Chihuahua and Mexico City

Chihuahua and Mexico City

Chihuahua is a large city and had time to explore a little before having to go to airport to catch the plane. Went to the city hall where there are huge murals round a central courtyard depicting the history of the city. It turns out that many towns and cities have them,famously in Mexico city itself.

This is a picture of pastor hilgado who is credited with starting the Mexican Independence fight with his cry of Viva Mexico from his pulpit being executed in Chihuahua.

 

The cathedral has the distinction of having 2 altars built one in front of the other, what was originally a large church became the cathedral and it was decided that it needed a grander altar and so a new one with posh marble was built in front. From what I could see I preferred the earlier one, no accounting for taste I suppose.

Its most famous inhabitant was 'Pancho' Villa who had a grand house in the city which was turned into a museum on the death of his widow in the 80's (I think) certainly relatively recently. It has lots of momentos plus the car in which he was assasinated complete with bullet holes.

Another very classy (grey leather seats) flight back to Mexico and reasonably trouble free taxi ride to the hotel on the main square which I now know is called a zocalo in all places large enough to have a square! Had a little wander but ate in the hotel which was pleasant and not too expensive. Had to ring someone to find out what time the tour started, not impressed with the organisation skills of Bales/Native Trails other travellers also had problems so a number of complaints will be made I expect.

However friendly group of people from all over England and in one case Scotland plus a couple from Bulgaria who speak good enough english and in the case of the wife a few other languages as well. Luigi is our guide and unfortunately his english is not good enough for the speed he speaks at and he is very fond of his history in great detail so it is difficult to keep listening and everything takes longer than necessary.

We did get to see part of the cathedral

 it being Sunday bits were closed for Mass, so we looked at the place where the President stands to commemorate Independence on 15th September each year and rings the bell at 11.00 o'clock  precisely, along with bells in every other town in the country lots of frieworks etc follow.



 and then at extreme length the murals in the city hall by Diego Riviera 

husband of Freda Kahlo, which show the complete history of the various struggles through history of the peoples of Mexico and the types of produce and it's uses.The following shows the eagle (god) who found the right place in a lake(!) to build Mexico City, the serpent is also important but it was all rather to much by then!

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We then went to a suburb called Xochimilco which is an area of waterways and islands just to confirm the lake is still there underneath the city) where brightly coloured boats are punted along

 and we had lunch along the way. Mariachi bands

 would serenade for a small fee and there were other boats selling plants and trinkets etc. 

Eventually we got to the main museum housed in a lovely modern building with the history of the various peoples/tribes who have occupied the various parts of the country. Their abilities to calculate and build are astounding, this is the Sun Stone found near where my hotel now is, showing theAztec knowledge

but they also were a very cruel race and methods of torturing and killing people seem particularly gruesome, this is a sacrificial stone, nice drainage channel. 

They also had carvings to hold the hearts taken out probably when the person was still alive

this fluteis made from a human bone

 

 but as ever there is always a slightly brighter side especially for the ladies, probably make some of my followers feel a tad inadequate!