A Travellerspoint blog

Condesa, Mexico City's colourful bohemian quarter

1-IMG_8418.jpg
2-IMG_8425.jpg

The first few times you walk or cycle around the colonia of Condesa, it has a way of bewildering you. Firstly, you can't help feeling that you're in some kind of small town which surpises you with its somewhat European-plus-Mexican flavour and its wide leafy streets lined with Art Deco architecture. Surely you can't be in the middle of that mighty megapolis called Mexico City? Something isn't quite right. Its airy pavement cafés, potpurri of ethnic restaurants, thickly vegetated parks, hip boutiques and its air of decadence and distinctly bohemian feel may convince you that DF has its own type of Parisian Latin Quarter.

Secondly, if you find yourself going round and round in circles, don't worry. Calle Amsterdam follows the oval layout of the area's former horse racetrack (Hipodromo in Spanish) which only adds to your confusion. Keep going and you'll eventually land back up where you started. Down the centre of this street runs a leafy, bike-friendly, walkway while the street on either side is flanked by restaurants, cafés and boutiques. Despite this, Condesa is essentially a residential area and definitely one of Mexico City's most charming, character-filled colonias.

2011_12-18_PM.jpg
Map showing the oval layout of Calle Amsterdam, former horse racetrack

La Condesa (meaning "Countess" and named after the Countess of Miravalle who owned this land and the former racetrack) dates back to the beginning of the 20th Century, hence the profusion of Art Deco and Art Nouveau-style buildings. It was home to many artistic middle and upper-class residents and foreigners, including Askenazi Jews from Eastern Europe and Spanish refugees fleeing from the Spanish Civil War. In the 1970s, the younger generations began to leave Condesa for other more fashionable areas. The 1985 earthquake in Mexico City, which severely damaged the neighbouring Roma district, hastened the continuing process of abandonment as residents began to move out to more up-market areas like Polanco. With prices falling and attracted by its unusual architecture, a new type of resident moved in: young businessmen, artists, musicians and others. Restaurants began to open, and chairs and tables which were set out on the pavements became an instant success with the city's mild climate. Today, it's a more relaxed community with its own pace of life, featuring the bright colours of Mexico in a bohemian setting. And a lively night life scene.

Central to this district are the two parks, Parque México and Parque España, which are not only the vital lungs of this area but an essential part of its character. In fact, this is probably the colonia with the most trees, the most dogs and maybe even the most eating places. All in all, it's a great place to wander around or have a coffee or meal, with surprises down most streets and some quirky finds waiting to be discovered on most visits. Street art, amusing posters, dogs in stripy jumpers, roundabouts with fountains, ancient vehicles which look as if they haven't been moved since I was born, colour-drenched buildings, original doors and windows with wrought-iron railings... you won't get bored. I would just love to get rid of all the ugly tangles of black spaghetti everywhere, supposedly electric wires, which disfigure the streets and façades and threaten to behead tourists on the open-topped Turibus as it passes through.

Snapshots of Condesa

89-IMG_0286C.jpg
Leafy streets

90-IMG_0290C.jpg
Bright colours

94-IMG_9684C.jpg
One of the many pavement cafés

02-IMG_9725C.jpg
Colourful façade

21-IMG_9828C.jpg
Tables set outside

01-Feb_09_..-_copia.jpg
Dog training in Parque México

19-IMG_9816C.jpg
Wall art

53-IMG_8027C.jpg
Coffee, food, books and live music at El Péndulo

78-IMG_0203C.jpg
Typical architectural features

05-IMG_9739C.jpg
A man relaxing in Parque México

79-IMG_0219C.jpg
Blue and red

39-IMG_5320_-_copia.jpg
The Green Corner

2-IMG_0304.jpg
Blue is a popular colour

85-IMG_0270C.jpg
A fancy doorway

91-IMG_0300C.jpg
Life-sized animals climbing up the side of a building

83-IMG_0252C.jpg
Crêperie de la Paix with Calvin Klein underwear advert above

1-IMG_0241.jpg
Decorated façade

84-IMG_0266C.jpg
Eco-bicis, Mexico City's bike-sharing scheme

06-IMG_1285C.jpg
Ducks on the pond

42-IMG_5369_-_copia.jpg
Car leftover from the last century

86-IMG_0276C.jpg
Eye-catching colour scheme

07-IMG_8025C.jpg
Exercising in the park

35-IMG_5293C.jpg
Purple building in Calle Tampico

36-IMG_5305C.jpg
Amusing sign: "Pedestrians have preference... preferably alive, please!"

