Hello! We’ve spent this first week of the program in Mexico City, and I’m writing to you now from my bed in San Cristobal de las Casas, where we’ll be for the remainder of the trip. This update will be about my time in CDMX, which was so unique and so much different than I had imagined.
First thing – wow, the sun is harsh here. I’m not the most susceptible to burning and usually tan, but I couldn’t keep up with the sun completely – even with a healthy dose of sunscreen. The thinner air here does not lend itself to UV protection, and I’m going into week two with a nasty case of farmer’s tan (and some burning on my neck).
Besides that, though, we were lucky enough to be able to do a lot of sightseeing – below are some photos of our destinations thus far.
Basilica de Santa Maria de Guadalupe
This Basilica was incredible. The contrast between the modern basilica pictured here, with ornate concrete and hardwood paneling, with the more traditional basilicas and supporting buildings surrounding it was really something.
Ruins of the Templo Mayor in central CDMX
We got to take a tour of the Templo Mayor archaeological site, which had incredibly well-preserved ruins from the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan’s ceremonial grounds. The museum was also incredible – human remains, sacrificial hardware, massive stone bas-relief carvings, and general artifacts.
My birthday!
I was lucky enough to spend my 21st birthday here, and so on May 13, we went out for ramen and sushi, and ended our night at the below salsa bar, “El Babalu”. I can’t say I’m the best dancer, but I did by best and it was a great time! It was very sweet of my classmates to get me the cake you can see there.
A salsa bar we found, “El Babalu”
Miguel Hidalgo’s mural within a former cistern, Chapultepec Park
Our walk through Chapultepec Park focused heavily on the battles Mexico City has fought time and time again with sufficient water supply, and we ended our walk here – in a preserved cistern and water inlet from a water supply system completed in the 20th century. The water has since been rerouted to preserve the mural, but this work by Diego Rivera was incredible to see in person – he designed the building (almost a temple) surrounding it, too!
Flowers on a chinampas-style farm
Rows of produce on the same farm
These previous two photos were from our morning learning about the “chinampas” system of agriculture, which we did by being hands-on with a plot of land that still holds a traditional style farm, with no modern chemical use. I weeded for three hours, but the incredible meal afterwards was more than worth it. The chinampas style of agriculture comes from when Mexico city was being built atop a lake system, so these small plots of land were infilled, reinforced with trees, and separated by canal.
Me in front of the Sun Pyramid in Teotihuacan
On our last day in Mexico City, we woke up early to take a tour of the Teotihuacán archaeological site, these monuments more than 1200-1500 years old. While toasty, it was an incredible experience and so worth the early wakeup.
With the sightseeing out of the way, our first week here educationally was heavily focused on the neverending battle between the growing city and the search for adequate water. We spent plenty of time discussing the how the city was constructed atop a lake and how the following decision to completely drain the lake has affected water access. Much of the water for the city is currently being sourced from wells accessing a massive aquifer directly under the city, and seeing the real effects of the city subsidence all around us was eye opening. In parts of the metropolitan area, the ground level is sinking by as much as a 12 inches a year. Mind-blowing.
As I sign off, one thing I wanted to also mention was how valuable this experience has been for me to broaden my understanding and beliefs about Mexico City. Much of what we’re told in the US about this area are stories of poverty, unclean water, pollution, and overpopulation. What I’ve learned is that these problems are presented as if they are the whole story of the area. Yes, water is a struggle, and there is some truth to the other parts of that picture. But this is a vibrant, thriving city, full of people who love it here. There are so many smart people working to solve incredibly hard problems, and the problems of a place are never the story of a place. I can’t wait to get to know San Cristobal, see you next week!