On Saturday we got up early and went on an excursion with the school to Mexico City, the capital of Mexico and one of the world's largest cities. Mexico City sits on an enormous dry lake bed in a highland valley surrounded by mountains. It is 7,347 feet high and is home to over 20 million people. Because of the excessive extraction of ground water, compaction of the clay soils, and excess of concrete that prevents the permeation of rain water, the city is sinking about 10 cm/year. It's quite obvious in the historic district where many of the buildings are sagging to various degrees. The city also sits on an active seismic zone, so most of the buildings are not constructed above more than a few stories. We started our tour in the historical district and then spent the rest of the day in the Museum of Anthropology at Chapultepec Park. Here are some shots from the historical district.
Click on this link if you want to see some amazing aerial photos of Mexico City:
When we arrived at the school to get on the bus, the security guards were all lined up to receive their orders for the day...
The Mexican flag flying over the zocalo...
The zocalo, the heart of the historical district...
The National Palace...
Inside the National Palace. Notice how the balcony is warped...
Diego Rivera's murals inside the National Palace. They depict the history of Mexico in a very colorful and controversial way...
A small part of one of the murals...
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The balcony above the main entrance to the National Palace. Each Sept. 15, Mexican Independence Day, the president of Mexico stands on the balcony to greet the thousands of spectators who fill the zocalo...
Some of the older buildings in the historical district. Notice the sagging...
The Metropolitan Cathedral, the largest of its kind in the western hemisphere...
Waiting for our bus...
Inside the Cathedral...
The area surrounding the zocalo...
Mc Donald's is located on the ground floor of this building...
More views from the Cathedral square...
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