Latin American Traveler

The Jardin del Arte in Mexico City

2010-03-04T19:53:00.000-08:00

You don't have to look very hard to find artwork in Mexico City. The city brims with murals, sculptures, and galleries. One of my favorite places to check out the work of both professional and amateur artists is the Jardín del Arte, an outdoor art show held every Sunday in Sullivan Park. Artists of all kinds and abilities display and sell their creations in this tranquil park located near the busy intersection of Avenida Insurgentes and the Paseo de la Reforma. Lining the tree-shaded pathways are exhibits of everything from traditional landscape paintings and miniatures of Spanish colonial architecture to modern sculptures and lively abstract canvases the size of doors.

Click on the images below to see larger views.

Mexico's Monarch Butterfly Population at All-Time Low

2010-02-05T22:50:00.000-08:00

According to a census taken by World Wildlife Fund - Mexico, the number of monarch butterflies wintering in Mexico has fallen to the lowest on record.

Every autumn, tens of millions of monarch butterflies migrate from as far away as eastern Canada to the states of Mexico and Michoacan. Here, they hibernate in the mountainous terrain, coating the oyamel fir trees in brilliant orange blankets. When air temperatures warm in the spring, they begin their long journey back to their northern breeding grounds.

The recent drop in the number of monarch butterflies over-wintering in Mexico is being blamed mainly on drought plus abnormally high and low temperatures in parts of North America where the monarchs reproduce. Also, the insects' Mexican habitat continues to be illegally deforested in order to harvest valuable timber and clear land for agriculture.

Although scientists say that the monarch butterflies are not in danger of extinction, they think that their declining numbers may threaten the annual migration to Mexico.

Mexico has four monarch butterfly sanctuaries in Michoacan and the Estado de Mexico. They were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 and now comprise the 56,259 hectare (about 139,00 acres) Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve.

For tourist information on Mexico's monarch butterfly sanctuaries, visit the WWF- Mexico website.

The San Miguel de Allende Historical Museum

2009-12-20T17:58:00.001-08:00

Sagging American and Canadian retirees aren’t the only ones getting facelifts in San Miguel de Allende these days. The Museo Historico de San Miguel de Allende has been remodeled by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) as part of Mexico’s Independence Bicentennial celebrations.

This compact museum – often overlooked by foreign tourists – is housed in a handsome colonial-era building next to the Gothic-style Parroquia (parish church) on San Miguel’s main square. The museum has two patios surrounded by arcades and two floors of displays chronicling the history of San Miguel de Allende and the Mexican Independence War that began in 1810. Highlighted is the role of Ignacio Allende, a hero of Mexico’s independence movement who was born in San Miguel in 1779. There are also documentary videos plus a replica of a Spanish colonial pharmacy with original medicines and fittings.

Restoration of the museum took two years to complete and included the installation of better lighting, a new security system, plus new drain and electrical systems. The museum was re-inaugurated by Felipe Calderon, the current president of Mexico, on April 4th, 2009.

The San Miguel de Allende Historical Museum is located at 1 Cuna de Allende Street. Opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Admission is about US$3.00.

Reforesting Chichen Itza

2009-12-15T18:26:00.001-08:00

It appears that even the ancient Maya ruins at Chichen Itza are feeling the effects of global warming. The heating of the Earth’s atmosphere has reportedly changed the rain patterns and lengthened the dry season at Chichen Itza. Resulting drought, along with lightning storms and hurricanes, has taken a heavy toll on the sprawling archaeological site’s trees and other natural vegetation.

In response to this loss of greenery, Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology (INAH) has reforested vulnerable areas of Chichen Itza with 3000 trees indigenous to the Yucatan. Included among the species are mahogany, cedar, flamboyant, plus other trees and bushes traditionally used by the Maya for food, construction, and the making of handicrafts. An additional 1000 trees will be planted in 2010, and seeds are being conserved to eventually stock greenhouses with saplings. Grass in heavily trafficked areas of Chichen Itza is also being regenerated.

Old Quito, Ecuador

2009-12-01T21:50:00.000-08:00

With a population estimated at close to two million, Quito is Ecuador’s capital and second largest city. It also claims to be the second highest capital in the world after La Paz, Bolivia.

Quito’s air may be thin, but the city is thick with history. Quito sits on the ruins of an Incan city that the Incas burned to the ground rather than have it fall into Spanish clutches. The Spanish Conquistadors established the city of San Francisco de Quito in 1534. They proceeded to Christianize local Indians and use them as laborers to build splendid churches, convents, and monasteries. Most of these architectural treasures are still around. In fact, downtown Quito is so well preserved that it was declared a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 1978.

I felt protected by an angel while wandering through old Quito’s plazas and labyrinthine streets. Wherever I went, I could see the winged Virgin of Quito, hovering above the low-rise colonial architecture like a guardian angel. This huge statue stands on a hill called El Panecillo or “Little Bread Loaf” to the south of the old town. It is said to be the only depiction of a winged Virgin in the Americas. The monument was apparently modeled after an apocalyptic vision from the biblical book of Revelations. Quito’s unusual Virgin wears a crown of stars, and she balances on top of a chained dragon and a large globe of the world.

The heart of Quito’s Old Town is the Plaza de la Independencia, which locals usually call the Plaza Grande. This large square dates back to the 16th century and is flanked by some of the city’s most important buildings, including Quito’s austere-looking cathedral, and the white presidential palace or Palacio de Gobierno with its handsome colonnades. Looking like a wallflower on the north side of Plaza Grande is a nondescript modern administration building that was built to replace a crumbling colonial structure. Tall marble columns surmounted by a bronze statue of Liberty marks the center of the plaza.

The Plaza Grande is one of the best places for people-watching in old Quito. I visited the plaza on a Sunday when it was packed with Quiteños – as people from Quito are called – relaxing and chatting on wrought-iron benches. Quito is a conservative place, and most of the older people were dressed in their Sunday best. Some ladies had brought parasols to protect themselves from the strong equatorial sun. Children were running about dipping their hands in the splashing baroque fountains, chasing flocks of pigeons, and dodging people strolling to and from the area’s numerous churches.