26-IMG_9859C.jpg
A waiter waiting for some customers

27-IMG_9876C.jpg
"Anyone for breakfast?"

28-IMG_9879C.jpg
Looking inside a café-bar

25-IMG_9854C.jpg
Two men in suits by their red VW Beetle

10-IMG_8439C.jpg
Lake and fountain in the park

59-IMG_8402C.jpg
Adding a touch of colour to a drab building

60-IMG_8403C.jpg
Wallace Whisky Bar - with over 500 gallons of whisky in stock!

61-IMG_8415C.jpg
Detail of multi-coloured old trolley bus

62-IMG_8417C.jpg
Old car outside the Hotel Condesa DF - notice the key to wind it up with!

64-IMG_8474C.jpg
Another old Japanese trolley bus converted into a place to eat - with rooftop terrace included! The staircase is made of skateboards and the railings on the top with old bicycles

66-IMG_8497C.jpg
Mague pasteleria and café

22-IMG_9832C.jpg
Ferns peeping through window railings

23-IMG_9835C.jpg
Handwritten sign saying: "Please don't destroy my leaves. They provide the city with oxygen. Thank you."

24-IMG_9850C.jpg
Mexican colours

56-IMG_0589C.jpg
Vegetarian food

93-IMG_9187C.jpg
Still don't know what this large figure is on top of this building

3-IMG_8427.jpg
Ornate windows

74-IMG_8564C.jpg
All-blue café

CONDESA.jpg
Cool shady park with water

31-IMG_9936C.jpg
Artwork on a house

32-IMG_9955C.jpg
Beautiful gardens and flowers

41-IMG_5336C.jpg
Different coloured houses

43-IMG_5376C.jpg
A bit of grafitti

33-IMG_5274_-_copia.jpg
Large mansion in Calle Durango

13-IMG_9716C.jpg
Sign seen outside a restaurant

09-IMG_8438C.jpg
Early morning in Parque México

15-IMG_9758C.jpg
Mexican food at La Flautería

16-IMG_9775C.jpg
Literary centre

18-IMG_9807C.jpg
He won't get bored with so many magazines to read!

38-IMG_5313C.jpg
Wide street in Condesa

20-IMG_9827C.jpg
A whole building used as an advertisement

40-IMG_5333C.jpg
A health food shop

44-IMG_9418C.jpg
Interesting sign seen in a shop window

29-IMG_9881C.jpg
Boutique in one of the streets

34-IMG_5286C.jpg
Bright red building

37-IMG_5309_-_copia.jpg
Artwork by a petrol station

50-IMG_9467C.jpg
Another popular colour combination - red and blue

52-IMG_8004C.jpg
Hanging trumpet flowers

65-IMG_8495C.jpg
An old delivery truck

54-IMG_7153C.jpg
Not walking the dogs, but taking them for a ride

67-IMG_8501C.jpg
Relaxing by a fountain

76-IMG_0186C.jpg
Iglesia de Santa Rosa de Lima in Condesa

71-IMG_8539C.jpg
Priest outside the church

70-IMG_8538C.jpg
Nuns at their stall and woman selling artichokes

58-IMG_8401C.jpg
Matching colours

73-IMG_8553C.jpg
Lombardi restaurant - I suppose the wine bottles are empty?

75-IMG_0182C.jpg
"Transform your world
Transform your city
Transform yourself
Don't throw litter."

