Shadow Shot Sunday 31 : Happy Day of the Dead!!

This year I will be celebrating Day of the Dead in Granada, Nicaragua. This is one of my favourite festivals of the year, unique to this part of the world, and one certainly not to miss. The past four years, I have travelled to Patzcuaro twice, Oaxaca, and Real de Catorce to witness some of the most amazing all night graveyard vigils, so I couldn't resist posting this skeletal shadow shot today. He is waving out of a train carriage window as part of a grand Day of the Dead artisan exhibition in the Museo de Arte Popular. On Monday, I will be posting more Day of the Dead photos from the celebration at school this year, and from the past few years. In the meantime enjoy other shadow shots from around the world by clicking here for Shadow Shot Sunday.

Take a Trip to Texcoco...

Most people would respond - why on earth should anyone want to take a trip out to Texcoco?? Well true, it can be seen as a sprawling, ugly, industrial town not far from Mexico City full of factories, mechanic workshops, prowling mangy mutts, beat-up old bangers, landfills, and junkyards - plus of course Cimmyt - the Centre for the improvement of wheat and maize where a number of our students live and commute to school two hours each way...

But in the company of an artist friend of mine, a whole different Texcoco looms into view. The junkyards become funky works of art...

Old run down farmhouses riddled with mice in the adobe, become des res homes with the addition of a little colour, style and unique works of art...............

Check out that wild chandelier...

which was especially designed and commissioned from the glassware factory in town...

And who could resist buying some of this beautiful pottery from La Taller de Ceramica San Germain....

So poke beneath the surface and look what beauty can be found. Texcoco is just 35 minutes North East of Mexico City, and if you take a bus from TAPO bus station, you will get there for just 25 pesos. Where have you found beauty beyond a surface of initial ugliness and ordinariness??

The Charms of Chapingo....

Housed in this beautiful building on the campus of Chapingo Agricultural University is a real treasure, namely the Capilla Riveriana which contains some of the most stunning murals ever painted by artist Diego Rivera. The murals painted between 1924 and 1927 document the social struggles endured by the Mexican peasants through Revolution, agrarian reform, and the necessity to incorporate scientific advancement in the cultivation of the land...

The murals are also a hymn to Nature, the Earth, as well as Pre-Hispanic culture in Mexico, and the indigenous traditions of cultivation. The building was one of the original structures of a Jesuit hacienda from the colonial period, and the Rivera murals transformed what was once its religious chapel...

Don't think, however, that the Chapel is the only place to appreciate artistic creativity in Chapingo!! Take a trip to the tiny local market which, set up under hot fluorescent pink awnings, wins my prize for the best artistic stacking anywhere in Mexico...and believe me there is plenty of hot competition!!

Have you ever seen such beautiful creative arrangements of fruit and vegetables in any market?

And what about all that sheer colour as a true sensory feast for the eyes?

Chapingo is located very close to Texcoco just 35 minutes from Mexico City. Take a Texcoco bus from Tapo bus station for just 25 pesos and you are there...Enjoy!! For more windows on the world click here for My World Tuesday postings.

Shadow Shot Sunday 30 - At Home

After two consecutive weekends away and a trip looming next weekend to Nicaragua, I am enjoying a quiet and tranquil weekend at home.....

There are no shortage of shadows in my tiny flat dubbed "El Palacio Rojo" (The Red Palace), and I like these tiny quiet spaces which for some reason remind me of two English artists - Rachel Whiteread famous for making white plastercasts of forgotten spaces that nobody notices, and Alan Bennett's monologues in "Talking Heads"; one of which is entitled "The cracker under the sofa"...

For more fun with shadows, check out the weekly meme Shadow Shot Sunday for a wonderful selection of imaginative and creative photography...

Click here for Shadow Shot Sunday.........and enjoy!!

The Poet King takes a bath....

When the Aztec poet king Nezahualcoyotl wished to survey his realm and kingdom he would take a bath.....

And this would be his view......

Or when he wanted to look out over all his lands, he would sit on his giant throne...

And this would be his view.....

In fact, pretty much in any direction, he would be guaranteed stunning scenery....