I soon discovered that it was difficult to walk more than two blocks in old Quito without bumping into a church. Quito’s churches tend to be plain and formal on the outside. However, I found a notable exception one block west of the Plaza Grande. La Compañia de Jésus church has the most ornate baroque facade in Ecuador. It reportedly took 160 over years to build La Compañia and carve the collage of cherubs, sacred hearts and other icons ringing its stone entranceway.

The church’s gilded nave and towering altar smothered in gold leaf are truly a Conquistador’s dream come true. Tourism brochures often refer to La Compañia as “Quito’s Sistine Chapel.” Peering up at the church’s vaulted ceiling, I could see why: Moorish geometric designs inlaid with gold glittered in the diffuse light, and dozens of somber paintings depicting saints and religious scenes hung from the sweeping arches.

If Plaza Grande is the heart of Quito, then the Plaza San Francisco is the city’s soul. This vast cobblestone square is ringed by colonial buildings and bordered on its west side by the high white walls and twin spires of the San Francisco Church and Monastery. The plaza was built on the site of the original Inca city’s marketplace, which buzzed with traders from all over the northern Andes.

When I was there, Indian women wearing their signature narrow-brimmed fedoras approached me hawking multicolored weavings, and men bent double under enormous loads strapped to their backs plodded by. I joined the Sunday crowds filing into San Francisco Church. Once inside the church’s dark interior, I found myself engulfed by a sea of glinting baroque carvings and the echoes of hundreds of feet shuffling across creaking wooden floors as they have for centuries.

IF YOU GO

Quito’s Old Town has few services for travelers. Most stay in the Mariscal Sucre district in new Quito. This compact neighborhood northeast of the old town is full of budget hotels, restaurants, and stores catering to tourists. The best way to get to old Quito from Mariscal Sucre is on the efficient and inexpensive (fare $0.30) trolley bus system. The trolleys have their own lanes and can zip right through Quito’s frequent traffic jams. Taxis are also cheap and plentiful. Most of old Quito’s museums are closed on Mondays. The tourism information office on the Plaza de la Independencia supplies a good map of Quito and brochures.

Old Quito, Ecuador - Images by John Mitchell

Mysterious Xochicalco, Mexico

2009-11-27T11:13:00.000-08:00

The highway running south from Cuernavaca snakes past endless sugarcane fields, roadside stands piled high with freshly cut roses, and towns with tongue-twisting names that hark back to pre-Hispanic times. Before long, the ancient ruins of Xochicalco come into view, perched like a fortress high on a hill overlooking lush valleys and shimmering lakes.

Xochicalco – whose name means “Place of the House of Flowers” – flourished between 700 and 900 A.D. It was once one of the most important cities in Mesoamerica and home to as many as 15,000 people. During the 20th century the ruins of this heavily fortified complex were extensively restored, and in 1999 Xochicalco was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today, it is the largest and most-visited archaeological site in the state of Morelos.

The city of Xochicalco rose to prominence during the decline of Teotihuacan, whose immense ruins lie to the north of present day Mexico City. This powerful civilization had exerted its influence over most of Mexico for almost a millennium. Teotihuacan’s collapse in the eighth century A.D. has still to be fully explained. Its demise left a power vacuum in Central Mexico that was filled first by Xochicalco and later by the Toltec city of Tula.

Xochicalco’s origins remain something of a mystery. Its buildings bear the marks of several different cultures, including the Olmecs, the Zapotecs, and the Aztecs. However, the city’s architecture and artwork are essentially Mayan, leading archaeologists to believe that Xochicalco was founded by Maya traders from the Gulf Coast of the Yucatan peninsula. The strategic location south of Teotihuacan would have given them access to trade routes radiating out from the Valley of Mexico.

An excellent on-site museum that opened at Xochicalco in 1995 gives an idea of who the Xochicalcans were and how they lived. The building was designed according to the principles of environmental sustainability, and it is almost totally self-sufficient. Solar panels and batteries supply electricity. Rain water is collected and recycled, and ventilation is taken care of by an innovative thermal rotation system.

The pale green museum complex sprawls on a rise just east of the ruins. Upon entering the building, you come face-to-face with a wide glass window offering a panoramic view of Xochicalco’s skyline. You then make your way past a scale model of the archaeological site and down a corridor lined with exquisite sculptures to the museum’s six galleries clustered beehive-like at the far end of the building.

On display in the galleries are stone statues, ceramics, and ornaments related to various aspects of ancient Xochicalco’s history and its inhabitants’ way of life. A signature sculpture representing the room’s main theme occupies the entranceway to each gallery. Soft natural light issuing from prism-shaped skylights bathes the artifacts, which are accompanied by explanations and diagrams.

From the site’s main parking area, a trail winds uphill to Xochicalco’s main plaza. Here stands the most beautiful and enigmatic of Xochicalco’s monuments, the Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent. Bas-reliefs carved in the Mayan style adorn the squat pyramid’s four sides. Along the structure’s sloping base is a huge undulating feathered serpent. In one of the serpent’s coils sits a Maya ruler or priest wearing an elaborate plumed headdress. Archaeologists feel that this dignitary may have been connected in some way with the god Quetzalcoatl, who was much revered throughout pre-Columbian Mexico.

Above the serpent stretches a series of panels depicting seated men. It was long thought that these figures were astronomers from throughout Mexico who had met at Xochicalco to make calendar adjustments. Archaeologists now speculate that the men actually represent towns subjugated by Xochicalco. Eagles, jaguars, and warriors carrying shields and spears decorate the pyramid’s topmost level, suggesting that the Xochicalcans were more than just peaceful star-watchers.

It is possible to spend several hours exploring Xochicalco’s plazas and densely packed temples, many of which are festooned with Mayan glyphs and carvings. There are also two I-shaped ballcourts like those found on the Yucatan peninsula. Here the Xochicalcans played the sacred “ballgame” that was popular throughout Mexico and northern Central America. Experts think that both the Toltecs and the Aztecs used Xochicalco’s Mayan-style ballcourts as models for the ones they later built in their cities.

Not to be missed is the unusual underground solar observatory sequestered inside one of many caves peppering hillsides found on the site’s northwestern edges. A guard opens the iron gate protecting the cave’s entrance and takes small groups of visitors along an eerie tunnel with painted stucco walls. At the end of the dimly lit passage is a small chamber with a crude altar and light streaming in through a hole in the ceiling.

