 Internet Policies |
|
| Seminars | Resources | About | |
| Final Report | Overview | Program | Registration | Basic Document | Mexico City | |
Internet Policies |
|
| Seminars | Resources | About | |
| Final Report | Overview | Program | Registration | Basic Document | Mexico City | |
Seminar on Internet Accessibility for AllMéxico City, June 4-7, 2001
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MÉXICO CITYTHE CITY WITH ITS OWN ANGELFor many who visit Mexico City for the fist time, the big surprise is that it's a truly cosmopolitan place - one of the world-class cities, like Paris, London and New York.
Mexico City's rich history, culture, entertainment, sightseeing and wonderful, friendly people to whom hospitality comes as naturally as the smile on their faces. HISTORIC CENTERThis is the most logical place to start making friends with Mexico City. Precisely in the heart of downtown, the site where Tenochtitlan, the Aztec's capital, once stood. It was destroyed by the Spanish conquistadors who built their own fascinating city atop the ancient ruins, a city destined to become the political, social and commercial center of the entire country. History is most perceptible as you walk the Historic Center, comprising over two thousand architecturally relevant buildings clustered in and around the Zócalo (also known as Plaza de la Constitución), and Alameda Park, just five short blocks away. Your first destination should be the National Palace (Palacio Nacional) on the East side of the Zócalo. Aside from its role as the presidential ceremonial building, its galleries which are open to the public, house the famous Diego Rivera murals which vividly tell virtually the entire history of Mexico with a cast of thousands splashed across the walls. A monumental feat, the murals were painted between 1929 and 1945. On block north of the National Palace, you can see the remains of the famed Aztec Templo Mayor. Buried for centuries beneath the burgeoning city center, amazing artifacts unearthed from the site of the Aztec's main temple are now on display in the museum just behind the walk - through excavations. Facing the Templo Mayor (Great Temple) is Mexico City's impressive Cathedral, first built in 1567 and completed no less than 250 years later. It is the largest church in all of Latin America Near Alameda Park - historically relevant and recently restored - is the Museo Nacional de Arte (National Art Museum) with corks dating from pre - Hispanic times to contemporary art on permanent exhibit there. On the opposite side of the Alameda is the Franz Mayer museum, displaying the splendor of 400 years' worth of utilitarian art. The building dates back to the 14th century. Among the treasures collected by Mayer, who was born in Germany but fell in love with Mexico City, are the extremely rare "feather paintings" from the 17th century. Facing it is the Palace of Fine Arts , itself a 20th century historical reference point. Today, it is also the heart of Mexico City's contemporary culture. CHAPULTEPEC PARK Inside this area's 551 acres of shady trees and paths, often called Mexico City's "lungs", you'll find so many attractions that the park maps are divided by zones: The City Zoo; an artificial lake with rowboats; the world famous Papalote Children's Museum; the city's oldest amusement park, La Feria; restaurants, picnic areas; jogging and bridle paths all beckon visitors on a sunny day. Chapultepec park is also home to several don't-miss museums and sites. Foremost is the distinguished National Museum of Anthropology and History, housing over 3,000 years of the country's archeological riches. Against a backdrop of monumental Aztec, Toltec, Maya and Olmec artifacts, the entire second floor is devoted to showing life as it is today, among the country's indigenous cultures. The Rufino Tamayo Museum is a showcase for this master artist's work and also for important traveling art exhibits. Chapultepec Castle offers us glimpse of what was once Emperor Maximilian's residence, as well as that of several Mexican presidents. Perched majestically atop "Grasshopper Hill", it commands a panoramic view of the park and downtown Mexico City in the distance. Mexico's history reposes in the Museo Nacional de Historia. This museum's name is quite appropriate, containing a specially marvelous collection of folk art from the 18th and 19th centuries. SOUTHERN COMMUNITIES Coyoacán is a lovely colonial area in southernmost Mexico City. Sunday is the best day to visit, when its plazas