Bike D.F. on Sundays at Paseo de la Reforma

Every Sunday Paseo de la Reforma, one of the main streets of Mexico City is closed down so that people can ride bikes, skateboards or rollerblades. In a city where the traffic can be pretty crazy its definitely a nice break from all the cars and a way for the people of Mexico city to focus on exercise. The city even hosts zumba and aerobics classes (pictured above) my sister and I were tempted to join in, it looked like a lot of fun!

Chapala, Where my Grandparents Fell in Love

This week I took a flight out of Mexico City to Chapala, a small lakeside town about an hour drive from Guadalajara, Jalisco. Chapala is the place where my grandmother grew up, it is also the place where my grandparents fell in love and got married. Although my grandparents live in the U.S. they still own a home in Chapala that is open to my entire family. I spent a lot of time in Chapala throughout my childhood and I haven't been in a few years so it was really nice to visit. Enjoy a few pictures I took of this beautiful town, below is a picture of me sitting on the steps where I used to go fishing as a little girl.

The History of Mexico Spectacular!

This past Thursday I witnessed the most awesome spectacular that involved lights, projectors, fireworks, fire, traditional dancers as well as modern dancers. The show took place in the very spot where the Mexica (also known as the Aztecs) encountered the Spanish. In current times this area is called the Zócalo, in the historic center of the city. It is surrounded by colonial architecture that is built on top of what was once Tenochtitlan, the thriving metropolis of the Mexica. There I stood, in a crowd of thousands of Mexicanos, viewing an artistic presentation on the history of México. Images were projected onto the historic buildings, to accompany the music and dance that occurred on three stages. It was truly a beautiful experience. I've included a few pictures as well as brief video at the bottom of this blog entry, so that you can get a little taste of the show.

A Portrait of Mexico

Last weekend at el Chopo I came across an interesting art project, being funded by the Mexican government. Its called Rostros de México 2010. To mark the bicentenary, the project consists of taking as many portraits of people from all over Mexico as possible. The collection of portraits will serve to capture the personality of today's Mexico from the way people dress, to their professions and hobbies. Mini photography studios have been set up in various public places where anyone is allowed to get their portrait taken. They can pose in anyway that they'd like and are allowed to bring whatever props they may have with them. The picture above is a boy getting photographed (I got it from the project website). If you'd like to see the photographs click here or visit RostrosdeMexico2010.gob.mx

Break Dancing a la Mexicana Part II

Today I joined Cesar and his friend Mimo as they were break dancing on Avenida Universidad. I took a couple of short videos of them dancing in order to give you a little taste of how these bboys do what they love on the raw streets of Mexico City. Keep in mind I am no film maker, nor do I have a high quality camera, but nonetheless enjoy! Cesar is the bboy in the burgundy shirt and Mimo is the bboy wearing a grey tank top.

Punks, Skaters, Goths and Reggae heads unite at El Chopo

This year in Mexico marks the 200th anniversary of the country's independence and the 100th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution. Although those are very important dates, another anniversary not to be overlooked is the 30th anniversary of the Tiangis Cultural del Chopo. Every Saturday the youth of the city, punks, skaters, goths, metal heads, reggae heads and vinyl collectors, gather at el Chopo. El chopo is a market place filled with all kinds of things such as: boots, belts with spikes, skate boards, CDs and Records. There is also a stage where local bands perform. If you ever find yourself in D.F. it is definitely a fun place to check out. Its awesome to see all of the youth decked out in their punker or goth gear complete with piercings and mohawks.

Frida and Diego's House

Nestled in the bougey neighborhood of San Angel, next door to a Louis Vuitton and Hugo Boss boutique, stands the beautifully unique former studio and home of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. The house provides an intimate lens into the artistic life of Diego Rivera. It was filled with all kinds of his belongings including his art supplies, antique dolls and huge paper mache figures. The building itself has really cool architecture. It was designed by Diego and Frida's friend, a painter and architect, Juan O'Gorman. As you can see in the picture above, each artist had their own house that was connected by a bridge. Diego's house is the one on the left and Frida's is the blue house on the right.

Break Dancing a la Mexicana

In Mexico City, when cars are stopped at a red light, it is common to see people rush into the intersection to dazzle those waiting in their cars with a quick performance. After showing off their skills, they solicit tips from the audience. I've seen fire dancers and juggling clowns, but today for the first time I saw break dancers. It gives the term street dancer a whole new meaning because these boys were literally dancing on the street. Pictured above is Cesar, he is a student at a prepa (high school). When he is not at school, he earns money break dancing. He told me that this is his only form of income. He doesn't earn much money during the week, but on weekends he dances in the historic area of Tlalpan where he usually earns a little more money. I will be stopping by to see Cesar and his friends perform, so there will be more pictures and stories from Mexico City's break dancers to come.