Mexico City – Troubled independence and her daughter Frida Kahlo

This post is a continuation of the first part of Mexico City, is quiser Acessa-click the here.

I often sympathize more carpenters, shoemakers, etc., that whole stupid boss supposedly civilized, talkers, called educated people. (Frida Kahlo)

No Saturday, 15 December, woke up and spent the morning updating our site and working on the photos and the content we post here. As we are exploring different places semper, and hardly stopped, occasionally we take a morning or sometimes even a whole day to get working exclusively on the material we post. At lunchtime, then we start with the Licia and her boyfriend Gabriel for lunch at Coyoacan region, in a local market with several grocery stores where food eaten several quesadillas, all very tasty.

After, strolled around the area and went to the Blue House, What is the Frida Kahlo museum, famous Mexican painter who lived in the first half of the last century. He was born in this house, the painter lived and died and consequently where she lived with her husband, also the painter Diego Rivera.

At home, transformed into a museum in the year 1958, contains works of the painter and, The most interesting, personal belongings and furniture of the era in which she lived there, besides tell his remarkable life story and suffered. Known works are present, as the frame Viva la Vida. Frida Kahlo was born in 6 July 1907, daughter of a German father and Mexican mother, and has since lived in this house. To 5 year-old contracted polio, illness which left Frida several sequels, mainly motor, in your legs, and led her to perform various surgeries. Although the sequelae, her father encouraged her to play sports, such as football and boxing, to cheer her, but over time his movement was becoming increasingly limited and his departure was inevitable sports. Since then Frida became a child alone, theme reflected in many paintings by the artist in his adulthood. To 18 years old, in 1925, coming home from school, I was on the bus suffered a serious accident and Frida was brutally injured. Suffered 3 spinal injuries, several fractured ribs, Clavicula and quadril, his right leg was broken in 11 parts and a handrail pierced his lower abdomen, fact that in the years following the cripple to have children. It was, then, again undergo multiple surgeries.

Since then Frida Kahlo began to get more involved with the world of painting. His paintings were mostly forms of the artist release their feelings about their suffering and their lives. He painted many self-portraits and many works that are represented by other characters, sometimes reflecting their loneliness in childhood, sometimes her sufferings in adulthood, as the growing inability of locomotion or the inability to have children, also a consequence of the accident in his youth. After starting to paint more actively, Frida penetrated environments political discussion and intellectual Mexico, where she met her husband and fellow artist Diego Rivera. She Diego and stayed together until the end of his life, except for a short period they were divorced. His work was recognized in life, unlike other artists, and m races this she lived for some years in the United States. Already close to his death, had a leg amputated partially because of an infection of gangrene, which further increased his physical and mental suffering. Frida died in 13 July 1954, in Mexico City.

We left the museum already late afternoon and we went for a beer in a bar with Licia and Gabriel. We experience a traditional Mexican cerveja michelada, which is not one brand or type of beer, but a way of preparation: when he asks the waiter for a beer michelada him behind the glass with a little lemon squeezed, Tabasco, black pepper and in some cases also Tabasco pepper. Although it may seem a little strange, mainly by peppers, like! At least some of us, hahaha! We spent the night at the bar, drinking some beers, petiscanso, goofing off and also participated in a game of Heineken, they won 2 bottles of Heineken's new film themes 007, until we get back to the apartment to sleep from Licia, it was still a day in Mexican capital!

No Sunday, 16 December, once again went out to walk around town. We walk peels Reform, avenue in the city center where only pedestrians are allowed. Then, rumamos the Castillo Chapultepec, which today houses the National Museum of History. On the way to the museum, through the park in front of the Castillo, had a large circle of people watching the show of a clown. Imagine our surprise when the clown, which had a microphone, decided to call the people to participate in the show. With so many people around, foi na direto people and, we 5, called well Fernandes (Leonardo), perhaps the shyest of us all! He was sheepishly time, but had no way to refuse and went to the center of the wheel to meet the clown, he was joking and Brazilians playing with balloons. Were 5 minutes of good laughs, at least for the 4 most of us the hundred and some Mexicans who were watching. But I think also likes Fernandes.

Arriving at the museum, we saw that history there treated mainly concerns the period from the Mexican independence, that we will now. The war for independence lasted from 1810 the 1821 (More details about the beginning of this movement you see in the post about the city of Guanajuato, by clicking here).

