Mexico 2023 – Anahuacalli con’t

Kathryn caught me out in an error. She pointed out that Diego Rivera died in 1957 so did not in fact open the museum himself in 1964. I stand corrected. In any case, here are the rest of the photos from my visit plus some other random shots.

Diego Rivera

Sketches for murals

Rivera created these ceiling mosaics

Part of the property that Anacualli occupies was dedicated as an ecological reserve according to Rivera’s wishes. There are also buildings for smaller exhibitions, dance, music, theatre, painting, etc around the grounds. The cacti were in bloom.

At the entrance to the museum

Wired…….

That, my friends, brings us to the end of Mexico 2023. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and look forward to returning.

Mexico 2023 – Museo Anahuacalli

Diego Rivera created the Museo Anahuacalli and art centre and opened it to the public in 1964. “The Anahuacalli (from the Nahuatl word, whose meaning is “house surrounded by water”), is a temple of the arts designed by the Mexican muralist. This museum stands out for its extensive collection of pre-Columbian art, as well as for its Ecological Space that protects endemic flora and fauna. Rivera designed its architecture in order to safeguard his vast collection of pre-Hispanic pieces, while exhibiting the most beautiful works of this set in the museum’s main building. Accordingly, a selection of 2,000 artworks, especially well executed and preserved.”

For the full story: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anahuacalli_Museum

I’d been wanting to see this museum for some time but it’s complicated to get to by public transit and a fair distance away but one Sunday I decided to ride there since I could go for much of the distance on car-free streets. It was well worth the ride. It doesn’t get all that much publicity so I was surprised at what an amazing place it is. I took a lot of pictures so this will be a two post feature.

Goal for the Mesoamerican ball game

Stay tuned for the rest……..

Mexico 2023 – Tepoztlán again

Sorry, I deceived you again in my last blog heading. Adding Tepoztllán to that post would have made it too long so our visit there follows here.

I thought Kathryn would enjoy Tepoztlán so we took a day trip to visit this pretty pueblo magico. I’ve been there several times but never on a market day and it was very crowded in the centre of town and there were lots of tourists, mostly Mexicans. The back streets were quiet though and it was fascinating wandering around there seeing the town from different perspectives.

These are ahuehuetes, or Montezuma bald cypress, Mexico’s national tree

Murals and more

Water tap with potable water

We had lunch at a restaurant that specializes in pre- Hispanic food. This restaurant partners with UNAM, the big university in Mexico City, to identify the many different herbs that grow in this region and discover culinary uses for them. They also incorporate insects in the cuisine. I had a little patty with grasshoppers (chapulines) and a wonderful sauce, another with roasted pear, apple and shredded coconut. Delicious stuff.

Mexico 2023 – Museo de Arte Popular, some dancing, some randomness, more Tepoztlán

Another regular stop for visitors is the Museo de Arte Popular where craft/art from different cultures throughout the country is displayed. I’ve posted about this place before but each time I go I discover treasures that I’ve overlooked before.

Three generations of Danzón

Around the Monumento a la Revolución