Article by Kalina Serlin.
(Photos by Kalina Serlin except where otherwise noted.)
My recent tour of Mexico came about rather unexpectedly and on fairly short notice. The idea originated with a fellow OFDA member and folk-dancer from Hamilton, Mirdza Jaunzemis, who had spotted it on the website of a tour company she had travelled with previously. The tour was intended as an introduction to Mexico’s rich history and culture, concentrating on a few cities and ancient sites in the central region of the country. Since this presented an opportunity I had been waiting for, I jumped on the offer. In early February we were on our way.
The tour started in Mexico City, located on the high plateaus of south-central Mexico and home to some 22 million people. It is found on the same site on which the Aztecs had built a city named Tenochtitlan, some three hundred years before the Spanish invasion. During the Spanish conquest of the early 1500’s the Aztec city was almost completely destroyed, but by the 1600’s the Spaniards began to rebuild it as a political and financial centre of the Spanish colonial empire.
The Aztecs built the city on an island on Lake Taxcoco, but when the Spanish rebuilt it, they drained much of the surrounding shallow lake waters to allow for land expansion and to prevent future flooding. The draining did not stop the flooding or the continued sinking of the soil on which Mexico City is built. It continues to sink to this day at the staggering rate of 20 inches a year. To add to its already challenging geography and flooding, it is also a part of a seismic zone, and close to the trans-Mexican volcanic belt. The most famous of the volcanos, Popocatepetl, sat dormant for the past fifty years, but lately started showing some activity by spewing out volcanic ash and threatening the surrounding areas, including Mexico City.
Mexico City’s population has been growing steadily since its inception, but in the first half of 20th century it grew significantly, and with the expansion of industry and manufacturing, many villagers started pouring into the city in search of work. Since housing was scarce, the makeshift structures built on the lands surrounding the city became the shantytowns which extend today over vast areas surrounding the city.
We arrived in Mexico City a day before the start of the tour to allow for some unwinding and pre-tour sightseeing. We were met at the airport by our tour representative and were joined by a woman who had just arrived from Minneapolis to join our tour group. After dropping off our luggage at the hotel and freshening up, the three of us headed out to explore our immediate surroundings. We started by walking in the direction of Chapultepec Park, the largest park in Mexico City, which is home to numerous museums, a Zoo and endless array of souvenir stands along its many pedestrian walkways.
To get there we walked along a major boulevard, which is part of a financial and commercial district, passing some corporate and commercial high-rises, and almost an equal number of monuments. We took a slightly different route back to the hotel and came across a display of plaques embedded in the sidewalk, with the names and inscriptions honouring the memory of Mexicans who had been kidnapped and disappeared. A sad chapter in modern Mexican history, one which until this encounter I had associated with South American countries.
The following day, before the start of the official tour, we headed back along the same route, this time going further into the park towards the Museum of Anthropology, a UNESCO world heritage site, known for its unique collection of Mesoamerican pre-Columbian art. Unlike most major museums, which pride themselves on art collecting from around the world, this museum is home to Mexican art and artifacts and is devoted exclusively to the history and archeology
of Mexico and its people. The art is housed and displayed in a large two-storey structure built around an expansive inner courtyard, from which one enters into the various exhibit spaces, each dedicated to a specific period or an Indigenous group. It was here that I realized how rich the history and culture of this region has been and how little is known about it outside of Mexico.
That evening we had our introductory group meeting, during which we were briefed on how to navigate Mexico City. Aside from the frequently uneven, cracked and heaving sidewalks, which we discovered on our own, we were advised to avoid drinking tap water, which is not potable, not even for brushing teeth. Bottled water was always available either at the hotel or the local grocery stores. We often spotted locals carrying large jugs of water to take home.
The second advisory dealt with street taxis, which we were told to avoid. When spotting a tourist, the drivers often quoted exorbitant prices, or insisted on being paid with a credit card, which some then tried to scam. This happened to one of our fellow travelers, who spent countless hours on the phone with her American bank to stop the scam from going through her account. Taking Uber, buses and subways was generally a safe way to get around, but it helped if you had a passable knowledge of Spanish and access to local Wi-Fi. To my surprise few people, even in Mexico City, spoke English.
Our hotel was located in an area called Zona Rosa, a financial and entertainment district with a noticeable influx of recent Korean immigrants, some of whom had opened restaurants specializing in their national cuisine. We had one of our first meals in a Korean restaurant, just around the corner from the hotel. It compared very favourably with the Korean food I have had in Toronto over the years.
