The Museo Nacional de Antropologia and Castillo de Chapultepec are in the neighborhood called Roma, about a 15 minute cab ride from my hotel in the zocalo. The museum is new- built in the 1960's. In the interior courtyard, a large stone fountain that seems to be raining onto the concrete rises up out of the center. The twelve halls (salas) that surround the courtyard have a wall of glass that faces into the courtyard. It's all very modern looking which creates a striking juxtaposition to the ancient artifacts inside the ground-floor rooms. On display are temples, stone carvings, a replica of Teotihuacan, and the famous sun stone (incorrectly called the "Aztec Calendar"). A surprising aspect of the museum is that when I wandered to the far side of each hall, there are doors that lead to outdoor exhibit spaces containing additional temples and carvings in a "natural" setting. All the spaces, indoors and out, were impeccably maintained- not a smudge on the glass, speck of dust on the floor, or weed in the garden.
Across from the museum is Bosque de Chapultepec, Mexico City's largest park. There are lakes, a zoo, broad avenues for strolling, and many, many vendors. It contains the current presidential residence as well as a former imperial palace called Castillo de Chapultepec. I walked through the avenue of vendors thinking it would lead directly to the castle. It did not. "Donde es el castillo?" I asked several times before I finally headed almost all the way back to the main entrance to find the castle. It's difficult to believe, but you can't easily spot the castle if you're just strolling along! A long uphill road leads to the top. Then, there are magnificent views of the city, as well as lavish furnishings inside the castle. While it's not as large as the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina, it is more ornate. I would be happy to occupy Carlota's bedroom and adjoining bath!
For all of the above touring I was on my own, but by late afternoon my student Jay and his girlfriend arrived by car so we could head out together for Friday drinks and dinner. Our first stop was to a mezcalaria. Mezcal is made from the agave (or maguey) that is abundant in Mexico. It is like tequila, though a bit less refined and smokey to my taste. Often, a bottle of mezcal contains a worm. The mezcal is served in a shot glass along with a plate of orange slices sprinkled with chili powder. The idea is to take a sip of the mezcal and then eat an orange slice. Somehow, the orange with the chili soothes the taste of the mezcal. While Jay is a big fan of mezcal and seems to have a goal of sampling many of the possible varieties, I was happy to have a beer!
