for the Viceroy of New Spain at the end of the 18th century, and after passing through various hands, serving as Military Academy, then as a residence for the Mexican Emperor Maximilian I (the same who spent time at the Miramare Castle in Trieste), it now serves as the National Museum of History. The interior contained the historical rooms of the castle with several paintings detailing the country's history, however the most exciting part was the view from the terrace which enabled us to admire the whole city. After the visit, we then descended down the hill and I looked for a barbershop to have my hair cut as it would be better and cheaper than back in the U.S. So after a quick cut we started to get hungry and headed to a nearby area where a famous market called, Mercado de Medellin is located. Right in front of it was a covered area where a group of South American restaurants was located around a courtyard. We decided to eat there; Ania had Mexican while I took a Colombian dish. After dinner, we headed back to our hotel and rest for the next day. The morning after we woke up relatively early and headed into town, this time on foot, stopping at a huge and amazing pastry shop which let you take a huge metal tray, fill it with any kind of pastry, and then pay at the counter. We took just a few things to try and happily headed on through the city center. We then reached the main square Zocalo, or Plaza de la Constitución, where the National Palace and the Cathedral are located. We decided to visit the latter, built during the 16th century on top of the Aztec's main temple after the conquest of the city. It features a beautiful Renaissance and Baroque exterior with some additions from the 18th and 19th centuries giving it a mix of styles, particularly in the interior. There are some beautiful baroque gilded altars to be found in the interior, particularly the Altar del Perdon and the Altar de los Reyes. Once outside, we passed by the remains of what used to be the Templo Mayor, or Greater Temple. This used to be the main sacred location for the Aztec people living in the city that used to be known as Tenochtitlan. Further on we tried to enter the Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso which was unfortunately closed. Nearby though we managed to see the Plaza Santo Domingo with the Baroque Iglesia de Santo Domingo at its northern end. Admiring the surrounding square which reminded me a lot of those in Spain we headed on and reached yet another square: the Plaza Manuel Tolsá. Flanked by impressive buildings, the square holds a statue of Charles IV, king of Spain, at its center. One of the buildings facing the square is the Museo Nacional de Arte which we proceeded to visit. Being the national museum it holds many important paintings relating to Mexico's art history. After touring the interior we moved on and quickly visited the Palacio de Correos, a beautifully eclectic post office with an impressive interior. Nearby we passed in front of the Palacio de Bellas Artes but avoided visiting it as we preferred to head further to the Museo Nacional de San Carlos. This museum is dedicated to European Art, in particular, medieval and early modern. It is located in a neoclassical palace close to the historical center. Walking further we passed through the large Plaza de la Republica with the impressive Monumento a la Revolucion, a monument commemorating the Mexican Revolution. Next on the list was the Museo de Arte Popular. The entrance was free and the building showcased some really impressive and interesting Mexican handcrafts and folk art. After the visit, we decided to take the metro and head south to visit the National Autonomous University of Mexico, being both on the list of our partner universities and a UNESCO world heritage site. The campus was huge and the main area contained buildings with impressive murals by famous Mexican artists of the 20th century. We decided to stay there a bit as a festival was taking place and there were still many students hanging around. We also took some food to eat and sat on the grass to enjoy it. After a while, we finally decided to head back to our hotel to rest for the night.
The next day we woke up early and decided to head to Tula, a city northwest of the country's capital. We took a bus and reached the destination at around 1pm. First, we visited the Cathedral, one of the first churches built during the Spanish colonization by the Franciscan monks and then finally turned into a cathedral in 1961. After that, we strolled around the city center for a while and grabbed something to eat for lunch. After filling up our tummies we crossed a pedestrian bridge over the Rio Tula and headed towards the famous archaeological site. The southern entrance looked close and while trying to figure out how to reach the main one a van stopped us to ask if we needed help. There was a guy driving, with a woman, who we found out later was his wife and an old lady who was the wife's mother, in the back seat. At first, we didn't trust them and just mentioned that we were heading to the nearby archeological site. The small family told us there were also going there and it was just around the corner up the street but they would gladly give us a ride. All three seemed nice and unharmful so we accepted. After getting on we briefly talked about each other and learned they had been driving from the nearby state to visit the archeological site. After reaching the entrance we thanked them heartily and waved goodbye each heading to buy the tickets. After paying the entrance fee we first visited the small museum annex to the site which contained the main findings found during the excavations. Then we headed to the site itself, once the capital of the Toltec Empire which grew after the fall of Teotihuacan and the before the rise of Tenochtitlan. Our first encounter with the ruins were the remains of the immense ballcourt, a large masonry structure used all over Mesoamerica to play the famous hip-ball game. We then passed through the remains of the Palacio Quemado, named so from the large fire that once destroyed the city. Ony the base of the columns that once held the large building of the palace is now remaining. After walking around the main grounds we finally headed up the steep steps of the main pyramid, famous for its Atlantean figures located at its top. They are massive carved stone support columns representing fierce Toltec warriors. After the visit to the archeological site, we headed back into the city took a few things from the supermarket and then took the next bus back into Mexico city.
The following day we did yet another day trip, this time to the state of Morelos by visiting the city of Cuernavaca. We reached the city's bus station and immediately headed to check out the Teopanzolco archeological site, located outside of town. After a long walk, we reached the destination yet found out it was closed due to the earthquake which had hit the surrounding area just a few months before. So after admiring it from the outside we retraced our steps and headed into the old town. We reached the main square, the Zocalo, where the impressive Palacio de Cortes stands. Buil in in 1526 it is considered as the oldest colonial civil structure in the whole Americas. It is a Gothic Mudejar fortified building which reminded me of the architecture of western Spain and eastern Portugal. Right in front of it the weekly market was set out, which we decided to tour and look for interesting things. After checking out the stalls we ended up buying a few things, I got two magnets and Ania got a beautifully painted mug. We then headed to the public park, Parque Revolucion, where we sat on a bench and enjoyed our lunchbox in a pleasant climate. After relaxing for a while we then decided to visit the Cathedral which was located close by. We entered the premises of the complex which constitutes the main Cathedral church with a few minor churches, considered though here as chapels, and the monastery buildings annexed. The complex is part of the Unesco site comprising early 16th century monasteries in the vicinity of the Popocatepetl volcano and was thus built purposely to convert the local indigenous population after the Spanish conquest. This is why the whole complex is surrounded by walls, typical for those monasteries, which could then defend themselves in case of attacks. The Cathedral church suffered partial reconstructions and refurbishments which altered its aspect, especially in the interior. The exterior though is typical of the colonial style in vogue during the 16th century. Unfortunately, I could only admire the complex from the interior courtyard because the interior of the church and chapels was closed due to the earthquake. After the visit it was time to go, so we headed to the bus station and took our ride back to Mexico City. After an early sleep, we then woke up the next morning to catch out flight back to Indianapolis.