And the views were certainly the inspiration for his poetry which celebrated the beauty of the natural world, and urged his subjects in rallying cantos to appreciate it as much as he did. The baths are located at the top of a very steep outcrop of rock near the village of San Miguel Tlaixpan, which in turn is not far from Texcoco. The climb is pretty steep, but at the top you can also visit the Patio of the Dancers, and climb a further pyramid...

You can cheat on the very steep climb, and do a complicated route round the back, which leads to a far gentler walk. From DF, take a bus from Tapo bus station to Texcoco, North East of Mexico City, out beyond the airport, and after just 35 minutes you will arrive in the area. Then you will need a car or taxi to get to San Miguel, and then be prepared to walk to the Baths themselves...Enjoy!!

Lamenting the Loss......

My neighbourhood Colonia Cuauhtemoc, in the very centre of Mexico City, is in a state of flux; with the balance switching away from beautiful, old, dignified colonial buildings to the concrete, steel, and glass of ultra-modern and trendy high-rise expensive apartment blocks. The colonial architecture, always such a strong feature of this barrio, is beginning to slip away into dilapidation, disrepair and decay...

Many colonial buildings have deteriorated so much from their former glory that they are now abandoned, desolate and damaged places crying out for attention.... and investment! Obviously they are difficult and expensive to maintain and keep up, but don't they look so sad and forlorn in their current ruinous condition.... ??

All these photos were taken just last week in a sepia tint, which I thought may enhance this lament and nostalgia for the former past glory and beauty of this gorgeous architecture...

One glimmer of hope is that another abandoned building that I was going to photograph last week was actually in the process that very day of being renovated, made-over and totally spruced up. Hooray!! Maybe there is hope after all, and I can write a very different report in times to come. In the meantime, check out other My World Tuesday postings by clicking here. Enjoy!! PS I entered the first photograph in a photo competition amongst friends for the theme of "Damaged". What do you think??

Shadow Shot 29 - Think Pink!!

I am back in the vibrant world of colour this week, round the other side of that monochrome hotel forecourt from last week. This is the bright pink and yellow facade of the Hotel Camino Real in Polanco, Mexico City, most famed for its starring role in the film "Matador" which produced Pierce Brosnan prancing around in cowboy boots and a dodgy moustache.....

The Camino Real somehow, against all the odds, manages to carry off with great panache and style the strident colour clash of yellow and pink. I am not sure if this colour combination would work quite so well anywhere else in the world!!

And whilst I am in the mood for hot pink, I will leave you with a final shadow shot; a shot of plant shadows against the wall artificially enhanced with a strong dose of the colour of the week....

For more fun with shadows, check out Shadow Shot Sunday by clicking here Enjoy!!

Taking the Waters at Ixtapan de la Sal...

Ixtapan de la Sal is a little spa town not far from Mexico City well-known for its curative waters ever since salt water was first discovered here centuries ago by ancient travellers on their way to Tenochtitlan (the first city where Mexico City is located today.) With nothing much to do other than to undergo spa treatments, massages, and bathe in the thermal pools, it is the perfect destination for a really chilled out, relaxing weekend; especially if you take advantage of one of the special deals at the Marriot Hotel...

The Marriot is an incredibly spacious hotel set deep into a hillside overlooking a beautiful green valley, with extensive gardens hosting all kinds of butterflies and humming birds. It has numerous terraces to sit and admire the view, plus a lovely quiet pool as the separate children's pool complete with pirate ship and water slides hives off any noise that may interrupt your relaxation. It doesn't at all feel like an anonymous, impersonal place to stay, as throughout the hotel are the most beautiful displays of rich Mexican folk art pieces...

Up the road from the Marriot you can visit the memorial garden dedicated to the town's benefactor Don Arturo Ramon who was responsible for setting up the Hospital, Spa and Water Park, and the Ixtapan Spa Hotel and golf Resort in the 1940's and 1950's. It is a lovely oasis and tranquil retreat complete with gardens and museum...

The town itself is a very ordinary little sprawling working-class Mexican town with churches, small businesses, lots of timber yards and carpentry workshops, taco joints and cantinas, plus brightly-coloured two storey concrete cube houses. There are also a lot of empty run-down vacant lots and makeshift shacks...

Most visitors come here to play golf, go horse-riding, attend conventions or weddings, or relax at the spa and water park. If you forget your inflatables for the water park, do not despair as there are hundreds for sale at the market near the entrance...

