|
Let’s suppose you have a whole weekend at your disposal before taking your next flight to whatever beach resort this enigmatic country called Mexico has to offer. OK, here are a few suggestions, well more than a few perhaps; I just hope that you have the time and energy to take advantage of them. The first suggestion is to head to the heart of the ancient city of Tenochtitlan, which also means to head to downtown or the main square known as the ‘Zócalo’. Once there, you will be bombarded by smells, tastes, colors, and people. There is a lot to see in Mexico City but no time to lose; so onto the city cathedral with its majestic sixteenth century baroque architecture; it is a magnificent structure which took three centuries to complete. Once you’ve found your bearings in this fascinating metropolis, with its architectural, cultural, and social contrasts, you should be able to get around quite easily. Upon leaving the cathedral through its south wing, you will find the ruins of the Templo Mayor, an archeological site which was the symbolic center of the tributary system of the Mexican empire; a place of sacred offerings and burial sites, of worship of the gods of war and of the rain, a symbol of the victories of the Aztecs over their enemies. To finish off this tour of different historical periods you can visit the Palace of Government, a baroque building which acts as the seat of both federal and city government.
