Excavated

It is astonishing how much stuff has been excavated from the Templo Mayor site:

The museum itself is impressive, too, with a big central atrium highlighting artifacts and panoramic views of the site:

We had lunch at nearby El Taquito, an institution, which was great:

El Taquito is located on Calle del Carmen, one of several streets in the Centro Histórico that pull triple duty as pedestrian mall, market and vehicular thoroughfare — chaotic and amazing at the same time:

A Day In Coyoacán

Coyoacán is a bit of a hike, so if you’re heading down to the Frida Kahlo Museum, it will probably end up being the whole afternoon. The museum/house is charming, befitting the whimsical vibe of the artist, and the house itself is beautiful, with lush gardens and striking blue paint everywhere.

The nearby market, Mercado 89 Coyoacán, is fun and has some good stuff:

Jardí­n Centenario is a pleasant, picturesque spot in the center of the neighborhood:

A fun little Sanborn’s opens out into the park:

Also, on the park, lunch at the lovely and yummy Corazón de Maguey:

Mexico’s National Museum of Anthropology

The Museo Nacional de Antropologí­a in the Bosque de Chapultepec is a 22-hall behemoth of an institution with the modest goal of detailing the archaeological and anthropological history of Mexico from the migration of humans into the Americas to the present. As such, it is expansive and there is a lot to take in, but it’s also a pleasant building, with a seriously impressive fountain, Paraguas (“umbrella”), in the courtyard and lovely gardens adjoining each of the halls that contain artifacts and replicas and which are a nice break from hermetically sealed museum-world:

The Mexica Hall sits at the head of the table, and is the centerpiece of the lower-level archaeology halls:

The Mexica are better known as the Aztecs, but that name isn’t accurate, though this is the famous Aztec Sun Stone, which, the interpretive information says, is not actually a calendar:

Here are some temple offerings:

The second floor is devoted to the anthropological side of the story, as opposed to the archaeological record, and details the various folkways:

Even if you’re running out of steam, the second floor is nice to at least wander through: