Diego Rivera’s Anahuacalli Museum

One Reason to love Mexico City:
Diego Rivera’s Anahuacalli Museum in Coyoacan.
Over his lifetime, Diego Rivera collected 50,000 pieces of pre-hispanic art. According to the museum staff he bought from ‘archaeologists’ who robbed temple sites and had a hand in taking pieces himself.

In return, he built this volcanic rock house which mimics a pyramid inside, to give the historic art collection a home and share them with the Mexican people.
The house took 28 years to build and was unfinished upon his death.  With the generous support of Dolores Olmeda, the house was finished and opened to the public.  I have to say it is an amazing piece of architecture that they say was built with some consultation from Frank Lloyd Wright.

Inside, you are walking inside a pyramid laden with stone mosaics of prehispanic images on both the floor and ceilings, the walls made of volcanic rock from the land the house sits on.  The top floor is home to some of his large mural sketches and houses contemporary shows. It’s beautiful and a must see if you are in Mexico city.

View the slideshow below:

© Suzanne da Rosa 2012

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Museo Antropologia

Mexico City, the museum of anthropology.

There’s more than I can write pecking a letter at a time on my iPhone so here’s some photos until I can get to my computer

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Xilitla, Las Pozas

Las Posas – beginning with the trip through the mountains outside of Queretaro and into the tropical green of Xilitla and Las pozas, the sculptures, the labyrinth quality of the sculptures in the jungle, ending with the pools and waterfalls. A busy Three weeks.

We’ve had two separate family visits which prompted us to look into trips around the area for trips we have been wanting to take.

First, we went to Guanajuato where we’ve been so many times and love. Then we’ve done various local things like the Tuesday market and walking around town plus  a tour of the Rancho Canada de La Virgen (another post that I’m working on) and a trip to the very unique Las Pozas in Xilitla.

Las Pozas is Edward James’ surrealistic, labyrinth, Jungle Castle in the Sierra Gorda Moountains….

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Brunch, Hotel Villa Santa Monica

During the tourist season
You can have Sunday brunch
At the Hotel Antigua Villa Santa Monica

Quesadillas, eggs and cafe de la olla from the chefs on the outside patio

Whose entrance is at the back end of Parque Juarez.
They serve a combination of fruits and cereals,
Pancakes, bacon, queso fundido with goat cheese,
Refried beans, chilaquiles, enchiladas, chicarron.
If that isn’t enough you can walk outside
Where two chefs are making eggs to order,
Quesadillas filled with a selection of traditional fillings
Which includes rajas de poblano chilis, nopales,
Papas con chorizo, huitlacoche, flor de calabasa con rez
You get the idea.

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Flash From The Past

The other day
We were walking from the bus station home
When we passed by a big open comedor.
John went in to get a bottle of water
And I noticed these old photographs on the wall.
San Miguel from other eras.
Canal street
The Jardin before the trees were trimmed,
The parroquia San Antonio
Which you will hardly recognize. 

This is Calle Canal, with the view of the Quebrada Bridge

The Parroquia and Tower from the corner of Calle San Francisco - notice the cobblestones in the street and the wood cart street vendors.

The Parroquia and tower and the Jardin with ficus trees before they were trimmed into the circles as they now are. The tower and chapel attached to it look rough and unfinished.

The church in San Antonio (currently the parroquia of San Antonio)

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More Ironwork Installed

Our second, and last iron gate
Was installed today
I especially love this one
How it fits so perfectly in the arched space.
 
Here’s a little gallery of photos
From entering the house
With the arched frame
To the cutting of the concrete
Fitting it into the space
Which took five hours
To settle it properly
So the doors swing,
Close, and lock properly.

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San Cristobal de las Casas

We arrived in San Cristobal about 1:30 pm
We hired a taxi to take us to the hostal
Got a private room and went out to explore the town. 

San Cristobal is a beautiful,
Human scale town.
The buildings are not tall,
Everything is brightly painted in warm colors.
 

We did a big loop around the town
Scoping out where everything was
Then ended up at the mercado de artesanias

 The craft here is gorgeous
Weavings and embroideries are the specialty.
The outlying villages of Zinacantan, Chamula,
San Andres, the Margaritas and Amatenango
All represented, and more.  
Each village has it’s own unique style
Each person their own design on their clothing.

More to come…

Amatenango
 We had decided to visit Chamula today
Where the Catholic church
Is adorned with the traditional saints
Has no pews, but a floor filled with pine boughs
Coca cola bottles and candles
Where the local shamans
Provide pagan mayan rituals
Instead of the normal religious services. 

However, once in the taxi
We discovered that Amatenango,
A small town with many artisans
Of renowned indigenous pottery
Which is about 45 minutes away
Would be a better bet for today.
The ride out is through rolling hills
Pine trees surrounding open fields
Dotted with family groups
Washing laundry in the streams
Women, dressed in the hairy skirts of Chamula
Tending their black sheep.

Our taxi driver, Pedro,
Is a friendly religious man
With typical religious objects
Hanging from the rear view mirror
A scapula,
A medallion of the virgin
A statue of a saint.

Amatenango is a small town,
Really, a small strip of buildings
With artisans selling their clay work
Renowned for their painted Jaguars,
they also sell utilitarian pieces
Bowls
Candleholders
Plates
Chickens and roosters
Some brightly painted
Many in the old style
The color of the clay
With Black.

Although the market is small
There are quite a few sellers.
It all seems to be the same work
However, it is all made by hand
One at a time
And you see differences
In the work as you explore
The various stalls 

Amatenango Craft

This is a typical Jaguar from the area
They come in all stances, sizes and various colors

After Amatenango
Zoe fell ill from something she ate
I spent a day and a half
Wandering all over San Cristobal
Checking in every two hours
To see if she was ok.
I visited churches, markets and museums
And on the last day, we both wandered
Throughout the town
Thinking that this is a place
We will come back to

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