Sunday, June 1, 2014

Day 15 - Mexico City

Took a 3 hour city tour of Mexico City - the largest city in North America.

City View
(A blend of new and old buildings)


City View - Just like any another major cities around the globe.


City View

City View - monument & round-about is a common sight.

City View


City View

Beautiful Mosaic by Diego Rivera



Interesting Building.


After the city tour, we went to visit the Frida Kahlo Museum (wife of  Diego Rivera). Unfortunately, photography is not allowed. 

Background of Frida Kahlo

"Frida Kahlo de Rivera (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈfɾiða ˈkalo]; born Magdalena Carmen Frieda Kahlo y Calderón; July 6, 1907 – July 13, 1954)[2][4] was a Mexican painter[5] who is best known for her self-portraits.[6]
Kahlo's life began and ended in Mexico City, in her home known as the Blue House. Her work has been celebrated in Mexico as emblematic of national and indigenous tradition and by feminists for its uncompromising depiction of the female experience and form.[7]
Mexican culture and Amerindian cultural tradition are important in her work, which has been sometimes characterized asnaïve art or folk art.[8] Her work has also been described as surrealist, and in 1938 André Breton, principal initiator of the surrealist movement, described Kahlo's art as a "ribbon around a bomb".[7]
Kahlo had a volatile marriage with the famous Mexican artist Diego Rivera. She suffered lifelong health problems, many caused by a traffic accident she survived as a teenager. Recovering from her injuries isolated her from other people, and this isolation influenced her works, many of which are self-portraits of one sort or another. Kahlo suggested, "I paint myself because I am so often alone and because I am the subject I know best."[9] She also stated, "I was born a bitch. I was born a painter.

Kahlo contracted polio at age six, which left her right leg thinner than the left; she disguised this later in life by wearing long, colorful skirts. It has been conjectured that she was born with spina bifida, a congenital condition that could have affected both spinal and leg development.[20] She participated in boxing and other sports.


On September 17, 1925, Kahlo was riding in a bus that collided with a trolley car. She suffered serious injuries as a result of the accident, including a broken spinal column, a broken collarbone, broken ribs, a broken pelvis, eleven fractures in her right leg, a crushed and dislocated right foot, and a dislocated shoulder. Also, an iron handrail pierced her abdomen and her uterus, compromising her reproductive capacity.[citation needed]
The accident left her in a great deal of pain, and she spent three months recovering in a full body cast. Although she recovered from her injuries and eventually regained her ability to walk, she had relapses of extreme pain for the remainder of her life. The pain was intense and often left her confined to a hospital or bedridden for months at a time. She had as many as 35 operations as a result of the accident, mainly on her back, her right leg, and her right foot. The medical complications and permanent damage also prevented Kahlo from having a child; though she conceived three times, all of her pregnancies had to be terminated."["


Admittedly, I am not an art person, so I have no prior knowledge of Frida Kahlo until I reached Mexico City. From a layman perspective, I do not find her painting or artwork extra-ordinarily beautiful. However, I got to appreciate her art piece better, after I realized her personal tragedy. There is always a sense of sadness in her art pieces.

On the appearance, she looked like any socialites (well-dressed, well-groomed etc..), and she did it by having a collection of Corsets to keep her crooked body straight. A mix of unfortunate incidents and strong character has made her an interesting artist. I started to appreciate her popularity.




Took this photo without realizing that John Paul II was canonized that day - 27th Apr 2014


City Center


My FB comments:
 "The great thing about traveling is that you never know who you gonna meet next. 
A Great catch-up with a Columbian friend, whom I met in Cusco Peru 2 years ago. This time we met in Mexico City, I'm looking forward to the next time we meet. It can be anywhere anytime in the world."


End my trip with Lucha Libre - Mexico Wrestling.
Good entertainment and decent acting skills.

Wiki: "Lucha libre (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈlutʃa ˈlibɾe], meaning "free wrestling") is a term used in Mexico, and other Spanish-speaking countries, for a form of professional wrestling that has developed within those countries. Although the term nowadays refers exclusively to professional wrestling, it was originally used in the same style as the English term "freestyle wrestling",[1] referring to an amateur wrestling style without the restrictions of Greco-Roman wrestling.
Mexican wrestling is characterized by colorful masks, rapid sequences of holds and maneuvers, as well as "high-flying" maneuvers, some of which have been adopted in the United States. The wearing of masks has developed special significance, and matches are sometimes contested in which the loser must permanently remove his mask, which is a wager with a high degree of weight attached. Tag team wrestling is especially prevalent in lucha libre, particularly matches with three-member teams, called trios."

The following day - I took another long flight (ie. 30 hours) from Mexico City - Atlanta (USA) - Tokyo (Japan) - Singapore.


Atlanta City

30 hours journey on economic flight was too painful. I paid to sleep in airport hotel (Tokyo) for a decent short sleep during my transit. It was wonderful to get some proper sleep!!

No comments:

Post a Comment