and gardens become the setting for art exhibits and the sale of colorful arts and crafts. In beautiful Coyoacan is the famous Frida Kahlo Museum. An artist and wife of the muralist Diego Rivera, she was born in the house which today exhibits a truly eclectic combination of memorabilia from her life of painting and living with Rivera. Just a few blocks from the Kahlo Museum is the Leon Trotsky Museum, home of the exiled communist leader who sought refuge in Mexico. San Angel has managed to preserve its provincial flavor and cobblestone streets from a time when it wasn't part of Mexico City. It is a favorite place for artists anf intellectuals. Must-see sights include the Bazar del Sábado (exclusive arts and crafts) and the Convent of El Carmen. Farther south, beyond Coyoacan, lies a uniquely authentic Mexico City adventure: the Gardens of Xochimilco. Since ancient times, these natural flowing shallow canals featured gardenias growing so prolifically along the banks that flat bottomed gondola-like boats were decorated with them and petals floated over the water as visitors were mesmerized. Besides its colonial-era city center, parks and plants and flower markets. Xochimilco today offers a similar leisurely floating tour in picturesque brightly painted boats along two canal sections that pass among modern green ´plant cultivations. One is a tranquil "ecological zone" and the other a lively "tourist zone". On your boat, you will be serenaded, offered food and drink and myriad souvenirs as you glide though acres of natural beauty on the outskirts of the city FARTHER AFIELD Mexico City is centrally located for an unlimited number of half and full-day excursions using your hotel as a base. Only an hour's drive northeast of the capital is the Arqueological Zone of Teotihuacan (500 B.C. -A.D 700), which predated the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. This is the most visited archeological site in the whole country. Often included in this trips to the pyramids is a visit to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. A great memento of a visit to Mexico City is to be photographed in front of one of the hand - painted backdrops by photographers at the Basilica. Famous people including Diego Rivera, Edward Weston and Tina Modotti had photos taken there. Only two hours to the southeast is the city of Puebla, famed for its tile-embellished colonial-era buildings and its cuisine. Tlaxcala, yet another colonial city, and the nearby ruins of Cacaxtla (A.D. 650-900) and Xochitecatl (dating from 1000 B.C) are only two hours east of the Capital. And hour and a half to the south of Mexico City is Cuernavaca, a favorite weekend getaway for city residents. Aside from its agreeable climate, its Cuaunahuac Museum is found in a palace built by the conqueror Hernan Cortés. Two nearby attractions are the Convent Route, leading to nearly a dozen 16th and 17th centuries convents, and the ruins of Xochicalco (A.D. 600-900). New excavations have tripled the number of buildings visitors can see at this site, and there's a new museum too. Taxco, a preserved hilltop silver mining village founded in the 16th century is an hour southwest of Cuernavaca and two and a half hours away, on the route to Acapulco. With more than 200 shops selling silver, it's deservedly called "The silver capital of Mexico". But its winding narrow streets filled with handicrafts and the baroque church of Santa Pisca are equally charming to visitors. Toluca, only and hour west of Mexico City, offers a bustling Friday market and a collection of museums devoted to stamps and watercolors and to some of the country's greatest artists. DINNING OUT IN MEXICO CITYFood in Mexico City has its roots in the country's pre-Columbian past and reflects a bounty of natural ingredients and fusion of many cultural groups. A growing trend among restaurants is to offer typical regional dishes: specialties from Puebla, Yucatán and Veracruz, among others. There are main reasons why Mexican Food is unsurpassed:
