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View the photos from Part I of my trip.

 

Photos from Part II are a few days away from being available.

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Today, Saturday, I went walking around the Zocalo and the Centro Histórico district. I wanted to cover the areas where I didn't go two weeks ago.

 

My first adventure began before I even reached the district. I had a taxi driver that spoke hardly any English. I first thought that this would be a quiet drive with no one speaking a word (as it is sometimes), but he insisted on talking the whole time. He was an older gentleman, maybe in his late 50's to 60's. I enjoyed the "conversations". It's probably one of the best ways to learn the language. He tended to speak fast, so I would always ask him to speak slowly, which is gladly obliged. He ask if I was in a hurry and if I wanted to take the scenic route. I said yeah, why not? I knew about the route he was going to take, so I said it was fine. The route was through Chapultepec Park, a very, very large park, similar to New York's Central Park. There are museums, fields, lakes with boat rides, and even a real centuries-old castle in the park. He pointed everything out and told me a little about each. The cool thing is that I understood most of what he was saying and he actually understood what I was saying/asking. It really boosted my confidence in speaking Spanish.

 

My first stop of the day was at the Palacio Nacional. This building was originally constructed in 1563. It was planned out and occupied by Hernando Cortés. It is on the site of Moctezuma's home and has been rebuilt a couple of times in 1659 and 1692 due to fires. It used to house the federal government's executive, legislative, and judicial branches, but today only the executive branch calls it their home.

 

The main attraction of the Palacio Nacional is the murals display by famous Mexican artist Diego Rivera. Over the course of 16 years, Rivera painted the walls of the palace (over 1200 square feet of vivid murals) on the second floor. Rivera’s view of Mexican civilization throughout history is represented through this immense display.

 

A museum in the honor of Benito Juárez (a five-term president during the mid-to-late 1800s) is also located in the Palace.

 

After visiting the palace, I made my way throughout the Zocalo, México City's large public square (the world's second largest public square after Moscow's Red Square). There is alway a lot of activity here. Folks selling their goods, "witch doctors" warding off evil spirits, native Aztec dancers performing, shoe-shining, jugglers, you-name-it. I took more photos of the native dancers and will post them soon.

 

After strolling around the square, I went back to the rooftop restaurant where I ate a couple of weeks ago--the top of the Hotel Majestic. The view overlooking this huge square is priceless and the food is good (buffet style). It was really warm out and I was so thirsty that I drank a whole pitcher of Agua Jamaica (boiled and strained hibiscus leaves, mixed with water and sugar, and served over ice). It's a really tasty drink.

 

After la comida at the Majestic, I walked about 3/4 of a kilometer to the "Torre Latinoamericana", the tallest skyscraper in the downtown area. Built in the 1950s, it is 183 meters (about 600 feet) tall and has 45 floors. I went to the top observation deck where this is a snack bar, gift shot, and a small museum about the construction of the structure. There are some amazing views of the city, Zócalo square, and the "Palacio de Bellas Artes" building directly below.

 

Just diagonally across the intersection where Torre Latinoamericana stands is the "Palacio de Bellas Artes" (Palace of Fine Arts), which is the premier opera house of México City. Made of marble, the construction of this building began in 1904. Because this massive marble structure is so heavy, it has already settled into the soft ground about 4-1/2 meters. This is also a great place to hang out and people-watch. The architecture and sculptures on the exterior of the building make for great photographs, as well as the view of the Torre Latinoamericana overhead. Again, my photos are forthcoming.