Hacienda Yaxcopoil: Taking a Day Trip to the Past

 

Anyone interested in the history of the Yucatán should consider taking a day trip from the city of Mérida to nearby Hacienda Yaxcopoil (YASH-coh-poh-EEL). This former henequén (sisal) hacienda, which dates back to the 17th century, offers rare glimpses of life among the Yucatán's wealthy hacendados during Spanish colonial days and the henequén boom of the late 1900's that made Yucatán one of the richest states in Mexico.



What is truly special about Yaxcopoil is that unlike most other Yucatecan haciendas, it has been preserved in its original state. Ghosts of the past still haunt the main building's dimly lit rooms filled with worn but elegant European-style furniture, kerosene lamps, and other fixtures from days gone by. High wooden doors bearing the marks of time open into a traditional Spanish courtyard flanked by sweeping stone arches and brimming with greenery.



Hacienda Yaxcopoil gets its name from a Maya archaeological site located on the plantation's extensive land holdings, which once encompassed some 22,000 acres. Fittingly, a room off the hacienda's inner courtyard has been turned into a small museum housing artifacts from the Yaxcopoil ruins. Ceramic plates and pots adorn the walls, and ancient limestone carvings stand silently in corners illuminated by natural light streaming through open windows with weathered green and white shutters. 



In the hacienda's factory area or planta desfribradora languishes machinery once used to shred the henequén fiber. Mysterious contraptions with rusty iron cogs and wheels that haven't turned for decades stand next to an impressive-looking diesel engine that was used to power them with belts and pulleys. This huge motor was built in Germany in 1913 and is still in working order. 

Behind the machine room stretch warehouses and packing houses that, with their handsome neoclassical facades and columns, look more like stately colonial mansions than plantation buildings. The hacienda also boasts extensive gardens and an orchard where water tanks and functioning pumps installed during the early 20th century promise to keep Yaxcopoil blooming for years -- perhaps even centuries -- to come.  



Hacienda Yaxcopoil is situated 33 km (20 miles) southwest of Mérida and can be reached by rental car, public bus, or on organized tours offered by companies in Mérida. The hacienda is open Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and from 9 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is 75 Mexican pesos (about $6.00 US).

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Hacienda Yaxcopoil, Yucatan, Mexico - Images by John Mitchell

Cancún's New Maya Museum

With its lavish five-star hotels, American-style shopping malls, and raucous nightclubs, Cancún is about the last place you might expect to find a world class archaeology museum. However, that is exactly what has been built in this popular resort city on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula. 

The Museo Maya de Cancún, which was inaugurated in November 2012, is considered to be the most important project undertaken by Mexico's National Institute of Archaeology and History (INAH) since the construction of Mexico City's Templo Mayor Museum in 1987. The state-of-the-art museum was designed by Mexican architect Alberto Garcia Lascurain, and its construction reportedly cost 15 million dollars. Built to survive Cancún's capricious climate, the 4,400-square-foot structure features innovations such as steel-reinforced windows to resist hurricane winds, latticed concrete walls to ensure air circulation, and elevated exhibition halls to prevent flood damage to the museum's precious collections.



Hundreds of archaeological treasures from throughout the Maya region are on display in three spacious exhibition halls or salas, two permanent ones and another with temporary exhibits on loan from other museums in the area. The first hall that visitors encounter houses artifacts from the state of Quintana Roo (in which Cancún is located), including the 10,000-year-old remains of a woman found in a submerged limestone cave or cenote. The Sala Maya highlights broader aspects of the Mayan world with displays related to subjects such as daily life, architecture, art, and the natural environment. Floor-to-ceiling windows and an external walkway offer panoramic views of surrounding lush vegetation and of Laguna Nichupté, the sprawling tropical lagoon that borders Cancún's luxurious Hotel Zone.



Adjacent to the museum, and reached by a path winding through the forest, is the recently opened San Miguelito archaeological site that dates back some 800 years. Nestled among towering trees are the remains of residential complexes, ceremonial platforms, and altars, as well as a 26-foot-high pyramid. Exploring both the new museum and these ancient Mayan ruins hidden for so long in the jungle promises to be an eye-opening experience for many of the estimated 12 million tourists who arrive every year to enjoy modern Cancún's white sand beaches and hedonistic pleasures.

The Museo de Cancún is located at Km 16 on Kukulkán Boulevard in the Hotel Zone or Zona Hotelera. It is easily reached by public bus or taxi from downtown Cancún. Admission to the museum and archaeological site is 57 Mexican pesos (about $5.00 US). The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (10 p.m. on Thursday). Get there early enough if you want to see the San Miguilito archaeological site as it closes at 5 p.m.

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Cancun Mayan Museum and San Miguelito Archaeological Site, Cancun - Images by John Mitchell

Tlacotalpan - The Pride of Papaloapan

Tlacotalpan has a lot more going for it than its tongue-twisting name. This beautifully restored Spanish colonial settlement on the Rio Papaloapan (River of Butterflies) in the state of Veracruz is not only one of the most attractive towns in Mexico, but it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a thriving cultural center.

