Day 2 & 3.....Mexico City...So, how many people can you STUFF in a Volkswagen van, Duck & Cover (the sequel - read the San Blas blog) - celebrating Chinese New Year...who knew?....taking a cab CAN be dangerous to your health...and in the shadows of the Hunchback of Notre Dame....read on...

Day 2...now I know how a mole feels....

Took the metro to the gigantic Museum of Anthropology.  The efficient metro cost us about 5 pesos each. On some occasions it has been so full that people have been pushed back out of the trains because there is no room for them...they all just take it in stride.

.........once you've entered the Mexico City underground metro, it only costs 5 pesos...you could probably travel for days, weeks on the underground, as you can buy food, clothing, electronics, banos etc. However, like a hairless, blind mole you might want some sun!  Once you surface, you need to pay another 5 pesos to ride again.....,....

This Anthropology Museum is so HUGE you could spend days or even weeks while we spent about 5 hours.  It basically goes through the stages of life on earth, then focuses on Mexican history.  It gets to be very overwhelming after a while.  There are massive displays, frescoes, sculptures, model villages and homes in addition to thousands of pieces of pottery, jewelry, clothes and artifacts. Here are a few pictures...



                     Entrance statue to Museum.  That is water falling...



                           Olmec stone head sculpture was at least 1.5 metres square.



Aztec Calendar Stone or Sun Stone weighs about 24 tonne, is 3.5 metres in diameter and has a thickness
of 98 cm.  See descriptor below.






       A model of the ancient cities Tenochtitlan and Tlatelolco...see below for descriptor...

It's funny, but after nearly 4 months of travel in Mexico, a lot of what we saw displayed in the museum has been the stuff of daily life that we've seen or been lucky to have passed through.....

The metro didn't drop us off at the museum doorstop. Once we surfaced from the underground, we needed to catch a city bus. No problem, ask a cop, street vendor and they all point us to the right bus stop/bus. Only costs 4 pesos to ride the bus here!

.....transportation in MC has been very safe, cheap and reliable....(OK, apart from flagging random cabs on city streets - which I'm told could be dangerous to one's life)...it takes at least 30 minutes to get anywhere in MCity......we survived and thrived in the traffic chaos......

Spent the evening wandering the area streets. Filled with people, vendors, traffic. Cops at all crosswalks. People all out and about!

Day 3 ......So, how many people can you STUFF in a VW van......    

Today we went to the Frida Kahlo Museum using the metro and bus again.  Who was she?  Just the most famous Mexican Latin American female artist and married to artist Diego Rivera. A movie was made about her a few years ago so we had to go see their home.  Was quite interesting.  I think we have to watch the movie again!!

Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera's home and garden in Mexico City looking up at her studio. Photo
of the two of them with the studio in the background.

On the way back to the metro, we hopped on a Volkswagen van converted to a bus shuttle......so, to answer the question (how many can fit in a VW van) while we got on with only several people, we left with 15!!! And, there was still room for at least 5 more (ok, they'd have to stand, bent over,) Ha...but it did get us to the metro, with the help of twin sisters on board!

....welcome to Quasimodo's world......

On the return from Frida via the metro, we got out at the Zocalo stop near the Temple Mayor and the Metropolitan, the largest cathedral in Mexico and just blocks from our hotel of the famous Zocalo Plaza.



The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary of Mexico City, built between
1573 and 1813.  This cathedral is the oldest and largest cathedral in all of Latin America.



           Door to the Metropolitan Tabernacle beside and part of the Cathedral.

We heard there were tours up the bell towers and one is able to walk over the cathedral. Bought some tickets and lucked out when we returned for the tour, just the 2 of us going!  We climbed 64 + stairs with our guide Christian, up the original spiral staircase from the 1500's.



