Nowhere else so thoroughly and intimately tells the story of Latin America as Mexico City

Ciudad de Mexico

Nowhere else so thoroughly and intimately tells the story of Latin America as Mexico City through its built environment and the historical and cultural artefacts of its 179 museums.

In my mind, the title of that story is 1821, the year of the great historical juncture at its centre. One era’s endpoint and another’s beginning.

1821 is the year of Bolivar’s triumph, throwing off the yolk of the Spanish Empire and the realisation of a whole continent’s aspirations for self determination.

At the same time, it is the starting point and root of a precarious history involving much suffering and struggle. Of a period in which the gravest depravities were committed and, out of which emerged, some of greatest creative achievements the world has seen. Possibly too, now, a brave new future.

In Mexico that story has its own peculiarities but the characters are the same: indigenous peoples and pre-Columbian empires, conquistadors and priests, dictators and revolutionaries, writers and artists.

The people the Spanish found here called themselves Mexica. The Aztec Empire - while dominated by the Mexica - comprised other people too, most notably the Colhuacan and Azcapotzalco.

According to their legends, in 1323, during its migration from the northeast, the Mexica saw an eagle perched on a prickly pear cactus eating a snake on a small swampy island in Lake Texcoco. This indicated, according to prophecy, that this was where they were to build their settlement. They called it Tenochtitlan.

That image, placed upon a vertical tricolour of green, white and red, forms the modern Mexican flag.

Mexican Spanish has adopted many Aztec words including chocolate, guacamole and coyote.

The Spanish built on top of the Aztec buildings in Tenochitlan, partly to save effort and partly to make a point. Consequently, the old centre is sinking into the lake and differential subsidence gives the Spanish Colonial buildings higgledy-piggledy lines and areas. I am quite sure this was an unconscious inspiration for Spanish cubists and surrealists.

Like Rome, city authorities cannot dig anywhere in the old centre without uncovering artefacts and buildings of deep historical importance. Few are aware that the remains of Hernan Cortez are buried in a small church not generally open to the public.

Hence the demand for museums.

The must sees include Museo Nacional de Antropología (pre-Hispanic Mexican artifacts, including the famous Aztec Sun Stone and huge Olmec heads), Casa Azul (Frida Kahlo), Palacio de Bellas Artes (murals by Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and Rufino Tamayo etc), Museo del Templo Mayor (excavated ruins of the main Aztec temple), and Museo Memoria y Tolerancia (exhibits examining global genocides and human rights).

On my last night, Mexico nudged out South Korea 1-0 in the World Cup. The entire city went nuts, largely through the medium of car horn.

San Pancho and the Pacific Coast

A short flight to Puerto Vallarta and an hour’s drive north is the stunning seaside village of San Pancho on the Pacific coast. Unlike nearby settlements such as Sayulita, it is unspoiled by development. You’ll find rustic bars on the sand and small family run restaurants and hotels on the streets behind. Not massive condominium projects.

A buddy of mine has made this his home, hence the title of this post. I was very fortunate to have him show me around and get a better insight into the area and what it has to offer.