Tlacotalpan has been inhabited since pre-Columbian times, and its name means something like "between the waters" or "divided earth" in Nahuatl, the language of the ancient Aztecs. Not surprisingly, Spanish conquistadors vanquished this area during the l6th century and established a river port at strategically located Tlacotalpan.



The community grew into an important trading center for cotton, tobacco, sugarcane, and other exotic tropical products. By the mid 1800's, Tlacotalpan boasted an opera house, a municipal palace, and a number of other substantial buildings. However, the arrival of the railway to Veracruz in the late 19th century spelled the beginning of the end for Tlacotalpan's prosperity as goods from the interior could now be more easily shipped to the coast by rail than by water.

Tlacotalpan settled in for a long siesta during the early part of the 20th century and didn't really awaken until 1998 when it was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List. Funds were subsequently made available for restoration, and the locals literally went to town fixing up decaying houses and churches. Today, it seems as if every building in Tlacotalpan sports a brightly painted facade and neoclassical style colonnades and porticos.



This region has a lot going on culturally as well. It is the home of Son Jarocho, a spicy blend of Spanish, indigenous, and African rhythms that has become the traditional music of Veracruz. During the annual Candelaria or Candlemas celebrations  in early February, Jaranero musicians and visitors from all over Mexico converge on Tlacotalpan for a three-day festival of music, religious processions, and other events marking the advent of spring.



Tlacotalpan is also the birthplace of Agustín Lara (1897-1970), one of Mexico's most beloved singers and composers. Lara's house has been turned into a museum commemorating his life and work. In addition, the town's cultural center, which hosts exhibits along with dance and music rehearsals, has been named after Tlacotalpan's most illustrious native son.

The town of Tlacotalpan lies about 90 minutes (110 km) south by car or bus from the city of Veracruz. The best hotels in town are the comfortable Hotel Reforma near the main plaza and the more upscale and atmospheric Posada Doña Lala, also situated in the historical center of town.

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Tlacotalpan, Veracruz - Images by John Mitchell

National Interventions Museum in Coyoacán, Mexico City

A Museum for Mexican History Buffs

Mexico has a long history of foreign interventions, especially on the part of the United States, France, and Spain. So it's only fitting that there should be a museum chronicling the meddling of these foreign powers in Mexican affairs. The Museo Nacional de las Intervenciones or National Interventions Museum located in the pretty colonial suburb of Coyoacán is just such a place.

Housed in the 17th-century Ex-Convento de Churubusco, this little-visited museum is devoted to conflicts that occurred on Mexican soil between 1825 and 1916. On display are maps, documents, weapons, military uniforms, paintings and other historical artifacts related to events such as the French occupation of Mexico during the 1860's, Spain's attempt to regain its former colony in 1829, and the Mexican-American War of 1846-1848 that resulted in Mexico losing almost half of its territory to the United States.



The Ex-Convento de Churubusco (Monastery of Churubusco) is itself no stranger to foreign intervention. On August 20, 1847, at the peak of the Mexican-American War, U.S. forces attacked the monastery, where some 1300 retreating Mexican soldiers had taken refuge. The Mexican battalions holed up inside reportedly surrendered only after they had run completely out of ammunition and had to resort to hand-to-hand combat.

Today, all is peaceful at the Churubusco Monastery. The only reminders of the Battle of Churubusco (as the conflict came to be known) are bullet holes scarring the building's walls, memorial plaques, and rusty cannon still guarding the monastry's entrance. Visitors can now explore the museum and the monastery, parts of which have been restored to their original condition, and then wander through tranquil gardens shaded by towering trees.



The Museo Nacional de las Intervenciones and the Ex-Convento de Churubusco are located on Calle 20 de Agosto at General Anaya, northeast of the Plaza Hidalgo in Coyoacán. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday (closed Mondays) from 9am until 6pm. Admission is about US$4.00.

Check out my post on the Leon Trotsky Museum, which is also in Coyoacán.

Yucatan Regional Museum of Anthropology and History in Mérida

Whenever I visit the Spanish colonial city of Mérida on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, I always make sure to spend some time poking around the Regional Museum of Anthropology and History. This interesting museum is located in the Palacio Cantón, an imposing mansion that dates back to the early years of the 20th-century when Merida was home to wealthy families involved in the manufacture of henequén (sisal). The palace faces the broad Paseo de Montejo, a tree-lined boulevard said to have been modeled after the Champs Elysée in Paris.

Palacio Cantón was designed by the Italian architect Enrico Deserti and is named after its last resident General Francisco Cantón, a prominent figure in the Yucatan who died in 1917. Built in the Mannerist and Baroque styles, the building's facade sports ornate balustrades, elegant balconies, and neoclassical columns. Many of the materials used in its construction were imported from Europe, such as the marble used to fashion its gleaming floors.



Exhibits trace the history of the Yucatán Peninsula from the age of mastodons through Spanish Colonial times to Mexican Independence. There are plenty of Spanish colonial artifacts including religious paintings, coins, weaponry and the like. However, my favorite exhibits are the ones featuring Mayan artifacts from sites such as Chichén Itzá, Uxmal, Mayapán, and Ek Balam. Among the items on display are haunting stone sculptures, exquisite jade jewelry and ceramics, plus intricately carved stone censors or incensarios.



