Museums in Mexico City

A couple of different days we went to see museums. The Anthropology Museum is very impressive! They took you through the original settling of Mexico from the Olmecs, to the Mayans, to the Aztecs, the Spaniards conquering, to present day.  It was fascinating!

 Here is Sandi by the "original" Mayan Calendar! The only trouble with the calendar is that is expires this December 2012!

 Curtis in front of one of the big stone statues from the Olmec period. It reminds of the statues out on Easter Island.

 This is a picture of the valley where Mexico City was founded. See the Eagle on a cactus about left center, well that is the island where the people came to settle.  They filled in the entire lake and all that area is now what we know as Mexico City. It is huge!

 We also went to the National Museum & Castle of Maximillian. The above photo was taken from his balcony looking down the main road through Mexico City. You can see a lot of people in the road, we were told later that there was a demonstration of about 3,000 people for one of the candidates running for President. The four white pillars is a monument - what I don't know.

 The castle where Maximillian lived (he was Emperor of Mexico for about 3 years in the late 1800s) and it was named after grasshoppers or crickets but in spanish. This fountain was in front of the castle.  The castle reminded me of the ones I saw in Europe. Come to find out his parents ruled Austria for years!

 This is just one hallway in his castle. Reminded me of Versaille's hall of mirrors in France! Later I found out he actually designed to be similar to it!

 This is the second floor gardens of Maximillian's castle.  It was so lovely! You can see Sandi standing by one of the pillars holding her white hat.

 This is the main Cathedral of the Zocalo (center of Mexico City). It sits in a main plaza. To the immediate right are ancient ruins just discovered in 1978 they are excavating, the Presidential Palace is also across the street.

 This is inside the Presidential Palace (he doesn't live there anymore, they made it a museum). It reminded me of the old Austrian ones from the German era. I could imagine soldiers marching around in the compound. I felt creepy there.

 These are the ancient Aztec ruins discovered under Mexico City at the heart of the Zocalo.  This is called Temple Major. It was built in 7 layers. Each king had to out build the previous and just added a layer on top.  You can see the steep steps, similar to the ones at Teotihuacan pyramides. 

 These guys were not nice. They killed children and slaves. Cut out their hearts and offered them to their God(s) on altars. Here is an original altar they are still uncovering. It is made of skulls!!!  Twisted!

This is a statue (laying flat on the ground) inside the museum of Temple Major. But what is interesting they were killing people and pulling out the hearts, you can see this statue is eating the heart. It caused us to remember Neal A. Maxwell's comment about the only thing we can lay on the altar is our "will" or our "heart". The Aztec's just misunderstood and did it physically rather than spiritually.

So it was a fun time to see some amazing things!

Teotihuacan - Ancient Pyramides in Mexico

We were very blessed to have the opportunity to go to Teotihuacan (I have no idea how you say it!) with a guy from Curtis' office. He brought his girlfriend, and his brother and his wife and little boy. We spent all day sightseeing and walking! 

Teotihuacan – also written Teotihuacán, with a Spanish orthographic accent on the last syllable – is an enormous archaeological site in the Basin of Mexico, just 30 miles northeast of Mexico City, containing some of the largest pyramidal structures built in the pre-Columbian Americas.

The name Teōtīhuacān was given by the Nahuatl-speaking Aztec centuries after the fall of the city. The term has been glossed as "birthplace of the gods", reflecting Nahua creation myths that were said to occur in Teotihuacan. Teotihuacān is a Nahuatl (Aztec) name meaning "place where gods were born". Nahuatl scholar interprets the name as "place of those who have the road of the gods." This is because the Aztecs believed that the gods created the universe at that site.

Apart from the pyramidal structures, Teotihuacan is also known for its large residential complexes, the Avenue of the Dead, and numerous colorful, well-preserved murals. Additionally, Teotihuacan produced a thin orange pottery style that spread through Mesoamerica.