The light travels down a narrow shaft leading from the surface. When the sun is at its zenith, a beam of sunlight bursts through the shaft at high noon. This event, which happens twice a year, must have been significant for the Xochicalcans. At any time of the year, when you put your hand in the light, the shadow cast on the chamber’s floor appears to show finger bones like an x-ray. While this peculiar effect probably has a simple scientific explanation, it adds another layer of intrigue to these already mysterious ruins.

GETTING THERE: Xochicalco can easily be visited on day trips from Mexico City or Cuernavaca. The Xochicalco archaeological site and museum are open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The ticket booth closes at 5 p.m. Admission is about US$4.00, which includes entrance to both the ruins and the on-site museum.

Xochicalco, Mexico - Images by John Mitchell

Exploring Ancient Acapulco, Mexico

2009-11-21T11:45:00.000-08:00

With its curving bay ringed with ritzy hotels and thumping nightclubs, Acapulco looks and sounds like a city that lives entirely for the moment. But this hedonistic Mexican resort is full of surprises. One of the biggest revelations for many visitors is that Acapulco has roots that go back thousands of years.

Little is known about the indigenous peoples who settled in what is now Acapulco, but they left behind a remarkable series of petroglyphs (rock carvings) on the slopes of a hill overlooking Acapulco Bay. These treasures have been preserved in the Palma Sola Archaeological Site in El Veladero Ecological Park about four miles north of downtown.

To begin exploring ancient Acapulco, all you need do is hail a taxi and ask the driver to take you to Palma Sola. After a dizzying climb through steep, circuitous streets, you’ll arrive in a quiet neighborhood with simple houses, vegetable gardens, and roaming pigs and chickens. The taxi driver will let you off in front of a visitors' center. From here, a set of natural stone steps leads through scrubby vegetation to the rock carvings. Eighteen boulders etched with carvings dating back to 750-800 B.C. are scattered throughout the 3.8 hectare (about 9.5 acres) site.

Shade is scare, and at 400 meters (about 1200 feet) above sea level the air is hot and dry, so it's a good idea to walk slowly and drink plenty of bottled water. Chances are that you will have the entire site to yourself as you follow the well-maintained paths that wind from boulder to boulder. Interpretive signs in both Spanish and English explain the significance of each set of petroglyphs and provide background information about the area's first inhabitants. Panoramic views of sprawling Acapulco and of the blue Pacific Ocean unfold along the way.

Acapulco’s early inhabitants considered this hillside a sacred place and used it for religious and agricultural ceremonies, as well as for making astronomical observations. Several of the petroglyphs – which have been outlined in white to make them easier to see – show shamans and other participants involved in religious rites. Some of the figures are childlike, consisting of little more than circles and squiggly lines, while others are more sophisticated, revealing facial expressions and incorporating simple geometric designs. Archaeologists believe that these carvings describe significant events in the history, mythology and culture of Acapulco’s ancient citizens.

At the end of the trail, you will find Palma Sola’s most important sculpture nestled inside a shallow cave. Petroglyphs covering this oblong boulder depict what is thought to be an ancestral creation myth. A man and a woman, reminiscent of Adam and Eve, stand beside a crowd of human-like figures and animals. While the exact meaning of this scene is unclear, the carvings exude a magical aura, especially when the cave walls turn golden in the rays of the late afternoon sun.

Not as ancient as Palma Sola but well-worth visiting is Fuerte de Santiago (Santiago Fort) perched atop a hill in the old part of Acapulco. Here you can get an idea of the role Acapulco played during Mexico's colonial days. Hernan Cortes, the Spaniard who led the conquest of Mexico in 1519, chose Acapulco to be his shipbuilding headquarters, and numerous expeditions to the South Seas set sail from Acapulco during the 16th century.

Spanish Conquistadors built Santiago Fort in 1616 to protect their galleons from marauding English and Dutch pirates. Ships from Manila in the Philippines regularly docked at Acapulco, making it the most important Spanish port on Mexico's Pacific coast. Well into the 19th century, Acapulco hosted a flourishing trade fair, where goods from Mexico, Peru, and Spain were exchanged for products from the Far East.

An earthquake destroyed much of Santiago Fort in 1776, but it was rebuilt several years later. Shaped like a five-pointed star and surrounded by a dry moat, the fortress has been completely restored and now houses the Museo Historico de Acapulco, a museum chronicling Acapulco's history.

You can wander through converted military quarters containing weapons, seafaring paraphernalia, along with Chinese porcelain, elegant furniture, textiles and other artifacts from Asia. There are also interactive videos (in both Spanish and English) highlighting various aspects of Acapulco's history, plus a colonial-era chapel and a kitchen with traditional fixtures and utensils. On the fort's upper level, you’ll find rows of rusty cannon still keeping watch over Acapulco Bay.

GETTING THERE: The easiest way to visit Palma Sola is by taxi, but you can also get there by public bus. The archaeological site is open daily from 9 am until 5 pm. Admission is about US$2.00. El Fuerte de San Diego (Fort San Diego) overlooks Avenida Costera Miguel Aleman a few blocks east of the Zocalo in old Acapulco. Opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday from 9:30 until 6:30 pm. Admission is about US$4.00.

Acapulco - Images by John Mitchell

Tepotzotlan's Colonial Treasures

2009-11-14T11:09:00.000-08:00

The first thing that catches your eye when you step off the bus in downtown Tepotzotlan is the Iglesia de San Francisco Javier with its soaring three-tiered bell tower and richly decorated façade. This extravagant 17th-century church is considered to be one of the finest examples of Churrigueresque (Mexican baroque) architecture in Mexico.

Tepotzotlan is a pleasant colonial town on the northern edge of Mexico City’s urban sprawl. A lively outdoor handicrafts market held in the main square and streets lined with outdoor restaurants make Tepotzotlan a popular weekend retreat among people from the capital. However, the main reason for visiting the town is the Museo Nacional de Virreinato (National Museum of the Viceroyalty) that occupies a former Jesuit monastery adjacent to the San Francisco Javier church.

The monastery originally housed two schools, one for indigenous children and another for novice priests. During the early 1960’s, the building was extensively restored and turned into a museum displaying religious art and other artifacts from Mexico’s colonial period. The San Francisco Javier church and Jesuit monastery were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.

