MEXICO
In July 2008
Sakorn and I travelled to Mexico where Sakorn presented a paper at the
ICME 11 conference in Monterrey. We flew into Mexico City on
July 1st and explored the city, with a day trip to Teohicuacan, until
July 6th when we took an overnight bus to Monterrey. In
Monterrey, Sakorn attended the conference while I spent most of my time
wandering around the city. We both went on a day trip to the small town
of Garcia where we toured the caves known as Grutas de Garcia.
Mexico City
is huge, with a population of 20 million. This page shows some of our
photos of of the city.
In
the centre of the old part of the city is a large open square called
the Zocalo.
On the north
side of the Zocalo is the Catedral Metropolitana
which was commenced in 1573 and completed in 1813.
To the right
of the cathedral is a model showing the Aztec
city of Tenochtitlan as it was when the Spanish arrived in 1519. Much
of the central historical area of Mexico City is built over the ancient
city.
In 1978,
some electricity workers discovered an 8 ton stone
disc carving depicting the Aztec goddess Coyolxauhqui.
As a result
of
this discovery the local authorities decided to demolish some colonial
era buildings and excavate the area to reveal the ancient
buildings lying below.
While the
Spaniards destroyed much of the ancient city, the
Templo Mayor, as it is now known, reveals a glimpse of what was there
when they arrived.
The temple
was begun in 1325 and underwent several stages of
enlargement.
A carved
figure known as a chacmool in the Templo Mayor
The Templo
Mayor museum houses a rich collection of artifacts
discovered during the excavation of this site as well as other material
gathered from various parts of Mexico. Pieces of pottery, such as the
one shown above, indicate advanced artistic and technological skills in
ceramics.
Descendents
of the Aztecs put on a dancing show near the
Zocalo at weekends.
The city has
an extended underground and surface railway
system. An interesting feature was the rubber tyres on the train
wheels. The system was convenient to use and very cheap.
Another way
to get around is the Turibus. The bus provides a tour covering a
circuit of all of the main areas of the city and the ticket is good for
48 hours. Passengers can get on and off the bus as they please.
While there
are many very
old buildings in Mexico City there are also striking examples of modern
architecture. This is one that we
passed on the tour bus.
More modern
buildings are found in the business area of the city.
Not so
modern: the Palace of Fine Arts.
An older
building decorated with ceramic tiles.
The Arch of
the Revolution
A novel seat
as seen from the tour bus.
Sakorn poses
with the Don.
In England
people are fond of walled gardens: here we have a gardened wall.
Fruit and
vegetables are on display at a local street market.