Another road trip from Manzanillo to Mexico City with a stopover in Mazamitla; this
time with my friend Angel, Secretario General of the political party Catem fame.
It’s a twelve-hour drive from Manzanillo to Distrito Federal, so unless you’re a masochist,
don’t do this in one day; stop in Mazamitla, a beautiful high mountain town surrounded
by forests of pine, oak, and mahogany trees. An area sometimes referred to as Mexico’s
Alps. Spend the night and maybe take an extra day to walk around, and then hit the road
again.
Whenever I come back to Mexico City, I realize right away, it’s been too long since my
last visit. This is ciudad de ciudades, one of the oldest cities in the Americas. A thriving
metropolis steeped in life, color, and culture. Every tile that’s set and each stone laid in
every wall that’s built is a true celebration of the life and history of the wonderful people
of this magnificent country.
Art is everywhere. Courtyards, plazas, federal buildings, and hotel lobbies; the colors and sounds are magnificent.
Massive wood doors in cathedrals, sidewalk cafés in Polanco, and museums; all are an
invitation to enter into worlds where past and present times are one. You cannot breathe
without sharing words with writers like Octavio Paz, Juan Rulfo, and Veleria Luiselli.
The art of Diego Rivera and Leonora Carrington will jump off the walls and inspire you to dance.
For a moment in time, you will star in films by Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu.
With many of the fountains shut down, a different perspective offers itself up to the
person keen on photography; I took advantage of this at the Museum of Anthropology.
And of course, the edifice that the locals like to make fun of, Carlos Slim’s self-aggrandizing monument and museum, where he can show off his private art collection.
I rather like the building – Museo Soumaya, and see the architecture as a celebration of his Lebanese roots.
So if you like walkin’ around towns, you can do a lot of miles in Distrito Federal!
