mexico city...distrito federal

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we pulled into mexico city at 11am on our overnight bus from palenque. i was so excited to be going to this massive city, i never in a million years thought we would be. with the population exceeding 8.8 million people, i always imagined total chaos when i pictured mexico city. and we were shocked to find that it was relatively calm and organized with fantastic public transportation and tons of things to do and see. we spent our days exploring the city, visiting museums and ruins and eating delicious street food. sadly, graham returned back to canada one week after we arrived. we had a fantastic 6 weeks together and were sad to see our traveling partner, history teacher, sarcastic jerk, jokester, michelada/coco loco amigo, espanol competitor, gay magnet, money bags, plastic stir stick sipper, mejor hermano and cuñado go. unfortunately around the time graham was leaving, tages started to get sick with a bad cold. i think with any big city, you are exposed to a ton of new germs and getting sick is pretty easy. we couldn't do all of the things we wanted to do because she didn't have the energy for all the stairs and subway changes it takes to get around. i am positive we will make it back to mexico city soon and explore the city even more. there are a ton more museums, flea markets, churro places, mercados and more that we need to see. and...tages didn't get to see Xochimilco which is a must for anyone!

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Photos

La Raza
on the subway heading to our hostel...we loved mexico city subways b/c people were always walking thru the cars selling things like candy, sharpie markers and cd's for super cheap. and there was lots of music performed by people who would hop on. we always gave them money, support your local musicians!! and during rush hour the front cars were reserved for women and children b/c the cars can get incredibly packed sometimes and women will often get sexually harassed.

appo grafitti
Popular Assembly of the Peoples of Oaxaca...support for them all over Mexico!

mexican electrical workers union
On the night of October 10, 2009 President Felipe Calderon ordered federal police to seize power plants in and around Mexico City, while he dissolved the state-owned Light and Power Company and fired the entire workforce of 43,000.
The takeover wiped out the legal existence of an independent union that had been one of the leading forces against the governments corporate-friendly agenda. About 22,000 retirees and 1,500 union technical school trainees were also affected.

Tomemosla ahora!
The government reportedly has been selling fiber optic cable and other materials to private companies that belonged to the Light and Power company.

revolution museum
mexico city is home to many many museums.

Palacio de Bellas Artes
Construction began in 1904 and finished in 1934. The best known mural inside is on the 3rd floor. It is the mural painted by Diego Rivera commissioned by John D Rockefeller that was dismissed because the Americans found a soviet flag and portrait of Lenin in the foreground. The mexican gov't asked Rivera to recreate the work here: the result, completed in 1934, was "El Hombre, Controlador del Universo" a marxist vision that depicts a white man controlling a massive industrial apparatus.

the zocolo
This is one of the largest plazas in the world, second only to Moscow's Red Square.

Catedral Metropolitana
Originally constructed by Cortes in 1524 over the main Aztec temple. The building is now sinking due to unstable soil and a sinking floor. Future tip: don't build your church over someone else's.

Palacio Nacional
Stretching the entire length of the zocolo, the 40,000 sq m national palace has been the site of Mexican government since the time of the Aztecs.

Palacio Nacional
upon entering the gov't bldg, they take your temperature, probably to make sure you do not have H1N1.

Diego Rivera Mural
inside palacio nacional