Behind the monastery’s walls lies a maze of corridors and rooms surrounding two main courtyards. The larger courtyard, the Patio of the Reservoirs, gets its name from cisterns that are still used to collect rainwater. This space was reserved for the Jesuit priests and school children. Fronting the patio is an apothecary room with 17th-century murals documenting the medicine-related work of several Catholic saints.

Smaller and more intimate, the second courtyard is called the Patio of the Oranges, after the scented orange trees growing in it. Novice priests apparently used this area for rest and recreation, amusing themselves with worldly pastimes such as bowling and billiards. The cloister’s upper floor harbors religious murals and the students’ library, whose shelves are stocked with some 4000 antique books in Latin, Greek, Spanish, and French.

Hidden away in another corner of the monastery, the lavishly decorated Chapel of the Novices or Capilla Domestica has a towering gilded altar festooned with mirrors, portraits of saints, statuettes, and reliquaries. Here, the novice monks prayed and no doubt did their best to look pious under a vaulted ceiling ringed with the crests of the various religious orders that came to Christianize the peoples of New Spain.

Most of the museum’s exhibits can be found in a series of large rooms once occupied by Jesuit fathers. On display are important paintings, furniture, carvings, textiles and countless other colonial treasures from Mexico’s viceregal period, which lasted from the Spanish Conquest in 1521 to the beginning of the 19th century. There are also some haunting pre-Columbian artifacts plus a fascinating “diagram of the castes,” an 18th-century painting depicting the various racial mixes that resulted from interbreeding during the colonization of Mexico.

From the monastery, a narrow staircase leads to the San Francisco Xavier church. It becomes obvious upon entering this opulent building that the Jesuits were neither short on missionary zeal nor strapped for cash. During the 18th century, they commissioned some of New Spain’s finest architects and artists to create the church’s sumptuous baroque altarpieces, all of which were fashioned from polychromed wood and covered in gold leaf, statues, and paintings.

The church’s resplendent main altar is dedicated San Francisco Xavier, patron saint of the monastery. Other altars include one devoted to San Ignacio de Loyola, principal founder of the Jesuit order, plus another honoring the Virgin of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico. Equally impressive are the jewel-box-like Relicario de San Jose, a glittering room built to store valuable relics, and an octagonal chamber known as the Camarin de la Virgen, which has celestial scenes painted on its ceiling.

All this gold and glitter can get a bit overwhelming. Fortunately, the museum offers visitors a quiet refuge. Its pleasant open-air restaurant is an ideal place to relax over regional specialties such as tortilla soup or huitlacoche crepes while contemplating a peaceful courtyard filled with flowering bougainvillea and ghosts from Mexico’s colonial past.

GETTING THERE

The easiest way to get to Tepotzotlan from downtown Mexico City is to take the metro (subway) to the El Rosario station and then catch a minibus, which will let you off beside the Iglesia de San Francisco Javier. The trip from El Rosario to Tepotzotlan costs 10 Mexican pesos (abiut US$1.00) and takes about 75 minutes. The Museo Nacional de Virreinato (Plaza Hidalgo 99) is open from Tuesday through Sunday from 9am to 6 pm. Admission is 43 pesos (about US$4.25).

Tepotzotlan, Mexico - Images by John Mitchell

La Antigua Veracruz: Where it all began

2009-11-08T14:16:00.000-08:00

Not a lot of tourists make it to the sleepy riverside town of La Antigua on the sultry coast of Veracruz state, Mexico. But at one time La Antigua must have been a happening place. It was here that Hernan Cortes reportedly torched his ships before marching inland with his army of 150 men to conquer the mighty Aztec Empire. Cortes scuttled the fleet so that his soldiers could not entertain any thoughts of chickening out and sailing back to Cuba.

The Spanish founded La Antigua in 1523 after abandoning an earlier settlement known as Villa Rica, which was probably the first European outpost in Mexico. Eventually, the conquistadors built the city of Veracruz to the north of La Antigua. But for the better part of a century, La Antigua served as the main Spanish port on Mexico’s east coast.

La Antigua has a pleasant main square with an elevated bandstand and a large church built on the same site as an earlier one that burned down in about 1570. Next to the plaza stands the nondescript-looking El Cabildo, the oldest city hall in Mexico. There is also a squat building fronted by columns that served as a slave market during colonial times.

The most impressive relic from La Antigua’s past is the so-called Casa de Cortes located just east of the town plaza. Despite its name, this rambling structure was never really the home of Cortes. It is thought to have been an administrative complex or customs house that may have been used to house troops or perhaps even store gold pilfered from the Aztecs.

Guarded by a rusty cannon, the Casa de Cortes is now a roofless maze of disintegrating coral-stone walls and vacant doorways. As intriguing as the building itself are massive strangler fig trees whose tangled roots have entwined themselves like tentacles about the ruins threatening to swallow them whole.

A few blocks to the west stands a walled compound harbouring the Ermita del Rosario, said to be the oldest church in the mainland of the Americas. This diminutive white building looks top-heavy with its large roof comb housing a trio of bells. During colonial times, a group of Franciscan friars visited the church every year to worship the Virgen del Rosario and parade her adorned image to the nearby Rio Huitzilapan. This tradition is recreated every October to honor local fishermen.

A dusty street leads south to the river from La Antigua’s plaza. It skirts Los Cuarteles, a deserted army barracks built in the early 19th century, plus a giant Ceiba tree that was probably around during the days of the conquistadors. In fact, legend has it that Cortes chained his ships to this very tree. It is now situated a fair distance from the water since the river has changed its course over the centuries.

Bordering the Rio Huitzilapan is a small market with souvenir stands and women selling homemade snacks. Just past the market, a swaying suspension bridge spans the wide, slow-moving river. All is peaceful here now. However, with a little imagination, it’s easy to conjure up images of Cortes’ flaming ships drifting on the murky waters toward the Gulf of Mexico.

GETTING THERE: La Antigua is located about 24 km (15 miles) north of the port of Veracruz and roughly 1.5 km (one mile) east of Highway 150. Second class buses leave every 30 minutes from the Veracruz bus station for the town of Cardel and will stop at the road leading to La Antigua. From the highway, taxis ply the route into the village. It is also possible to arrange a tour to La Antigua with taxi drivers in Veracruz.