He took us into two of the bell towers where campaneros, (bell ringers), still ring the bells by hand using ropes that are attached to each bell.  The ropes are all tied at a central spot so the ringer just reaches to each rope to pull and make his/her own song or the designated song.  Our guide was such a ringer and played a jingle for us. The largest bell there weighs 13,000 tonnes!! (Wikipedia)

We then walked ACROSS the outside dome of the cathedral at about 30 metres up!!! We just couldn't believe we were doing this! We had a 360 degree view of the whole city...now S knows why Quasimodo liked hanging around the top of the Notre Dame. Too bad it was so smoggy- he said on a clear day we would have been able to see the volcanoes too...

After crossing the dome, we went to the second bell tower where he showed us where 2 of the bells are rung by pushing on them so they completely rotate upside down. This takes a tremendous amount of skill and strength.  Unfortunately in 1947, a novice campanero was struck in the head while rotating one of the bells, the only person at this church to be killed in this manner, so that bell was put out of commission.  It remains in the same spot and has a large red cross painted on it.



                                                  Second bell tower




Stairs inside the bell tower to access the highest bells. The two bell towers contain a
total of 25 bells.




Christian pushing one of the bells.

The cathedral has sagged/sunk nearly 240 cms since being built between 1573 to 1813 - it continues to sink about a cm/yr! It does look slightly off centered on the inside. As if some giant took and twisted the entire length of the cathedral.



Notice how the chandelier hangs slightly crooked to the left ... also, workers were doing repairs at the top.



                                                 The Altar of Forgiveness

Our guide was also very proud to tell us that one of the bells, the only one ever, was blessed by the visiting Pope about 10 years ago.



This was not the blessed bell, but rather, one that was cracked at the bottom so it was
removed to make way for a new one. This one weighed about 2 tonnes.  I'm not sure how
a 2 tonne bell gets cracked...hhmmm...

What a totally amazing experience this was...

This same evening we attended a folkloric performance at the Palacio de Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts), one block from our hotel. What a stunning theatre!!!  All through our journeys in Mexico we have seen examples of these folkloric dances but this was, by far, the best one!  We were in the nose bleed section on the 6th floor of the theater.  It was so high, we felt we had to hold on so we wouldn't fall off. One woman beside us almost had a panic attack because of the height!!!  Fantastic!

Adios Shayne & Yvonne...more to come Day 4!

Day 1 in Mexico City...So, how many people can you STUFF in a Volkswagen van, Duck & Cover (the sequel - read the San Blas blog) - celebrating Chinese New Year...who knew?....taking a cab CAN be dangerous to your health...and in the shadows of the Hunchback of Notre Dame....read on...

......Arrival in downtown mexico city can be dangerous to your health.. ..

........A quick currency convertor.... Divide peso amt by 10% and then subtract 20% from that ...and you get the Can $ amt..
100 pesos/10% = 10 Can$ - 20% = $8Can..more/less...

A 2 hour bus ride took us easily from Querétaro to Mexico City with its 22 million + population. Depends on the stats and census....

Our taxi ride from the bus station started with a prepay system inside this enormous bus station.  It felt like an airport with vendors, restaurants, announcements and signage everywhere. Taxis line up outside just like at home except you need to prepay to the zone you are going to. This eliminates the need for the drivers to deal in any money, except for the tip you may want to give. 

We got to our cab after our ticket was scanned by a controller. 10 minutes into our ride, the cab stalls in the middle of a busy 4 lane road with traffic  all going the same direction. Our driver manages to restart and aims for an exit road that holds another 3 lanes. Stall again, with traffic speeding by both sides, cars behind us with horns blaring all around and several near misses.

......Sitting in a stalled taxi with 7 lanes of traffic around us felt like a spacecraft hurtling through a meteor field (see Star Trek). S had feelings of mortality.. the end felt really near (hard to believe after all our adventures, huh?)..esp, as traffic squealed to a halt and horns blared behind...,...

Not being phased at all, our driver simply got out and started pushing the taxi to the side of the road onto the sidewalk. He then indicated he would get help. We waited for a few minutes, took our paid ticket (120 peso fare) and flagged down another cab.

  (Yea, we showed him the ticket and he said no problem - or so we thought!)  Once we got to our hotel he said the ticket was not good for him and we had to pay again!!!  Another 120 pesos! Ah, welcome to the big city!!

