Every year, the World comes to Mexico City in the guise of the Feria Internacional de las Culturas Amigas. For a little over 2 weeks, visitors and residents of Mexico City have the unique opportunity of seeing and tasting the food and culture of countries spanning 6 continents. This year 83 nations took part in this World Fair and we visited them all on this Photo Walk.Started in 2009 to re-activate tourism after the devastating Swine Flu epidemic, the Fair has become so popular that it has had to move to the Centro Histórico and split up. The main section is in the Zócalo and the food stands are located in Plaza Santo Domingo. With the taste of some of the world's flavours still in our mouths, we returned to the Zócalo to wander around the main stands there and mingle with the crowds. Our task was to capture a wide variety of shots with our cameras, including people in their national dress, iconic images, flags, crafts and culture and activities such as henna writing.The three hours flew past with so much to see and photograph and so many countries to visit. It's easy to see why this Fair has become so popular and why they are expecting over 4 million visitors this year.
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Photo Walk Nº71 was a special photography tour organized in conjunction with a local project in Tláhuac - "Navegando entre chinampas". We had the unique experience of learning about the ancient pre-Hispanic tradition of cultivating food on man-made islands and tasting some of the traditional recipes made using the fresh produce from there.We met Araceli and her two daughters, our guides, outside the church of San Pedro Apóstol in Tláhuac, had some breakfast consisting of atole (a hot corn-based drink) and pan de elote (corn bread) and an explanation about the history of this area. After photographing the church and the pre-Hispanic rings used in the juego de pelota, we made our way down to the canals and got on our trajinera, a traditional flat-bottomed boat used here.On the boat, we were treated to a lunch consisting of a delicious soup of courgette and greens, tacos with beans and vegetables and hot spicy sauces, and tostadas with a mushroom topping. For drinks, we had pineapple and lime flavoured water and tried mango pulque (a pre-Hispanic fermented drink made from the maguey plant). We learned about the "axolotl" or Mexican salamander which is only found in these waters and is in danger of extinction. Unlike other salamanders, it lives all its life in the water and has both gills and lungs and can re-generate part of its body when necessary. It is now a protected species and the guides brought along Emiliano II, a 2-year old specimen, to show us.Once on Juanito's chinampa, our guides told us about the unique method of cultivation carried out there. They scoop mud from the canal bottom, clean it, and make a bed. Then this is cut up into squares, a hole pressed in the middle of each square using their thumb or finger and seeds are planted in the holes. When the seeds have sprouted, they are transplanted into the fields and amazingly, the chinamperos can have more than four harvests a year. We were able to participate in this activity and then picked some vegetables to take home with us.With our arms full of fresh radishes, beetroot, Swiss chard, lettuces and cilantro, we got on the trajinera again to return to our starting point, photographing the canals and birds and even having a turn at pushing the boat along with a pole before making our way back to the church.Leaving this rural enclave behind us, it was back to the noise and traffic of the big city.Tlalpan, once a provincial town to the south of Mexico City, has long been swallowed up by the urban sprawl all around it. Unknown to many, the Historic Centre is a charming area which conserves its tranquil old-world feel with cobbled streets lined by colonial mansions and cultural spots, in contrast to the chaos and traffic around it. We met in the main square with its kiosko, its gardens and fountains and from there visited a few places down Calle Moneda, including a building whose rather exotic past includes being used as a coin mint, a prison, barracks for the US and French armies, and even the place where Emperor Maximilian's wife Carlota used to stay. Today it is a school, heavily camouflaged by ugly cables.Back in Plaza de la Constitución we vsitied Casa Frissac, built at the end of the 19th Century, and now a cultural centre. Perhaps the most eye-catching sight was the unusual "minarete" nearby with a distinct muslim design. We were told we could visit it if we went next door, but that was just wishful thinking. The lady who came to the door said it was now a private house but kindly informed us that the minaret had been part of that house for over 100 years and no-one seems to know who built the tower or what on earth it was doing there. Interesting.Tlalpan can boast the fact that it was once the capital of the Estado de México, albeit for a mere 6 or 7 years, and its Palacio Nacional bears witness to its historical importance. Under the arches, the history of Tlalpan has been depicted in murals, and when you go inside, halfway up what was once a grand stairway is a painting of the Constitution and the main historical figures. Our arrival coincided with the sound of a youth band playing music in honor of the 99th Anniversary of Zapata's death, icon of the Mexican Revolution.
