Feminism in Russia - Passport magazine

Frida Kahlo Museum
must visit here are the Museum of Frida Kahlo, the famous “Casa
Azul” (“blue house” as it is painted in blue) and the Museum of
Leon Trotsky. Frida Kahlo was a well-known Mexican painter and
the wife of Diego Rivera, a bright, well-educated woman who
took up painting as a therapeutic outlet after a 1925 bus accident
nearly killed her. Due to the accident, she was never again
free of pain and suffered over 30 surgical operations in 29 years.
Through it all, she painted. Her themes were almost exclusively
about women: women’s bodies, birth, death and survival. In one
third of her work, she herself was the subject.
Just a couple of blocks from Frida’s house is an entrance to a
totally different universe—the temporary refuge of Leon Trotsky,
somebody who needs no introduction to PASSPORT readers.
Leon met his bitter end in this house, when an assassin planted
an ice-axe in his skull. Trotsky’s house is preserved in much the
same condition as it was on the day of the assassination.
Another “must-see” place close by Mexico City is
Teotihuacan, an ancient sacred site located 30 miles
northeast of Mexico City. Teotihuacán means
“place where the gods were born,” reflecting
the Aztec belief that the Gods created the universe.
Constructed around 300 AD, its most
monumental structures are the Temple of
Quetzalcoatl, the Pyramid of the Sun (the
third-largest pyramid in the world) and
the Pyramid of the Moon. The main
avenue of Teotihuacan that connects
the entrance with the pyramids is
called “Avenida de los Muertos”
(“The Avenue of the Dead”).
If you do not have enough energy to climb both pyramids,
go for the Pyramid of the Moon. Even though it’s not quite as
high as the Pyramid of the Sun, the view from the top beats
that of the Sun.
Keep in mind that Teotihuacán is located at an altitude of
over 2,000m. Take it slowly, bring something to block the sun,
plenty of water, and get there early before it gets too crowded
with other tourists.
Mexicans are of course famous for their mariachi singing.
The most common place to go and listen to them is the Garibaldi
Plaza (Square of Garibaldi).
Our next destination was Palenque, a Mayan city in the
south of Mexico that flourished in the 7th century. After its
decline it was absorbed into the jungle but has now been excavated
and restored. By 2005, the recovered area extended
to 2.5 km², but archaeologists say that this is less than 10% of
the total area of the city.
One of my main observations of my recent trip to Mexico
was that it’s hard to visit this country without knowing Spanish.
Hardly anyone, even in the tourist areas, spoke English.
Spanish is essential while talking to the cab drivers who
try to fleece foreigners more than they should, like in
Moscow. So always demand that they use the meter
and check if it’s working before getting into the car
and memorize some vocabulary around this topic
before your trip.
I must confess I could speak about Mexico
for ages. It is the country that I can easily relate
to and see myself living there on a longterm
basis. It is the country that has fully
lived up to my expectations; it is the
country that profoundly amazes me by
its warm and hospitable people, their
unique culture with great music, talented
dancing and mysterious monuments
and ruins from their past. P
April 2011
Travel
17
Pacio de Belles Artes in Mexico City