88-IMG_0283C.jpg
Small balcony

Posted by margaretm 05:13 Archived in Mexico Comments (11)

Hiking up to see the Monarch butterflies

IMG_9070_B.jpg
Monarch butterfly

+++

A couple of weeks ago, a group of us went to see the amazing sight of millions of Monarch butterflies wintering in the high-altitude forests near Valle de Bravo. These tiny fragile creatures are about to set off again on their long journey back up to the USA and Canada. They usually fly down in the fall, arriving in the mountain ranges near Mexico City at the beginning of November and stay until March. So impressive is this feat of nature that in 2008 UNESCO designated a mountainous area in the states of Michoacán and Estado de México as a World Heritage Site to protect the butterflies and their migration. We wanted to see them before they flew off again.

Our trip to the Valle de Bravo took a bit longer than expected with severe difficulties extracting ourselves from the traffic on the way out of DF, adding an extra one and a half hours to our anticipated journey time. We finally arrived at the Piedra Herrada Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary near Valle de Bravo, relishing the thought of getting out of the microbus and being in the fresh mountain air, far from the 3 big "Cs" of the city - concrete, congestion and contamination.

IMG_8690_B.jpg
The volcano Nevado de Toluca, Mexico's fourth highest mountain

IMG_8720B.jpg
Countryside near Valle de Bravo

IMG_8747_B.jpg
The Piedra Herrada Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary is part of UNESCO's World Heritage Site

IMG_9108_B.jpg
The entrance fee helps conserve the butterfly sanctuary and gives work to local people

IMG_8751_B.jpg
Horses waiting to carry people up the mountain

IMG_8765_B.jpg
Some small huts at the site

Five of us decided to sweat our way along the steep dusty path making its way up the mountainside, while the rest borrowed an extra four legs to help them up, riding horseback. Our legs and lungs were stretched by the climb and the rarefied air and we found ourselves surrounded by thick vegetation and trees soaring high into the sky around us. Red, blue, yellow and white flowers dotted the path and as we climbed up, we began to see our first Monarchs resting on bushes at the side or in the tree branches overhead. Near the top, Jaime, our guide, led us to a small clearing at the edge of the steep hillside and there behind him, was a mass of orangey-coloured trees. Hundreds of thousands of butterflies had congregated in huge clumps on the branches while thousands more were flitting around in the clear mountain sky above us.

IMG_8771_B.jpg
It's more fun when there are two of you!

IMG_8798_B.jpg
A group of schoolchildren coming down singing

IMG_8807_B.jpg
Looking up at the tall trees

IMG_8815_B.jpg
Hiking up the mountainside

IMG_8812_B.jpg
Lots of moss covering the tree trunks

Butterflies_blog.jpg
Some of the wildflowers we saw along the way

IMG_8834_B.jpg
The horses wait near the top to bring the people down again

IMG_8835_B.jpg
Beautiful chestnut-coloured horse

IMG_8841_B.jpg
A lone butterfly soaking up the sun's warmth

IMG_8845_B.jpg
Thick vegetation

IMG_8864_B.jpg
We began to see more and more butterflies as we climbed higher

Jaime picked up two dead butterflies, one male and the other female, to show us the differences and told us their story, how they navigate their way down to Mexico and return. This is one of nature's most spectacular feats, a journey of thousands of kilometers, in which special butterflies four generations later are able to make their way to the very trees in Mexico where their great-grandparents had spent the winter the year before. We sat in silence, watching the mariposas monarca and listening to the wings of thousands, maybe millions, of butterflies beating together. It was an awesome moment.