On the other side of the square is the Iglesia de San Agustin de las Cuevas, the entrance of which was damaged in the September earthquake, but if you duck through a side door you find yourself surrounded by old colorful peeling walls and silent spaces and sometimes accompanied by a friendly cat. We spent time photographing the bright orange cloisters and central fountain, very Mexican indeed and wonderfully photogenic.After that, we stopped for some refreshment in the Cafe de la Selva under the arches and also popped in to see the very colorful restaurant La Sazón before wandering with our cameras around some of the nearby streets capturing typical scenes.All too soon it was time to leave this "small town" and head back out into the big city with its noise and traffic... back to reality.Seriously, it's quicker for me to drive up into the nearby Parque Nacional del Desierto de los Leones in the mountains near Mexico City than it is to get to the Zócalo in the centre most days. And in this thickly forested National Park, at an altitude of 2700 metres, is an old monastery, founded by the Carmelites in the early 1600s and a true gem of a place to visit. By the way, there's nothing remotely resembling a desert up here nor any lions, just in case you were wondering.The old monastery and its grounds are an excellent spot for doing Photo Walks with textured stone walls covered in soft moss, long chilly corridors and barred windows, and patios and gardens awash with flowers. Add to all that the existence of some mysterious tunnels underground and it has the perfect plot, especially when it comes to kids.Put a camera or phone into the hands of seven kids aged 5 to 12 years old and give them an interesting check-list of things to photograph and I can assure you that the activity will be stimulating and the outcome surprising. I learn so much from children... their creativity and lack of knowledge of the rules we adults adhere to in photography produce scenes and images I rarely see in other contexts. In fact, these seven kids took the challenge of finding new viewpoints to a whole new level that totally surprised me.We all had an eye-opening experience and learnt not only about taking photos, but also some history and nature facts too. And what better way to end the time than with a cup of hot frothy coffee by a cosy fire where barefoot monks once tread.Domingo de Ramos, or Palm Sunday, one week before Easter Sunday, is a day when Mexicans buy palm decorations and take them to the church to get blessed. A great place to photograph this tradition is at the Basilica de Guadalupe. If you go early enough, the light is perfect. Outside the Basilica itself are many small stands teeming with people selling and buying "las palmas", contrasting with the quiet solemnity in the church.A procession takes place and people jostle for a front-line position to get their palm blessed with holy water. Then they go into the Basilica to hear the special mass.All over the city you can see people selling palm decorations, some of them very elaborate. Why "palmas"? They are remembering when Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey and the crowds waved palms. Once blessed, these "palmas" will be kept in their houses, possibly even until next Easter.Mexico City's Centro Histórico has been designated a World Heritage Site and no wonder. With over 700 years of history, Aztec ruins, colonial gems, numerous palaces and almost as many museums as London, it should be on every visitor's bucket list.
In the Zócalo, we paid a quick visit to the Gran Hotel, with its spectacular Tiffany dome and which is famous among other things for appearing in the James Bond film "Spectre". Next stop was the Palacio Nacional where Diego Rivera painted his extensive mural "The History of Mexico", part of which was being restored. Nearby Aztec dancers and the ruins of the Templo Mayor are a reminder of Mexico City's pre-Hispanic heritage while next door is the Cathedral, built by the Spanish which is sinking fast into the soft former lakebed and noticeably leaning to one side.After our multi-sensorial experience, I left the Danish couple to find somewhere for lunch and to process all the sights and sounds of the centre, probably over a meal of spicy Mexican food.Spring changes Mexico City like nowhere else I've been. It's the season for the jacaranda trees with their pretty lilac-coloured flowers, turning the city purple. Parks, streets and gardens all take on a surreal colour with soft purple carpets under the trees. Definitely the prettiest time of year.Imagine being in Mexico City but instead of being stuck in a noisy traffic jam, you are gliding along a tranquil canal in a canoe, photographing the birds and reflections and learning how the ancient Aztecs used to grow their food on "chinampas", islands that they made with mud and sticks on the lake. On the "chinampa", we were shown how the farmers continue the centuries-old tradition of scraping out the nutrient-laden mud from the bottom of the shallow canal and make beds which are cut up into small squares like brownies. A hole is made in the square with the finger and seeds planted. When they have sprouted, they are transplanted to another bed.Juanito and Araceli showed us around, explained about their very small local project and picked armfuls of fragrant vegetables for us, while we took photos.
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Margaret MetcalfeBorn to travel, explore and share photos and experiences Archives
May 2019
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