The Hotel Marlowe on Independencia.....

Our hotel is great...recommended by other travelers. We had several suggestions and this was our 1st reservation in nearly 4 months of travel in Mexico. The Hotel Marlowe is in the historical center so nice. Half block from Chinatown, 2 blocks from the Palacio de Bellas Artes, Palace of Fine Arts and subway/metro underground station. Quiet rooms...5 nights for about 800 pesos/night!  Walked around the 1st night.



                          Palacio de Bellas Artes - Palace of Fine Arts

....pedestrian plaza starts about a block away..,goes for blocks...walked to the Zocalo or main plaza (one of top 3 in size in the world, or so, for size). Walkway filled with people, music, street acts, bars, food, shopping etc.. Wild and crazy Mexico City... Welcome to the Jungle!!!!

Day 2 & 3 next...Adios Shayne & Yvonne

San Miguel and Guerétaro..... A Tale of Two Cities.. ..and worlds apart.....

 

We arrived in San Miguel de Allende after a short bus ride from Guanajuato. We had gotten mixed messages from a number of locals and tourists about whether Allende, a UNESCO designated city, was worth a visit. It has a wonderful main plaza and church as so many of these cities do.



                                         Day and night shots...

San Miguel de Allende has interesting streets, sites and vendors...






 

                                       Balloon vendors are everywhere...

Unfortunately, within minutes  of getting off the bus, we were getting a crappy vibe about the place. While it is certainly a beautiful city, it is overrun with lots of gringos, beautiful people all thinking they are in the next, best place! 

Everything is very expensive and high end .... from hotels (most hotels quoted us from abt 1500 - 4000 pesos for a room - if we could find one) to food, coffee and drinks,. 

Finally found a room for 600 pesos. Slept with our clothes on because it was cold and damp, etc. While we did run into several people and had some good chats, there was nothing that made us want to stay.

Very disappointed, but just not a place we liked. Next morning, we left for Santiago de Gueretaro, south, and en route to Mexico City.

Queretaro proved to be a delight. The historic centro was filled with locals, market stalls, pedestrian walkways,  parks, squares, music and funky little bars, food places. We found a room at the Hotel Hildalgo - the 1st hotel built in Queretaro in 1825. It had all the old world classic eloquence of that era. Built around an open courtyard and on the plaza, it contained all the charm lacking in Allende. And only 740 pesos for a room that overlooked the walkway and steps from the main square. Stores, museums, churches etc surrounded the historico centro.

Shayne is standing in front of our room above the interior courtyard of this hotel.



               View of the pedestrian walkway from our little balcony.

This hidden gem has all the appeal that Allende may have had, but has been long buried by the northern migration of gringos following the herd mentality.

Sadly, we left after only a night, as we had hotel reservations in Mexico City. ... reservations are something we rarely do, as we generally just arrive in town, take a bus or taxi to the centro and look for a small, old, charming Mexican place to stay.

Queretaro is a gem, undiscovered by the tourist masses, rarely visited, apart from the independent travelers. We could easily stay longer and just enjoy the friendly vibe of real town Mexico.

.....while some may disagree, it would seem UNESCO designated cities are the kiss of death for what was once unique and innocent. It just encourages the hordes to descend and the upscale marketing that follows.....

Mexico probably has dozens of other towns, cities that deserve a UNESCO stamp, but thankfully don't.

Heading to the jungle next -  big, loud, beautiful Mexico city.

Talk to you soon!  Adios! S&Y

PS As we write this on the bus to Mexico City, it seems we've taken a major detour off the 4-lane freeway we had been on, and are on a back road cruising by open pit mines, lakes and towns. 

Guanajuato...city of churches, plazas, tunnels, steps and hills....

Happy belated Valentine's to everyone!!

The 4 hour deluxe bus ride from Guadalajara to  Guanajuato was just as great as the previous ride. On this ride we were given a free goodie bag which contained a really good sandwich, cookies and a drink of choice.  We had the strongest WiFi signal we have had anywhere in Mexico!! That's where we sent our last message from!!! Would be great to have that at home!