The fist rule of dinning in Mexico is "don't hurry". While many scanning, try one of dozens of excellent local beers or a tequila, served straight up in a small shot glass known as a "Caballito". Next come appetizers known as antojitos or botanas. We advise you not to skip lightly over what is known as "sopas" (the soup course) normally including both cream and broth-based soups with many interesting ingredients (chile, nopal - cactus, pumpkin , squash, etc.) Also consider dry sopa, such as delicious rice and pasta concoctions. Following this you are invited to try one or more main entries. Mexico has fresh fish, including red snapper (huachinango) or sea bass (robalo) as well as jumbo shrimp (camarones). Its poultry can be exceptional and the meat is of high quality at virtually all better restaurants. The more conservative may want to stick to grilled entries (a la parrilla or plancha) such as the omnipresent broiled flank steak (arrachera). Refried beans will be a side dish to virtually any meal in Mexico. Although portions tend to be slightly smaller, because of our meal's many courses, they are nonetheless ample. Following the meal comes the coffees and dessert cart. Finnish your meal the same way you started it: relax and enjoy! GETTING AROUND AFTER DARK…In Typical Latin fashion, a whole other facet of Mexico City comes alive after the sun sets. The liveliest concentration of evening entertainment is found in three main areas: the Centro Histórico, particularly around calle Madero; in the many pedestrian streets of the Zona Rosa and Polanco; or along a 10 mile stretch of Insurgentes, the city's longest and one of it most heavily traveled avenues. Aside from "espectáculos", shows that take place in one of the city's many theaters, evenings are spent in restaurants, bars, discos or combinations. Nowhere does Mexico excel more than in the varied assortments it lays before its guests. The modern assortment of techno, rock, and pop music finds itself alongside hot latin salsa and merengue beats, mixed with country - music styled rancheros, tropical and "norteño" groups. The roving groups of ballad singers and players called Mariachis, have become so closely identified with Mexico that it is only natural to mention them. The state of Mariachi Art is reached nightly at Plaza Garibaldi, a lively square on the fringe of some of the city's oldest neighborhoods where dozens of Mariachi groups assemble and present themselves in full regalia for drivers-by who contract them on the spot to play at evening fiestas or serenade a señorita. Plaza Garibaldi is a good place to start an evening from or return for a nightcap, with a drink at one of the many bars and saloons. The Hard Rock Café can be found, along with other discos, bars and restaurants, in the up-and. Coming Polanco zone, just off Chapultepec Park. Many visitors to Mexico City often overlook the opportunity to attend a first rate performance. There is a wide variety to choose from such as recitals, concerts, symphonic music and dance. These live events take place at the Auditorio Nacional or the Palacio de Bellas Artes. At the Palacio de los Deportes and the Foro Sol you can attend rock concerts, while many good restaurants offer two floor shows every evening. The visitor searching for a new and different experiences will appreciate a spectacle filled with Mexican color and flavor: the world-famous Ballet Folklórico. With its vibrant colors and colorful music, the Ballet can be seen every Wednesday evening and Sunday morning practically all year around, in the splendor of the Palacio de Bellas Artes. Conceived by choreographer Amalia Hernández, the ballet has been expanded into a world-class spectacle. TRAVEL TIPSClimate: Mexico City Offers agreeable temperature and climate all year. Nevertheless, because of its altitude, it can undergo quick temperature changes; also, mornings and evenings can be surprisingly brisk even during the hotter months. The warmest moths are March, April, and May. Money: The official currency in Mexico is the Peso. Currently the rate of exchange is around 9.50 pesos per one US dollar. Transportation: The best way to get around in Mexico City is by Taxi. We suggest you only use authorized airport taxis, radio taxis, "sitio" (cab stands) and hotel and restaurants taxis. Health: First remember you're at 7,200 feet above sea level. Don't overexert on activities for the first couple of days. Second: drink bottle water only. Outside of these two precautions, the standards of cleanliness and sanitation are up to modern expectations. |
Copyright (c) 2001 AIMS/VisionOffice. |
Countless buildings erected
over the centuries, modern skyscrapers amid statuesque colonial structures. Acres of parks
and tree - lined avenues. Mansions with bougainvillea - draped walls. A Metro subway
system second to none, swarms of buses and millions of cars zooming to a from, whisk
passengers everywhere. The place is frenzied, typical of a megalopolis yet with distinct,
laid - back Latin flourishes.