…”The world is a book, and those who do not travel, read only a page”…
St Augustine
We arrived to Mexico City late in the evening. The view from the plain of this illuminated, giant city is literally breathtaking. It is the third largest urban agglomeration in the world, and it has more than 20 million inhabitants as so-called megapolis, population density per square meter, according to Wikipedia, makes you dizzy … Especially me, a recluse by nature …
During the day, this view is literally the same – crowds heading to work, traffic, stalls stretched for kilometers with all sorts of food. Scents and noises can really overwhelm…
Due to the not very positive opinion about Mexico City, I decided to book a hotel for us. A small comfortable room with a bathroom, without any special luxuries, because with such a busy sightseeing plan, all we really needed was a place to sleep. The prices that can be found on Booking.com are literally ridiculous.
A week. I knew from the beginning, that it was not enough for such a huge space …
We had several goals in Mexico City. Apart of visiting the city center, the national palace, the remains of the so-called Templo Mayor pyramids, the museum of anthropology, we wanted to see Mercado de San Juan, as well as a mysterious place associated with the cult of Santa Muerte.
Equipped with a small map of the center of Ciudad de Mexico, we went first to explore the closest area. Streets are based on squares, so, because of this, I think, no one should have orientation problems. Unless you find yourself on your way to a huge street market, which turns out to be literally a maze, and getting out of it’s a real miracle 😀 If you have travel companions, I advise you not to separate 😀
On of them most interesting monuments, are undoubtedly the ruins of the old pyramids (Tenochtitlan) in the heart of Mexico City. Their story is not only fascinating, but above all, it has a bit of a parable with a moral … Let’s start with the fact, that I had no idea, that there are any pyramids in this city at all. And here you are – this place was once the capital of the magnificent Aztec state … A place, that was surrounded by water. The splendid capital, boasted with beautiful architecture, prosperity, and, like Mexico City today, its size … Yes, human sacrifices were made there, „feeding” the gods, praying for their favor. Is that why they deserve a bloody „conversion” from Spanish conquistadors? … Everyone will probably have a different answer to this question, and each will be equally controversial …
Today, the descendants of the indigenous people of Mexico, repeat like a mantra, stories, that neither they were defeated, nor the Spanish people won … According to them, it was simply a new beginning, that had to take place … However, it can not be hidden, that it happened more than once under the influence of bloody violence … And yet, Mexico is today one of the most Catholic countries in the world. The same Mexico, whose ancient civilizations had mathematical, astronomical or architectural knowledge thousands of years ago, of which we, today, have never even dreamed … The same knowledge which for unknown reasons was lost … Or maybe from the known ones? … Or maybe is not lost? ….
Anyway, above the ruins of Templo Mayor, the Cathedral reigns today … It was built mostly of stones from the original buildings below … Yes, Cortez, destroying the Aztec’s complex, has used this building materials, and ordered to build a church out of it … This fact speaks for itself … Karma? Penance? Penalty?….
However, it is impossible not to pay tribute to the beautiful Metropolitan Cathedral. The temple is dated at 1620s. Architectural styles interwoven with it, from the dawn of its history, have been struggling with the wetlands, where the church stands. Every detail of this building is precisely perfect, and that’s probably why for people like me, who love history and have respect for old civilizations, it’s so hard to accept the fact, that such pearls were created on the ruins of something even more perfect …
Right next to the Cathedral, you can see magnificent National Palace. Admission to the Palace is free, security guards at the entrance to the building, will require you to show and leave some ID. This is a condition of entering the historic building. I recommend to leave an ID rather than a passport or driving license, just in case. Anyway, wherever you deal with this kind of situation, NEVER give your passport to ANYONE!
The beginning of the construction of the Palace, dates back to the second half of the 16th century, today we can admire the fate of both – the building and the Mexicans themselves … The beautiful Diego Rivera frescoes are like a history book, based solely on pictures. A charming garden, rooms with all kinds of art, and a meeting room, there is something for everyone.
