MEXICO MAGNIFICO

OUR REAL MEXICAN ADVENTURES STARTED AFTER A COUPLE OF NIGHTS IN CHIHUAHUA.THE COPPER CANYON RAILWAY .14 HOURS,655KMS,36 BRIDGES AND 87 TUNNELS OF GOB-SMACKING BEAUTY!!

THE TRAIN IS KNOWN AS EL CHEPE.(THIS HAS NO BEARING ON THE TICKET PRICE).THE TRAIN GOES THROUGH THE FLOOR OF THE CANYON THAT IS DEEPER THAN GRAND CANYON IN PLACES.

SEVERAL INDIGENES LIVE IN THE AREA PLYING THEIR WONDERFUL WARES.

THE CANYON IS ACTUALLY THE D'URIQUE CANYON.COPPER CANYON IS ACTALLY ABOUT 20 KMS AWAY.ONE OF LIFE'S LITTLE MYSTERIES.

WE ACTUALLY LEFT AN HOUR BEFORE THE END AT A MOUNTAIN TOWN CALLED EL FUERTE -HOME OF THE LEGENDARY ZORRO.

A LITTLE LUXURY AT EL FUERTE HOTEL A 350 YEAR OLD RAMBLING MANSION CHOCKER BLOCK WITH ARTEFACTS OF THE INDIGENES,REVOLUTION AND CIVIL WAR!!

IT'S TRUE FOLKS ZORRO IS ALIVE AND WELL AND PERFORMS AT HIS FORMER FAMILY HOME NOW A HOTEL.HAPPY HOUR TWO FOR ONE MARGARITAS TO SET THE TONE.

TEOTIHUACAN

FROM ABOUT 100AD UNTIL THE 8TH CENTURY THIS SOPHISTICATED CITY WAS THE CAPITAL OF AN EMPIRE THAT EXTENDED TO PRESENT DAY GUATEMALA.IT WAS BASED ON MAIZE PRODUCTION WITH A COMPREHENSIVE IRRIGATION SYSTEM.THE WATER RAN OUT!!THIS IS PART OF A BAS RELIEF ON A THE COVERED TEMPLE OF QUETZLCOATL ONLY EXCAVATED QUITE RECENTLY.

THE EXPOSED ALTAR.ANTHROPROMORHISED GODS PF THE FEATHERED SERPENT,JAGUAR,PLUMED CONCH SHELLS,EAGLE AND BUTTERFLY AMONG OTHERS.

STILL VERY MUCH A WORK IN PROGRESS!!

MODEL OF WHAT THE CITY LOOKED LIKE.THE DOMINANT PYRAMIDS ARE THE MOON AND SUN PYRAMIDS.THERE IS DOUBT NOW THAT THEY ARE IN HONOUR OF THOSE BODIES BUT RATHER SOME OTHER DEITIES PROBABLY THE GOD OF WATER-MAKES SENSE!!

THE PYRAMIDS WERE PLASTERED OVER.ONLY CHEOPS IN GIZA EGYPT IS BIGGER THAN THE SUN PYRAMID.

SUN PYRAMID.

ON TOP OF SUN PYRAMID.THIS GOD HAD A PENCHNCE FOR CHILD SACRIFCE THAT TOOK PLACE AT THIS POINT.

MOON PYRAMID.

TENOCHTITLAN

THE AZTECS OR MEXICA WERE A WANDERING TRIBE FROM NW MEXICO WHO SETTLED IN THE VALLE DE MEXICO (MEXICO CITY).THEY VANQUISHED THE INDIGENOUS TRIBES AND BUILT THEIR CITY ON SWAMPLAND AND LAKES.AT THE CENTRE WAS A SERIES OF ALTERS FOR HUMAN SACRIFICE AND ALSO SELF BLOOD LETTING.THIS STUPENDOUS SACRIFICE KEPT THE SUN RISING. THE CENTRAL PYRAMID TYPICAL OF OTHER INCA AND PRE-INCA PYRAMIDS ARE LIKE RUSSIAN DOLLS.EACH NEW LEADER WOULD BUILD ANOTHER SRUCTURE OVER THE PREVOIUS ONE FILLING IT IN WITH EARTH AND RUBBLE.THIS ONE (STILL UNDERGOING EXCAVATION)IS 7 LAYERS.

THE FOUR PETALLED FLOWER AN IMPORTANT SYMBOL OF THE FOR POINT OF THE COMPASS.

THIS IS AN AUTO-SACRIFCE ALTAR.THE MURAL SHOWS A GRASS BALL THAT CONTAINS SPINES-MAGUEY POINTS,STINGRAY SPINES(SORRY STEVE IRWIN) FOR THE DEAD.USUALLY PENETRATION OF TONGUE ,GENITLAS OR VEINS OF THE LEG!!

HERNANDO CORTES DESTROYED MOST OF THE SURFACE AND USED THE STONE TO BUILD THE METROPOLITAN CATHEDRAL OF MEXICO CITY SHOWN IN THE BACKGROUND.CHECK OUT THE SKULL ALTAR.

MONTE ALBAN OAXACA ZAPOTEC CAPITAL

THE ZAPOTEC CAPITAL FROM 500BC TO 800AD ATOP MONTE ALBAN ABOVE PRESENT DAY OAXACA CITY.THIS IS THE PELOTA COURT A BALL GAME IN WHICH THE VICTORS WERE SACRIFIED TO GIVE THEM DIVINE STATUS AKIN TO MODERN DAY MUSLIM SUICICIDE BOMBERS!!

THE COMPLEX WAS BUILT ATOP FOUR MOUNTAIN PEAKS THAT WERE LEVELLED AND USED TO FILL IN THE VALLEYS.THIS STAGE TOOK 250 YEARD BEFORE BUILDINGS WERE ERECTED!!

A VERY STRATEGIC LOCATION ON THE NARROWEST PART OF THE CENTRAL AMERICAN ISTHMUS OTHER THAN PANAMA.ENABLED THEM TO CONTROL TRADE NORTH AND SOUTH.

BAS RELIEFS SHOW CAPTURED ENEMY LEADERS CRYING AS THEIR GENITALS HAVE BEEN CUT OFF.WHAT A PACK OF WIMPS!!!

THIS SHOWS THE COMMON PRACTICE OF AUTO-SACRIFICE CUTTING THE FACE AND GENITALS IN THIS CASE.SEEMS BIZARRE BUT THE PRACICE OF BLEEDING PATIENTS TO CURE ALL ILLS WAS COMMON PRACTICE IN THE WEST NOT THAT LONG AGO!!

LIKE I IMAGINE MOST CONVERSIONS TO CATHOLICISM BY THE SPANISH IT WAS ENFORCED.CONVERT OR DIE.MANY OF THE ARTESANS FORCED TO BUILD CHURCHES GOT THEIR OWN BACK IN VERY SUBTLE WAYS.THIS IS A SPANISH ORIGINAL BAS RELIEF SHOWING A CROSS IN TWO PARTS WITH THE CROWN OF THORNS.

THIS IS WHAT THE INDIGENOUS CARVERS PRODUCED.A CROSS IN ONE PIECE THEIR SYMBOL FOR THE FOUR POINT OF THE COMPASS.THE CROWN IS ACTUALLY A DEPICTION OF THEIR SUN-GOD.

BECAUSE HUMAN SACRIFICE AND AUTO -SACRIFICE WERE THE NORM IN MANY INDIGENOUS CULTURES THE CHURCH DOWNPLAYED THE JC ENDING BY PRODUCING CLEAN (BLOOD FREE) FRESCOES OF THE CRUCIFXION.

THIS FIGURE ON A BAPTISMAL FONT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A HAPPY LITTLE CHERUB ANGEL.THE INDIAN CARVER PRODUCED A SAD ROUND FACED INDIAN SURROUNDED BY FLAMES-AGAIN THE SUN-GOD!!

COLONIAL MEXICO

THE INFLUENCE OF THE SPANISH ON THE ARCHITECTURE OF CHUCHES,MANSIONS,PLAZAS,FOUNTAINS,COURTYARDS AND NAROW STREETS IS MIND BOGGLING.WITH NO SHORTAGE OF ENSLAVED INDIGENOUS STONEMASONS,WEALTHY SILVER MINE OWNERS AS SPONSORS A PLETHORA OF RELIDIOUS ORDERS HELL BENT ON OUTDOING EACH OTHER HAS LED TO AN UNBELIEVEABLE HERITAGE. ZACATECAS POP 116,000 WAS THE HQ FOR THE MISSIONS THAT SPREAD RIGHT UP INTO CALIFORNIA,NEW MEXICO,ARIZONA AND TEXAS HAS 360 CHURCHES!!
DESPITE WARS,EARHQUAKES,REVOLUTION AND PERIODIC EXPULSION OF CLERGY HUGE COLONIAL SECTIONS OF MOST CITIES REMAIN.MANY RELIGIOUS BUILDINGS NOW ARE STATE OR FEDERAL BUILDINGS,UNIVERSITIES,SCHOOLS OR EVEN PRISONS!!

THIS IS TYPICAL MEXICAN BAROQUE.TOWERS,CUPOLAS AND MULTIPLE STYLE COLUMNS.

MANY CITIES HAVE RESTORED AQUEDUCTS THAT ARE NOW JUST ARCHITECTURAL FEATURES.