La Antigua, Veracruz, Mexico - Images by John Mitchell

Leon Trotsky Museum in Mexico City

2009-11-02T11:50:00.000-08:00

Mexico City claims to have more museums than any other city on the planet. Some of them, such as the National Museum of Anthropology in Chapultepec Park, are world-famous. However, there are many lesser known but intriguing museums scattered around the city. One of my favourites is the Leon Trotsky Museum in the colonial suburb of Coyoacan.

This rambling house surrounded by high stone walls with watchtowers was where the exiled Communist revolutionary Leon Trotsky lived with his wife Natalia Sedova for the last two years of his life. The dictator Joseph Stalin expelled Trotsky from Russia in 1929. He and Natalia wandered from country to country until, with the help of Mexican artist Diego Rivera, Trotsky was granted political asylum in Mexico in 1936. Nevertheless, he continued to be hounded by antagonistic Stalinist elements.

Known as "the little fortress," Trotsky's house remains much as he left it. Faded clothes hang neatly in the bedrooms, and tattered Mexican rugs lie on the floors. Sunlight streams through steel-shuttered windows illuminating the desk in Trotsky's study that still holds his books, writing implements, and his trademark wire-rimmed glasses. This is where Leon Trotsky was sitting in August 1940 when an undercover Stalinist agent named Ramón Mercador assassinated the aging revolutionary by sinking an alpine climbing axe into the back of his head.

The house's tranquil inner courtyard brims with tropical plants, including cacti which Trotsky enjoyed collecting on his excursions into the Mexican countryside. Vacant rabbit hutches and chicken coops border the walls, and a stone monument engraved with a hammer and sickle marks the spot where Leon Trotsky's and Natalia Sedova's ashes are interred. A red Soviet flag hangs limply from a pole above the tomb.

In what were once guest quarters at the end of the garden, hang dozens of black and white photos of Trotsky and Natalia accompanied by celebrated friends such as Diego Rivera and his wife Frida Kahlo. A new wing adjacent to the original house displays more photographs, newspaper clippings, and personal effects.

Trotsky's archives are here as well, along with a souvenir shop, plus a gallery featuring works by Latin American artists. In spite of these modern additions, the house retains an air of authenticity, and it is easy to imagine Trotsky's ghost still wandering its narrow hallways and sombre rooms.

GETTING THERE: The Museo Casa de Leon Trotsky is located at Avenida Rio Churubusco 410, about seven blocks northeast of the Plaza Hidalgo in Coyoacan. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am until 5pm. Admission is 35 Mexican pesos. Coyoacan can be reached from downtown Mexico City by taxi or on the Metro (subway).

Leon Trotsky Museum, Mexico City 2009 - Images by John Mitchell

Mexico City's New Metrobus System

2009-10-23T20:59:00.000-07:00

Mexico City is an endlessly fascinating place to explore, but getting around one of the world’s largest metropolises can be exhausting and frustrating to say the least. I usually take the speedy Metro (subway) whenever I can. If it gets overcrowded, as it often does, I can always surface for air and hail a taxi. However, on a recent trip to La Capital, I also rode the Metrobus, a new rapid transit system running north-south along the entire length of Avenida Insurgentes, which is said to be the longest urban avenue in the world.

The bright red, serpent-like, articulated Metrobuses have their own dedicated lanes, and they stop at 45 modern stations on Avenida Insurgentes. I found the buses to be quite comfortable. Most of the time, I was able to find a seat right away or after standing for a stop two, not bad in a city with millions of potential passengers. The fare is paid electronically with a rechargeable “smartcard,” and at five pesos (less than 50 cents) per ride, it’s a real bargain.

The Metrobus system also qualifies as sustainable, relatively green public transportation. It has replaced hundreds of conventional buses and reportedly has reduced annual carbon dioxide emissions by more than 35,000 tons. Another environmentally friendly feature is that cyclists are allowed to bring their bikes on board during non-peak hours.

In early 2009, a newly completed second Metrobus line with 36 stations started operating east-west along Eje 4 Sur. I haven’t traveled this route yet, but I’m looking forward to using it to explore more of "El Monstro" (The Monster), as the locals sometimes call their hometown.

For more information and route maps, visit the Metrobus (in Spanish) website.

Mouse over the slideshow below to view captions or click on images to see licensing and purchasing info.

Mexico City Landmarks - Images by John Mitchell

A Guidebook for Mexico Archaeology Addicts

2009-10-17T11:43:00.001-07:00

I confess that I’m a ruins junkie. I just can’t seem to get enough of exploring ancient Mayan temples and climbing Aztec pyramids. Year after year, the mystery and stark beauty of Mexico’s pre-Hispanic ruins keep me coming back for more.

Over the decades, I’ve accumulated a large stash of archaeology guidebooks to feed my habit. But the one I always reach for first is Archaeological Mexico: A Traveler's Guide to Ancient Cities and Sacred Sitesby Andrew Coe. The son of two well-known anthropologists, Andrew Coe grew up visiting Mexican archaeological sites, and his enthusiasm for them comes through on every page.

Coe provides historical and touring information about popular sites such as Chichen Itza, Teotihuacan, and Monte Alban, along with dozens of less-visited ruins throughout Mexico. However, what is really outstanding about this book is how Coe examines the archaeological record and attempts to cut through questionable myths that have grown up around many of Mexico's pre-Columbian civilizations.

Each chapter of the book highlights a different geographical region, and Coe ranks archaeological sites by assigning them different numbers of trowels. For example, Four Trowels indicate “a world-class site, a must for every visitor,” and One Trowel denotes a site for the "indefatigable archaeological tourist." Coe also includes useful maps and sidebars on special topics relating to Mexican archaeology.

Unfortunately, the latest version (2nd edition, 2001) of this indispensable guide can now be a bit difficult to track down, and some of the practical information is out-of-date. Needless to say, I keep praying to the gods that Avalon Travel Publishing will provide me with a new fix in the form of an updated and expanded edition.

Mouse the slideshow below to view captions or click on images to see licensing and purchasing info.

