When you wander around the Condesa neighbourhood, you have a rather strong feeling that you aren't in big choatic Mexico City, but rather a small provincial European town... except maybe for the taco stands and mounds of chillies in the street market. Next we walked along some charming streets, popping into tiny shops and photographing the small details usually missed when rushing around in a car, as we headed for the Tuesday street market.The market was a riot of colour, with stands of fruit and vegetables neatly piled up, and a whole section given over to cooking food for hungry shoppers.We finally made our way back down Calle Veracruz, through Parque España, the other big park in Condesa and arrived at our starting point.Wherever you go in Condesa, there is always something unusual or quirky to photograph...on this occasion, a life-size rhino and lioness walking up the side of a building. It definitely pays to savour life slowly with a camera in your hand and this is one of the best ways to get to know a neighbourhood.
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Tucked away in some backstreets between San Angel and Coyoacán is a surprising place which we visited on our Photo Walk Nº77. The beautiful quiet area of Chimalistac is like a small Colonial town which accidentally got left behind among the chaotic traffic and noise of Mexico City, forgotten in time.For this walk, we met in one of the squares in San Angel and made our way across busy Avenida Insurgentes, plied by red Metrobuses and streams of ever-moving traffic, to a beautifully landscaped park, Parque La Bombilla. Perhaps the most eye-catching element is the large Art-Déco style monument built in memory of Álvaro Obregon who was assassinated in this very square and which for years, believe it or not, housed the arm he lost in the war, until it was replaced by a bronze replica in 1989.From there, we made our way to Plaza Federico Gamboa, lined by picturesque houses and cobbled streets. In the middle of the square is the small church of San Sebastian Màrtir, built in the 1600s with a Baroque altarpiece and a rather lively congregation on Sundays.The land behind this square was originally a fertile orchard planted with thousands of fruit trees belonging to the nearby El Carmen Monastery, and watered by two rivers, el Rio Magdalena and el Rio Chico. Spanning these rivers were bridges made of volcanic rock and immortalized in a famous painting by the Mexican landscape painter José Maria Velasco. Today the rivers have long disappeared but the bridges have stood the test of time and now span the gardens which meander through this place, bordered by lumpy cobbled streets and fine mansions.As we wandered around the tranquil streets, we came across many hidden gems... splashing fountains, a small capilla with special acoustics where whispers could be heard clearly in the opposite corner, a house designed by the famous Mexican architect Luis Barragán, and a rather eccentric mansion whose owner kindly invited us in and let us photograph the impressive interior and gardens.We finally came back to reality and found ourselves once again among the crowds and the traffic and wandered through San Angel market where we had a refreshing drink of freshly-squeezed juice. Our last stop was a visit to the Casa del Risco with its magnificent fountain, one of its kind in the world, decorated with ceramic plates from as far off as China and Europe.Our Photo Walk to Desierto de los Leones looked like it would be cancelled for a second time due to bad weather but we decided to go ahead, even though it was raining as we made our way up to the mountainous National Park on the outskirts of Mexico City. We spent an interesting morning photographing the monastery, learning about its history, visiting the small museum and exploring its dark tunnels and beautiful grounds and gardens.After exploring the monastery, we made our way down through the thickly-forested slopes to an area with small waterfalls and lakes before climbing up again to have a hot café de olla, some quesadillas and choriqueso in a small colourful eating place.On Photo Walk Nº75 we spent the morning wandering around the streets of Colonia Roma south of Av. Alvaro Obregon in search of new and old street art and finding some hidden gems. We were not disappointed by what we found... scores of colorful murals brighten up this part of the neighborhood. Many of the murals in the streets near this square are part of the series on Mexican indigenous groups #VAPORLAROMA. There are 68 different indigenous groups in Mexico and the idea is to represent all of them in murals in Colonia Roma.Of course, there is much more to Colonia Roma than street art and we met some friendly people along the way who explained things to us, including the owner of a tortillería who even invited us all to hot, freshly-made tortillas and spicy sauce.By the end of the morning, we had all got lots of great shots, a few selfies and learnt a bit more about the street art world in Mexico City.With such hot weather these days, it was a breath of cool air to wander around shady Chapultepec Park for Photo Walk Nº74 and sharpen our photography techniques and composition skills.We met outside the Anthropology Museum and first made our way down Reforma, looking at the winning images of the Nature Photography contest displayed along the Galeria de Rejas and commenting on composition and lighting. Learning from the images of other photographers is an excellent way to sharpen our skills and find our own voice and style.Throughout the walk, among other things, we looked for natural frames, different viewpoints, reflections, uncluttered backgrounds, and details.Chapultepec Park is one of the largest urban parks in the world and was where the Aztec rulers once had their summer residence. The springs there provided water for the ancient city of Tenochtitlán and water was conveyed to the Templo Mayor site using aqueducts. Today this enormous park is much more than Mexico City's "lungs"; its wooded areas and lakes are home to wildlife, and within its borders are museums, a castle, fountains, and many places to do outdoor activities or just enjoy some peace and quiet. Not far from the zoo is an eating area, with small stalls providing food and seats and tables to sit at. The shutters of the stalls are all brightly painted with animals and plants and are beautiful works of art.Behind this section, we discovered some off-the-beaten-path spots hidden among the greenery and streams with birds, butterflies, dragonflies, fish and even the odd turtle and tried to capture them with our cameras.All in all, it was a great walk and a reminder that even in the heart of this chaotic noisy city, there is a place where you can find some peace and quiet and get away from the crowds.Coyoacán is one of Mexico City's most colourful neighborhoods and Photo Walk Nº 73 was a fun walk around the Santa Caterina area focussing first and foremost on colour.To start off, we had a brief tutorial on how to use colour to make stronger images. This included a range of concepts such as the characteristics of warm and cool colours, brightness and intensity and how just a small spot of bright colour in a rather neutral scene will attract the viewer's eye. Then we wandered around the area, finding out about the history and some curiosities as well as photographing colour in general.We also had fun photographing brightly-coloured doors and walls plus some vibrant street art.Finally, some of us continued on to the Mercado de Coyoacán to savour some tostadas before heading home. One thing is sure... after this photo walk, we have begun "seeing" colour in a whole new way!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.
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. |
Margaret MetcalfeBorn to travel, explore and share photos and experiences Archives
May 2019
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