Holiday Weekend in Mexico City

Holiday Weekend in Mexico City


National holiday weekends in Mexico City gather crowds of people to the city square where they’re an abundance of loud music, costumed dancers and street vendors hawking their wares. What a treat for pale Minnesotans to smell spicy foods cooking and sniff fresh flowers in the balmy March air. We were visiting our daughter and her husband this past holiday weekend. Congested lanes of cars, common to the city, are not allowed on the square. People gather to enjoy street performers, music, and food as they celebrate their Mexican independence.

The Zocolo, the city’s historic downtown square, is surrounded by an historic church, ancient museums, shopping stalls, and government buildings. Fresh flowers are sold on street corners and pungent herbs permeate the air as shamans swing smoldering balls of incense and brush herb bunches across bodies wanting to be cleansed of evil spirits. Costumed Aztec dancers dip and twirl to resounding drum beats, showing off muscular, bronzed torsos above their lion cloths of metallic fringe and shiny silver medallions. Colorful headdresses of multiple bird feathers at least 4’ high decorate their heads. Dancing feet have seed bells strapped on their ankles which jingle with the dancers’ stomps and whirls. Bodies circle and conjure good spirits to fill the square.

As we walk through the Zocolo teeming with people selling their wares, we spy a crowd clapping and cheering, circling a tag team of break dancers. They’re performing awe-inspiring feats to a steady beat of hip-hop music, spinning on their heads, flipping, and twisting their limber bodies into unimaginable gyrations to the delight of a fast growing crowd. One young man crossed his feet behind his head, flipped upside down and walked on his hands. It almost hurts to watch their contortions.

Music blares from pirated CD’s for sale, and vendors hawk wares spread on blankets on the sidewalk. Vendors hurriedly scoop up the blanket if the police appear. Next to knock-off Coach and Louis Vitton purses are batteries, nylon stockings, bath towels, Dora the Explorer backpacks, sequined headbands, even guitars and baby clothing for sale. Mexicans are very industrious, constantly finding imaginative ways to make money.

In a city museum just off the square we see calla lilies and revolutionary patriots with bullets in a leather strap across their bodies, favorite images on the many murals painted on museum walls. Works of favorite Mexican artists Diego Rivera and Frieda Kahlo, with her dark, distinctive unibrow, are featured everywhere.

Locals eat lunch around 2PM in the city, dinner about 8PM. Sunday, we were guests of our Mexican in-laws at a lovely restaurant in the jeweler section of the city. Oil paintings and stained glass windows lined the walls; a violinist and pianist entertained diners as black and white uniformed waiters served. Everyone seems to be smiling in this country of sunshine and flowers.

We visited a newly opened art museum donated by telecommunications mogul Carlos Slim. He is the world’s wealthiest man with a net worth of $53.5 billion. The seventy year old dynamo dedicated this $34 million Soumaya Art Museum in honor of his deceased wife. Admission to the six halls of art is free, a gift to the city. The building, designed by the donor’s son-in-law Fernando Romero, reminds me of Frank Gehry’s architecture in Minneapolis. This aluminum structure resembles the twisted silver corset of a woman. It’s definitely an eye popper.

The building is arranged with ascending galleries curling up to 5 halls of magnificent art displays, much like New York City’s MOMA Art Museum. We were able to view an entire gallery of Rodin’s sculptures: we saw “The Thinker” eye to eye. Salvador Dali’s sagging clocks were evident in many of Dali’s painting and sculptures, bizarre but so eye-catching. The curling mustachioed artist had a fine classical art education, which morphed into rather bizarre art, prompting much discussion. The museum’s massive art collection included paintings and sculptures by Degas, Renoir, Van Gogh, Picasso, Monet, Matisse and Manet in addition to a multitude of Mexican artists’ works.

At Mexico City’s American School, our daughter Kate assigned a written art project for her first graders. They were to write about a favorite artist. Miguel chose the Mexican painter Segurro. Kate asked why he chose this artist. “Well, Miss Kate,” Miguel replied, “my family has a painting by Segurro on a wall at our home.” Pausing a bit, he went on to explain, “Actually, Miss Kate, we have 4 of his paintings, but my mother said to tell you we only have one. I’m not supposed to brag.” Kate has an unusual group of students. Several children have body guards, and one little boy arrives in a helicopter each morning. The school is surrounded by tall cement walls and armed guards. Kate’s teaching experience is much different than any I’ve had, but it sure is fun to hear about her students.
Mexico City is a city of 23 million people and honking cars on multi traffic lanes. It’s very noisy; I don’t hear birds and am constantly short of breath in this 7000’ elevation. But each visit I make here, the ever-blooming trees and flowers, castles, pink and turquoise adobe buildings, sculptures, parks, and fascinating history continue to charm me. Though my daughter Kate tells me she misses family and friends back in Minnesota, I know my blonde daughter continues to thrive in this exciting city of sunshine and smiling people.