Mexico Notes, Part 3

The third and final installment of my thoughts on my Mexico trip.

1. One of the coolest sites in Mexico City is the home of Leon Trotsky. In the lovely neighborhood of Coyocán, Trotsky settled in the late 1930s, escaping from Stalin's Soviet Union. The story of Stalin's purges don't need to be repeated here, but Trotsky was the only major revolutionary leader to get out the country before Stalin killed him. It didn't matter in the long run, though it did buy him a few years of life. He went from place to place, Turkey, France, Norway, trying to escape Stalin but not too surprisingly, most governments were not too thrilled to have this revolutionary there. But by the late 1930s, Lazaro Cardenas took over the presidency. The most revolutionary of Mexican presidents, Cardenas made Mexico a haven for exiled radicals. Not only did he welcome Trotsky (and provided him with state-funded bodyguards), but during the late 30s, Mexico became a refuge for Republicans fleeing Franco's Spain. All of this could not keep Trotsky alive though. He originally lived at Frida Kahlo's house, but after sleeping with her, Diego Rivera broke with him and he was forced to get his own house. Soon after moving in, Mexican Stalinists, led by the artist David Siqueiros did a drive-by, firing dozens of bullets into the house. By a miracle no one died, but you can see the bullet holes still today. But the lover of Trotsky's secretary wormed his way into Trotsky's confidence and killed him with the famous ice-pick in the head. Sadly, no blood remains on the walls. But the place is still really cool. The original toilet is still there and, frankly, there's something to be said for seeing where Trotsky relieved himself. His grave is also in the yard. It's just a damn cool place.


2. Only a few blocks from Trotsky's house is Frida Kahlo's Blue House, where Trotsky stayed upon his arrival in Mexico. While Frida is not my favorite artist in the world and is somewhat overrated, it was quite cool to see her house. If you could design a house for a combination of beauty, light, and good workspaces, this would be it. It holds several of her works, some of Rivera's, and various other works. At the time, I understand monkeys used to hang out in the yard. It's real hard to imagine a monkey surviving in Mexico City today.

Art is just everywhere in Mexico. In the U.S., I feel like art is the province of the elite. Museums are often expensive. You rarely see art in the streets or in galleries for free or a nominal fee. It's not emphasized in the schools, the media, or any other public outlet. American collectors drive up the price of art, helping breed the feeling of elitism. But in Mexico it is so very different. I imagine that much of this comes from the post-revolutionary muralists and governments that produced art specifically intended for the masses. Cardenas particularly gave government support to muralists such as Diego Rivera, David Siqueiros, and Jose Clemente Orozco. Most importantly, he gave them the walls of government buildings for them to produce whatever they wanted, which were often revolutionary outlooks on Mexican history and society. Perhaps because people can view much of this art for free, at least on certain days of the week, art plays a much more prominent role in Mexican society than the U.S. Nearly every museum, even if it is not an art museum, has a room dedicated to modern art. I walked into one museum and not only did it have such rooms, but it also had an exhibit of Goya's bullfighting drawings. This was not particularly advertised, nor was it a major museum. It was just there for people to wander in and see. My favorite exhibition was by the Mexican artist Roberto Cortázar. Here's a bit on the exhibit I saw, which contained mostly heads like that shown here. I just thought it was great work. Where was this? In the anthropology museum in Puebla. Why was it there? Seemingly, just to support art.

3. The great archaeological site at Teotihuacan was pretty much all it is said to be. Very cool place. Mexican Indians made some truly amazing art. I didn't know that Teotihuacan was so old and basically abandoned before 1000. The Aztecs used it as part of their mythology but its original function was long gone. In several places that were hidden from the sun, the original paint still exists and that just makes it all the more cool. Also, these people could make some damn steps. How these very short people bounded up these steps is beyond me. They sure kicked my ass. Whew! Teotihuacan was also nice because it was quiet. I love Mexico City but it was really nice to get away from the noise. I actually saw some birds there. I think they were a flock of cedar waxwings, but I'm not so good at identifying birds. But seeing anything other than pigeons was wonderful. For my money, I like the Mayan ruins I've been to better, but this is more the aesthetic of the landscape than anything inherent in the ruins. The way Copán comes out of the rain forest is super cool while Teotihuacan is part of a dry plain. But whatever. It was amazing and anyone who goes anywhere near Mexico City needs to get out there.

4. The only bummer about Teotihuacan were the hawkers. Anywhere you walked, you saw guys trying to sell you crap. Stuff made of obsidian, jewelry, a bunch of other stuff I didn't want. Worse, people were actually buying this stuff. I don't mind people trying to make a living and there were lots of stalls just outside the entrance of the ruins that were fine. But couldn't they keep it out of the ruins itself. But Mexico allows people to sell whatever whenever. In a country that is not overflowing in jobs, taking employment away from somewhere is quite unpopular. In Mexico City, former mayor (and the man who should be the current president) Andrés Manuel López Obrador worked for years trying to clear street stalls out of the historic district to very little effect. The area south of the zocalo is almost impossible to walk through because of the masses of street stalls and people. You can't spend more than 3 minutes on the subway without someone coming through selling things, from CDs to coloring books to Chiclets.

5. One problem that I faced in Mexico is making change. This is not just a Mexico thing. Costa Rica, Thailand, Malaysia, Honduras--it's all the same. If you have anything worth more than $5, it's a real pain to change it. A lot of places will just tell you they can't take it, even though they almost certainly can. When I went to Frida's house, I was paying for my friend as well. It was about $3 a person to get in. Thus, $6 for 2. I gave them the equivalent of a $20 and they said they couldn't take it. Given the amount of people who go to the site, and considering we were hardly the first people there that day, how it is possible that they didn't have 140 pesos for change? Why this happens, I just don't understand. In the villages, OK, but in Mexico City or Bangkok? Very strange.

Anyway, that about does it for my Mexico observations. It was a most wonderful trip. If you ever get the chance to explore Mexico, especially outside the border cities, do it!