The Brown Lady of Mexico and her Devotees – Meeting Pilgrims on the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe

Mike13 Comments

“Are you crazy? People are warned to stay at home, don’t go!” When I messaged Oxanna that morning that I’m on my way to Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, she panicked. Millions of pilgrims were expected to visit the basilica on December 12th, the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe, to see the venerated image of La Morenita (The Brown Lady, as Virgin Mary is called here), and ask for her blessing. Reassuring Oxanna as best as I could, I left the taxi in Tepeyac, in northern Mexico City, and made my way towards the basilica. According to tradition Virgin Mary appeared here before a native Mexican peasant Juan Diego. A story that changed Mexico forever.

Continue reading “The Brown Lady of Mexico and her Devotees – Meeting Pilgrims on the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe”

Modern Architecture in Mexico City – 5 Buildings Not to Miss

Mike4 Comments

Mexico City offers urban explorers an astonishing assortment of Aztec temples, cathedrals, Marxist murals and some of the best museums on the continent. So it’s easy to miss that the city also boasts some great examples of modern architecture – you just have to know where to look. So how about a quick tour? Continue reading “Modern Architecture in Mexico City – 5 Buildings Not to Miss”

Must See of Mexican Muralism: Tracking Mexico City’s Best Murals

Mike12 Comments

After a week or two in Mexico City, you notice something unique about the city. It’s not the colonial architecture, which is monumental, but still similar to what you can see in Mérida or Guanajuato. It’s not the Aztec temples, which are spectacular, but the Maya temples of Yucatán already prepared you for the splendor of Mesoamerica. Rather it’s the number of seemingly mundane public and government buildings covered with intricate works of art. Continue reading “Must See of Mexican Muralism: Tracking Mexico City’s Best Murals”

From Aztec Pyramids to Mexican Rock On the Oldest Street of Mexico City

Mike14 Comments

If an alien anthropologist would have landed on Earth and could visit only one city to learn about us, he would probably go to Mexico City. Walking its streets is traversing our story as humanity. The magnitude and scope of what it is here is breathtaking. So where do you start? You start by walking the Tacuba avenue – the oldest street in the city… and the entire continent. Continue reading “From Aztec Pyramids to Mexican Rock On the Oldest Street of Mexico City”