March 14th - 20th 2007 (Mexico City)

---

Well here it goes the truth, the whole truth and nothing like the truth…. Choose your weapon carefully…

Being a complete novice when it comes to this travel lark I must say how completely amazed I was when entering Mexico City for the first time…. We arrived by plane at night and the illumination from the vast expanse of lights from the city beneath us went on and on as far as the eye could see, this sprawling living being with highways and roadways pumping the blood life around the urban beast below was truly awe inspiring…

From media reports and personal recollections I remember the scare stories about crime in the 90’s and the proliferation of the drugs trade and gangs…. So its my genuine delight to report that Mexico City (well the historical district & main parts of any interest) have a very relaxed and comfortable feel - I felt completely safe at all times day and night as long as you don’t go waving fistfuls of dollars about (yeh you gringo!) and keep valuable possessions out of sight you cant go far wrong…. There is plenty of Spanish influenced architecture in the historical centre with plazas and elaborately decorated town houses with plenty of street vendors but no hardcore hawkers/scroungers that I was sort of expecting…

Mexico City is of course built upon the ancient Aztec city Tenochtitlan (which got sacked by the damned Spanish when Cortez blundered in) there are still a few remnants of ancient architecture here though… We visited the Templo Mayo (sacred old ruins in the centre where there was once a 140ft pyramid / temple complex) of course destroyed by the Spanish trying to kill off these ancient animist beliefs and supplanted atop the ruins is a roman catholic church (very pretty but I prefer true originality any day).

We also visited the other local Aztec site of Teotihuacán about 40km north of the city. This site is pretty much intact, the main wonders here are the 2 x stepped pyramids (one for the sun, one for the moon) astronomically aligned in keeping up with the equinox’s) these pyramids used to be clad in stone and painted brightly (which would make them even more inspiring than the ruins seen today) the pyramids are connected via 13 other smaller temple structures and the avenue of the dead which linked them Teotihuacan - Some of the minor temples all. This site was for religious / agricultural appeasing the rain / life gods no people would have lived there.

Yeah, yeah okay I hear what you are thinking - Stu mate! what the fucks going on… all this ancient hoodoo… well yep you are right… its one of my interests especially the ancient Americas so sit tight… I believe you have to know your history before you can understand where you are going so if this is starting to sound more like the history channel well turn it off coz there’s gonna be more where this came from…

Anyways apart from dropping in at some catholic church of the Mexico’s patron saint something Guadeloupe and seeing how they make beer from cactus’s and carve the local volcanic crystal obsidian that’s just about all we got upto in Mexico City. Not much really for 5-6 days but we have both been flat on our backs with Montezuma's revenge (bad stomachs) and not really been up to much. We are heading out to the countryside North and West of Mexico City the picturesque colonial town of San Miguel De Allende. So until next time - adios amigos

---

Comments

[Zindorr]

Kewl
Hows the trip goin? Having fun? cake plz? gizzomg?

[maz]

Hiya
Stuey - Didn't realise you were so knowledgable about history. Fantastic xxx

[Mum]

Great to hear from you
Hope you both well - obviously enjoying it - belated birthday wishes - lots of love.