Ancient Cities of Mexico - Images by John Mitchell

Mexico City Goes Green

2009-10-12T11:13:00.000-07:00

Mexico City doesn’t exactly have a reputation for being a pedestrian or bicycle-friendly city. In fact, most of the time, crossing the teeming boulevards of La Capital makes me feel like a lone matador being charged by a herd of enraged, snorting bulls. Consequently, I was amazed one recent Sunday morning to find the eight-lane Paseo de la Reforma completely closed to traffic and awash in a sea of happy bicyclists, rollerbladers, walkers, and joggers.

Every Sunday from 9am until 2pm, the city now bans motorized vehicles on the Paseo de La Reforma, one of Mexico City’s busiest arteries, and on several streets in the Centro Historico (Historical Center). This allows cyclists to go all the way from Chapultepec Park to the Zocalo, Mexico City’s main square. On the third Sunday of every month, more streets are closed to create a 30 km circuit (19 miles) called the Cicloton. The city rents bikes and hands them out free to people, so it’s no surprise that these outings attract thousands of participants. I saw pedalers of all ages, including entire families and even punk rockers whizzing down the usually traffic-clogged Paseo de la Reforma.

This project is part of an ongoing plan to make Mexico City’s transportation infrastructure greener and more sustainable. Bicycles are now allowed on the Metro (subway) and on the new Metrobus system that traverses the city along Avenida Insurgentes. Other initiatives include increased parking for bicycles and the establishment of additional centers where people can borrow bikes.

On my visit, I was also heartened to see leaf-green, environmentally friendly pedicabs gliding through the smoggy downtown streets. These new hybrid taxis, powered by both leg power and electric motors, take sightseers and regular passengers along predetermined routes in the city center. Kudos to Mexico City for improving the livability of one of the world’s largest and most polluted metropolises, and for setting an example for the rest of the planet to follow.

Mexico City Goes Green - Images by John Mitchell

San Miguel de Allende Revisited

2009-09-18T13:12:00.000-07:00

San Miguel de Allende has always been one of my favorite places in Mexico. I first visited this charming colonial town about 25 years ago. Back then it was a bit like falling off the map. There were no cell phones or Internet cafés, and to make a telephone call home, you had to line up at a casita de larga distancia with the locals. San Miguel did get a bit raucous on weekends, but most of the time it was a peaceful Mexican provincial town. The loudest noises to be heard were the crowing of roosters and the clanging of church bells.

Last month I returned to San Miguel after a six-year hiatus. Although I had watched the town grow steadily over the years, I was not prepared for some of the changes that I encountered. The first signs that things were not what they used to be were the sterile shopping malls, movie theater complexes, and American-style fast food restaurants that had sprouted on the outskirts of town. From the bus window, I could also see new housing projects marching like the armies of progress across the sun-browned hills.

The historical city center was also full of surprises. Sightseeing trolley buses made to look like old-fashioned trams prowled the cobblestones. All Terrain Vehicles had replaced burros, and the narrow streets were jammed with cars and pedestrians. Strolling at night had been made hazardous by blinding spotlights embedded in the sidewalks to light up building facades. However, the biggest shocker was the sight of a Starbucks Coffee shop on a busy corner next to the main square, a sure sign that urban hipness had arrived in San Miguel.

San Miguel de Allende was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, an honor it thoroughly deserved. San Miguel is still a lovely town, and I will continue to go back there whenever I can. But I’m afraid that some of the magic has disappeared for me. Frankly, I miss the old, more bohemian San Miguel, and I preferred to get my Starbucks fixes at home.

San Miguel de Allende - Images by John Mitchell

Preserving Las Pozas in San Luis Potosi, Mexico

2009-09-05T00:28:00.000-07:00

Las Pozas is truly one of the hidden wonders of 20th-century Mexico. Located in the lush rain forest of the isolated Huasteca Potosina region of San Luis Potosi state, this remarkable surrealistic sculpture garden was created by Edward James, an eccentric British poet, nature lover, and art patron. Between 1949 and 1984, James built 36 fantastical concrete sculptures in an 80-acre parcel of jungle near the mountain town of Xilitla.

Born in 1907 into extreme wealth, young Edward James lived a life of privilege. He was brought up on 6000-acre West Dean Estate in West Essex and attended Eton and Oxford. James later mingled with London high-society and embraced the literary and art worlds of his time. After a failed marriage to dancer Tilly Losch, James moved to Europe where he befriended Salvador Dali, Magritte and other members of the nascent surrealist movement. Knowing a good thing when he saw it, Edward James amassed a large collection of surrealist paintings, which he later sold to finance the construction of his own artistic fantasies at Las Pozas.

Today, a visit to Las Pozas offers a walk through a fairytale world of giant bamboo-shaped columns surmounted by concrete flowers, and half-finished cement towers sprouting leafy motifs and tentacles of rusted rebar. Precarious spiral staircases ascend to the open sky, and narrow bridges lead to pristine waterfalls tumbling through the trees. Surprises await at each turn in the winding path: faded yellow and blue Gothic arches clinging to weathered facades, stone walls with eye-shaped peepholes surveying the greenery, and giant fleurs de lys sculptures blooming in the tangled undergrowth.

Edward James died in 1984, leaving Las Pozas in the care of his longtime friend and construction supervisor Plutarco Gastelum. In 2007, the Gastelum family sold Las Pozas to Fondo Xilitla, a nonprofit organization established to preserve and repair Las Pozas' sculptures, which are slowly being devoured by the jungle. Like a true surrealist, Edward James felt that his home should never be finished, so it is only fitting that Fondo Xilitla is planning to pick up where James left off.

GETTING THERE: Xilitla is situated about 350 kms (220 miles) southeast of the city of San Luis Potosi. There is frequent first-class bus service from San Luis Potosi (via Ciudad Valles) to Xilitla. The most interesting place to stay in Xilitla is the Posada El Castillo, Edward James' former home and something of a surrealist fantasy itself. An attractive alternative is the Hostal del Cafe, a welcoming small hotel set in a patch of tropical jungle only a few minutes walk from downtown Xilitla. Las Pozas lies three km (two miles) north of Xilita. Admission is about US$3.00. Opening hours are daily from 9am until 6pm. For more information about Fondo Xilitla, visit the organization's website.

