3-mexcit.htm

"Mexico City"

Is situated on the bed of a lake
2,250 metres above sea level.


	Like Canberra, Mexico City is a capitol territory as well as a city with an official population of 9 million. We were told it is more like 11 million with nearly that many again living in the out lying areas. Aztecs first settled the area in 1325, building their city, Tenochtitlan, on the shore of Lake Texcoco. To accommodate the growing population, they land-filled between islands until the lake completely dried up. In 1521 conquering Spaniards demolished Aztec buildings and used the stones to erect their own, often over the foundations of the old, not realizing the soil was unstable. Subsidence, as much as 6 m in parts of the downtown area, is damaging buildings and disrupting some water and sewerage lines as they sink into the soft lake deposits that underlie much of the city. Work is being done on the baroque styled National Cathedral, built between 1573 and 1675, to stabilize it. Scaffolding now supports the great dome from which a pendulum hangs, showing just how much the building has slipped.

Like Canberra, Mexico City is a capitol territory as well as a city
with an official population of 9 million.
We were told it is more like 11 million with nearly that many again
living in the out lying areas.

Aztecs first settled the area in 1325, building their city, Tenochtitlan,
on the shore of Lake Texcoco.
To accommodate the growing population, they land-filled between islands until the lake completely dried up.
In 1521 conquering Spaniards demolished Aztec buildings and used the stones to erect their own, often over the foundations of the old, not realizing the soil was unstable. Subsidence, as much as 6 m in parts of the downtown area, is damaging buildings and disrupting some water and sewerage lines as they sink into the soft lake deposits that underlie much of the city.

Work is being done on the baroque styled
National Cathedral,
built between 1573 and 1675, to stabilize it.
Scaffolding now supports the great dome from which a pendulum hangs, showing just how much the building has slipped.


	The cathedral, along with the Municipal Palace (1720), and the National Palace (1792) border the Plaza of the Constitution or Zocalo . As the main centre square of each Mexican town is called.


	*"Aztec Rule"*		*"Spanish Rule"*

"Revolution and Independence"
Mexico City has many parks and wide avenues and we watched in amazement as a cleaner scrubbed, with soapy water, the tiled walkway of Reforma Avenue.
North along this major avenue is the Plaza of the Three Cultures .


	*"Revolution and Independence"* Mexico City has many parks and wide avenues and we watched in amazement as a cleaner scrubbed, with soapy water, the tiled walkway of Reforma Avenue. North along this major avenue is the Plaza of the Three Cultures .

Aztec, Spanish Colonial, and Modern High Rise.

To the south is the sprawling Chapultepec Park, containing several museums, a zoo and Chapultepec Castle, built for Emperor Maximilian when the French occupied the area
from 1863 to 1867.


	*Aztec, Spanish Colonial, and Modern High Rise.* To the south is the sprawling Chapultepec Park, containing several museums, a zoo and Chapultepec Castle, built for Emperor Maximilian when the French occupied the area from 1863 to 1867.

Half day tours in Mexico last well into the afternoon
and we covered the municipal Palace
with its murals depicting the history of settlement,
the cathedral and spent time in the
Aztec section of the Museum of Anthropology,
where among the many artifacts is a stone
depicting the Aztec calendar.


			Half day tours in Mexico last well into the afternoon and we covered the municipal Palace with its murals depicting the history of settlement, the cathedral and spent time in the Aztec section of the Museum of Anthropology, where among the many artifacts is a stone depicting the Aztec calendar.

Another interesting place is the Shrine of Guardalupe.
The Virgin Mary is said to have appeared before an Indian man and her image is imprinted on the cloth he carried.


	Another interesting place is the Shrine of Guardalupe. The Virgin Mary is said to have appeared before an Indian man and her image is imprinted on the cloth he carried.

Mexicans believe this shrine is indestructible having survived several catastrophes.
It is housed in the very modern Cathedral, third one to be built at the site.


	Mexicans believe this shrine is indestructible having survived several catastrophes. It is housed in the very modern Cathedral, third one to be built at the site.

Ancient route

Teotihuacan // Oaxaca
San Cristobal de Las Casas // Palenque
Merida // Chichen Itza // City of Dawn - Tulum