The first day in Mexico City
Tiwy.com (September 2007)
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Mexico City is one of the largest cities in the world, the population of which has exceeded 20 million! The city-country! The person, who got in the Mexican capital for the first time, will definitely have a question – from where should he start acquaintance with the city? What place is considered to be an «icon», mandatory to visit?
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Chapultepec palace – is the complete history of Mexico
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Chapultepec castle is one of them. It is situated on a high hill in the center of Mexico City in the huge, of the same name park - «green lungs» of the capital.
Their palaces were situated here even at the times of Indian rulers.
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Chapultepec in the language of Indians-náhuatl means a «hill, where grasshoppers live». That is why you can often see a plot with a grasshopper in the decor of the palace, and in the yard there is a cozy fountain with a bronze grasshopper who has comfortably settled down in its center.
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Chapultepec castle was erected as a residence for a viceroy of Spain – omnipotent ruler of «Spanish crown» possessions.
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For a short period (1864-1867), Maximilian Austrian, a governor-general of Napoleon resided there as an «emperor». He was executed by Mexicans as an usurper of power. The republic was restored in the country and Benito Juarez was elected a president.
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Nowadays the palace houses the National museum of history. Its richest exposition enables to properly experience the ages of dramatic history of Mexicans, who managed to defend their freedom and independence in the struggle with the most diverse conquerors.
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Another reminder of the bloodiest pages of that struggle are the six huge columns at the entrance to the park that were erected in memory of cadets, who in 1847 defended the castle (at that time a military academy was located there) from attacks of the US soldiers, who invaded Mexico.
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«Children-heroes» - under that name the heroic six of cadets came into history of Mexico. Their bronze sculptures on the steep of a hill are still having an unequal fight with the aggressor who came from the North.
It was in that war (1846-1847) that the United States snapped off huge territories of Mexico – Texas and Arizona being among them.
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It is better to ascend on top of the Chapultepec hill by a tiny, almost toy train.
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If you are lucky and there is no thick smog, which is very much peculiar to the capital, you may enjoy the magnificent view of the city. Avenida La Reforma, its highest building – Torre Mayor and even the main symbol of Mexico – Column of Angel look most effective.
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«Dialogue of benches» (Dialogo de bancas)
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Avenida La Reforma is another «icon» place of Mexico. Walks along it under the thick green shade of trees are not tiring despite the streams of vehicles. In February 2007, when we strolled along it a «parade of benches» was held there.
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This original exhibition was named by its organisers as a «Dialogo de bancas» - there was quite a number of those, who wanted to sit on such vanguard exhibits.
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Fuente "Cocodrilo"
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Sculptural compositions are constantly renewed. We liked a «Crocodile family on a river stroll» very much.
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