Las Pozas Mexico - Images by John Mitchell

UNESCO World Heritage Status Likely for San Luis Potosi

2009-09-01T15:29:00.000-07:00

San Luis Potosi has never received as much attention as its famous neighbors, Guanajuato and Zacatecas, both of which are UNESCO World Heritage sites. But this situation could change in 2010, when it is likely that San Luis Potosi will also be added to the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage List.

True, San Luis Potosi doesn't overwhelm your senses with spectacular architecture the way some of Mexico's Spanish colonial cities do, rather its beauty lies in the details: ornate iron balconies, neoclassical doorways, and understated facades decorated with intricate crests and scrollwork reveal themselves as you wander its orderly grid of streets.

The Spanish founded San Luis Potosi in 1592 after they discovered gold and silver at Cerro de San Pedro in the nearby mountains. San Luis soon became one of the most important and wealthiest cities in New Spain and a major stop on the Camino Real or Royal Road, along which silver and gold were transported from Zacatecas south to coffers in Mexico City.

San Luis Potosi is organized around six plazas, each with its own personality and unique blend of architectural styles representing four centuries of building sprees. At the heart of the historical center lies the sprawling Plaza de Armas with its 17th-century baroque cathedral, and somber-looking Palacio Municipal and Palacio de Gobierno, both dating back to the 19th century.

The 17th-century Edifico de la Antigua Caja Real or Old Royal Treasury Building near the Plaza de Armas is currently being restored to help meet part of the requirements outlined by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee during its 33rd session that was held in Seville, Spain, in June 2009. It is now anticipated that the UNESCO committee will inscribe San Luis Potosi on the World Heritage list during its 34th session in 2010.

San Luis Potosi - Images by John Mitchell

For more details, visit the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's website

No Light Show for Teotihuacan

2009-08-21T10:21:00.001-07:00

Mexico's National Institute of Archaeology and History (INAH) has decided to go along with recommendations made recently by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee and suspend plans for a light and sound show at the pre-Hispanic ruins of Teotihuacan near Mexico City. Numerous Mexican preservationists and archaeologists were also against the show, which was to be called "The Radiance of Teotihuacan."

The UNESCO committee criticized the absence of a proper management plan and claimed that the project has caused damage to surfaces of the archaeological site's 2000-year-old pyramids, so the lighting and sound systems have been removed. However, INAH says that it has not totally given up on the idea of lighting up Teotihuacan -- which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 -- to attract more tourists and help bolster the local economy.

Personally, I've never been a big fan of light and sound shows. I often find them to be somewhat garish and over-dramatic. Perhaps it would be a better idea to let visitors into Teotihuacan at night so that they can see its pyramids as the ancients did -- by the light of the stars and the silvery moon.

GETTING THERE: Teotihuacan is located about 48 kilometers (30 miles) north of Mexico City. Buses leave every 15 minutes from Mexico City's Terminal Norte. The trip takes about one hour. Last I heard, the archaeological site is open daily from 7am until 6pm and the admission is about US$4.00 (more if you want to use a video camera). The ruins can get very crowded on weekends. Best to visit on a weekday. Take a hat and expect to do a lot of walking.

Saving Cerro de San Pedro in San Luis Potosi, Mexico

2009-08-14T20:48:00.000-07:00

It’s obvious that Marcos Rangel Mendoza loves the place where he was born. This unassuming, middle-aged man becomes passionate when he talks about the history of Cerro de San Pedro, an old mining town clinging to a rocky hillside in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosí.

Señor Mendoza explains that the Spanish founded Cerro de San Pedro in 1592 after they discovered gold and silver in the area. The conquistadors established a royal mine in the nearby mountains, and Cerro de San Pedro flourished until severe water shortages forced most of the town’s population to move to the present site of the city of San Luis Potosí. As a result, Cerro de San Pedro became a virtual ghost town.

Today, Cerro de San Pedro is home to about 100 people. Many of them cater to a trickle of tourists who make the 20 km (13 mile) trip from San Luis Potosí in order to wander San Pedro’s deserted streets and soak up its colonial ambiance. There are also two 17th-century churches to explore plus a museum displaying historical photographs, antique mining paraphernalia, and work by local artists. The town’s other main attraction is a small store owned by Señor Mendoza. Named “El Huachichil” after the local indigenous people, this cave-like shop is crammed with handicrafts, photographs, minerals, and mining souvenirs.

On the surface, Cerro de San Pedro appears to be an idyllic spot. But all is not what it seems. High above the town looms a huge “open-sky” gold mine owned by a Canadian company called Metallica Resources and its Mexican subsidiary Minera San Xavier. This rapacious open pit mining operation is threatening to destroy Cerro de San Pedro and poison its inhabitants.

While we stand and chat in front of his store, Señor Mendoza points to ominous cracks in nearby walls, which he claims are being damaged by daily dynamite explosions in the mine. He also shows me nasty sores on his arm that he says he got from bathing in water contaminated by chemicals from the mine. Señor Mendoza’s greatest fear is that his hometown’s fragile buildings will totally collapse if the mine isn’t closed.

Señor Mendoza belongs to an organization that has been fighting Minera San Xavier and corrupt government officials for over a decade, but little has been accomplished. He now realizes that Cerro de San Pedro’s last chance for survival may be tourism. Increasing the number of foreign visitors will hopefully bring more awareness of the town’s historical significance, especially since neighboring San Luis Potosí, which was once one of the most important cities in New Spain, is being considered for inclusion in UNESCO’s prestigious World Heritage List.

GETTING THERE: Cerro de San Pedro is about a 30-minute drive from San Luis Potosí on good, mostly gravel roads. There is also a public bus that leaves on Saturday and Sundays at 9:00 A.M. from the Temple San José church on the Alameda Park in San Luis Potosí. This same bus makes the return journey at 6:00 P.M. Cerro de San Pedro has a few basic eateries that are open on weekends only. There are currently no places to stay in Cerro de San Pedro, but it is possible to set up a tent and camp. For more information, visit the San Luis Potosí Secretariat of Tourism website.

Cerro San Pedro, Mexico - Images by John Mitchell

Teotihuacan Exhibition in Mexico City

2009-07-05T10:42:00.000-07:00

At its peak in around 500 A.D., Teotihuacan was home to between 100,000 and 200,000 people, making it the largest and most influential urban state in Mesoamerica. Teotihuacan's wide avenues lined with temples and ceremonial platforms stretched some five kilometres through the sun-baked Valley of Mexico, and its massive stone pyramids rivaled those of ancient Egypt. This immense city mysteriously fell into sudden decline during the eighth century and was eventually sacked and burned by looters.