IMG_9006_B.jpg
Looking towards the trees in the distance covered in butterflies

IMG_8893_B.jpg
The trees turn an orangey colour

IMG_8903_B.jpg
Huge clumps of butterflies

IMG_8924_B.jpg
Jaime, our guide, explaining the differences between the male and female butterflies

IMG_8949_B.jpg
The air was full of monarchs fluttering around in the sunshine

IMG_9008_B.jpg
Sunbathing on a branch

IMG_9031_B.jpg
Not orange flowers, but butterflies

IMG_9038_B.jpg
Me with the heavily-laden trees behind

I had visited the Butterfly Sanctuary in Angangueo, Michoacán, in December 2010 (see my blog post "The long way down - an epic journey" of 9th December 2011) at the beginning of their wintering season and now here I was mesmerised by the hundreds of beautiful orangey-black creatures flitting around in the warm spring sunshine over my head. They were fattening themselves up ready for the long journey back. It was time to say goodbye to them... and wish them well on their way. The next lot of Monarchs will be arriving here around the beginning of November, when Mexicans celebraet the Dia de Muertos or Day of the Dead. According to a traditional belief, the monarchs are the souls of ancestors who are returning to earth for their annual visit. They must be welcomed and treated with great care.

IMG_9004_B.jpg
The air was thick with orange smudges

IMG_8968_B.jpg
Observing a monarch flying overhead

IMG_9040_B.jpg
How many butterflies on these branches, I wonder?

IMG_9048_B.jpg
Enjoying the sunshine

IMG_9057_B.jpg
Thick vegetation

It was far easier coming down the mountain on foot than on horseback judging by the sound of some of the riders' voices and we all met at the bottom for lunch and to buy a few souvenirs handmade by Mazahua ladies, an essential and much-needed source of income for these poor communities. Stray dogs with cute faces waited patiently for the crumbs of our sandwiches and then it was time to leave these beautiful forests and fresh mountain air and get back home. Back to city life.

IMG_9076_B.jpg
Going back to get the horses

IMG_9098_B.jpg
Walking down through the trees

IMG_9099_B.jpg
All the guides are trained and know all about the butterflies

IMG_9114_B.jpg
Pottery souvenirs

IMG_9116_B.jpg
Monarch butterfly fridge magnets

IMG_9118_B.jpg
A Mazahua lady embroidering

IMG_9124_B.jpg
This little dog was hoping to get some crumbs from us

IMG_9130_B.jpg
Blue skies behind the truck

IMG_9160_B.jpg
On our way back, we passed a field of nopales or edible cactus plants

IMG_9201_B.jpg
One of the many churches we passed along the way

IMG_9218_B.jpg
Big fluffy clouds over the mountains

Posted by margaretm 05:28 Archived in Mexico Tagged mountains nature hiking mexico_city outdoors butterflies Comments (5)

Reeling from an earthquake

Mexico City shakes again

vias-afect..400x250.jpg
Earthquake damage to the train lines in DF (Photo taken from El Universal)

+++

That's the thing about earthquakes. You can't predict them or really get ready for them. You wake up in the morning and it never crosses your mind that there might be a strong earth tremor a bit later on. It just happens and takes you by surprise.

And that's what happened on Tuesday, 20th March, at mid-day, 12:02 to be exact. I was up in Santa Fe shopping, pushing the trolley down the aisle to get some cartons of milk and juice when, all of a sudden, some small cartons started jumping off the shelf and landing on the floor. The man just in front of me leapt out of the way a bit taken aback and then I saw the entire fully-stacked shelf moving. "Those shelf-stackers on the other side are getting a bit rough!" was my first thought. You see, I'm not really an expert at earthquake detection and therefore the idea that it could have been a terremoto didn't make the top 10 probable causes for kamikaze juice cartons, at least not at that moment. But then I noticed that the shelves were shaking more violently, not just back and forth, but a bit like a wave. People started looking up and pointing to the lights overhead which were swinging crazily and by now the ground was shaking noticeably. I felt a bit queasy and dizzy.

A voice was calling us to evacuate the building in an orderly fashion and I have to say that I was impressed. No-one was screaming or running. We all left our shopping trolleys half- or quarter-full right where they were and made our way out outside. Most of the customers and staff were trying to use their phones but of course the lines were down. I didn't even try. My cell phone had run out of tiempo aire, as they say here, and I was waiting to get to the cash desk to top it up. Messages started popping up on my cell phone three hours later. "Did you feel it?" "Are you OK?" By then, it was all over.

