Hola!
We woke about 6:30 am to a very hazy, rainy kind of day. In looking at the weather forecast, rain is basically predicted in one form or another all-day long. So, in view of that, we have decided against going to Xochimilco (where the old city canals are still in operation, and one can rent a boat for a ride) as rain and boats are not something I’d like to do together!
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| How about that "corner office?" |
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| Didn't realize there was a China town here! |
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| In front of Bellas Artes |
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| Palacio de Bellas Artes |
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| House of Tiles |
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| Lovely lake in Chapultepec Park |
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| My first and last churro! |
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| More ceramics! |
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| I feel just like this sometimes ... |
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| Beautiful inlaid work |
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| Me at the moment with headache... |
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| Funny pot! |
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| Into the Mayan things now! |
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| Beautiful mosaic |
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| Another ball court perhaps? |
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| Back garden of Maya Hall |
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| R's favorite, which he is certain he has seen before! |
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| Mayan script |
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| First Mayan cylinder seal! |
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| Mayan Script |
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| Imagine?! Me with wings?! |
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| R's Croque Monsieur |
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| My baguette |
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| Excellent carrot cake! |
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| Stunning "curtain" of Tiffany mosaic glass |
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| Tiffany glass ceiling with Indian Warrior in center |
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| Detail above the stage |
After showering and getting ready, we had a great breakfast in the Lounge. It is so nice and peaceful there, as opposed to the noisy riot that seems to take place in the hotel’s first floor restaurant, which seems always to be crowded with lots of people waiting. Today they made some wonderful vegetable lasagna.
Finding that the Palacio de Bellas Arteswas so close to our hotel, we decided that first we would head to their box office to get tickets for tonight’s performance of the Ballet Folklorico. I was really surprised that they actually opened at 8:30 am on Sunday, but they were already conducting business when we got there. We were able to get tickets on the ground floor aisle; they look to be good seats. I am sure this is a very “touristy” thing to do in Mexico City, but as I said to Robert, after all, we are tourists! Very much looking forward to it!
Our plan was first to go to one of the churches very close to the Zocalo, La Ensenanza. The photos we have seen of the main altar there are wonderful. We arranged for our Uber pickup right across the street from Bellas Artes, and a few minutes later arrived at the church – only to see the door chained shut, with a sign saying, as far as I can make out, “closed for the holidays”!
So! Plan B!
We then asked if Amando, our driver, could take us instead to the Museo Anthropologico, where we were a couple of days ago. I know on Sunday that admission is free, and it is said to be very crowded, but figured we’d try it anyway. The only problem we had was that many of the main roads – including La Reforma– to Chapultepec Park were closed for the day! Seems like this holiday thing keeps on going! Poor Amando– I don’t know if he really knew where the museum was, but we had quite a tour of the city as he tried to find a way to get us there! I think we must have taken just about every road around and inside the park, but finally we got out at the same spot Uber picked us up on Friday. It was, quite honestly, a really interesting tour of many of the city’s neighborhoods, including the very exclusive one fronting the park. I just felt so sorry for our driver (we did tip him well).
On the way to the museo, I did stop at a churro stand for my first-ever recently made churro! Didn’t impress me much…won’t have to do that again! A short line into the museum, but no real wait, and this time, rather than starting in Hall 1, we started at Hall 11 and worked our way back through to 9. Again, such a really, truly amazing museum! Halls 11 and 10 housed exhibits about the population on the coast and to the north, and were exceptional. It does help that we have visited Paquime, the very impressive site with museum in Casas Grandes, Chihuahua at least three or four times.
We finally reached Hall 9, which was all about the Maya, and it was quite crowded. I think that both of us are rather overloaded with Olmec and Aztec information that the Maya pieces are still floating around. At any rate, this visit has convinced us that we definitely have to start exploring the Mayan ruins through Mexico and Central America. There is certainly a lot to see!
Finally, about 1 we headed back to the hotel. Our poor Uber driver was able to get us up the side of the building, but as La Reforma is closed to everybody but taxis, still not sure if he had to back up down the block or make a U-turn! Again, we passed through some very interesting neighborhoods. Additionally, we’ve noticed that suddenly, now that the Day of the Dead ceremonies are just about over (says she hopefully…) that suddenly we’re seeing store Christmas decorations coming out! Very, very colorful – much more so than in the U.S. My plan is to get into some of the stores for photographs in the next couple of days!
Resting now in the hotel, as Robert wanted a good nap before we leave for the Palacio. We’re planning on heading there about 5-ish and hopefully have dinner in their nice restaurant. Can’t wait to see the tiffany-style ceiling, as well as a Diego Rivera mural. Apparently, the mural was originally commissioned by a Rockefeller for Rockefeller Center in NYC, but the theme was anti-capitalist, which didn’t exactly please the buyer. The NYC mural was destroyed, but then Rivera repainted it here in the Palacio! Can’t wait to see it!
So, for a soggy Sunday, more later!
m
xxx
Well, back from the show, and didn’t get the see the Diego Rivera! It was closed!! Oh well! We went out about five and walked down the street to the Bellas Artes. The menu that I looked at last night was apparently for “today” because by the time we got there, the menu consisted basically of soups and sandwiches! Very disappointing, although Robert’s Croque Monsieur and my jamon and cheese baguette were excellent. I also had a piece of carrot cake (being able to look up words and get an English translation of foods on the menu is so handy!) which I very much enjoyed. Then into the theatre! Our seats were excellent, and the theatre itself is incredible. The huge tiffany-glass ceiling was more than amazing, but the main fire curtain across the stage was really incredible. It was a mosaic scene made up of nearly 1,000,000 pieces of iridescent glass, created by Tiffany in New York – so beautiful, I don’t think either of us had ever seen something quite like it before! According to information on the theatre, it’s the only one of its kind in any opera house in the world, and weighs 24 tons … which could explain why we were so taken with it!
The show started exactly at 7 pm – but don’t let that worry all the folks who arrived late … as Robert said, there is something to be said for locking the doors after the opera starts! Very disruptive. [Nor do people understand “No Photography” but in the age of modern cell phones, maybe it’s too much to ask. – R] At any rate, the dancing and the music were excellent. We enjoyed it very much, but seriously, I came away with a truly pounding headache from the horns and pounding drums of the mariachi. Really loud! That, added to the pounding feet of the dancers was quite something!
Back to the hotel by about 9 pm and definitely in for the night!
m
xxx
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