Fortunately, many of the exquisite objects created by Teotihuacan's artisans have survived. Over 400 of these precious artifacts -- including masks, sculptures, obsidian knives, braziers, jewelry, ceramics, and mural fragments -- are currently on display at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City's Chapultepec Park. This temporary exhibit, which is entitled "Teotihuacan City of Gods," will run until August 16, 2009. Admission is free and the opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm.

For more information, visit the exhibition's Website.

YouTube Features Mexico's Cultural Treasures

2009-06-28T17:36:00.000-07:00

YouTube fans will be pleased to know that Mexico's National Institute of Archaeology and History (INAH) has established a channel on the world's favourite video-sharing website. Called INAHTV, the channel currently offers over 100 videos highlighting some of Mexico's most important archaeological zones, museums, historical sites, traditional arts and festivals, as well as other cultural treasures. The commentaries are all in Spanish; but even if you don't understand the language, these expertly produced videos are worth checking out for their visual impact and variety.

Back to El Salvador

2009-06-26T15:40:00.000-07:00

When I first visited El Salvador in 1996, this beleaguered Central American nation was still numb from its long and brutal civil war that had ended only four years earlier. There was very little in the way of tourism infrastructure, and I bumped into few fellow travelers.

However, on a return visit in October 2008, I found that much had changed. The capital city, San Salvador, while as chaotic as I remember it to be, seemed much more upbeat. New restaurants, museums and art galleries had opened; historic buildings in the city center had been spruced up; and there were noticeably more foreign visitors.

As I ventured beyond the city, I saw the familiar signs of poverty, but I also rediscovered some of what I had first liked about this welcoming country: rolling green countryside, misty volcanoes, slumbering Spanish colonial towns, and shy barefoot children playing by the side of the road. These sights also reinforced my original impression that for anyone looking for an authentic travel experience without all the trappings of mass tourism, El Salvador is an ideal place to explore.

For more information, visit El Salvador's Ministry of Tourism website. You can also click on the two links below to read a newspaper travel article that I wrote about San Salvador.

San Salvador Page 1

San Salvador Page 2

El Salvador - Images by John Mitchell

Google to Highlight Mexico's Cultural Heritage

2009-06-17T11:07:00.000-07:00

Search engine giant Google and INAH, the Mexican National Institute of Anthropology and History, have reportedly teamed up to help revive Mexico’s flagging tourism industry.

Google has agreed to help showcase Mexico’s cultural heritage by highlighting the country’s archaeological sites, museums and historical monuments using photographs and videos supplied by INAH. Google Maps will also be providing guided tours to various cultural destinations.

UNESCO Pre-Hispanic Astronomy Database

2009-06-12T16:17:00.000-07:00

It's no secret that Mexico's pre-Hispanic civilizations were accomplished stargazers. The ancient Maya, for instance, accurately charted the movements of the moon and Venus, plus they could predict eclipses and other celestial events. And then there is the famous Aztec Calendar or Sun Stone, a huge and incredibly complex circular calendar that is thought to have originated with the Olmecs, the mother of all the ancient Mexican cultures.

As part of the International Year of Astronomy (2009) celebrations, UNESCO and the Mexican National Institute of History and Anthropology (INAH) will be compiling a database of pre-Hispanic archaeological zones that have astronomical significance. The list will include well known sites such as Chichen Itza, Uxmal, Palenque, and Monte Alban, as well as many lesser known locales. Paintings and sculptures will also be added to the database.

For more information, visit the INAH website.

Mexican Pleasures

2009-05-10T12:00:00.000-07:00

When people ask me what my favorite Mexico guidebook is, I don’t come back with the latest edition of Lonely Planet or Frommer’s (although both have their merits), but rather a book that has been out of print for almost two decades, Mexico Places and Pleasures by Kate Simon.

The first edition of Mexico Places and Pleasures was published in 1962, and the last one appeared in 1988, two years before its author died of cancer at the age of 77. Kate Simon, whose real name was Kaila Grobsmith, was a Polish immigrant who grew up in New York City. Cosmopolitan and well traveled, she penned a number of literate and popular guidebooks, including ones on Italy, Paris, London and Rome.

What make Mexico Places and Pleasures so special are its unrepentant subjectivity plus the fact that it is as much a travel memoir as it is a guidebook. Unlike most of today’s travel guides, which tend be long on practicalities and short on fun, Kate Simon’s book is full of vivid descriptions of places that she clearly loves, colorful vignettes of daily life, humorous insights into the Mexican character, and judgments that are usually -- but not always -- kind. Information about hotels, restaurants, transportation and the like is given, but it always takes the back seat (best to consult Lonely Planet for this).

Finding a copy of Mexican Places and Pleasures could be difficult these days, and I’m not about to sell mine. However, if you can track down a salsa-stained used copy, scoop it up. It just might prove to be worth its weight in Aztec gold.

Mexico Swine Flu Musings

2009-05-05T10:12:00.000-07:00

The current swine flu outbreak and the subsequent shunning of Mexico has got me thinking about how much this remarkable country means to me. I first visited Mexico over 25 years ago, and it was the proverbial “love at first sight.” The exotic (to me, anyway) sights, smells, and sounds of what was then a much less-developed Puerto Vallarta made a lasting impression on me and opened a door that has never closed.

On more return trips to Mexico that I can remember, I rode the autobuses from sprawling Mexico City north to the handsome cities of the colonial heartland, east to the sultry state of Veracruz, south to the cultural Mecca that is Oaxaca and beyond to the jungles of Chiapas, the Yucatan Peninsula, and the haunting world of the ancient Maya. Along the way, I took thousands of photographs and made notes that would later morph into travel articles. I lingered to study Spanish in beguiling San Miguel de Allende and devoured every book about Mexico that I could find, while standing in awe of iconic Mexican writers and artists such as Octavio Paz, Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo.

But in the end, it is the ordinary Mexican people that I met during my travels who inspired me the most. Their disarming hospitality, subtle sense of humor, and coolness in the face of countless natural and manmade adversities ensure that I, like so many other Mexico addicts, will keep coming back for more.