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Mexico is a traveler's paradise, crammed with a
multitude of opposing identities: desert landscapes, snow-capped
volcanoes, ancient ruins, teeming industrialized cities, time-warped
colonial towns, glitzy resorts, lonely beaches and a world-beating
collection of flora and fauna. In the eyes of cultural explorers,
Mexico is also a paradise filled with facets of historical process
of violent and peaceful exchange of ideas, the assimilation of
exogenous cultural elements and the reinterpretations of the
endogenous cultural elements. All these were the elements that
enchanted me to visit this fascinating Mexico.
MEXICO'S ETERNAL STRUGGLE
by Fernando Castro Pacheco
(10m x 4m) in The Palacio De Govierno, Merida
I must be out of my mind to start up my Mexico travel album with a
non-joyous photo. However this painting depicts the eternal struggle
that fills every page of the Mexican history, and most importantly
this struggle exists in mankind in all corners of the world.
Recognizing the existence of this struggle is what makes humans
human.
This painting is an allegory depicting an eagle and a serpent as the
two primordial elements in Mexico's eternal struggle between Good
(the eagle) and Evil (the serpent). Castro Pacheco tries to give us
his conception of this violent combat: a fight which, we hope, will
eventually end with the triumph of Good; that is to say the
liberation of the Mexican people and all their positive qualities
from Evil - the serpent - symbolizing corruption, exploitation and
poverty.
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I was inspired to visit Mexico because of a documentary describing
the history of the early civilization in Teotihuacán and the
economic development from the obsidian stone. Here now I have the
obsidian blade with me in front of the Pyramid of the Sun. You can
bet I enjoyed the journey without regrets. |
Palace of Fine Arts, in the center of the Historical Downtown of
Mexico City. |
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National Museum of Anthropology. The roof and the
fountain was erected by one single column. Quite an amazing design. |
Teotihuacán Museum. Behind me is the famous Pyramid of the Sun and
sisal plants. |
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Model of the City of Tenochtitlan. The city model in the front is
the center of the floating island on the painting on the wall. It
was the capital of the Aztec Empire. However the city was destroyed
and water was drained by the Spanish conquistador. |
Market in Puebla. Puebla is a beautiful colonial city with early
industrial development. As I strolled around the city sightseeing the
local's relaxing style, I couldn't help but ask how they survive?
Later I did find out Puebla is the only North American manufacturing
site of Volkswagen. (Well, I was in the rich area, so...) |
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Opera/Theatre House in Puebla. |
Monte Albán, at its peak had an estimated population of 17,200 by 200
BC. It belongs to the Zapotec civilization. |
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A private house and garden beside the hotel I was staying. |
Cathedral Basilica of Puebla de los Angeles. To my fellow European
friends, it is just a church. Likewise while they were taking pics of
the nature, I'll say it is so Canada. |
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Fancy interior of an old stylish building in Mexico City. |
The non-tourist side of Puebla. This the worst I could find. Overall
the city was very nice. |
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Meat market in Oaxaca. I had a minor diarrhea after a feast. Eating
meat was so yummy. =P I'm a man eater, dudadupdup... (oops, I
mean meat eater.) |
Yummy M&Ms, but I dig brains more. Well, in this market I also had
fried grasshoppers. Non-M&Ms also tasted fabulous! Oh, variety is the
spices of life. |
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Metropolitan Cathedral of Puebla de Zaragoza |
Ta! Ta! Brain Taco! |
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Plaza de la Constitucion (Zocalo) in Oaxaca. Oaxaca, the
birth place of Benito Pablo Juárez García, the only full-blooded
indigenous national to serve as President of Mexico. In his five
terms of presidency, Juárez overthrown the Empire, resisted the
French occupation (after moratorium of foreign debts), and reformed
the whole nation! He rose from the lowest to the top. What he had
done was exceptional! |
Mitla, the city of the Dead. It was quite creepy as I did went down to
its burial chamber.
Behind me is the famous wall of mosaics. The Golden Ratio was
exhibited. |
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Natinal Palace, Federal District of Mexico. |
They just had a concert in this largest Zocalo in America. |
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Famous House of Tiles. Every tile on the wall and interior was
handmade and hand-painted. |
Local market in Mexico City. What it means by "local" is that it's not
for tourists - the real sight of the local. |
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The early history of Teotihuacán is still a mysterious. I am sitting
on the Pyramid of the Moon, looking over the Valley of the Deaths.
However, all these names were given by the Aztec. The true name and
the function of the city mostly remain a mystery. |
Teotihuacán was at its height in the first half of the First
Millennium CE. It has been grossed as the birth place of Gods. |
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Zocalo in Puebla. Posed with me, Ruby Ruby Ruby and Steph. |
We were on top of the world. Well precisely the top of Pyramid of the
Sun. |
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The Mexican are famous of its textiles. |
Where peasants lived in Teotihuacán, back in their period. |
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