                          Inside our bus - this is not a plane!!!



     An interesting mountain that reminded us of Ayers Rock in Australia.

We are now past the half way mark of our journey. Hard to believe that one month ago (Jan. 10) we helped dear Dores celebrate her 90th in Los Angeles.

Weather inland continues to be cool to cold at night...+6 C, days are warm, more rain than usual; so say the locals..bringing along a base layer underwear has been great for night times.

Guanajuato is a UNESCO world heritage site.  It has very very narrow cobblestone streets, alleys, passageways and tunnels throughout the city where buses and cars race through.









Cars park and the bus stops under the streets in the tunnels that crisscross everywhere. The word subterranean comes to mind. Stairs to the light above, along with dark doors dot the tunnels. Taking a stairs up, one suddenly emerges into the light and bustling streets above ground.







Our hotel is right beside one of these tunnels and the traffic sounds are kind of muffled so not bad at all!

                                                 Our lovely hotel Terasse.

The tunnels looked to be the remains from the heady days when Guanajuato was King of Silver mining production. However, the tunnels evolved as a means of flood control to control run off in the steep, narrow valleys that the town grew up around. 2 major floods just about wiped out the city in the early days. The original river course around which the town was built, was dammed, ditched and eventually made into a tunnel roadway system going the length of the city underground. 

The best 5 peso bus ride gave us more thrills than a fun park roller coaster, as the bus flew through the tunnel chasing down cars and taking turns that made us wish we were strapped in tight.

Guanajuato is a great, vibrant university city with lots of students buzzing about with book bags, computers or sketch pads looking for cheap places to eat or meeting with friends for a drink.  There are also Spanish language schools here for anyone interested!  This would indeed be a great place to do that! It is always nice to visit a town with this atmosphere. Lots of culture, theater, arts and music.

One of the places we investigated was an exhibit called the Mummies of Guanajuato - google if interested in those pictures.  This museum houses over 100 naturally preserved bodies from the mid 1800 to 1960ish. During those earlier times there was a massive cholera outbreak and bodies were buried standing up to preserve space.  When families could no longer pay their plot taxes the bodies were exhumed.  This is when they discovered that the bodies had been naturally mummified due to the chemicals in the soil.  Specialists are still trying to figure it out.  No doubt, it was not for the faint of heart, especially seeing the children.

Onto a less macabre viewing was our ride up the funicular to view the whole city.  Absolutely stunning to see the colourful city set out in terrain very similar to the dry Okanagan and Boundary regions of BC!

One night here we spent a few hours sitting on the university steps watching the Scorcese movie Hugo as part of the free movie nights that go on here.  Haven't seen an outdoor movie in a very long time! Concentrated on reading the Spanish subtitles.

Another night, we walked into a plaza and sat at an outdoor bar. A Mexican couple started talking to us. We ended up spending several hours with them, drinking local area beers and mezcal.

.....Mezcal, it seems, is best sipped, after sucking on orange slice that has been salted with worm salt - that is, a worm that has been crushed after being in salt. It is not shot back, but taken slowly, along with the juice of the orange........

At the end of our night, we exchanged emails with them in the hopes of seeing them again. A day later, we got an email inviting us to join them at their 200 yr old hacienda for a traditional cactus meal, after our bar talk about how to best eat the cactus we'd seen being sold in the markets. What a treat and a privilege to be invited to this home and meal!

He met us at our hotel and we rode the bus to their hacienda. It sits on 6 acres overlooking the valley.  It was huge and filled with antiques from his grandparents.  Brian and Sue, you would have been drooling!!  Such a wonderful evening!!

Otherwise we have just been walking through the maze of streets never quite knowing where we will end up.  Our final evening we went to the symphony at Teatro Principal. This theater has high backed, padded, plush seats. Locals entered with drinks and in casual attire. We paid 80 pesos or about $6.

We will leave Guanajuato and next head to San Miguel de Allende.

Thanks for reading... Drop us a note and let us know what is going on in your corner of the world!

Hugs,

Shayne & Yvonne