The city is thought to have been established around 100 BC and continued to be built until about 250 AD. The city may have lasted until sometime between the 7th and 8th centuries AD. At its zenith, perhaps in the first half of the 1st millennium AD, Teotihuacan was the largest city in the pre-Columbian Americas, with a population of perhaps 125,000 or more, placing it among the largest cities of the world in this period. Teotihuacan began as a new religious center in the Mexican Highland around the first century AD. This city came to be the largest and most populated center in the New World. Teotihuacan was even home to multi-floor apartment compounds built to accommodate this large population. The civilization and cultural complex associated with the site is also referred to as Teotihuacan or Teotihuacano.

 This is a photo of the Avenue of the Dead that runs down the center of the complex.  You can see how large it was.

This is the Temple of the Moon, taken from the top of the Temple of the Sun. The Moon is a smaller pyramid but still difficult to climb!

 Here Curtis is down in the middle of the complex.

 The photo above and below are both in the Governmental Complex of these Pyramides. You can see how steep the stairs are and the intricate carvings and design on them.

 I climbed down part way, then I got nervous (all right...scared!). The steps are literally straight up and very narrow. I bought me a hat (my only souvenir) to keep me from burning my head!

 I was determined to climb to the top of the Temple of the Sun. I counted the steps. 250 total! Each step was about 10" tall. Fortunately there were two sections you could stop and rest. That made the climb much easier. You can see they had a cable up the center you could use to hang on to if you needed it. I found going down was a cinch! You just start (get up the momentum) and not think about it and just GO!

 Here are more ruins. They were every where. So much stll undiscovered. Totally amazing!

 I thought this cholla cactus was absolutely beautiful! It was in full bloom and very lovely!

After the walking for 6 hours in the sun and enjoying the sights, Jesus (pronouced Hay-sus) surprised us by taking us to a really cool restaurant for a 3:30 show and dinner! It was in a grotto. You can see the light coming in from outside. There were no other lights. They only serve food between noon and 4:30 and then they close!  BUT, they had a floor show. It started with Aztec dancing. Men in (literally) loin cloths, and girls more covered dancing Aztec style, then the performance moved through the spanish era, into mexican style and it was all a folkorico presentation. Below is a short video where you can see the dancers.

When they were through, two men playing a big Harp he drug around and a guy on a violin played at each of the tables.

 I asked Jesus what he was having and that I what I ordered. Chicken mole green and red. Had no idea what I was getting, but it was pretty good!

Here is Curtis and I with our meal.  That glass is sparking mineral water with lime squeezed into it.
We then had a two hour drive back to the hotel. Traffic in Mexico City is major!

Mexico City LDS Temple Complex

I never had the desire to go south of the border of the USA except to go to the Mexico City Temple.  It was built in 1984 and it took me 28 years to finally get there. I had heard how beautiful it was, and it is! The temple is actually in a complex that holds within the wrought-iron fencing the Temple, MTC, Visitor Center, Distribution Center, Cafeteria that feeds the entire complex, Housing for the MTC and Temple President and possibly patrons.  There is a Ward Bldg next door (I don't know if it is a Stake Center) and a book store called "Zarahemla" much like a Seagull Book store.  I saw a couple of missionaries (Elders) in shopping for their leather scripture cases. I noticed each of the 6 missions in Mexico City had special scripture covers, lapel pins, etc...

 Here we are standing outside the temple.  The wind was blowing slightly.  It seemed the temperature was  76 degrees F with a slight breeze every day! Perfect!  We actually did a couple of sessions inside. Such a lovely day!

 This is taken around another side of the temple. It looks like the picture in the Book of Mormon where the savior visited the Nephites after his resurrection.

Notice the green circle in the above photo.  If you look closely you can see a family painted there.  If there should be an earthquake or some disaster while you are on the Temple Complex, this is where everyone is to gather to be "reunited!"  Now, doesn't that fit the purpose of the Temple!

 This is a picture of the MTC for Mexico.  Only they call it the CTM because in spanish the words are backwards.  Craig & Joan Hansen are the Mission President for the MTC.  Joan connected to us through marriage. We had a great visit with her for an hour. She even gave us a tour of the complex and some inside scoop! Pretty fun!

