When I’m not traveling, I’m teaching.
My favorite part of my curriculum when I held a position at the elementary level was fourth grade’s overarching theme: Art & Other Cultures. I loved pulling my travel experiences into the classroom or researching art from around the world to pass new information on to my students.
One collage lesson that I created was based on the Mexican tradition of Day of the Dead. The more I taught about it, the more interested I was in experiencing it for myself. Plus, movie hype from The Book of Life and then Coco made it a natural topic of interest for many students (and me too….let’s be serious, I love animated movies!).
When I got a hold of a college friend last year about visiting her for the celebrations, she was thrilled. She grew up in Mexico City and had recently moved back to take on a job as a graphic designer. She and her mom are two of the sweetest people I’ve ever met, and they were great hosts! I was lucky enough to have them as my guides for my first trip to Mexico last fall. Here are my “Must Sees” for a week in Mexico, especially during Dia de los Muertos!
Temples of the Sun and Moon at Teotihuacan
When I landed and met my friend, Erika, at the Mexico City airport, the first thing she did was hug me. The second thing she did was ask if I wanted to go see the “pyramids.” Of course I did!
It took us about an hour to get to Teotihuacan from the airport, and for the most part the pyramids were pretty low-key. We found parking, paid to get in, and started walking. There were people all over the place, either wandering around the site or selling little souvenirs. We bypassed the vendors and went straight for the largest temple.
There was quite a line of people working their way up the pyramid but we finally made it to the top! The view of the surrounding countryside was great, but even better was the ability to survey the entire city site.
Casa Azulejos and Downtown
The Casa de los Azulejos or “House of Tiles” is an 18th-century Baroque palace in Mexico City. It is surrounded by shops in the historic city center near Zocalo Plaza. Today Casa Azulejos houses a restaurant, where Erika and I had dinner.
After dinner we wandered through the historic district, ending up in Zocalo Plaza. There were huge floral displays, live entertainers, and sculptures scattered throughout the plaza for Dia de los Muertos. Such a fun way to spend a night out! The one thing I really wished we would have had time for was a visit to the Palacio de Bellas Artes. Next time!
Alebrijes
Alebrijes first started appearing in the 1930s and the original idea is attributed to Pedro Linares Lopez. These colorful creatures typically combine zoomorphic elements into a stunning, imaginary creature.
Today, Alebrijes are created by artists from various Mexican states and there is a parade of these colossal sculptures. While I didn’t get to see the parade itself, the Alebrijes are left on display in a sort of outdoor gallery. They are stunning works of art, and I would highly recommend paying them a visit with a walk down Paseo de la Reforma. More information on the parade and display dates can be found here: https://www.zonaturistica.com/en/calendar/870/desfile-de-alebrijes-ciudad-de-mexico.html.
Coyoacan
Coyoacan is Mexico City’s oldest neighborhood and such a beautiful place. I visited twice during my trip and would gladly go back! In addition to its scenic historic plazas and parks, it is the home of Frida Kahlo’s Casa Azul and Diego Rivera’s Anahuacalli Museum, both of which are definitely worth a visit.
Frida’s Casa Azul is her childhood home and was one of my favorite parts of my trip to Mexico. Today it serves as both a museum and a tribute to her life. I especially enjoyed an exhibit that focused on her identity not as an artist, nor activist, nor someone who overcame severe hardships, but as a fashion icon. From physical considerations due to her ongoing health issues to her cultural statements about indigenous Mexican identity, the exhibit thoroughly analyzed her stylistic choices, their motives, and so much more. It was such a novel perspective of her life that I hadn’t seen before, and I really appreciated it as yet another aspect of how this iconic artist’s lifestyle has become her legacy.
Diego’s Anahuacalli Museum was also a hidden gem of sorts. It houses 60,000 pre-Hispanic pieces and was not at all what I was expecting. The artifacts offer great historical insight, and the building itself that houses them is yet another wonder to behold. And after a day of exploring museums, stop by the Mercado de Coyoacan for some shopping and lunch!
Churros, galletas, cactus…all the yummy!
One of the highlights of my secont trip to Coyoacan was the churreria! It’s tucked into a little hole in the wall shop but so worth a visit! Erika also made me cactus and her mom and I feasted on pastries and a lunch of homemade tamales from a nearby shop one of the days that Erika had to work. From Erika’s favorite taqueria to street corn snacks, I definitely enjoyed a taste of local flavors as much as I could!
Frida & Diego’s House
It wouldn’t be a trip to Mexico without paying a little more homage to Frida & Diego! (I am an art teacher, after all.) Although I enjoyed their museums in Coyoacan, my first encounter with their legacy was their House Studio Museum. The residence was designed and built by Juan O’Gordan in the 1930s but is quite unique in allotting the spouses’ space: it’s not one house, but two!
Surrounded by a fence of cacti and connected with a bridge, you can walk through the majority of Frida and Diego’s creative home. It is in a beautiful neighborhood and today serves as a museum. There was a Dia de los Muertos tribute for Frida and Diego, too!
Morelia
Morelia was absolutely beautiful and unexpected. Erika’s grandma lives just outside of the city, so we did a roadtrip to see her for a couple of days. One of Mexico’s Unesco World Heritage Sites, the city reminded me a lot of Spain and was hosting many different festivities.
There was so much to explore: local art exhibitions, community theater productions, the cathedral and its gardens, there is even a local bakery that crafts beautiful pastry art each year for the celebration. I definitely would not have thought to visit Morelia if it hadn’t been for Erika’s family ties, but I was so glad that they suggested it.
One thing that I learned while in Morelia is that Monarch butterflies are a part of the Dia de los Muertos celebrations They migrate to Mexico just in time for the festivities and show up in a lot of the local art. It sounds like they are almost seen as symbols of the returning deceased, coming back at the same time as the spirits of departed loved ones. If I were to return to Morelia in the fall, I would love to visit the Reserva Mariposa Monarca.
Capula
One of our days in Morelia we drove out to Capula for a little shopping! There was a pretty sizable gathering of artesans, plus flowers and treats everywhere! One of my favorite parts of the celebrations in Morelia and Capula was the flower art scattered throughout the streets. I came to think of them as flower murals, and I had never seen or heard of these before. They were stunning and it’s obvious the time and careful consideration that went into each piece.
Mexican Crafts
There were so many artisans represented in Capula and throughout my travels, which were all incredible to see. In addition to the vendors associated with the various festivities, I also visited Casa Mejicu in Mexico City (https://casamejicu.com/) and the Instituto del Artesano Michoacano in Morelia (http://artesanias-michoacan.com/museum/?lang=en). These contemporary artist collectives are a must-see if you are going to be in Mexico! They offer great opportunities for souvenir shopping and a glimpse at how current Mexican artists are interpreting traditions and culture through their own creative expressions.
There is such a rich cultural blend in Mexico. The people, the architecture, the food, the music, the art, the festivities, the history; it made for an amazing experience. As I was talking to Erika recently, reminiscing about our adventures exactly a year ago, she told me, “I will miss you a little extra this week.” I couldn’t agree more and am still so grateful to her and her family. I have no doubt that I will be back in Mexico soon. Who knows, I hear that Oaxaco and Puebla are beautiful this time of year! Maybe it’s time to start planning my 2020 Dia de los Muertos experience…