After independence, officially got em 1821 with the war of independence, the Mexican political scene was marked by instability. In 1848 Mexico lost many of their lands (almost half the territory when there exists independence) to the United States. Political instability increasing, Fruit the briga between liberals and conservatives, meant that if he started a war for power, that of Durou 1857 the 1861. At the end of the war, Liberals win and Benito Juárez, liberal, becomes President of Mexico. We conservatives, clearly dissatisfied, França to be unem (interested in exploiting the country's mines) and, with the help of the French army, takes power in 1864 and Maximilian of Austria plans, nephew of Empress Leopoldina, enthroned him Emperor of Mexico.

However, Maximiliano advocated a monarchy aided by a democratically elected Congress and this caused him to lose the support of conservatives, they did not want a Congress elected by the people, while liberals remained against him, because they were against a monarchy. Without many friends, in 1967 Maximilian was captured and executed by forces loyal to Benito Juarez, re-establishing the republic, drafting a new constitution that confiscated the lands of the Church (nearly half the country) and establishing other measures that separated church and state.

Benito Juárez was president until 1876, when, again, Conservatives stepped in. With the support of conservative group, Porfirio Diaz, Juárez general, if he comes president, Juárez accused of excessive centralization of power in his hands and he, who sought re-election, intended to stay in power too long. Irony of fate or trickery Porphyry (this obviously most likely) is that he stayed in power for 35 years old, of 1876 the 1911, supported by fraudulent reelections. His rule was marked by the development of Mexican infrastructure and industry growth, based on low-wage workers, fato which led to an increase in social problems. Conservative, considered that the development would only be achieved via the European way and the indigenous people of Mexico as an obstacle to the country's growth.

In another election in which Porphyry wanted to win reelection, Francisco Maduro, an intellectual from a wealthy family that was against Porphyry, gained popular support and was about to win the election, when the president ordered his arrest and was re-elected almost unanimously in another fraud. The people, who was standing Maduro, declined more esa fraud and starts the Mexican Revolution. With the defeat of the revolutionary forces by the federal army, Porphyry resignation as president and assume Log.

However, The revolutionary forces have not entered into an effective agreement on who would assume power, to be formed by different groups ideal, War and the Mexican Revolution has extended for more than twenty years, being virtually a civil war, with many changes of rulers in this period. The country was only achieve political stability around 1930 and so on, until the present day.

The Castillo de Chapultepec has a beautiful garden on its top and a wide view of the valley Mexican. The castle, that was Colegio military and Astronomical Observatory, served as the residence for several presidents. Each illustrious president modified it as wanted: Maximiliano illustrate how brands and Porfirio thought in developing the country – the greatest neatness brought by Maximiliano through an exquisite bathroom for him and his wife represented the development of public services such as potable water pipelines, Paving the streets with cobblestone and gas lighting. Já na was Porfírio, a reception room sumptuous, for meeting with diplomats, marks the strengthening of foreign affairs and international capital increase in the country. The Castillo turned museum em 1939, to do control President Lazaro Cardenas.

With so much history to observe, just leaving Castillo Chapultepec already late afternoon and we ran to the Museum of Anthropology, would close in an hour. Arriving at the museum, since the first surprise: it is huge and has an amazing architecture. Shaped rectangle, is hollow at its center, where one finds a central mast that holds the roof leaked this part. Anyway, it is easier to see the photo:

Access to the rooms of the museum, which are separated by the different peoples who occupied regions of Mexico, this is made from hollow core. We entered the room for the Mayan people, and then came our second surprise: The museum is very well assembled and rich in information.

Unfortunately, our time was already running out and we had a few minutes to contemplate the museum. We left with the feeling that we still had a lot to learn in that place, but had to leave for next time. It was night time and also dinner with our hosts and Licia Gabriel.

We indicated by a taqueria they, very good, where we prove several Mexican delicacies, as quesadillas, tacos al pastor and crust, among other dishes. Finishing dinner, taste the best three milk cake we ate on the entire trip. After a day of learning, great museums and a tasty dinner, returned for the last time at the apartment of Licia to sleep. The next morning, leave Mexico City, leaving for Oaxaca. Many thanks Licia and Gabriel for receiving and patience with us these 3 days spent in the Mexican capital or, for local, simply D.F.!

For more photos of this amazing passage through Mexico City, click here!