There are also plans and photographs of major archaeological sites, as well as a bookstore with numerous books on archaeology and history. All in all, a visit to the museum provides an excellent introduction for travelers planning to head out and explore the Yucatán Peninsula's historical towns, haciendas, and remarkable ancient Mayan cities.

The Museo Regional de Antropologia e Historía located on Paseo Montejo at Calle 43. The museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 8am to 8pm; Sunday from 8am to 2pm. Admission is about US$4.00.

Here is a short video about Palacio Cantón and the museum produced by Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH). It's worth watching even if you don't speak Spanish.

Mexico City's Museums

When it comes to Mexico City's museums, most people have probably heard of the world-famous National Museum of Anthropology in Chapultepec Park and the Frida Kahlo Museum in Coyoacan. But how many know about the likes of the Antique Toy Museum, the Watercolor Museum, or the National Museum of Interventions?

The fact is that Mexico City claims to have more museums than any other city in the world -- at least 150 according to some sources -- and exploring them all could easily become a lifelong project. Over the years, I've visited as many of Mexico City's museums as time has allowed, but I still have an awfully long way to go. Here is a slide-show of some of the museums that I've managed to poke my camera into so far.

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Mexico City Museums - Images by John Mitchell


 

Copan Sculpture Museum: A Journey Through the Maya Universe

The ancient Maya city of Copan has been called the "Athens of the New World," mainly because of the remarkable stone sculptures that define these famous ruins in western Honduras. In order to preserve Copan's artistic treasures from the ravages of time, many sculptures have been replaced with on-site replicas and the originals moved to the spacious Copan Sculpture Museum next to the archaeological zone.

Visitors enter the partially buried museum through the toothy jaws of a Maya Earth monster and then proceed along a twisting tunnel that represents the path to the Maya underworld. Once inside the museum's vast atrium, they are confronted by a full-scale replica of Rosalila (Rose-Lilac), an impressive 1400-year-old temple that was discovered in 1989 beneath one of Copan's main structures.

Natural light from a huge opening in the museum's roof washes over Rosalila, bringing to life colorful stucco friezes depicting sacred ears of corn, birds, and two-headed monsters. Surrounding the two-story temple are hundreds of the finest stone carvings in the Maya world. They have been arranged to mirror Maya cosmology, which divided the universe into three levels: the underworld, the surface world, and the heavens.



Underworld denizens such as giant killer bats and wide-eyed demons populate the museum's lower floor, while heavenly beings and likenesses of Copan's nobles decked out in finery can be found on the upper level. Sections of intricately carved building facades are also on display, and the main gallery's ceiling has been decorated with Maya astronomical glyphs representing stars and planets.

Below is a slide-show of photos that I have taken on three visits (1996, 2006, and  2010) to the Copan Sculpture Museum. Move the cursor over the screen to read captions. Click on the images to see larger views and for information about ordering prints or leasing photos for personal or editorial use.


Copan Sculpture Museum - Images by John Mitchell

Tlaltecuhtli Gets a New Home in the Templo Mayor Museum

It isn't surprising that Mexico City residents are continually unearthing ancient Aztec artifacts from beneath their feet. After the Spanish conquistadors razed the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan in the early 1600’s, they built their colonial capital right on top of the ruins.

As far back as 1790, the now-famous Aztec Sun Stone was found underneath Mexico City’s Zocalo. Sometimes erroneously called the Aztec Calendar Stone, this enormous disk covered in cosmological symbols is thought to have been a sacrificial altar. It now occupies a prominent spot in the National Museum of Anthropology in Chapultepec Park. Almost two centuries later, in 1978, electrical workers made an equally impressive find when they dug up a giant circular stone depicting the dismembered moon goddess Coyolxauhqui, one of the most important figures in Aztec mythology.



Until recently these two sculptures reigned as the largest Aztec artifacts to have been discovered. Then in 2006 workers demolishing two buildings at the corner of Argentina and Guatemala Streets in Mexico City’s Historical Center uncovered a richly carved slab that turned out to be bigger than either the Sun Stone or the Coyolxauhqui stone. Fashioned from pink andesite, the rectangular monolith measures 4.2 meters by 3.6 meters and is about 40 centimeters thick. Archaeologists have determined that the sculpture bears the likeness of the earth goddess Tlaltecuhtli who, according to myth, gives birth to all living things and also devours them.

Tlaltecuhtli’s appearance is anything but inviting. She is depicted in an awkward squatting position as if giving birth. Her facial expression is fierce, and blood streams from her gaping mouth. Instead of hands and feet she has menacing-looking claws. One of them clutches a date glyph corresponding to 1502 A.D, suggesting that the monolith might have been the tombstone of Lord Ahuizotl, a ruler of Tenochtitlan who died that same year. Tlaltecuhtli’s knees and elbows are human skulls, and her skirt is decorated with crossed bone designs. The sculpture was painted in four colors – white, black, ochre and red – and substantial amounts of the original pigments are still visible.



