Mexico, Guatemala - full stop

January - March 2020
Fulfilling a life dream - traveling without a return date! Follow me!
  • 88footprints
  • 5countries
  • 76days
  • 441photos
  • 23videos
  • 25.1kkilometers
  • 20.4kkilometers
  • Day 5

    Diego Riviera

    January 19, 2020 in Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    One of Diego Rivieras most famous Mural is Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park.
    He was a gifted painter and Muralist as you can see from the painting.
    The mural 15.6 meter wide, 4 meter high, weighs 35 tons!) represents three principal eras of Mexican History: The Conquest, The Porfiriato Dictatorship, and The Revolution of 1910. In chronological order starting from left to right we meet numerous prominent figures from Mexican history.
    Now Diego Riviera was also a Don Giovanni and Machista. The picture with the yellow lady and the open legs represents Diego’s opinion about woman. He thought that in order to obtain a hus-band, make start a business or succeed in live she had to open her legs....... No comment.
    The lady in yellow is a famous and wealthy singer at her time. Nonetheless the men in front of her won’t let her pass because she is indigenous.
    At the very left you see Hernandez Cortes, the Spanish conqueror who landed in Veracruz, Mexico in the 1400. The blood on his hand symbolizes the pain and horror he brought the Mesoamerica. Little up and right the symbolization of the Inquisition Cortes also brought the continent (only to be seen in the movieclip.
    A side note; Riviera did not include his long term affair Frida Kalo in the Mural. She got offended and demanded that he would. He did!
    Posted movieclip on facebook.

    Covered 10.4 km
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  • Day 6

    Central Library UNAM

    January 20, 2020 in Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    The underground where the library stands is lava because of the nearby volcano. The ground is 60 deep! The architect thought best to mostly use the lava to build the library, As the ground was uneven, he had to first build terraces and the buildings.
    When I stood in front of this building I was both in awe and I did not like it. A weird feeling.
    In awe because of the vision the Architect had, the thought of so many little lava pieces, all cut and painted by hand and the time it took to build. Overwhelming.
    At the same time I found it to be very ugly. I learned that the builder was a functionalist architect. Meaning that it is all about the function of the building not caring about the esthetics. Not my cup of tee!
    But it’s cool that such a iconic building host’s a library!
    If you wanna know more read here https://en.mxcity.mx/2016/03/juan-ogorman-mural…
    Side note. The University campus is so big (770 hectares!) that they have a bus to transport the students. Of course for some unknown reason I was standing at the psychology stop:-)

    Covered 8.6 km
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  • Day 7

    Hop on and off bus tour

    January 21, 2020 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    I always use such a bus in a city, it helps you get oriented. But no - not in CDMX!
    This city is so huge - there is now way for a orientation dummy like me to get oriented.
    One of the main roads is 64 km long in the south and 53 km in the north. So basically the city is as big as from Basel to Bern! 2 hours a day commute to work is considered lucky, 3 hours is normal, many do 4 hours.
    I wonder how does one manage such a big city? CDMX without the surroundings suburbs is 8‘000‘000 people. That is the number of people in Switzerland.
    With big cathedral I also have mixed feelings. One one hand I admire the artistic value and in awe of craftsmanship, and that they left us signs of their culture. On the other side I think of the people who did the hard work. Suffered, died, were hungry and sick. I suppose most of laborers were slaves.
    Impressions of two different kind of arts.

    Covered 7.7 km
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  • Day 8

    Interesting facts in CDMX

    January 22, 2020 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    The Xochimilco https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xochimilco and Coyoacan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyoacán tour was disappointing.
    They took us onto the canals of Xochimilco. We were supposed to first ship around one hour on the canals. It took us 90 minutes to get there because of the heavy traffic. I was lucky enough to sit in front next to the guide.
    What actually happened was that there were floating kitchen, bars, mariachi singer and vendors and we were encouraged to consume. Our guide Sergio was very knowledgeable and funny, but the group was not interested in facts but kept eating, drinking and chatting away.
    Once we got the Coyoacan (historically very wealthy neighborhood) it was dark and we couldn’t see anything. One (not so) not so fun fact; Only Ex-Presidents, politicians and big time drugdealer can live there:, it is so expensive:-).

    More facts;
    - The metro in CDMX transports 7000000 people every day.
    - In 1818 the acting president of Mexicos (and his politician friends, of course all white Spaniards) pushed through a law that land could now be bought and owned. Before that the ones who worked the land were the owner. As soon as they left it, they weren’t any more. The consequence was that the President and his friends bought all the land around CDMX for 300 pesos and then sold it for much more. There was no urban planning and hence the city spread out in all directions. It’s is one of the reasons CDMX is so big.
    - CDMX is in a valley and before the city was build there was water and lagoons. Until today houses are build on platforms. The indigenous had a perfect water cleansing system. The water was perfectly clean. Shortly after the Spanish invaders arrived, there was a cholera breakout...