 This is one point she told us about.  These flowers are beautiful on the temple ground. But, if you look to the top left of the flowers you will see a white post.  This post stands about 4 feet above the grass.  When the temple was first built in 1984 the base of the temple was at the top of that post. Because Mexico City was built on an island and they filled it in, and are pumping out water, the entire city is dropping 1 1/5 inches per year!  The temple has hydraulic posts under it and is always adjusting the balance of it so it doesn't crack!

Someone was inside the Temple being married! I giggled at the this. How happy that couple must be!

Life in Mexico City

I was fortunate enough to go to Mexico City the last half of May, 2012, with Curtis. He is actually working there for now and this has become his home 2-3 weeks each month!  So the following pictures are random to give you a taste of what I saw "that was unique" and "interesting". 

This is the chandelier hanging in the foyer of the Crown Plaza hotel which was our home away from home. I never got a photo of the front of the building. It reminded me much of Hawaii, doors wide open to the outside air. They had security men every where. You would see them talking into their little microphones on their shoulders. Never figured out who they were talking to!

Here is a parking garage, not far from Curtis' hotel (home away from home). If you notice, the cars pull in and park, then they are raised up, and a second car then pulls in and parks underneath it. I thought it was very clever for saving space. However, if the white car owner gets back first, whoever parks under it has to have that car moved and then the white car would get lowered. I thought if the hydraulics malfunctioned, OOPS to the cars underneath!

 We went for a walk one evening and found this interesting itersection. It was like a wheel with spokes. But if you notice up around the top is a green walkway. You can walk all the way around and go down stairs to the roadway at each street.  We used it to go over to a park area. Pretty fun! Curtis said he often sees people jogging around the upper walkway for their exercise.

Guess what! There is a Walmart near the World Trade Center and Curtis' hotel.  The store is built on the main level with food courts and other shopping. But inside had different stuff. The photo above is how you buy "ice cubes" there. Not in a bag, but in plastic trays! Seems to me, people would just make their own!

 This is how ketchup, pickles, mayonaise, and a whole lot of food is sold. In bags with spouts for pouring! Then when I got back to the states my daughter had some baby food for Kellan in a similar container for fruit!

 Have you heard of Mexican Federales?  Well, as we were trying to merge onto the freeway, there was a caravan of about 20 large military trucks. It was like taking our life in our driver's hands to merge with these things who wouldn't let us in!

 Another night we went walking around. I guess the owner of this apartment didn't want anyone to mess with their property.  Interestingly enough, I only saw the photo above and the one below (with spikes) on one street. I didn't see them anywhere else.  Makes you wonder who lives there and what they do for a living??

 When I saw these spikes, I thought out loud "I wonder if we could install these in my HOA?" Would certainly keep the teenagers from climbing over the fenses to shortcut it across to Burger King!

Another evening we found a really nice park. There were parents sitting on benches under the trees while their kids played on amazing "kid stuff".  I thought "Wow! How cool is this!"  It certainly gave me ideas for my HOA! The building in the back ground is the World Trade Center. Curtis' hotel was right behind it.

 One Saturday we went to the Zocalo (Center of Mexico City where the city originated) and they had Aztec dancers performing. We also found this guy. He is a "medicine man" and the black thing he is holding is "Basil (yes the spice)" that is burning and he waves the smoke from the Basil over the person to get rid of any bad "stuff" and give you "good energy".  There were people lined up to have him do it to them.  Each person paid him of course. (Priestcraft is what I was thinking.)

 This was one of my favorite stops. We went here a couple of times - it is an ice cream shop. They had fruit bars (which I am eating - a coconut one), ice cream, shakes, etc... They were so delicious.  We had just walked for 7 hours and I told Curtis, "I am sitting to eat this one!"

We finished lunch one afternoon and walking past this odd site! A Pink Volkswagon Bug stretch limo! We had to cross the street and walk next to it to see what the inside looked like. You had to sit along one side facing the opposite side, not forward like in a car. Totally weird!

This is where Curtis works. It is only 2 1/2 blocks from the hotel.  Notice the roll down doors over the front. Reminded me of Europe.  His office is up on the 7th floor.  You have to go through security to get in - I felt like I was boarding an airplane.  But at least I know he is safe when he is there!