Diego Rivera and the Mexican Muralists

Most of the day Thursday was spent in pursuit of murals all across the city. My search took me to the Supreme Court building, the Palace of Fine Arts, the Diego Rivera Mural Museum and the Museum of Modern Art. The murals of Jose Clemente Orozco and Diego Rivera are so fascinating and beautiful; I am really taken by them. The murals all have a very strong narrative, either historical or political, which makes them less subtle than other forms of art, but more powerful in a way. I´ve tried to include photos of as many as possible in my photo gallery. The real reason though I visited the Museum of Modern Art was to see Frida Kahlo´s piece "Las Dos Fridas", an incredibly moving piece that was amazing to see in person. In it she lays bare the pain she feels about her divorce from Diego Rivera. She paints her pain so boldly and honestly that it´s almost hard to look at. But the steely look on her face(s) shows the courage she has to endure it. The museums here are of a really high quality, and amazingly cheap. I´ve paid an average of $2 to get into the museums.

After my museum trek, I took a bus down the Paseo de la Reforma, a wide boulevard full of monuments to Mexico´s history, especially highlighting moments of change. I stopped at looked at the Angel de la Independencia (possibly the most recognizable image of Mexico City), the Monument to Cuauhtemoc who stood up to Cortes and was the last Aztec ruler (who died under Cortes´ torture to reveal the location of the Aztec´s cache of riches), and the Glorieta de Simon Bolivar, a hero to all of Latin America. "But wait!" you say.... "what about the monument to Christopher Columbus?" Alas, since they still largely preach that Christopher Columbus discovered the New World here, in a gesture of solidarity to my Nordic homies, I boycotted the monument. Ok, ok.... so I don´t have any Nordic homies...... ok, ok... so I don´t have homies of any kind (no Eric, having an afro doesn´t make you a homie).

Today I visited the Palacio Nacional overlooking the Zocalo where every September 15, the Presidente appears from his balcony to yell "¡Viva Mexico!" to the gathering horde. The Palace is completely decked out in Diego Rivera Murals depicting Mexico´s history and the culture of Mexico´s pre-hispanic people. Once again, the murals were awesome. I had a great guide named Isaac who was very knowledgeable about every detail contained in the murals. It really makes a difference and helps them to come alive.

Ok, well that´s enough history and culture for one day huh? Tonight I´m headed to a place that really encapsulates modern Mexican culture... the Lucha Libre!! Yes, I am going to see some Mexican wrestling. If you don´t know what it is, and haven´t seen the Jack Black movie "Nacho Libre", think of it as the Mexican version of that bad fake American pro wrestling, only even more so. A group of people from the hostel are going, and really, how could I pass this up? My only regret is that they don´t allow cameras inside. Boo! Well, expect a full report anyway.

Oh, I almost forgot... I decided to go back to Pasteleria Ideal and get some photos for you food lovers out there. Ok, fine the photos were for me. But you can still enjoy them. But when I went back to the bakery, I couldn´t find it. I searched all over where I remembered walking, but nothing. I started to think it was some sort of mirage or a fantastic dream. But with the help of a kind doorman, I finally located it. Get your pastry on here:

Pasteleria Ideal