Zona Rosa is quite conveniently located and is within walking distance to several interesting districts. One area close by is named Roma, an upscale residential area, known for the Mexican film by the same name which was screened in Toronto some six or seven years ago. Another area is Roma Norte, with its many cafes, bars, art galleries and attractive colonial architecture. On one of our walks back to the hotel we wandered into a local bakery, with a large display of mouth-watering baked goods. We walked out with a small bag of pastries each, which we continued to enjoy throughout the rest of the day.
We were a group of fifteen people, all American with the exception of Mirdza and myself. For a group which had just met, our nine days together were very amicable and cooperative. It helped that we were all of similar age with overlapping interests. It also helped that the tour guide, a native Mexican, was well travelled, familiar with other cultures, and knew how to navigate the unexpected ups and downs of the tour with grace and humour.
Despite the relatively short stay in the capital, we managed to visit several significant landmarks. The first was the Frida Kahlo house, which is now a museum dedicated to her art and life. Being part of a tour, enabled us to bypass the long lineups associated with tourist sites. The house is where Frida lived, worked and entertained the many famous artists and politicians whose framed photographs hang on the walls. Many of her paintings reflect the physical handicaps she dealt with throughout her life, as a result of the injuries she sustained in her late teens due to a horrific streetcar accident. Despite her relatively short life (she died at age 47), she left a legacy not only as an artist, but also as a vibrant, larger than life persona.
On the second day of our tour we visited the Historic City Centre surrounding the main plaza, Plaza de Constitution or Zocalo as it is commonly known. The area is home to many iconic museums and buildings like the Palacio National which houses historic murals by Diego Rivera, which is now home to the president of Mexico, and the Palacio de Bellas Artes, an important performance space built in the Art Nouveau style. Just around the corner from the plaza is the archeological site of Templo Mayor, an Aztec temple built in the 13th century, buried and forgotten for several centuries. It was rediscovered and partly excavated in 1978. The site now houses a major archeological museum.
Our next destination was the city of Puebla, the fourth largest city in Mexico, and a UNESCO world heritage site, founded by the Spanish in 1532, and located roughly an hour and a half drive south of the capital. About half way there we stopped to visit the ancient pre-Aztec city of Teotihuacan (city of the gods), which in the 5th century AD became one of the most important centres of Central America. The main square is lined with several pyramidal structures and partly restored buildings with painted wall frescoes and carved columns. One of the pyramids, the Pyramid of the Sun, is the second largest in Mesoamerica, and the third largest in the world.
Our local indigenous guide took us around, briefing us on the history, culture and architecture of this ancient site. He spoke very good English, which he said he had learned through local language courses. After the tour he invited our group to his home where we congregated in the backyard next to the house. He showed us how he grows the highly valued blue agave plant, from which he makes his own tequila, a traditional fermented drink popular throughout Mesoamerica. We were treated to a tasting of tequila together with several samplings of home-made salsa, ranging in strength from mild to mouth-burning hot. Tequila is made exclusively from the premium blue agave variety, while mezcal, the other traditional drink which we had the occasion to taste later during our trip, is made from other less valued varieties of the same plant.
Puebla is located on the same high plateau as Mexico City and is equally close to the same volcanic range. The city is known for its Spanish Renaissance and Baroque architecture with its numerous beautiful church spires, as well as its Puebla cuisine. It is also known for its Talavera pottery which our group visited in the ornate two-storey
colonial building, where it is manufactured.
The Talavera hand-made pottery and tile manufacturing was started by a Catalan settler in early 1800’s. Its methods of manufacture date back to the 16th century, but its roots go back to Arab and Chinese pottery making. The manufacturing process requires great precision and passes through numerous stages, each performed in a different work area by a person or persons dedicated to the specific task. To maintain the Talavera reputation, any imperfect item is discarded and broken into pieces, to deter selling it as a second.
In keeping with the cultural theme of the tour, during our free afternoon, Mirdza and I decided to visit one of the main local museums, the Museo Amparo, which had an interesting combination of indigenous, post-colonial art and a contemporary section with a special exhibit by a well-known Swiss-Argentinian photographer, Claudia Andujar. The exhibit depicted the indigenous Yanomami people who till today inhabit the remote Amazon regions of Brazil and Venezuela. It made perfect sense to be exposed to this little known culture while visiting Mexico, steeped in its own ancient history. Our final stop in the museum was the rooftop garden, which offered a unique view of Puebla and its many amazingly ornate and varied church spires.
Oaxaca, the last city on our tour was a four hour drive south of Puebla. Driving south, we left behind the high plateau region and with it the moderate climate. Oaxaca is a smaller and more manageable city than Puebla, but the two share their Spanish heritage and the impressive Colonial architecture. We stayed in a lovely hotel with a colorful courtyard where we gathered to relax and exchange our travel stories with other group members.
