SUMMER 2019, PART 3: MEXICO CITY

Many of you know Mexico City, a place with 21 million, 621 thousand, 908 habitants, making it the 5th biggest city of the world after Tokyo, Delhi, Shanghai, and Sao Paolo. The city was built in 1521 on top of another far more ancient city, Tenochtitlán, which was the capital of the Aztec (Mexica) Empire, built in 1325.

Because of colonization, the city has three races among its habitants: Indigenous people, Mestizos, and criollos.

Indigenous people are the native people of the country; they are also the poorest and most discriminated.

The middle class in Mexico City is composed of Mestizos, which are a mixed of Indigenous and European--enter me. I am a mestizo man, born from a Mexican mother (who is Purepecha (from the Michoacán State) and a European father. (To my surprise, not a Spanish man but an English man--and no, I won't talk about that.)

The last group of people in Mexico City are the Criollos-- European/Spanish born in Mexico (not mixed) which are white, wealthy, and the ones with the most privilege.

Mexico City was known as "El Distrito Federal" (Federal District) until January 2016 where the District became a City and a state. Today Mexico City is known as CDMX (Ciudad de México). This change is important because those living in the federal district had different laws, regulations, and benefits which didn't really benefited the habitants since congress gave more benefits to geographical areas classified as towns, cities, and states. There is more factors involved in the change and how they work for the habitants but I really don't know them all nor do I have the time or desire to explain them. Just know before 2016 Mexico as a country had 31 states and 1 federal district. Today it has 32 states the newest state is known as Mexico.

One of my favorite things about CDMX is "El Metro." The subway system is one of the most colorful, most modern, fastest, and most complex but also very efficient public transportation system in the world. It is incredibly easy to use. It is always packed with people, especially at rush hour but no matter its intricacy and its many stairs to climb up and down, making you tired very easily. the metro is one of the fastest and cheapest ways to travel in the city. I LOVE EL METRO.

For $5 pesos, less than 15 cents, you can ride the metro and literately cross the entire city one way. Not only that but the entire subway system is so large and the stations (especially transfer stations) are so huge that many have permanent exhibitions, some house museums, and other station actually have mini shopping centers, while others have small stores and restaurants, especially those that become transfer stations. 

Mexico City covers an area of around 571 square miles with an elevation of about 7,349 ft. Yes, it is the largest city in the entire American continent.

A couple of images from my neighborhood and last but not least: El metro!

Well, this vacations were awesome! Let's see what trip comes next! Thanks for reading, stay tune!

OLMEDO MUSEUM & TEC DE MONTERREY-MEXICO CAMPUS

ALL IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHTED AND THEY ARE MY PROPERTY. THEY ARE NOT PUBLIC DOMAIN

The Dolores Olmedo Museum has strong ties to Frida Kahlo. Doroles was a good friend of Frida and Diego; she was also Diego's art dealer. As a result, her house had an immense amount of paintings from both, but mainly from Diego.  The paintings and photographs are all originals but no one is allowed to take pictures. This paintings are not found in books. 

 Instead I took pictures of the outside. There dozens of peacocks all over the gardens.

To my delight, the museum also breeds the XOLOITZCUINTLI, which is the Mexican hairless dog. The type of dog Frida had at home. She loved these dogs. And after seeing them I love them too. They stay so still that you think they were statues. Very expensive, yet I still want one. 

My good friend and colleague, Armin, who is a professor at El Tecnologico de Monterrey-Ciudad de Mexico, invited me over the campus before we both went to the museum. Here are a few things I found while visiting "The Tec."

 A giant ALEBRIJE, which is a brightly Mexican folk art sculpture of fantastical creatures. 

Like everyone else in the world, students love to joke around. The sign should say, "Ruta de Evacuation" (Evacuation Route) but someone removed one single line and now it says, "Puta de Evacuation" (Evacuation Whore.) I love it!

There is a beautiful mural in one of the buildings. 

MEXICO CITY and LA CIUDADELA

ALL IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHTED AND THEY ARE MY PROPERTY. THEY ARE NOT PUBLIC DOMAIN

The Latin American Tower

 Bellas Artes, the Palace of Fine Arts. Only the greatest artists appear here. Frida Kahlo wake was in this place. 

Botero sculptures.

 Inside the Palace of Fine Arts. Told ya only the greatest artists appear here. I don't lie. 

 Mexico's fascination with "lucha libre" is seeing everywhere

 A political group trying to convince people that the best thing to do is "get rid of him."

 Hand made artifacts at La Ciudadela (Arts and Crafts Market)

Never mind the food. The dishes they used to serve me the food are impressived. 

Sabina Berman's (Mexico's most prolific woman playwright) latest play: "The Narcos Negotiate with God."

 I could not be in Mexico and not take a picture with my friend Einstein. 

Two different parts of "Parque Mexico." 

ALONG THE WAY I ENCOUNTERED...

ALL IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHTED AND THEY ARE MY PROPERTY. THEY ARE NOT PUBLIC DOMAIN

This tree is famous because it is covered with chewed gum.

Street vendors are everywhere and sell everything. Here, you have clay kitchenware.

I went to see a play but before that I had dinner at "Los Cochinitos," the name refers to the type of meat they served: pig. But I also think it refers to people who just eat like pigs... like me. 

The play: "Nueva York versus El Tepozito," a Mexican play about a mother and daughter who meet after years of being separated. Daughter lives in NYC; Mother lives in her little Mexican Town. Discuss! It was incredible! Showing at the Centro Elenico.  

Interesting enough, at the same theatre, "A View from a Bridge" was playing on the weekends.

El Palacio Nacional (Our version of the Senate and the Congress) It's an immense building decorated with murals by Diego Rivera. Unlike the buildings for the Congress and the Senate this one is open to the general public.  

Maguey, one of Mexico's pride and joy

Downtown Mexico City

Churros and hot chocolate, one of the best indulgences in Mexico City. And no, you have not tasted churros like these... unless you have been here. Period.

This is part of a modern art exposition done by university students

Jelly fish with cameras... interesting stuff. 

And finally, incredible graffiti decorating the walls downtown. 

WHAT I'VE DONE... SO FAR!

ALL IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHTED AND THEY ARE MY PROPERTY. THEY ARE NOT PUBLIC DOMAIN

When I come to Mexico City, I come do research or present a paper. I also come to visit  family and friends and see theatre. Due to "complicated" matters, staying with my sister isn't possible. Luckily, I always stay with one of my best friends, Luis. He's an incredible person and when I come here, he is more than happy to have me over.  

Cuando vengo a la Ciudad de México, vengo a hacer investigaciones o alguna ponencia académica. También vengo a visitar a mi familia, a mis amigos y a ver teatro. Debido a que las cosas son un poco complicadas, no me puedo quedar con mi hermana. Por suerte, siempre me quedo con uno de mis mejores amigos, Luis. El es una persona increíble y alguien que siempre me recibe en su casa con los brazos abiertos. 

And of course, you always find interesting things while walking the city such as sculptures...

parks,  such as this one dedicated to BOOKS,...

extraordinary views of EL METRO (The subway)...

Y jóvenes hermosos.