In 2007, the Tlaltecuhtli monolith, which was found in four parts, was taken to a temporary location on Argentina Street for study and restoration. Then almost three years later, on May 17th 2010, two cranes gingerly transported the mammoth sculpture to the Templo Mayor Museum adjacent to the ruins of the Great Temple that stood at the heart of Tenochtitlan. This monumental task took 31 hours to complete and was managed by employees of Mexico’s National Institute of Archaeology and History (INAH).

In order to fit Tlaltecuhtli into the Templo Mayor Museum, the building’s main doors had to be temporarily removed. In addition, the foyer of the museum was reinforced with special braces so that it could support the 12-ton sculpture. Tlaltecuhtli is thought to have been a cult deity worshipped by Aztec priests, and offerings associated with the earth goddess are displayed in glass cases surrounding the sculpture. The monolith has been placed in a reclining position, and visitors can get an eagle’s eye view of Tlaltecuhtli from the museum’s upper floors.

The Templo Mayor is located at Seminario 8, next to the Metropolitan Cathedral. The ruins and museum are open Tuesday through Sunday (closed Mondays) from 9 am to 5 pm. The entrance fee is 51 pesos (about US$4.50), which includes admission to both the Templo Mayor archaeological site and the adjacent museum.

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Templo Mayor, Mexico City - Images by John Mitchell

Mexico for Train Buffs: Puebla's National Railway Museum

The mention of Puebla usually conjures up images of colorful Talavera tiles, elegant Spanish colonial architecture, and the chocolatey mole sauce that was invented there. So it might come as something of a surprise to learn that this historical Mexican city and UNESCO World Heritage site also has something to offer train buffs.

Puebla was once a major rail hub, and it is now home to one of the most important railway museums in Mexico. The Museo Nacional de los Ferrocarriles (MFNM) or National Railway Museum is located on the site of Puebla’s 19th-century railroad station. The neoclassical style main building (closed for renovations when I visited in July 2010) houses an extensive collection of railway memorabilia as well as a research center. However, the museum's principle draw is its sprawling rail yard, which is crammed with rolling stock of all kinds.



Parked in neat rows are diesel, electric and steam locomotives along with passenger and freight cars, plus assorted machinery from all over Mexico. Some of the carriages have been refurbished and left open for inspection. There are sleeper and club cars, cabooses, and even a fully equipped mail carriage that was used up until the 1990’s. One car has been turned into a gallery that displays historical black and white photos.

The government-owned railway system Ferrocarriles Nacionales de Mexico (FNM) was privatized during the 1990’s, and passenger service ground to a halt roughly a decade ago. The only intercity passenger trains still running are a privately owned tourist lines such as the Chihuahua al Pacifio that winds through the Copper Canyon in the state of Chihuahua, and the Tequila Express in Jalisco. With train travel all but a thing of the past in Mexico, the tranquil National Railway Museum, often overshadowed by Puebla’s more famous attractions, is an ideal spot to indulge in some nostalgia and experience the romance of a bygone era.

GETTING THERE: The Museo Nacional de los Ferrocarriles Mexicanos is located at Calle 11 Norte 1005, a short taxi ride northwest of Puebla’s main square. Admission is about US$1.00 (11 Mexican pesos}. Opening hours are Tuesday through Sunday (closed on Mondays) from 10 am to 6 pm.

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National Railway Museum, Puebla, Mexico - Images by John Mitchell

The San Miguel de Allende Historical Museum

Sagging American and Canadian retirees aren’t the only ones getting facelifts in San Miguel de Allende these days. The Museo Historico de San Miguel de Allende has been remodeled by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) as part of Mexico’s Independence Bicentennial celebrations.

This compact museum – often overlooked by foreign tourists – is housed in a handsome colonial-era building next to the Gothic-style Parroquia (parish church) on San Miguel’s main square. The museum has two patios surrounded by arcades and two floors of displays chronicling the history of San Miguel de Allende and the Mexican Independence War that began in 1810. Highlighted is the role of Ignacio Allende, a hero of Mexico’s independence movement who was born in San Miguel in 1779. There are also documentary videos plus a replica of a Spanish colonial pharmacy with original medicines and fittings.

Restoration of the museum took two years to complete and included the installation of better lighting, a new security system, plus new drain and electrical systems. The museum was re-inaugurated by Felipe Calderon, the current president of Mexico, on April 4th, 2009.

The San Miguel de Allende Historical Museum is located at 1 Cuna de Allende Street. Opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Admission is about US$3.00.

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San Miguel de Allende History Museum - Images by John Mitchell

Mysterious Xochicalco, Mexico

The highway running south from Cuernavaca snakes past endless sugarcane fields, roadside stands piled high with freshly cut roses, and towns with tongue-twisting names that hark back to pre-Hispanic times. Before long, the ancient ruins of Xochicalco come into view, perched like a fortress high on a hill overlooking lush valleys and shimmering lakes.

Xochicalco – whose name means “Place of the House of Flowers” – flourished between 700 and 900 A.D. It was once one of the most important cities in Mesoamerica and home to as many as 15,000 people. During the 20th century the ruins of this heavily fortified complex were extensively restored, and in 1999 Xochicalco was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Today, it is the largest and most-visited archaeological site in the state of Morelos.

