Acapulco

This weekend was about sunshine, palm trees, pools and rest, rest, rest. (Mainly for my husband, `cos I don`t really get tired in the weekdays) :)

Yes, we went to Acapulco for a long weekend. Since the city (although it is lovely) is said to have become dangerous, we just hung around the hotel all weekend.

But let me start in the beginning, because the trip itself was just as interesting for me, as the stay in Acapulco. It takes about 4 hours (and 453 pesos) from Mexico City to Acapulco (cc. 380kms). After getting out of the incredible web of roads in the City and its agglomerations, first we had to climb a mountain - unfortunately don`t know the height, but given that Mexico City is on 2200ms (with 28 C) and the temperature on top of that mountain was 18 C, I guess we have climbed a bit... :)

After that mountain the road goes mainly on deserted land: the landscape is beautiful to see just mountains, hills, forests everywhere you look.

We could see some towns as well. All looked very strange, and after a while it hit me: it is because there can`t be seen asphalt roads within the town, and also there are no windows on the houses. So, it looks like a ghosttown or a slam. We could also see a lot of people cultivating their lands with horses and bulls. It was interesting to see the huge difference between the capital and these isolated little towns. The highway seemed to be the only infrastructure there, since it was not rare to see people walking, biking or cows, donkeys going home on the edge of the highway.

Of course, we saw the inevitable cactus and palm trees as well. :) I could again see what I have learned in school: plants are shorter in higher altitudes (the usually tall palm trees were not higher than a usual tree in the mountains).

As for Acapulco, it was much more humid than Mexico City. For a moment, I felt like in Japan again. :) 

We stayed in Fairmont Hotel, a very elegant and beautiful place. It was an all-inclusive hotel with a cute, homey room, 2 nice pools and a very very good and friendly service staff. 

Although the hotel had a beautiful beach, the sea unfortunately was too rough for swimming, it was rather for surfing. 

Another pity that we couldn`t see the famous Acapulco sunset, because of the hotel`s location. Another attraction in Acapulco is the cliffdiving. Unfortunately we didn`t have time to go, but I think seeing how people jump off the 50-60m high cliffs into the emerald ocean, is really something worth to see!!! Next time it`ll be a must!

Till next time, enjoy the pics from Acapulco! :)

For more pics, click the title above.

雨季？ Elkezdodott az esos evszak???

Ugy tunik, elkezdodott az esos evszak...(?) Mar masodik napja csupa felho az eg, hebe-hoba esik is. Eleg lehangolo lesz, ha ez tenyleg harom honapon kereszul igy fog menni... :(


もしかして雨季の始まり？昨日からずっと曇っていて、ちらほら雨が降っています。３ヶ月もずっとこんな天気が続くと憂鬱だよ～↓

Museum of Anthropology

Hello!

So, last weekend we went to Chapultepec, which is a big park with the Museum of Anthropology in it. First of all, just when we arrived, we could see the voladores - one of the typical attractions in Mexico. There are 4 people climbing on a 30m tall pole and come down attached to a rope circling around and around. This is said to be an ancient ritual asking for good weather or something. Anyway, it was very spectacular with the colorful dresses and music.

After the show, we took our way to the museum. The entrance fee is around 50 pesos (350 JPY!!!) which compared to the contents of the museum, is ridiculous.

After the entrance, you get to a huge square outside where there is a fountain with a column carved with Mexican symbols. Around this square are the 12 halls that introduces the different periods and cultures of the Mexican history. 

It starts with the evolution of the human - I could see there skulls of the australopithecus, things I`ve only seen in school books! 

After one or two halls, the "real" Mexican history starts - there were many many tribes and cultures over the centuries here: the first tribes are known to have come here from Asia, were around b.c. 20,000. The first civilization was the Olmecs (around b.c 1500), followed by the Mayas from cc. b.c 500 till cc. a.c 900 (they have founded the Monte Alban settlement). 

