Our time in Mexico City was interrupted frequently by bouts of sickness. Despite staying for nine days, we only went out to sightsee a handful of times. Had we both been healthy during this time, we would have had much more fun and seen a lot more things. As it stood, we did get the opportunity to see a few of the things we wanted. The rest will have to be saved for a return trip some other time in the future.

Chapultepec Castle

In the center of the city, surrounded by a green park, sits the Chapultepec Castle on top of a hill. From the castle and its balconies, you have a view over the park and city, complete with the smog in the background. The hill on which it stands is Chapultepec Hill, which means ‘at the grasshopper’s hill.’ While no longer in use as a residence, the castle has been converted into a museum with a few different sections. It offers the opportunity to learn about the history of Mexico, how the royalty lived when the castle was built, and there is also usually a special exhibition going on which changes periodically.

The side of Chapultepec Castle.

The first part of the castle that we toured has been converted into a museum dedicated to Mexican history. Each room describes a time period in Mexico’s past and is filled with artifacts, paintings, and plaques. Starting from the days of the Aztec and winding your way through the rooms, you follow the Spanish conquest, Mexican rebellion and independence, and into modern times. The artifacts help to bring a personal touch to the museum, giving real-life examples that we could see to help illustrate the story.

A handful of artifacts on display from Mexico’s history.

The next part of the castle that we toured was a series of small rooms dedicated to books (the special exhibit at the time). There were many books on display, ranging from the tiny (only a couple centimeters) to the grand (a meter tall). Some books were open so that we could see the colorful illustrations and some were closed to showcase the cover and binding. There was a table that was dedicated to the art of bookmaking, with instruments and books in varying stages of completeness, showing the inside of the binding.

One of the large and ornate books on display in the special room at Chapultepec Castle.

The third part of the castle that we toured was the section that had been restored to what times were like when the royalty was living there. A few carriages were on display and then a sequence of rooms were available for viewing. What I found unique about this castle and set of rooms is that they all opened directly onto the balcony outside, which is different than the European castles we have toured which open to inside rooms and corridors. We looked into the music room with dueling pianos, the bedroom, dining room, parlors, and bathroom.

The dining room at Chapultepec Castle – enough to seat at least 20!

The front of the castle with a view overlooking the park and city!

Each of the different sections opened up onto the large balconies which wrapped all around the castle. On the balconies, the gardener had been hard at work on the floral arrangements – large stone vases of purple flowers, all of which had attracted butterflies. There were a couple of fountains on the grounds as well, providing a calming backdrop. We thoroughly enjoyed touring the Chapultepec Castle, learning about Mexican history and getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city for an afternoon.

Xochimilco

One of the primary attractions that is always recommended to tourists going to Mexico City is to go to Xochimilco and take a boat ride on the canals. Having heard this recommendation from locals and having done some research online, we decided to make the journey. I looked up directions and tips online and then we set off. From our apartment rental, we rode the subway to the end of the blue line, which took about an hour. After exiting, we boarded a light rail train that took us another hour to the end of that line. We then walked through the town of Xochimilco, following the signs with pictures of boats, for about 15 minutes until we found the canals and famous ‘trajineras’ (the flat-bottomed boats that navigate through the canals). Neither of us are very good at negotiating, so we paid probably way too much for a 40-minute ride. We boarded our trajinera and sat at the end of a long table; we were the only people on our own private boat. Our gondolier expertly navigated through the maze of other boats and guided us out into the canals. Alongside the canals were houses, greenhouses with a variety of plantlife, and animals grazing on grass. Other trajineras would pass us, some filled with locals having lunch, others filled with tourists taking pictures. Some trajineras contained mariachi bands who would play a song (or more) upon request (and payment).

Our boat heading down the canal.

Jon and I were seated at a long picnic table, just the two of us!

At the end of our short boat ride, we walked back through town past the stalls selling chickens in every form, rode the light rail line to meet up with the subway, and rode the subway back to the center of Mexico City. If I look back and add up our time in transit, it took us about 4 ½ hours of travel for a 40-minute boat ride. After we were back to our hotel and discussing the day, we both agreed that it was a bit overrated and not really worth all the time and money that we spent just for those 40 minutes on the canals. If we were to go back, we would only go with a group of friends or our family, we would pack a lunch and drinks, and would make it an entire afternoon outing. As it was, for just the two of us, we are glad that we went but wouldn’t go back on our own. We realize that not everywhere we go will be a highlight for us, but we have learned to enjoy our time regardless!

There were a number of other boats in the canals, including a few with mariachi bands!