    Covered 2.1 km
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  • Day 9

    Pyramids yet not Pyramids

    January 23, 2020 in Mexico ⋅ 🌙 7 °C

    I took another toor and was yet disappointed. We were visiting the „Pyramids“ of the sun and the moon in Theoticlan. We could hardly understand the guide because of his really thick accent. Also he did not seem very motivated. Talking he walked ahead without caring weather we would here or not what he was saying. At 16.00 he sent us alone on tour because he had to accompany the driver to take bus from gate 3 to gate 2. We were supposed to meet at 17.15. So he needed 75 minutes for 1 kilometer???? However, we were a small group of 5 and had a lot of fun.

    I learned from my guide of the trip the day before; The „Pyramid“ in Centralamerica are not called (and are not) Pyramide because they are different in built and purpose. (Forgot the right name)
    They are round/flat at the top and have stairs. They are built for the gods, observe the stars and developing their knowledge in Astrology.
    Au contraire the Pyramide in Egypt are pointed at the top and are graves for the dead loved ones.
    Only the base of the construction is the same.

    I climbed the pyramid of the sun but did not make for the other pyrami which is three times higher.

    On the way to the Pyramide we passed the Favelas of CDMX.It must have been for about 20 kilometer. They sit on the mountains. The young Brasilien couple said: „We have favelas but we never saw something like this. Apparently the favelas have basic infrastructures as well as school and healthcare. It was a shock.

    Two ease the shock I had two very good corncobs covered with Mayonnaise, cheese, chilipowder and salt. Mhmmmm, niammi.

    Will write very bad review for the lazy tour guide.

    Covered 7.6 km
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  • Day 11

    Mezcal Festival

    January 25, 2020 in Mexico ⋅ 🌙 10 °C

    Well, I learned that for Mexicans fiestas are very important because it‘s a good occasion to mingle with people from other social classes. Everybody is the same in a fiesta.
    It certainly helps that for 2.50 Sfr. You can have as many shots of Mezcal as you want. Each state of Mexico is at the Festival with their Type of Mezcal. Finally I did not eat the 🐜 Torta....
    We had fun!

    Covered on this Saturday 7.7 km
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  • Day 11

    Got lost in the Park Chupaltepec

    January 25, 2020 in Mexico ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Ich schreibe ab jetzt abwechslungsweise auf Deutsch und Englisch.
    Ich wollte das das Museum del Historia del Castillo de Chupaltepec sehen gehen.
    Das Schloss liegt auf einem Hügel inmitten dem riesigen Park Chupaltepec (678 Hektaren!)
    Trotz Google Maps, Wegweiser und immer wieder fragen habe ich mich verlaufen.
    Es war aber auch sooo schön in diesem Park rumzulaufen, dass es nichts machte.
    Als ich endlich ankam, gab es eine sehr lange Schlange und ich war völlig 😕.
    Auf der Suche nach dem Ausgang habe ich mich nochmal verlaufen.
    Ich bin überzeugt dass sie die Wegweiser verstellt haben, die Leute mir falsche Auskünfte gaben und Google Maps mich nicht mag. Ich glaube sogar das Orientierungsgenie Claudia Eller hätte sich verlaufen.
    Am Sonntag erholen sich die Mexikaner in ihren vielem, riesigen Pärken der Stadt.
    Alles ist bunt ihn dieser Stadt, sogar die Zuckerwatte und die Bändel um Kinder anzubinden damit sie nicht verloren gehen!
    Auch hier gibt es Pfadfinder!
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  • Day 12

    History and Art

    January 26, 2020 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    We went to see the Residence many Presidents of Mexico resided. It was surprisingly simple.
    Pottery, paintings, craft was again so beautiful. I‘m just so impressed. Somehow I like this art, old and contemporary, much better than the general European Art.
    We went to see an exhibition in a Gallery for children The theme was Panda bears 🐻 and 🍩 !
    What a combination! Of course we went again to a park to relax.

    On Sunday covered: 9 km.
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  • Day 13

    Mercado, Coyoacan y Mariachi

    January 27, 2020 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Ich warte auf den Bus der mich in 22 Stunden Fahrzeit nach Merida In Yucatan bringt.
    Gestern waren wir auf dem Markt, wie immer alles bunt. Ich wollte unbedingt nach Coyoacan.
    Fahre hin mit Uber...... und war dann zu erschöpft um rumzulaufen. Habe mich einer der vielen schönen, riesigen Pärke gesetzt, mich ausgeruht und bin zurück gefahren.
    Mit Mike sind wir am Abend auf die Piazza Garibaldi gefahren. Da versammeln sich jeden Abend die Mariachi Singer dieser Stadt. Für 130 Pesos singen sie dir ein Lied vor. Wir hatten Glück unsere Band war wirklich gut!
    Apropos Mariachi; Ursprünglich kommen sie aus Guadalajara. 1912, nach der Revolution (1910-1912)
    Suchte der damalige President ein „Brand“ welches alle Mexikaner verbindet. Etwas was alle Mexicaner mochten und sie sich zusammen als Land darüber identifizieren konnten.
    ET voilà, so wurden sie im ganzem Land berühmt.
    Der gleiche President hat auch die Murales geschaffen. Also die vielen Wandmalereien in Mexiko.
    Die Idee war, dass man das Volk mit Wandmalereien „erziehen“ kann. Also die Menschen über wichtige soziale Themen zu informieren und sensibilisieren.
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