Mexico-Tenochtitlan

Action packed day exploring the historic centre of Mexico City. I headed out early for coffee and pastries with our tour leader Sabina. I then went off to explore the local artisan market where I found the cutest dungarees ever.

On Sundays they pedestrianise some of the central streets and it was great to see people out running, walking, skating, cycling through the car free areas.

I met up with Monica, an Aussie girl on the tour, and we went to look inside the Palacio de Belles Artes. Inside it was filled with murals and art exhibitions.

My favourite part was a photography exhibition on the top floor showcasing the cities geography and socio-political history. There were reconstructed photographs showcasing the old city Tenochtitlan in comparison to the current city and showing lost ruins amidst the current buildings and neighbourhoods. There was also a section covering the protest movement against femicide.

I took Monica to a café that I had visited on my first day, to enjoy lunch overlooking the palace. We then walked past the house of tiles and the Plaza de la Constitución towards the ruins of the Tenochtitlan Temple Mayor. The Plaza was fenced off and guarded by police as inside a group had gathered to fly kites in solidarity with Palestine.

When we entered the Museum I thought we had made a huge mistake as it was packed with people. Once we'd paid however and made our way to the main part of the museum the crowds thinned and we enjoyed reading about the history of the site and seeing all the artefacts found there. The city of Tenochtitlan was founded due to the realisation of a prophecy, that a great city would be founded at a location signalled by an eagle with a snake in its beak, perched on a cactus. The Mexica (or Aztecs) saw this vision on an island in what was Lake Texcoco and the city was built out from there. Despite the poor terrain, the Mexica built the city using a chinampa system to dry and expand the island.

We popped in for a quick look around the cathedral before heading to meet the rest of the group for a taco tour.Read more