Museo Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo was a Mexican artist who has become an icon of the country and her house, Casa Azul, is a popular pilgrimage site for her fans. She was born in 1907 in Coyoacan, Mexico City and with the exception of some trips to Detroit, Paris, and New York, lived and died there as well. Frida faced physical struggles throughout her entire life, starting with contracting polio when she was only six years old. She was teased by her peers, but despite the illness, had fond memories of her father during this time as he taught her about photography, art, nature, literature, and philosophy. Some years later, while in school, she was in a bus accident that left her with serious injuries. Recovery took months, during which time she was bedridden and would paint using a special easel that allowed her to paint while lying in bed. She was never completely healed after this and spent the rest of her life with various corsets, splints, crutches, and other devices engineered to help her stand and walk. Some of these instruments are on display at Casa Azul, giving us a glimpse into her life of pain and struggle.

Some of the corsets and undergarments worn by Frida Kahlo to help her sit, stand, and walk.

When Frida was 21, she met famed muralist Diego Riviera. Despite the fact that he was twice her age and already had two common-law wives, they began a courtship that led to marriage in 1929. Their marriage was tumultuous, consisting of numerous affairs by both parties and volatile tempers. The couple divorced in 1939 but remarried the next year. Through it all, they remained supportive of each other’s work and united on their belief in the Mexican Communist party. They hosted many supporters at Casa Azul, including for a time, Leon Trotsky. In 1953, Frida had her right leg amputated from the knee down due to gangrene. An addiction to painkillers soon formed, which eventually led to her death the following year. Diego passed away three years later, leaving Casa Azul to the country of Mexico. A museum was opened shortly after, and admirers have made the journey to see where she they lived and died ever since.

The gardens at Casa Azul – I can easily imagine relaxing there after all the tourists leave!

Upon entering the home, we spent some time admiring the garden, which was filled with lush vegetation and unique statues. The bright blue of the house contrasted with the dark red trim and yellow highlights scattered throughout. It was a very relaxing environment and I could imagine Frida and Diego spending many hours outside. In one of the small buildings surrounding the garden courtyard was a display of some of Frida’s wardrobe. Recently discovered, the collection contained everyday items like her makeup, jewelry, shoes, and dresses. In addition to the usual clothing you would expect, there were also some of her medical support devices on display; things that she used and wore to help her body be able to stand and walk. Around the other side of the courtyard were the rooms that were kept intact for tourists to walk through; a brightly colored kitchen, three bedrooms (one for Diego, two for Frida), and her studio. I was most excited to see her studio, which still had an easel set up with her paintbox and brushes on a table nearby. The studio was long and narrow, with windows over the garden on one side and full bookshelves on the other. While we were touring Casa Azul, Jon and I imagined our future home; we both decided that we would love an inner courtyard/garden similar to what Frida and Diego had enjoyed. Maybe someday!

The kitchen at Casa Azul – full of bright yellows and blues.

Templo Mayor

The last place we visited before leaving Mexico City was the Templo Mayor. In my research, I had discovered that this was an old Aztec ruin located in the center of the city, not far from where we had been staying. Since we were going to take a night bus, we had an afternoon to spend here. The entrance to the Templo Mayor is right next to the large Metropolitan Cathedral and takes up nearly an entire city block. We paid and started walking around among the ruins, stopping to read each plaque along the way (thankfully they were in both Spanish and English).

You can see the Metropolitan Cathedral in the background of the Templo Mayor.

The ruins were built over a long period of time, with each new ruler adding onto what the previous had done. Starting around 1325, seven different versions of the temple were constructed over the course of 200 years. In the 1500’s, when the Spanish came, the temple was looted and the Aztecs were driven out and murdered. Luckily, the structures remained so that we can have a glimpse into what pre-colonial life was like.

These are replicas of three statues found within the temple.

Walking through the ruins, we saw statues that still had colors on them, intricate carvings, and some rooms that were used for rituals and sacrifice. The scholars were able to determine this due to the blood and chemicals found on the floor in the rooms. Remains of pillars rest at the base of the buildings and part of their ball field remains, where they used to play games.

This is one of the rooms where sacrifices took place and where we can still see benches with carvings and colors.

Attached to the grounds is a large museum, dedicated to showcasing the artifacts and important sculptures found during excavation. The museum contains eight primary rooms, each highlighting a different aspect of the Aztecs. Wondering around, we saw daggers used for sacrifice, jewelry worn by the priests and nobility, tablets with intricate carvings, and statues of frogs, serpents, and gods.

These were ceremonial daggers, and yes, I’m pretty sure they came with the eyeballs and teeth!

Templo Mayor was an educational look into the lives of the Aztecs. I always feel that I learn more when I am immersed in history, surrounded by the thing which I am learning. This was a perfect example, reading about the Aztec people as I was walking through their buildings and looking at the everyday objects that they used.