Ixtapan de la Sal is a two hour journey south-west of Mexico City. It can easily be reached by bus from Poniente (89 pesos) and buses run every hour on the hour. The Marriot deal is 99USD per night per room.

The Seed Gate - Tepoztlan

At the entrance to the ex-convento in the centre of the pueblo of Tepoztlan lies the wonderful seed gate arch. It is a mural work of art made entirely from different types of seeds and pulses depicting scenes from the history of this small Mexican village.

Looking very closely at this mural, it is hard not to smile at the wonderful attention to detail. Check out the vivid scarlet drops of blood on this fierce warrior's dagger which are also dripping down his chest...

The seed gate is remodelled and renewed annually every September, and I was very lucky to recently visit when the fresh version was unveiled. It is an absolute masterpiece; a real treat both in a visual and tactile sense..

Tepoztlan is only one hour South of Mexico City, easily reachable for either a day trip or a weekend break.... If you visit DF, don't miss the opportunity to visit this place..

In the meantime don't miss the opportunity to check out other windows on the world by clicking here for My World Tuesday postings - Enjoy!!

Shadow Shot Sunday 28 - the Pavements of Polanco

I am usually really inspired by the rich, vibrant world of colour here in Mexico, but this week's Shadow Shots are inspired by the images of a more monochrome Mexico City....

Strolling around the very classy, upmarket neighbourhood of Polanco this week, the pavements afforded a whole wealth of black and white images. The sun was so strong on this afternoon, that the shadows are even more solid than the actual objects - like this parked-up motorbike for example....

Or this railing leading up to the entrance of Saks restaurant on Calle Campos Eliesos. The facade of the Hotel Camino Real is most famous for the strident colour clash of bright pinks and yellows, but behind the colourful facade in the forecourt, I found this rather striking monochrome image...

One is firstly struck by the wonderfully rich colours of this country, but here in Mexico City, like anywhere else in the world, our pavements are grey.......

For more shadow-hunting around the world, click here for Shadow Shot Sunday...Enjoy!!

Museo de Arte Popular...

Mexico City boasts a plethora of wonderful galleries and museums which are all undoubtedly worth a visit, but my favourite is the Museum of Popular Art. Opened in 2007, it is housed in a beautifully renovated colonial mansion with a modern, spacious and airy light-filled interior..

It showcases quite beautifully the very bext of Mexican folk art from masks to minitiatures, pottery to papier mache, and textiles to Trees of Life...

In addition, there are always temporary exhibitions, and at present you can go and see ceramics by Mexican living artist Jorge Wilmot. Born in 1928, he spent time in Afghanistan and Burma, plus he was instrumental in setting up the pottery tallers (workshops) in Tonala, the ceramics neighbourhood in Guadalajara.

The museum is located in the Centro Historico on Calle Independencia at the corner with Calle Revillagigedo. It is free on Sundays or any time with a teacher's ID card. It also has a wonderful shop with quality folk art pieces for sale, but it is best to scout out what you want, and then buy the pieces either at Balderas Market or one of the Fonart shops in town, as the prices tend to be very high.

Mercado San Juan, Centro Historico, Mexico City...

The market where all the chefs and people in the restaurant trade go to get their ingredients in the city is Mercado San Juan, and it is not hard to see why.....

It is one of the great advantages here that you can buy a whole range of the freshest ingredients from which to start your cooking from scratch, unlike in London whereby the supermarkets seem increasingly stocked with more and more packaged, processed food and ready meals. I had to smile recently when reading the inscription on a plastic bottle of lemonade in Tescos this summer in London "lemons lovingly handpicked by the local farmers in sun-kissed Sicily" hmmmmmm.....

As well as buying great fruit, veg, chillis, meat, and fish, you can also stop by the coffee stands for a quick caffeine shot, or at the cheese stalls for a quick snack of wine, cheese, tapas, and great bread. All in all, it makes for a wonderful pitstop on a Saturday or Sunday morning... although personally, I do tend to avoid armadillo and piglet corner....

Mercado San Juan is open every day, and is located in the Centro Historico on calle Ernesto Pugibet. For other global glimpses check out My World Tuesday postings by clicking here.