During this period, there were other nations/tribes coming to Mexico, as well: Teotihuacan was founded in b.c 200, but nobody knows who founded it. Teotihuacan is very convenient, because it is only one hour ride from the City, so you can have a nice tour seeing ancient pyramids when you`re visiting. After the Mayas, came the Toltecs, who founded Tula. The Aztecs coming after them, in around the 14th century. The capital of the Aztecs was Tenochtitlan, the heart of Mexico City today. (Unfortunately, most of the buildings were destroyed by the Spanish conquistadors, but it is interesting to know, that the ancient main square (known today as Zocalo) has remained in its origin role.)

The museum leads us toward these civilizations and cultures over the time, and finally introduces the cultures of the current 56 (or 7) tribes living today in Mexico. (For this, we didn`t have time.) :(

Of course, the biggest halls are the Aztec and Maya. It was amazing to see these huge stone sculptures! My biggest surprise was that many of the sculptures were displayed without any protection as glass cages, so you could touch it, feel it. (The smaller things and the (I guess) more expensive ones are protected of course). I was also amazed of the quantity of the exhibits: even by the 5% of it, it would be a huge exhibition in Hungary. 

By one word, I was again amazed by this country`s rich and colorful history. Can`t wait to explore myself! :)

The voladores

The main square in the museum - this one column supports the 84x11m concrete roof!

The Aztec hall with the famous aztec calendar in the back

And of course, soccer: this was the goal in the ancient times.

Click here for more pictures - Museum of Anthropology

My first week in Mexico

Sziasztok!
Június 3-án, immár egy hete érkeztem Mexikóba. 
Hogy milyen volt az első hét Mexikóban? Egy szóval: szuper!
Persze, az első, ami miatt az ember aggódik, az a közbiztonság. Szerencsére (és lekopogom), eddig semmi félelmetessel nem találkoztunk, bár az embernek persze nyitva kell tartania a szemét. No, meg nem gond, ha tudod, hova nem érdemes bemenni a sikátorokban, melyik taxiba ne szálljon az ember stb.
Mi Mexikóváros Santa Fe nevű negyedében élünk, ami egy újonnan épített üzleti negyed, felhőkarcolókkal, 4 sávos utakkal, őrzött lakóházakkal. Szóval, olyan, amilyent inkább egy amerikai városról képzelne el az ember, mint Mexikóról.

Az első hétvégén bementünk Zócaloba, a város főterére. Érdekes tudni, hogy a mostani főtér már az aztékok idején is a főváros, Tenochtitlan főtere volt, vagyis több, mint 700 éve a főváros fő helyszíne! A városhoz méltóan Zócalo hatalmas, mint a középen lengő zászló is. (Érdekes, hogy a mexikóiak ugyanúgy imádják a zászlót, mint az amerikaiak: hétköznap is lebeg a főbb tereken, múzeumok, színházak előtt, és mindegyik hatalmas.)
A mai főtéren sajnos már csak a Templo Mayo romjaiból látszik a hajdani azték főváros, a többi épületet ugyanis lerombolták a hódító spanyolok, és a téglákat felhasználták a mai épületekhez. Így a mai Zócalo arculatát leginkább a koloniális stílus határozza meg: itt található a Catedral Metropolitana, a Palacio Nacional, no meg szállodák és múzeumok.
A Catedral Metropolitana állítólag Latin-Am. legnagyobb katedrálisa, ezért az első napon nem is próbálkoztunk meghódításával.
A Palacio Nacional egy reneszánsz palota, ahol az államelnöki hivatal található.

Mi épp vasárnap mentünk Zócaloba, amikor épp nagy vásárt tartottak: ez amolyan igazi latin hangulatot idézett. Az a hatalmas tér tele volt utcai árusokkal, ahol minden elképzelhető giccs és suvenírt, no meg a vattacukortól kezdve a mangóig, mindenféle finomságot lehet kapni. (Bár óva intenek általában az utcai ételektől, hacsak nem akar az ember egy gyomorrontást megkockáztatni...)
De láttunk indián táncosokat is, sőt még egy sámánt is, aki illatos füveket égetve tisztította meg az embereket! (Elég nagy sor állt nála, úgy tűnik, itt ez még mindig általános dolog.)

A Catedral Metropolitana előtt

Vásár Zócalón

Minden egy színes zűrzavar

A főtér a Holiday Inn tetőteraszáról

Palacio Nacional

És az elmaradhatatlan tortilla!