The city of Xochicalco rose to prominence during the decline of Teotihuacan, whose immense ruins lie to the north of present day Mexico City. This powerful civilization had exerted its influence over most of Mexico for almost a millennium. Teotihuacan’s collapse in the eighth century A.D. has still to be fully explained. Its demise left a power vacuum in Central Mexico that was filled first by Xochicalco and later by the Toltec city of Tula.

Xochicalco’s origins remain something of a mystery. Its buildings bear the marks of several different cultures, including the Olmecs, the Zapotecs, and the Aztecs. However, the city’s architecture and artwork are essentially Mayan, leading archaeologists to believe that Xochicalco was founded by Maya traders from the Gulf Coast of the Yucatan peninsula. The strategic location south of Teotihuacan would have given them access to trade routes radiating out from the Valley of Mexico.

An excellent on-site museum that opened at Xochicalco in 1995 gives an idea of who the Xochicalcans were and how they lived. The building was designed according to the principles of environmental sustainability, and it is almost totally self-sufficient. Solar panels and batteries supply electricity. Rain water is collected and recycled, and ventilation is taken care of by an innovative thermal rotation system.

The pale green museum complex sprawls on a rise just east of the ruins. Upon entering the building, you come face-to-face with a wide glass window offering a panoramic view of Xochicalco’s skyline. You then make your way past a scale model of the archaeological site and down a corridor lined with exquisite sculptures to the museum’s six galleries clustered beehive-like at the far end of the building.



On display in the galleries are stone statues, ceramics, and ornaments related to various aspects of ancient Xochicalco’s history and its inhabitants’ way of life. A signature sculpture representing the room’s main theme occupies the entranceway to each gallery. Soft natural light issuing from prism-shaped skylights bathes the artifacts, which are accompanied by explanations and diagrams.

From the site’s main parking area, a trail winds uphill to Xochicalco’s main plaza. Here stands the most beautiful and enigmatic of Xochicalco’s monuments, the Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent. Bas-reliefs carved in the Mayan style adorn the squat pyramid’s four sides. Along the structure’s sloping base is a huge undulating feathered serpent. In one of the serpent’s coils sits a Maya ruler or priest wearing an elaborate plumed headdress. Archaeologists feel that this dignitary may have been connected in some way with the god Quetzalcoatl, who was much revered throughout pre-Columbian Mexico.

Above the serpent stretches a series of panels depicting seated men. It was long thought that these figures were astronomers from throughout Mexico who had met at Xochicalco to make calendar adjustments. Archaeologists now speculate that the men actually represent towns subjugated by Xochicalco. Eagles, jaguars, and warriors carrying shields and spears decorate the pyramid’s topmost level, suggesting that the Xochicalcans were more than just peaceful star-watchers.

It is possible to spend several hours exploring Xochicalco’s plazas and densely packed temples, many of which are festooned with Mayan glyphs and carvings. There are also two I-shaped ballcourts like those found on the Yucatan peninsula. Here the Xochicalcans played the sacred “ballgame” that was popular throughout Mexico and northern Central America. Experts think that both the Toltecs and the Aztecs used Xochicalco’s Mayan-style ballcourts as models for the ones they later built in their cities.



Not to be missed is the unusual underground solar observatory sequestered inside one of many caves peppering hillsides found on the site’s northwestern edges. A guard opens the iron gate protecting the cave’s entrance and takes small groups of visitors along an eerie tunnel with painted stucco walls. At the end of the dimly lit passage is a small chamber with a crude altar and light streaming in through a hole in the ceiling.

The light travels down a narrow shaft leading from the surface. When the sun is at its zenith, a beam of sunlight bursts through the shaft at high noon. This event, which happens twice a year, must have been significant for the Xochicalcans. At any time of the year, when you put your hand in the light, the shadow cast on the chamber’s floor appears to show finger bones like an x-ray. While this peculiar effect probably has a simple scientific explanation, it adds another layer of intrigue to these already mysterious ruins.

GETTING THERE: Xochicalco can easily be visited on day trips from Mexico City or Cuernavaca. The Xochicalco archaeological site and museum are open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The ticket booth closes at 5 p.m. Admission is about US$4.00, which includes entrance to both the ruins and the on-site museum.

Below is a slide-show of some of my Xochicalco photos. Move the cursor over the screen to view the captions. Click on individual  images to see larger versions and for information about ordering prints or downloading files for personal, editorial or commercial use.


Xochicalco, Mexico - Images by John Mitchell

Exploring Ancient Acapulco, Mexico

With its curving bay ringed with ritzy hotels and thumping nightclubs, Acapulco looks and sounds like a city that lives entirely for the moment. But this hedonistic Mexican resort is full of surprises. One of the biggest revelations for many visitors is that Acapulco has roots that go back thousands of years.

Little is known about the indigenous peoples who settled in what is now Acapulco, but they left behind a remarkable series of petroglyphs (rock carvings) on the slopes of a hill overlooking Acapulco Bay. These treasures have been preserved in the Palma Sola Archaeological Site in El Veladero Ecological Park about four miles north of downtown.