IMG_1580_Q.jpg
People evacuated from the supermarket in Santa Fe

Later, when we were informed that we could go back inside, I decided that if there were any replicas, they probably wouldn't be as strong as the main one so I was probably safe. Others obviously didn't think the same. I saw quite a few shopping trolleys marooned in the middle of the supermercado, abandoned to their fate. With my shopping done, I went down to my car. Finding yourself in the bowels of a building in semi-darkness, underneath tons of shelving and products and customers which could crush the breath out of you in an instant, is not a particularly pleasant experience when you've just been shaken up by a temblor. The lady parked by me had her escape plan all worked out. Her trolley literally flew down between the parked cars, she emptied the food into the car boot with a speed reserved only for someone whose life depended on it, and screeched off up the ramp into the distance in search of a safer location.

It took me one hour to get home which gave me plenty of time to hear the news on the radio. There had been a strong earthquake, 7.4 in magnitude, sending shockwaves over most of southern Mexico. By yesterday afternoon, 56 replicas registering magnitudes of between 4 and 5.3 had been felt. And amazingly, Mexico City had survived with surprisingly little damage and no lives lost. It was the strongest terremoto since the tragic one in 1985 (see my blog post "The earth quakes in Mexico City" of 12 December 2011) which is still uppermost in many people's minds when the ground beneath them begins to shake. Along with thousands of other people, I was stuck in my car in a massive traffic jam, watching how skyscrapers and office blocks had coughed out hundreds of people onto the pavements and streets outside. An hour later, some buildings remained empty as the aftershocks continued. No-one wants to be trapped on the 13th floor in such circumstances.

IMG_1587_Q.jpg
Stuck in the traffic jam inside the tunnel

IMG_1585_Q.jpg
People standing outside the buildings in Santa Fe

IMG_1592_Q.jpg
A couple of the tall buildings which resisted the earthquake well

IMG_1597_Q.jpg
Workers outside the offices

The end balance was that Mexico City got off lightly. The city has definitely learned from the tragedy in 1985. New buildings may sway a lot but are now built to withstand shocks of up to almost 9 on the Richter scale and the population regularly has simulacros to remind them of what to do in the event of a quake. However, in the states of Guerrero (where the epicentre was located) and Oaxaca over 30,000 houses were damaged and the people are still reeling from the sismo which took them by surprise on Tuesday.

images__1_.jpg
People outside in Paseo de la Reforma

sismo-df-5-microbus.jpg
A microbus was flattened by a concrete bridge. Fortunately it was empty except for the driver who was slightly injured.

1274.jpg
Side view of the microbus

puenteGALERIA.jpg
Damage to a bridge

Adan2michel.jpg
A transformer crushes a taxi

get.jpg
A road sign fallen down

IMG_1603_Q.jpg
The headlines on Wednesday 21st March

IMG_1605_Q.jpg
El Universal newspaper

+++

The following photos taken from the newspaper show some of the damage in the state of Guerrero, S. Mexico

guerrero_s..iones07.jpg

guerrero_s..iones04.jpg

guerrero_s..iones08.jpg

guerrero_s..iones02.jpg

Posted by margaretm 07:23 Archived in Mexico Tagged mexico_city earthquake Comments (4)

The Basilica de Guadalupe, mirror of Mexican faith

IMG_0058_G.jpg
The old and new Basilicas

+++

Last Sunday, I decided to cycle up to the Basílica de Guadalupe in the north of Mexico City. This is Latin America's most important Catholic shrine and the second most visited one in the world after the Vatican. Millions of pilgrims arrive here every year, especially on December 12th which is the Feast Day of the Virgen de Guadalupe.

I guessed it would be better to visit it when it wasn't so packed so I left early in the morning and pedalled up there, arriving just after 8 o'clock to find that others had beat me to it. They allowed me to wheel my bike into the complex but as I didn't have a chain to lock it up, it accompanied me everywhere on my visit. This meant I couldn't go inside any of the buildings or up to the top of Teyepac Hill so I'll have to wait till another day to do that.

