A Trip To The Mercado de Jamaica

Flowers By The Dozens

Although not all that commonly visited by tourists in DF with limited time, a trip to the Flower Market is well worth the effort. Centrally located, metro station Jamaica, it's a quick ride where you get off right at the market. Plan on spending a couple of hours wandering through the flower stalls and watching flower merchants prepare dazzling arrangements for customers.

Arrangements For Any Occasion

You'll be overwhelmed by the pure volume and diversity of flowers available on a daily basis most any time of the year.

A Rose Is A Rose Is A Rose

Also plan to have lunch at one of the numerous eateries located within the market. The day I was there, I indulged in a couple of delicious tacos de lengua (tongue tacos) along with a tall glass of tepache (a fermented pineapple drink).

Blogger Enjoying A Taco de Lengua At Mercado de Jamaica

 

CHECK THIS OUT:

An interesting article about an unsuspecting group of American illegals in Mexico. I guess the problem goes both ways.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-radio-and-tv-17098719

 

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Revisiting Last Year's Earthquake

Earthquake Evacuation at La Raza Hospital, Mexico City (March, 2013)

This past Sunday, a 5.8 magnitude earthquake once again rocked the capital region. I remember a year ago being in DF when an even stronger 7.2 earthquake brought the Mexican capital to a standstill for an hour or more. I had just arrived back in town from a day trip to the town of Texcoco. While on the metro, the earthquake hit causing most businesses to temporarily close and evacuate employees and customers outside into the streets and courtyards. Never having experienced before an earthquake of this magnitude, it was certainly one of my scarier travel moments. Luckily, an hour or so later, life seemed more or less back to normal with the city having suffered minimal damage. However, I do remember walking down Madero Street later in the day looking at cracks in buildings caused by the earthquake. As there is a serious history of earthquakes in this area, Chapingos take such events very seriously.

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More on Sunday's earthquake in Central Mexico.

http://trap.it/HEYcLn

 

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People on the Street 4

Povery has many faces in Mexico. Every pueblo and city has its share of people struggling to survive. This is particularly apparent in the streets of Mexico City and among the indigenous peoples of this country. Seeing men, women and children asking for assistance from passerbys on the sidewalk is a common enough scene throughout the city, but particularly in the downtown Historical District. Often, children, as in this photo, are with a parent playing a tune on an accordian or other instrument in hopes that people will give them just a few pesos from their pocket. It's not uncommon to see the same people on the same corner day after day from early morning until late at night. Poverty is one of those universals that doesn't recognize interntionsl boundaries.

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With nearly 25 million people living in the greater Mexico City area, traffic is a major problem. Perhaps the efforts of a superhero are what is needed to help solve this problem of conjetion in the streets for those living there.

http://www.aljazeera.com/video/americas/2013/06/2013613212053768708.html

 

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Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe 2

Antigua Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe

Although many travel to the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe for religious reasons, the student of architecture and history will equally enjoy a pilgrimage to the holiest of sites in Mexico City. The new basilica, opened in 1987 with a capacity of nearly 40,000. However, the architectural treasure of La Villa de Guadalupe is by far the the Antigua Basílica built around 1700. In the alterpiece, you can see a marble statue of Juan Diego. As you approach the complex from the metro station, it is the old basilica that one first sees. This is the same sight that prilgrims would have experienced after their long journey.

 

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A little of everything is to be found in Mecico City. Check this out! A naked bicycle rally!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-22831366

 

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UNAM 2

Facultad de Medicina

Taking the short metro ride across town to the University of Mexico campus is well worth the effort. Although the campus grounds are extensive, there are some particularly worthwhile sites to see. As I posted earlier, the 3-D Siqueiros mural is well worth the trip in and of itself. Even more, just across the street from the university is the Estadio Olímpico with the famous Diego Rivera mosaic on the structure's entrance. But, there's more!

Eppens Mural

Shortly after getting off the metro at the Coplico station on the northeast side of the campus. Just follow the student crowd to campus and you'll end up at the Facultad de Medicina. You're greeted by a mosaic by Francisco Eppens on the side of the medical school building. This interesting mural presents the themes of life and death which medical students will surely face. The center mask, as you can see above, has both the Spanish profile on the left as well as the indigenous one on the right making a mestizo face in the middle. An ear of maze and other Mayan and Aztec symbols represent the forces of life and death.

 

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A lot of variety exists when it comes to eating street food in Mexico City.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2013/feb/08/best-places-eat-street-food-mexico-city

 

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