To begin exploring ancient Acapulco, all you need do is hail a taxi and ask the driver to take you to Palma Sola. After a dizzying climb through steep, circuitous streets, you’ll arrive in a quiet neighborhood with simple houses, vegetable gardens, and roaming pigs and chickens. The taxi driver will let you off in front of a visitors' center. From here, a set of natural stone steps leads through scrubby vegetation to the rock carvings. Eighteen boulders etched with carvings dating back to 750-800 B.C. are scattered throughout the 3.8 hectare (about 9.5 acres) site.

Shade is scare, and at 400 meters (about 1200 feet) above sea level the air is hot and dry, so it's a good idea to walk slowly and drink plenty of bottled water. Chances are that you will have the entire site to yourself as you follow the well-maintained paths that wind from boulder to boulder. Interpretive signs in both Spanish and English explain the significance of each set of petroglyphs and provide background information about the area's first inhabitants. Panoramic views of sprawling Acapulco and of the blue Pacific Ocean unfold along the way.



Acapulco’s early inhabitants considered this hillside a sacred place and used it for religious and agricultural ceremonies, as well as for making astronomical observations. Several of the petroglyphs – which have been outlined in white to make them easier to see – show shamans and other participants involved in religious rites. Some of the figures are childlike, consisting of little more than circles and squiggly lines, while others are more sophisticated, revealing facial expressions and incorporating simple geometric designs. Archaeologists believe that these carvings describe significant events in the history, mythology and culture of Acapulco’s ancient citizens.

At the end of the trail, you will find Palma Sola’s most important sculpture nestled inside a shallow cave. Petroglyphs covering this oblong boulder depict what is thought to be an ancestral creation myth. A man and a woman, reminiscent of Adam and Eve, stand beside a crowd of human-like figures and animals. While the exact meaning of this scene is unclear, the carvings exude a magical aura, especially when the cave walls turn golden in the rays of the late afternoon sun.

Not as ancient as Palma Sola but well-worth visiting is Fuerte de Santiago (Santiago Fort) perched atop a hill in the old part of Acapulco. Here you can get an idea of the role Acapulco played during Mexico's colonial days. Hernan Cortes, the Spaniard who led the conquest of Mexico in 1519, chose Acapulco to be his shipbuilding headquarters, and numerous expeditions to the South Seas set sail from Acapulco during the 16th century.



Spanish Conquistadors built Santiago Fort in 1616 to protect their galleons from marauding English and Dutch pirates. Ships from Manila in the Philippines regularly docked at Acapulco, making it the most important Spanish port on Mexico's Pacific coast. Well into the 19th century, Acapulco hosted a flourishing trade fair, where goods from Mexico, Peru, and Spain were exchanged for products from the Far East.

An earthquake destroyed much of Santiago Fort in 1776, but it was rebuilt several years later. Shaped like a five-pointed star and surrounded by a dry moat, the fortress has been completely restored and now houses the Museo Historico de Acapulco, a museum chronicling Acapulco's history.

You can wander through converted military quarters containing weapons, seafaring paraphernalia, along with Chinese porcelain, elegant furniture, textiles and other artifacts from Asia. There are also interactive videos (in both Spanish and English) highlighting various aspects of Acapulco's history, plus a colonial-era chapel and a kitchen with traditional fixtures and utensils. On the fort's upper level, you’ll find rows of rusty cannon still keeping watch over Acapulco Bay.

GETTING THERE: The easiest way to visit Palma Sola is by taxi, but you can also get there by public bus. The archaeological site is open daily from 9 am until 5 pm. Admission is about US$2.00. El Fuerte de San Diego (Fort San Diego) overlooks Avenida Costera Miguel Aleman a few blocks east of the Zocalo in old Acapulco. Opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday from 9:30 until 6:30 pm. Admission is about US$4.00.

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Acapulco - Images by John Mitchell

Tepotzotlan's Colonial Treasures

The first thing that catches your eye when you step off the bus in downtown Tepotzotlan is the Iglesia de San Francisco Javier with its soaring three-tiered bell tower and richly decorated façade. This extravagant 17th-century church is considered to be one of the finest examples of Churrigueresque (Mexican baroque) architecture in Mexico.

Tepotzotlan is a pleasant colonial town on the northern edge of Mexico City’s urban sprawl. A lively outdoor handicrafts market held in the main square and streets lined with outdoor restaurants make Tepotzotlan a popular weekend retreat among people from the capital. However, the main reason for visiting the town is the Museo Nacional de Virreinato (National Museum of the Viceroyalty) that occupies a former Jesuit monastery adjacent to the San Francisco Javier church.

The monastery originally housed two schools, one for indigenous children and another for novice priests. During the early 1960’s, the building was extensively restored and turned into a museum displaying religious art and other artifacts from Mexico’s colonial period. The San Francisco Javier church and Jesuit monastery were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.

