Added: 01/09/2006 |
Viva Mexico City, the eternal capital of MexicoMexico City is the capital of the Mexican United States, while the administrative centre of the Mexico State is Toluca, 55 kilometres from the capital. Let's imagine that you came to Mexico City at night and took a room in a hotel. You can turn on TV and see that the programs are chiefly devoted to the local cultural life and criminal activity. The characters in the play are looking extremely elegant: the Spaniard-like black-bearded men with short moustaches, chic coats and ties. The girls have hyperbolic-large lips and low-necked dresses. However, in the morning the first impression is to be changed: no Spanish faces and diamond cuff-links are here, only broad Indian faces and coarse shoes observed. Shortish, weather-beaten people, dressed poorly, but carefully. They are agricultural by appearance and habits, corn cakes chewed on the move. Good morning, the swarthy tribe of street Mexicans!
When cast a further look around, you can notice that the main square of Mexico City housing the presidential palace and cathedral, along with the central block of old catholic churches and colonial lacy houses, has been transformed into a huge market with lots of cheap cafeterias and hairdressing salons. Here solid museums and expensive restaurants have also found their place, but the central streets are full of cheap consumer goods from Asia, toys and souvenirs. Moderateness in taxi, hotel and food prices is to be felt at once.
In Mexico City a tourist can see the remains of beautiful and very big houses destroyed by the monstrous earthquake in 1985. This happened just after the great industrial boom of 1970-s when several dozens of pompous sky-scrapers, luxurious hotels and cinemas were mounted in the capital gradually becoming cheerful and rakish. The earthquake smashed all this magnificence within a single moment. When planning to watch the city sights, a tourist will probably be astonished at the number of police and army patrols on the crossroads, in the streets and rich shops and restaurants nearby. Yet, this makes observing the sights safer for the crowds of tourists. For instance, when entering a museum, your ticket will be checked by a soldier, not by an old woman, as in many European countries.
Perhaps, the most interesting show for a foreign tourist in Mexico City is the ceremony of the national Mexican Flag downtaking. This daily ritual happens at 6 p.m. in the main square before the presidential palace. Going back to Mexico City museums, it should be said that they are amazing, indeed, due to the habitual location in some oases of greenery and cleanness. Actually, the museums are still alive because of their numerous and extremely interested local visitors. It seems to be true that everyone goes to museums in Mexico City, while in Europe only tourists and elderly locals typically visit the establishments of the sort. You may check the fact yourself when making a trip to the capital of Mexico, which seems never-ending. Who knows: perhaps, this will become your most favorite route.
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