MexiGo

02/12/2023

Teotihuacán ('place where people become gods' in Náhuatl, the language of the Aztecs) was one of the most important political and cultural centers in Mesoamerica from 200 to 650 AD. It probably had around 200,000 inhabitants, which makes it the most populous city in the Americas in pre-Columbian times. The identity of the city's founders remains a mystery, but it has been suggested that this was a multi-ethnic city, the cradle of older civilizations like the Totonac people who actually claim to have built Teotihuacán. When the Aztecs discovered the city, it had already been abandoned.

29/11/2023

About 124 mi (200 km) from Cancún you will find one of the main attractions of the Maya Region. Built in the 12th century, the Pyramid of Kukulkán (98.4 ft / 30 m high) is one of the seven wonders of the modern world. Kukulkán (Kꞌuꞌukꞌul Kaan = 'feathered serpent' in the Mayan language) was the god of wind and water, the Mayan counterpart of Aztec god Quetzalcóatl.

18/11/2023

Isla Mujeres was discovered in 1517 by conquistador Francisco Hernández de Córdoba. In pre-Hispanic times, Mayan goddess Ixchel, goddess of the moon, love and fertility, was worshipped on this island, and young girls made a pilgrimage here in their teens as a rite of passage to adulthood. Among the Mayan ruins, the Spanish found ceremonial objects that symbolised women, so they named the island Isla Mujeres (mujeres = women).

14/11/2023

Malinalco is located in the State of Mexico (Estado de México), 65.24 mi (105 km) from the historic center of Mexico City. Its name is a compound word which means 'place of malinalli' in the Aztec language. Malinalli is a plant that in pre-Hispanic times was used in rituals and for medicinal purposes. Legend has it that Malinalco was founded by Malinalxóchitl, goddess of snakes, scorpions and desert insects and sister of war god Huitzilopochtli. Malinalli is also the name of the 12th day in the Aztec calendar.

10/11/2023

San Pedro Atocpan (atocpan = 'fertile land' in Náhuatl, the language of the Aztecs / Mexicas) is one of the 12 towns that make up Milpa Alta, a predominantly rural borough of only 152,685 inhabitants.

Milpa Alta is famous for the traditional mole sauce that is such an important part of Mexican cuisine. Mole originated in either Puebla or Oaxaca and can now be found in a wide variety of flavors. What is impressive about this sauce is the combination of ingredients. For example, the black mole is made with at least three types of chili peppers, banana, ginger, onions, tomatoes, cloves, black pepper, tortillas, avocado leaves, oregano, thyme, cumin, cinnamon, chocolate, sugar, sesame, almonds, walnuts and peanuts.

San Pedro Atocpan produces most of the mole sauce that is sold in Mexico City, with most of its population working in the mole industry. The town also created its own recipe: the nutty mole (mole almendrado) and it has been organizing a national mole fair every year since 1976. ​

The prickly pear cactus (nopal) fields are another attraction in San Pedro Atocpan. Over 90% of the prickly pear cacti sold in Mexico City are grown in Milpa Alta. You will see cactus fields along the Xochimilco-Oaxtepec Highway.

06/11/2023

Cuicuilco is believed to be the first large stone construction in Mesoamerica. It is a round pyramid built by the Cuicuilcas, an ethnic group that lived in the Valley of Mexico way before the Aztecs, from 800-700 to 50 BC.

In 300-150 BC, Cuicuilco had a population of approximately 40,000 inhabitants and it became the most important urban center in the Valley of Mexico. Their rise had an abrupt fall, though. The Xitle volcano erupted in 50 BC and they had to abandon the city, which is ironic, because in Cuicuilco they were worshipping Huehuetéotl, the god of fire.

Their architectural and urban planning mastery served as inspiration in the development of the two most important cities of the Central Mexican Plateau, Teotihuacán and Tula.

21/10/2023

Viveros de Coyoacán is an impressive tree nursery and national park, home to almost 30 bird species and many squirrels. It covers 96.3 ac (39 ha) today, but the project started in 1901, when Mexican engineer and environmentalist Miguel Ángel de Quevedo, known as 'the tree apostle', donated 2.4 ac (1 ha) to create a tree nursery. President Porfirio Díaz was deeply impressed with the project, so the government purchased more land and the park reached its current size in 1934.

The trees that grow here are used in reforestation projects around the city and they can also be donated to visitors.

19/10/2023

The holiday most commonly associated with Mexico, the Day of the Dead (el Día de Mu***os) is celebrated on November 2nd, but since it is believed that some souls start visiting the altars earlier, people start decorating homes, restaurants, schools and parks in the last week of October.

The altar (la ofrenda) is the most important Day of the Dead tradition. Most Mexicans set up the altar on October 28th and keep it until November 3rd.

Most altars include:

💀 Mexican marigolds (cempasúchil) that are meant to guide the souls to the altars

💀 pictures of the deceased

💀 pan de mu**to (sweetened soft bread decorated with bone-shaped pieces and sprinkled with white sugar)

💀 fruit and water

💀 beverages and dishes that the deceased enjoyed in life

💀 candles

💀 papel picado (perforated tissue paper with elaborate designs in vivid colors)

💀 sugar, chocolate and/or amaranth skulls

💀 Day of the Dead decorations like Catrina figurines

💀 burned copal incense

💀 religious symbols like the cross or images of saints or Virgin Mary

💀 tapetes de arena (colored sand rugs)

mexigo.net: Mexico in a nutshell
©2023 by Eliza Corneci. All rights reserved.

17/10/2023

Chapultepec is the only royal castle in the Americas and it is located in Mexico City in Chapultepec Park, the largest urban park in Latin America (1,695 ac / 686 ha). It was built between 1778 and 1788 and it was the residence of eight Mexican presidents.

The only foreign emperor that Mexico had, Maximilian of Habsburg, lived here with his wife Charlotte of Belgium. Napoleon III invaded Mexico in 1862 and although he lost the famous battle of May 5th, he eventually defeated the Mexicans and reorganized the country as a monarchy, giving the crown to Austrian emperor Maximilian (1864-1867).

14/10/2023

Have you already watched Alfonso Cuarón's 'Roma' on Netflix?

La Roma is probably the most bohemian neighborhood in Mexico City. It boasts Art Nouveau and Art Deco architecture and many of its buildings have been declared historic landmarks. Actually, 10% of Mexico's historic buildings are located in La Roma.

Former circus manager Walter Orrín designed La Roma at the beginning of the 20th century and the streets of the neighborhood
were named after the Mexican states / cities the Orrín circus passed through on its tours.

07/10/2023

Toca Madera (Plaza San Jacinto 15) 🧡 My favorite home decor store in San Ángel, Mexico City

06/10/2023