I read somewhere that the Virgen de Guadalupe is the symbol of a unified Mexican identity and that certainly is backed up by the people I saw at the Basilica. Old and young, families and youths, people from all walks of life... they were all rubbing shoulders together. I could easily pick out the city-ites from the villagers and the country folk. Groups of indigenous people dressed in colourful outfits brought splashes of colour to the scene. Among the crowd were well-dressed men in suits, tramps, the healthy and happy, the sick and infirm, some in wheelchairs, contrite souls approaching painfully on their knees, others in a holiday mood. They were all represented. In fact, in general, there was a festive atmosphere and it seemed like los fieles were out on a family excursion.

The Plaza Mariana is huge, big enough to squeeze in 50,000 pilgrims and 10,000 can fit in the new Basilica. Everywhere I looked I saw churches, chapels, shrines, monuments and statues, so many it was hard to count them. A unique Mexican combination of faith and superstition filled the air. Images, candles, flowers, wishing wells, good fortune birds, blessing modules... a bit of everything to keep everyone happy, I suppose.

IMG_9840_G.jpg
Approaching the Atrio de las Americas, more popularly known as La Villa, now clear of stalls after the area was remodelled. Straight ahead is the Old Basilica with its yellow domes.

IMG_9842_G.jpg
Construction of the Old Basilica began in 1531 and wasn't completed until 1709. It was slowing sinking down into the soft ground and became too dangerous to use so a new basilica was built. The old one was closed for many years but is now re-opened following repairs to shore it up and make it safe. To its right is the Templo de Capuchinos, initially a convent for Capuchin nuns and then used as a hospital before becoming a parish church in 1929.

IMG_9861_G.jpg
The New Basilica is a spectacular bold design, built by Mexican architect Pedro Ramírez Vázquez, who was also responsible for the Aztec Stadium and the Museo Nacional de Antropología. It is a circular building to allow for maximum visibility of the image of the Virgen de Guadalupe inside. The Basilica can hold up to 10,000 people and has nine chapels.

IMG_9870_G.jpg
The whole complex is huge

IMG_9908_G.jpg
A big poster welcoming the Pope to Mexico when he comes to Guanajuato later in the month.

IMG_9852_G.jpg
A devoted Catholic approaching the Basilica on his knees.

IMG_9896_G.jpg
A floral representation of Our Lady of Guadalupe

IMG_9912_G.jpg
A bronze statue of Pope John Paul II who beatified Juan Diego, the Indian to whom the Virgen appeared.

IMG_9913_G.jpg
A priest standing at one of the doors.

IMG_9914_G.jpg
A view inside the Basilica where you can see the original image of the Virgen de Guadalupe hanging up behind the crucifix. Moving walkways transport visitors past the image helping to avoid agglomerations.

IMG_9924_G.jpg
The decorative designs on the doors.

IMG_9925_G.jpg
Looking up at the windows above.

IMG_9926_G.jpg
People waiting to go inside.

IMG_9931_G.jpg
A group of boys from the state of Puebla dressed in special clothes.

IMG_9932_G.jpg
Proud of his outfit

IMG_9934_G.jpg
Two boys show me their clothes

IMG_9935_G.jpg
Detail of the Virgen de Guadalupe embroidered by his mother

IMG_9937_G.jpg
This boy's aunt embroidered a cross and heart

IMG_9938_G.jpg
Pilgrims gather outside the new Basilica

IMG_9943_G.jpg
This shrine attracts people from all walks of life.

IMG_9948_G.jpg
An indigenous lady wears a specially embroidered shawl

IMG_9950_G.jpg
Waiting to go inside the church

IMG_9955_G.jpg
The Carrillón, a kind of modern bell-tower, has bells that ring every hour and four different ways of telling time. There is a modern clock, an astronomical clock, a sun dial and an Aztec calendar clock with 18 months of 20 days. It is said to resemble a pre-Hispanic god, but is also in the shape of a huge cross.