And if you get tired of running around museums, churches and other historic buildings, it’s time for something special … For something outside of traditional travel guides.
The cult of Santa Muerte.
I have no idea if that was a supernatural forces or guardian angels :D, but google map, in this case – Altar de Santa Muerte searching, proved it’s useless. Before the „looking for the altar of condemned and dark worship” trip, I read a little and watched, so I did not really want to ask (in my, as we know, medium- beginner Spanish) the locals : where can we see these famous figurines? I was rather trying to ask about the next streets we crossed … When asked, where are we going and what are we looking for, I bravely gave subsequent street names. In the end, however, I had to reveal what our destination was… I waited for thunder from the clear sky, or for the contemptuous look of an old lady, whom I asked about Alfareria street, and about Altar de Santa Muerte. Nothing like this happened, and she kindly pointed out, that we are almost there (while the famous Google showed the way around countless buildings …) …
Indeed.
We were there.
Then we just saw a modest building, surrounded by a huge amount of flowers. Two, maybe three people came to the small altar of the Holy Death, placing their intentions, then kissing the hand, passed the kiss on, touching the glass ,separating the viewer from the figure.
It is said, that Santa Muerte is a cult gathering not so much the poorest part of Mexican society ,as criminals, homosexuals or ladies of loose morals …. The Catholic Church condemning and imposing all excommunication on this controversial form of beliefs, with greater or lesser successes, is trying to eradicate it from the Mexican’s life.
However, before we arise our criticism and disapproval, I would like to explain, that death is perceived differently in Mexico than in Europe.
Mexicans treat dead like a brother, life for them does not exist without death. For generations, they have known, that one with the other is irreversibly linked … And death itself, is the only certain thing on our earthly fallow.
Since the time of prehistoric Mesoamerica, syncretism of life and death has been just a natural thing. Small altars with images of Lady of the Death can be found in many, even the most unexpected places. Usually, under her figurine you can find fruits, sweets, jewelry, flowers, but also cigarettes or coins.
Reading about Santa Muerte, I came across the address of Alfareira Street in Mexico City. The history of this cult is fascinating, but when I met the hostess of this shrine, cultivating the Lady of Death, my surprise reached it’s zenith. A petite, elderly lady, extremely polite and hospitable, somehow could not fit my mind … And yet, Mrs. Enriqueta turned out to be one of the nicest people we met in Mexico. Grateful not only for buying figurines or bracelets, but above all for your interest and respect. It was amazing to me, that the woman who saw us for the first time in my life, and possibly for the last time, regardless of our language barrier, tried to answer all questions in an accessible way, and finally gave us a hug, just like a family member… In Mexico City, one of the most dangerous places in the world … Host of sinister worship … Mexico did not stop to amaze me …
The incredible symbiosis of the past and the present, the specific geographical location of Mexico City, as well as the variety of impressions, that this city evokes, makes the capital of Mexico one of the most interesting destinations, not only tourist reasons…
Is poverty visible in Mexico City? Are there many homeless people on the streets? Do drug cartels shoot each other at every cross street? Is it possible to poison food from stalls? … … I will answer these questions a bit contrariwise : poverty is seen everywhere in the world, people are treated badly and used everywhere, criminals live everywhere in the world among normal, honest people, and nutritional standards leave a lot to be desired … In my opinion, even after just two weeks spent in Mexico, this country and its capital do not differ in these sad statistics from other, even richer countries … What I have noticed from my own experience, is the fact, that this closest neighbor of the United States, is very often unjustly demonized, the media tend to discourage people from going in that direction, and yet apparently the largest number of Americans living there … Such a paradox, isn’t it? …
Anyway, me, myself, I was fascinated by the people, culture, history, cuisine and art of Mexico. Will I ever come back to Mexico City, I am not sure … This country is so huge, there is so much to see there, that the decision to return to the capital is not so simple. One thing I know for sure – I will google tickets to this Aztec and Mayan land in the near future 🙂 And I would like to recommend this trip to every single one of you 😀 🙂 😉
MyTravelPhilosophy 