Behind the monastery’s walls lies a maze of corridors and rooms surrounding two main courtyards. The larger courtyard, the Patio of the Reservoirs, gets its name from cisterns that are still used to collect rainwater. This space was reserved for the Jesuit priests and school children. Fronting the patio is an apothecary room with 17th-century murals documenting the medicine-related work of several Catholic saints.



Smaller and more intimate, the second courtyard is called the Patio of the Oranges, after the scented orange trees growing in it. Novice priests apparently used this area for rest and recreation, amusing themselves with worldly pastimes such as bowling and billiards. The cloister’s upper floor harbors religious murals and the students’ library, whose shelves are stocked with some 4000 antique books in Latin, Greek, Spanish, and French.

Hidden away in another corner of the monastery, the lavishly decorated Chapel of the Novices or Capilla Domestica has a towering gilded altar festooned with mirrors, portraits of saints, statuettes, and reliquaries. Here, the novice monks prayed and no doubt did their best to look pious under a vaulted ceiling ringed with the crests of the various religious orders that came to Christianize the peoples of New Spain.

Most of the museum’s exhibits can be found in a series of large rooms once occupied by Jesuit fathers. On display are important paintings, furniture, carvings, textiles and countless other colonial treasures from Mexico’s viceregal period, which lasted from the Spanish Conquest in 1521 to the beginning of the 19th century. There are also some haunting pre-Columbian artifacts plus a fascinating “diagram of the castes,” an 18th-century painting depicting the various racial mixes that resulted from interbreeding during the colonization of Mexico.

From the monastery, a narrow staircase leads to the San Francisco Xavier church. It becomes obvious upon entering this opulent building that the Jesuits were neither short on missionary zeal nor strapped for cash. During the 18th century, they commissioned some of New Spain’s finest architects and artists to create the church’s sumptuous baroque altarpieces, all of which were fashioned from polychromed wood and covered in gold leaf, statues, and paintings.



The church’s resplendent main altar is dedicated San Francisco Xavier, patron saint of the monastery. Other altars include one devoted to San Ignacio de Loyola, principal founder of the Jesuit order, plus another honoring the Virgin of Guadalupe, the patron saint of Mexico. Equally impressive are the jewel-box-like Relicario de San Jose, a glittering room built to store valuable relics, and an octagonal chamber known as the Camarin de la Virgen, which has celestial scenes painted on its ceiling.

All this gold and glitter can get a bit overwhelming. Fortunately, the museum offers visitors a quiet refuge. Its pleasant open-air restaurant is an ideal place to relax over regional specialties such as tortilla soup or huitlacoche crepes while contemplating a peaceful courtyard filled with flowering bougainvillea and ghosts from Mexico’s colonial past.

GETTING THERE

The easiest way to get to Tepotzotlan from downtown Mexico City is to take the metro (subway) to the El Rosario station and then catch a minibus, which will let you off beside the Iglesia de San Francisco Javier. The trip from El Rosario to Tepotzotlan costs 10 Mexican pesos (abiut US$1.00) and takes about 75 minutes. The Museo Nacional de Virreinato (Plaza Hidalgo 99) is open from Tuesday through Sunday from 9am to 6 pm. Admission is 43 pesos (about US$4.25).


Tepotzotlan, Mexico - Images by John Mitchell

Leon Trotsky Museum in Mexico City

Mexico City claims to have more museums than any other city on the planet. Some of them, such as the National Museum of Anthropology in Chapultepec Park, are world-famous. However, there are many lesser known but intriguing museums scattered around the city. One of my favourites is the Leon Trotsky Museum in the colonial suburb of Coyoacan.

This rambling house surrounded by high stone walls with watchtowers was where the exiled Communist revolutionary Leon Trotsky lived with his wife Natalia Sedova for the last two years of his life. The dictator Joseph Stalin expelled Trotsky from Russia in 1929. He and Natalia wandered from country to country until, with the help of Mexican artist Diego Rivera, Trotsky was granted political asylum in Mexico in 1936. Nevertheless, he continued to be hounded by antagonistic Stalinist elements.



Known as "the little fortress," Trotsky's house remains much as he left it. Faded clothes hang neatly in the bedrooms, and tattered Mexican rugs lie on the floors. Sunlight streams through steel-shuttered windows illuminating the desk in Trotsky's study that still holds his books, writing implements, and his trademark wire-rimmed glasses. This is where Leon Trotsky was sitting in August 1940 when an undercover Stalinist agent named Ramón Mercador assassinated the aging revolutionary by sinking an alpine climbing axe into the back of his head.



The house's tranquil inner courtyard brims with tropical plants, including cacti which Trotsky enjoyed collecting on his excursions into the Mexican countryside. Vacant rabbit hutches and chicken coops border the walls, and a stone monument engraved with a hammer and sickle marks the spot where Leon Trotsky's and Natalia Sedova's ashes are interred. A red Soviet flag hangs limply from a pole above the tomb.

In what were once guest quarters at the end of the garden, hang dozens of black and white photos of Trotsky and Natalia accompanied by celebrated friends such as Diego Rivera and his wife Frida Kahlo. A new wing adjacent to the original house displays more photographs, newspaper clippings, and personal effects.