IMG_9971_G.jpg
The Templo del Pocito (Little Well) was built on the site where the Virgen de Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego at a spring.

IMG_9972_G.jpg
A statue showing Juan Diego opening his cloak with roses tumbling out and the image of the Virgen de Guadalupe miraculously impressed on the garment.

IMG_9978_G.jpg
The Capilla de Juramentos where people wanting to give up smoking, drinking, drugs and other vices come to take an oath promising not to do these things for a certain length of time.

IMG_9981_G.jpg
Small monument to the Fourth Apparition of the Virgin to Juan Diego, where the Parroquia de los Indios stands.

IMG_9997_G.jpg
The Templo del Pocito

IMG_0008_G.jpg
The blue and white tiles on the Templo de Pocito, a Baroque-style church

IMG_0013_G.jpg
Visitors enjoying the gardens and ponds

IMG_0014_G.jpg
Statue of the Virgen de Guadalupe in her blue cloak

IMG_0022_G.jpg
Aztecs and Indians worshipping the Virgen de Guadalupe

IMG_0027_G.jpg
A lady throwing a coin into the waters and making a wish

IMG_0031_G.jpg
The Good fortune man with his small birds who pick out a little piece of paper with your fortune on it.

IMG_0033_G.jpg
By-standers watching the small orange bird telling their fortune

IMG_0046_G.jpg
A place to have your photograph taken on a horse wearing a Mexican cloth and a mariachi hat, along with the Virgen de Guadalupe and the Pope!

IMG_0056_G.jpg
A skyline of colourful church domes

IMG_0059_G.jpg
A group of dancers performing in the Plaza

IMG_0068_G.jpg
Young dancer learning the steps

IMG_0075_G.jpg
An energetic dance accompanied by drum beats

IMG_0120_G.jpg
A general view of the plaza

IMG_0135_G.jpg
A girl on her knees

IMG_0145_G.jpg
Stalls outside selling religious articles

If you want more information on the Basilica de Guadalupe and the Virgen de Guadalupe, you can read my blog post "Squeezing 7 million pilgrims into DF" of 14 December 2011.

The following blog posts by Lynda Martinez del Campo are also excellent readable explanations of Mexico's most important shrine:
http://mexicanmuseumsandmavens.wordpress.com/category/religious/.

Posted by margaretm 07:54 Archived in Mexico Tagged churches religion shrine faith mexico_city indigenous catholic Comments (0)

Early morning at the lake

Birds and mist

IMG_5877_l.jpg

Early this morning, as I was walking by the lake, I was reminded that even in the heart of an enormous congested city, wildlife and nature live side by side with concrete and traffic. It was a stunning sight this morning. As the sun's rays began to tickle the sleepy lake awake, the mist was clinging to the water and refusing to let go, and the birds were preparing for a new day, preening their feathers, singing, catching the first rays of the sun. Great egrets, grackles, ducks, coots and moorhens were my company this morning.

IMG_1532_L.jpg
Cyclists and runners getting exercise

IMG_1536_L.jpg
Ducks preening their feathers

IMG_1540_L.jpg
"Brrr... I need a bit of sunshine to warm up"

IMG_1550_L.jpg
"That's better..."

IMG_1552_L.jpg
"Who's that sneaking up behind me?"

IMG_1555_L.jpg
"Mmm, maybe I should move to the island over there."

IMG_1556_L.jpg
"Off we go!"

IMG_1562_L.jpg
"Good, some more sun!"

IMG_1559_L.jpg
"Wakey wakey, everyone!"

IMG_0761_L.jpg
"Romeo, Romeo..."

Posted by margaretm 11:11 Archived in Mexico Tagged birds lake sunrise mist early_morning Comments (3)

(Entries 26 - 30 of 470) Previous « Page 1 2 3 4 5 [6] 7 8 9 10 .. » Next