Once in Oaxaca, most of us were quite content to stay, unwind and explore the local sites, but a few determined souls continued on a tour of Alebrijes Artisan Community, an hour and a half driving distance from the city. The enterprise was started by a Mexican artist who began by making piñatas and carnival masks, but later, following a life changing experience, switched to the creation of imaginary figurines and unusual strange creatures, intricately painted with vibrant pigments and bold patterns. Other artists and artisans have adopted a similar art form, creating their own version of imaginary
animals and creatures using similar technique often seen in artisan shops in Oaxaca, however the Alebrijes creations remain distinct and unique.
The following morning part of the group opted to travel out of town to visit nearby nature and historic sites. I and another woman decided to stay and visit the well-known Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca, housed in a former monastery and overlooking the town Botanical Gardens. Aside from being a perfect escape from the intense daytime heat, the museum was well worth the visit, with its extensive pre-Columbian art and artifact collection, excavated at the site of Monte Alban, an ancient Zapotec archeological site just outside Oaxaca.
Later on we learned that the Botanical Gardens, which we could view in part from the Museum terraces, were dedicated to local native plants, with a special section displaying the three traditional plants: maize, beans and squash, which for centuries formed the staple of the pre-colonial indigenous diet. The plants were grown together, creating a symbiotic relationship between the three; maize provided shade and a climbing surface for the beans, and the squash fertilized the soil and kept out the weeds.
The highlight that day was a late afternoon visit to a local indigenous home, where the host family invited our group into their kitchen to help prepare a meal we all shared. The main feature was the mole sauce, which is quite time and labour intensive. We all contributed to making it, by peeling, cutting and pulverizing the various ingredients. It was served over chicken, but can also be served with other dishes. The main mole ingredients are chocolate and black and dark chiles, mixed with spices and nuts. It is a local delicacy and an acquired taste for some. It wasn’t one of my favourite dishes, however watching the two Mexican women prepare it in their own kitchen using traditional utensils and cooking surfaces was a treat.
The following day the group flew back to Mexico City where we had our last evening and a farewell dinner. Mirdza and I had made plans to extend our trip by a few days and visit San Miguel de Allende, which we were both curious about. It is located some four hours’ drive north of Mexico City, but does not have its own airport, so getting there by bus or a hired car were our two best options.
Despite the fact that first class buses in Mexico are clean, safe and very comfortable, we settled on the more convenient although pricier option of hiring a car, which picked us up and dropped us off at the hotel. One of the passengers in the van we were riding was an American archeologist, Mary Lou Ridinger, who had spent forty years living and working in Guatemala and had recently moved to San Miguel to retire. In our brief exchange with her we found out that she had been featured in the National Geographic and had written numerous articles related to her field.
San Miguel is a beautiful colonial town, home to a large number of American and Canadian expats, who live there year round, and others who come to spend the winter. We stayed in a modest but comfortable hotel very centrally located which featured a nice roof-top terrace where we could relax after a day of sightseeing. Due to its higher elevation, San Miguel is graced with a moderate climate and comfortable temperatures year round. That, combined with the fact that the town is small enough, made it possible to walk to all our destinations, including the lovely Benito Juarez Park, and a visit to the art studios located in a two-storey structure, converted from an abandoned cotton factory. The renovated complex, known as Fabrica la Aurora, is
home to a variety of studios, where you can browse, stop to chat with the artists, and buy paintings, sculpture, jewelry and artifacts. It also features a lovely courtyard filled with sculpture and murals. Started by a local artist looking for studio space, it expanded into a vibrant hub for local artists and artisans.
During our stay in San Miguel we had the good fortune to get together with two Canadians we knew. One was Kathleen Mazurek, a folk dancer whom I had met at a couple of folk dance workshops, but did not know well. We connected through Mirdza who knew her from various folkdancing events. Kathleen had been living in San Miguel for a number of years. We met on our first day there, and it was a treat to see a familiar face and spend time together catching up on Canadian news and
learning about San Miguel. The other encounter was with a friend I met in Toronto some years ago while taking salsa lessons. She had been living in Mexico for the past two years, and was visiting San Miguel at the same time we were. We spent a lovely evening at a local restaurant chatting and learning about her Mexican experience.
The few days we spent in San Miguel were just enough to get a taste of the town and its main attractions. Simply walking along the narrow cobblestone streets is a treat for the senses. The houses are painted bright colors, many with multi-colored flowering plants cascading in thick clusters over the roof parapet and onto the walls beneath. We often stopped to take in the quaint inviting courtyards, each a different shape and size, featuring lush vegetation and unique décor. The town’s colonial architecture, colorful outfits, displays of folk art and traditional foods, all reflected the richness of the mixed Spanish and Indigenous culture and its ancient roots, whetting my appetite to explore more of this fascinating land.
