On a mountain high above Oaxaca lies one of the most significant archaeological sites in all of Mexico, Monte Albán. This mountain top was home to the Zapotec people for thirteen centuries. It is jointly UNESCO listed, with the city of Oaxaca itself. UNESCO describe it as, ‘an outstanding example of a pre-Columbian ceremonial centre’. The listing summarises the site’s history:
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When I told people we were going to Mexico, a frequent piece of advice was, make sure you visit Oaxaca. It’s beautiful, they said, and the food is amazing! The advice however was unnecessary, as the city was already on my must-see list. And Oaxaca de Juárez, to give it its full name, definitely lived up to my expectations.
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The Torre dell'Elefante was built in 1307 when Cagliari was under Pisan rule. It takes its name from the small carving of an elephant on a ledge part way up.
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Dereliction and decay are natural subjects for black and white photography. The lack of colour adds to a sense of aging, perhaps because we associate it with the photos taken by past generations. Also, the textures of decay stand out more when colour is subtracted.
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Some ten kilometres or so south of the centre of Mexico City lies historic Villa Coyoacán. Today it is a picturesque corner of the wider conurbation but was once a village in its own right. It was founded by the Tepecana people on the shores of Lake Texcoco, a huge lake now largely drained, its area occupied by Mexico City.
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Long before the Aztecs set foot in what is today Mexico, another people built their city there, creating one of the first urban societies in the Americas. But little is known about these people. When the Aztecs arrived the city was already abandoned. Yet the new arrivals were so impressed by what they found that they named it Teotihuacan, 'the place where the gods were created'.
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Mexico City’s Museo Nacional de Antropologia has to be one of the most impressive museums I’ve visited, and also one to which I really failed to do justice! My excuse is that perennial traveller’s bugbear, jetlag, compounded by a twelve hour overnight flight without sleep.
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There is only one solution to the challenge of jet lag in my opinion. Not a cure, but a way to minimise its impact. And that is, to ignore it as much as possible, adopt the time of your destination as soon as possible and stay active.
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All through the centuries powerful rulers have erected monuments and building that demonstrate their own sense of self-importance and yes, their narcissism. ‘Look at me, see how mighty I am’, these structures seem to say. And at the time those rulers were indeed mighty. But time passes and their power with it
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Like many people I have long been fascinated by the lifestyle of the Amish and Mennonite people. Their rejection of many of the technological conveniences we take for granted. Their seclusion from modern society. And the beliefs that influence the choices they make about how to live. One way to learn more is to visit.
