Mesoamerica 2019 - Day Thirteen, Slogging Through Day One of Mexico City

Hola!

We were dragging today. I realized tonight that we had had two whole days of travel (driving most of the last day we were in Cuba and then our air travel day to get to Mexico) and that is going to beat us up pretty good.

We had purchased a two hour orientation tour of Mexico City from a travel company, Context Tours, that we'd had very good experience with before. Unfortunately, this one turned into a major disappointment. The guide went to the wrong hotel, she was not really prepared, she expected us to ask her what we wanted when we wanted someone to give us an idea of how to get around. Plus she had a very soft voice which made it hard to hear her.

Nonetheless we still learned things (like how to read a menu!) and got to a few buildings we most probably would have missed. Once we were done with her we had lunch and finished up starting to explore the major plaza and its sights. We got to the Cathedral but could not figure out the way into the Palacio National. And to add insult to injury we couldn't get into the Supreme Court because there were protests going on. I had a couple of business calls scheduled for late afternoon and early evening so we called it a day early and both took long naps.

We are once again thoroughly enjoying eating in Mexico. You spend so little and the food is so tasty.

Fotografia

Our usual exploration of architectural stuff as we walk

There were a lot of buildings with trees growing out of them!

Continuing on

We went to an interesting building 

Casa de los Azulejos

Building of Tiles

Originally a mansion, it became retail stores and has ended up being a retail establishment including and iconic Sanborn's coffee shop and restuarant

It featured one of Orozco's first murals

Then to the Museum of Belles Artes

Back to Sanborn's for lunch

I saw this dessert cart

Really? This is an option?

A sweet shop specializing in candied fruit and vegetable

Candied orange rind

Candied pears

Candied squash!

What do these represent?

An Italian restaurant of course

Moving on toward the Zocolo, the center square of the city, we encounter those pretending to be of Aztec origin. Of course it is all just made up but there are those who feel they will somehow be healed

I managed to get a nice picture of her

But since I wasn't paying her, I think she just cursed me!

Others of the tribe on the way to work

I bet you are in total withdrawal from the lack of major Cathedral posts
Here's your Mexico City fix

Let's just say that restraint was not a driving force in Spanish colonial style

One half of the biggest freaking organ I have ever seen

In the Sacristy there were a series of huge paintings

Unfortunately the lighting and the inability to get close limited my usual study of the detailed figures within

Next we headed for the Palacio National, the Federal Government building, to check out some murals

Unfortunately we couldn't find the way in

We will try again tomorrow

Then we headed to the Supreme Court for another mural

Closed because of demonstrations

We found this statue depicting the Aztec ancestors finding the symbol for creating their city

An eagle eating a rattlesnake on a cactus

This is now the National Symbol