Although I got my first views of Mexico City the evening before, this was the day I truly learned what the city is. My first instinct on viewing downtown was that I was in London. I suppose this is because of all of the European cities this is the one I am most familiar with; logic tells me this is much more likely influenced by Madrid, but I’m sure the architecture is similar. The photograph below shows the beauty of the Spanish architecture brought by the conquistadores and their descendants.
As you get to know Mexico City, however, it is clearly not European. There is a Mexican flavor that permeates the grandiosity of every building. Sometimes it is obvious, like the enormous flags in front of buildings, the street vendors making tamales, the traditional dancers. I think I’ve made it clear by now that I am fascinated by contrasts between past and present, pre-Columbian and colonial, ancient and modern. As I go over my day, I would like to analyze it in terms of contrasts.
The view from my hotel room, with the cathedral towering over new construction and an archaeological dig, was my first contrast. My second contrast was Templo Mayor, the Aztec temple that the conquistadores not only took over, but built around, and borrowed from to construct their own buildings. The Spaniards, in fact, built Mexico City directly on top of Templo Mayor and other important buildings, and the treasures that are now underground are still being discovered. In this photo you can see Templo Mayor in the shadow of more modern buildings.
The third contrast was the main cathedral in the Zocalo, or main square. I have already discussed last week my feelings about the gilded Santa Rosa cathedral and how it felt like excessive pride in the face of the persecution of the indigenous Mexican cultures. A visit to the cathedral in Mexico City doesn’t quite leave you with the same emotions, because its enormity is so awe inspiring no matter what your point of view. Inside are spaces for individual masses for certain saints (I saw two in progress during 15 minutes), the largest organ I have ever seen, and multiple chances to buy souvenirs. To call it a church would be like calling Disneyland a park. I wasn’t sure whether to be impressed with the Spaniards for their accomplishment, upset at such a lavish symbol of the conquest, or both. Below are photos of the exterior (there is no way to get a small set of photos to do the interior justice). As for the contrast- in front of the cathedral are pieces of glass in the ground that seem to have no relation to the grounds. A look underground, and there is a glimpse of the ancient ruins below. There are just a few of these, not enough to diminish from the cathedral, but enough to remind visitors of the contrast, of what was sacrificed for this amazing cathedral.
As mentioned above, traditional dance can be found in the streets of Mexico City, and one of the more interesting places I found it was in front of the side section of the cathedral. The dancers did not just perform for their culture- they expected donations from anyone taking pictures. Below is an example of what five pesos gave me, the ancient past, with a background of colonialism, paid for with modern means.
My next set of contrasts moves away from politics, sort of. My visit to the Palacio Nacional had one particular interest for me, as it does for many people- the murals of Diego Rivera. Ever since my early days studying Spanish, I have been in love with the style of Rivera, and have dreamed of seeing his murals in person. The largest and most important is in the main stairwell at the palace, and depicts the history of Mexico from the earliest groups until he completed the mural in the 1930s. It is a powerful mural, both educational and stunning. It is then followed by a series of smaller murals depicting the daily lives of pre-Columbian groups throughout Mexico, followed by a final mural depicting the conquest that is extremely negative toward the Spaniards. It is interesting that a building that is so important to the government and has been for so many years would embrace Rivera’s work that was against the colonial past.
It brings up what I have been observing in these contrasts, the pride in both the ancient past and the colonial period, which seems oppositional. They care for the ruins and work hard to protect and honor their history, but do the same for the churches and European influenced buildings. At the same time, there is a rejection of the modern indigenous people that is evident everywhere, and a pride in being Mexican that is particularly obvious as the bicentennial of the revolution is being celebrated. So I’m still trying to understand all of these contrasts, what the Mexicans value, what they reject, how they can have so many concepts that seem contrary in the same space and come to terms with it all to be who they are. I am still observing, and need more time and knowledge to put it all together.
To bring this post to another level, the next part of the day was a trip to the house of Diego Rivera’s wife, Frida Kahlo, who in herself was a stark contrast to her husband. She has never been one of my favorite artists, but the house and the explanations of her life through the art helped me understand her better. Ironically, I took advantage of the trip to buy a print of a favorite Rivera painting, from a collection that I had not seen in person but hope to see someday.
The final part of the day, and my final contrast, was a trip to Xochimilco. Many years ago I had heard that the river barges that are a popular attraction in San Antonio were based off of something in Mexico City, but never knew the specifics. The barges of Xochimilco look quite different, and have tables so groups can bring their own food or purchase some to bring on board (we bought a wonderful spread of carnitas). The ride is down a series of canals, and is quite crowded, with crashes occurring often. There are smaller boats with floating salesmen, floating mariachis, anything that you can imagine wanting to buy on your trip, which can be as long or short as you want. It was the perfect way to spend the rest of the day, sitting and talking and resting. Below you can see the barges and the ride, which if you have been to the San Antonio River are quite different.
After our ride we shopped, returned to the city, ate churros and drank hot chocolate, then at night went to the top floor of our hotel to drink tequila and talk while looking over the Zocalo. It was the perfect ending to a long but important day.
