|
|
| .. |
Nicole's
Travelogues and Budget Travel Tips..
|
|
|
MEXICO CITY CONT., MEXICOChapultepec Park
Castillo de Chapultepec is a castle perched high in the Chapultepec hill. The castle was built in 1785 and is now a fascinating museum, but in the past it has been a military school and residence for Emperor Maximilian and past Mexican presidents.The Emperor was overthrown by Benito Juarez - making the castle the presidential residence until the 1930s. The castle was made into a museum in 1940. The castle has stunning stained-glass windows and an impressive collection of period art and furniture. This museum is a must see, even just for the views!
The Museo Caracol is close to the castle and is very interesting. It has exhibits and displays depicting Mexican's fight for independence. I did go to the modern art museum.The Museo de Arte Moderno is nearby and houses 3 galleries of modern art and a cool permanent collection of 20th century Mexican art. Admission was about $1.25. Zona Rosa Zona Rosa, also known as the Pink Zone, this area is touristy and yuppie-filled. Here you will find internet cafes, malls, American fast-food chains, a movie theater, hotels, banks, airline offices, nightclubs, and tourist shops. Go to Calles Copenhagen and Genova to browse up and down pedestrian-only streets. At the end of Genova, is the Insurgentes subway station. |
Coyoacan (meaning the place of coyotes) is an affluent suburb of Mexico City with museums, cafes, and plazas. On the weekends, the plaza is packed with vendors. I visited the Frida Kahlo Museum (Calle Londres 247), which is located in the house that she shared with Diego Rivera for many years. In addition to Frida's work, the museum also has pieces from Rivera, Paul Klee, and Jose Orozco. You can't take cameras inside but you can buy postcards of the museum in the small giftshop. I also went to the Museo Leon Trotsky - where Trotsky stayed in exile from Russia. He was murdered inside the house with an ice pick and the room has remained unchanged since that day.
|
Bosque de Chapultepec is the largest park in Mexico City (4 sq. km). In the Aztec language Chapultepec means "hill of grasshoppers". The park contains lakes, museums, a zoo, castle and plenty of food for sale during the weekends. It's nice hanging out here on an afternoon when the weather is nice and you're up to visiting one of the many museums that surround the grounds.