Trotsky's archives are here as well, along with a souvenir shop, plus a gallery featuring works by Latin American artists. In spite of these modern additions, the house retains an air of authenticity, and it is easy to imagine Trotsky's ghost still wandering its narrow hallways and sombre rooms.

GETTING THERE: The Museo Casa de Leon Trotsky is located at Avenida Rio Churubusco 410, about seven blocks northeast of the Plaza Hidalgo in Coyoacan. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am until 5pm. Admission is 35 Mexican pesos. Coyoacan can be reached from downtown Mexico City by taxi or on the Metro (subway).

Below is a slide-show of some of my Leon Trotsky Museum photos. Move the cursor over the screen to view captions. Click on individual images for information on ordering prints or leasing for personal or editorial use.


Leon Trotsky Museum, Mexico City 2009 - Images by John Mitchell

Teotihuacan Exhibition in Mexico City

At its peak in around 500 A.D., Teotihuacan was home to between 100,000 and 200,000 people, making it the largest and most influential urban state in Mesoamerica. Teotihuacan's wide avenues lined with temples and ceremonial platforms stretched some five kilometres through the sun-baked Valley of Mexico, and its massive stone pyramids rivaled those of ancient Egypt. This immense city mysteriously fell into sudden decline during the eighth century and was eventually sacked and burned by looters.

Fortunately, many of the exquisite objects created by Teotihuacan's artisans have survived. Over 400 of these precious artifacts -- including masks, sculptures, obsidian knives, braziers, jewelry, ceramics, and mural fragments -- are currently on display at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City's Chapultepec Park. This temporary exhibit, which is entitled "Teotihuacan City of Gods," will run until August 16, 2009. Admission is free and the opening hours are Tuesday to Sunday from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm.

For more information, visit the exhibition's Website.

YouTube Features Mexico's Cultural Treasures

YouTube fans will be pleased to know that Mexico's National Institute of Archaeology and History (INAH) has established a channel on the world's favourite video-sharing website. Called INAHTV, the channel currently offers over 100 videos highlighting some of Mexico's most important archaeological zones, museums, historical sites, traditional arts and festivals, as well as other cultural treasures. The commentaries are all in Spanish; but even if you don't understand the language, these expertly produced videos are worth checking out for their visual impact and variety.

Centro Monseñor Romero in San Salvador, El Salvador

Hidden away on the campus of the University of Central America (UCA) in San Salvador is a poignant reminder of the repression and violence that gripped El Salvador during the 1970's and 1980's. The Centro Monseñor Romero is dedicated to Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was assassinated in 1980 because of his opposition to El Salvador's military dictatorship. This small museum also honours six Jesuit priests plus their maid and her daughter who were all slaughtered at the center by the Salvadoran army in 1989.

A young law student names Mauricio was kind enough to show my around the Centro Monseñor Romero during a recent visit. I was impressed by Mauricio's earnestness and knowledge of events that he couldn't possibly remember. We first examined historic photographs and floor-to-ceiling glass display cases containing memorabilia that included Archbishop Romero's vestments and personal effects, as well as clothing that had belonged to the slain priests. Mauricio then led me to a courtyard, now a tranquil rose garden, where four of the priests' bodies were found.



Finally, Mauricio ushered me into a room with a table holding a pile of photo albums. Mauricio warned me that the pictures were very graphic. He was right. Inside the albums were horrific images of the murder victims. Some of the cadavers had been so badly mutilated that they were no longer recognizable as human beings. Gruesome as the photographs were, I found it encouraging that they were on public display, evidence of how far long-suffering El Salvador has come since its brutal civil war ended in 1992.



The Centro Monseñor Romero is open 8 am to noon and 2 pm to 6 pm, Monday to Friday; and 8am to 11:30am on Saturdays. Admission is free.

Casa Luis Barragan in Mexico City

On a recent stay in Mexico City, I visited the Casa Luis Barragán, the former home of Mexico's most influential modern architect. Luis Barragán built the house in 1947 and lived there until his death in 1948. It is now operated as a museum by a nonprofit organization that gives tours to the public.

Born in Guadalajara in 1902, Luis Barragán trained as an engineer and later taught himself architecture. He was greatly influenced by the convents, haciendas, and provincial towns of Mexico as well as by the Moorish architecture of southern Spain and Morocco. Barragán was a lover of solitude and a deeply religious man. In keeping with these values, his house's interior is almost monastic in its simplicity. However, natural light and colour are everywhere, and the multilevel structure is full of architectural surprises, eclectic furnishings, plus carefully framed views of a semi-wild tropical garden.

In 2004, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) added the Casa Luis Barragán to its World Heritage List, making it the only single building in the world to have been awarded this honour.

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Casa Luis Barragan - Images by John Mitchell

The Casa Luis Barragán is located at Francisco Ramírez 14 in Mexico City’s Tacubaya district, not far from the Constituyentes metro (subway) station. Opening hours are Monday to Friday 10am-2pm and 4pm-6pm, as well as Saturday 10am-1pm. Tours of the house led by Spanish-speaking guides are given by appointment only. Admission is 100 Mexican pesos or about $10. E-mail informes@casaluisBarragán.org to arrange a visiting time.