México City is Sinking

Aloha Everyone,

The alarming documented fact is Mexico City has sunk more than 32 feet in the last 60 years. When you hear that Mexico City is sinking by 3 inches every year, it is unbelievable. In some parts of the city, the sinking is 15 inches a year! One might try to dismiss the news by saying, “California will one day drop into the Pacific Ocean.”

However, we are witnessing this very alarming and distressing problem on a daily basis. We walk through uneven sidewalks and sometimes hear cracking sounds of concrete breaking.

Cause: Mexico City was built on the ancient clay bed originally founded by the Aztecs.

Mexico City’s residents annually consume nearly 287 gallons of water each. 70 percent of the water is extracted from aquifers beneath the city. Water removal and the weight of buildings causes the soil to compact. The result is caving. Since it is uneven, some buildings are starting to tilt.

You can visibly see the effect of sinking on government buildings, monuments, palaces and churches. An example is the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. They have already built a 2nd Basilica with the expectation the original will one day collapse.

Walking along the Avenida Juarez, a mere three short blocks from our AirBnB, I took photos of a now condemned, modern building. The two of us will be most interested in following the news regarding the remedies to stabilize Mexico City’s unstable ground situation. Other cities with a similar problem include Venice, Italy and Shanghai, China.

Aloha -- Cathi

Chapultepec Castle

Aloha Everyone,

Chapultepec Castle is perched on a rock formation in the Bosque de Chapultepec. The site has a long history tracing back to the days of the Aztec Empire.

J.J.’s sentiment was that he will wait for me at a coffee shop down below so that I can run up to take in the splendor of the castle and a panoramic view of Mexico City. First of all, there were no coffee shops within the park. Once the two of us entered the lower castle gate, actually there was no turning back. Our entrance fee of 75 pesos each (US$4.17) was waived with our senior ID. The day was balmy, warm enough to remove our jackets as we prodded on.

At the check point to enter the castle proper, we were asked to drink or drain our water bottle. The handout pamphlets specified what may not enter the castle: no drinks, including water, no food and no chewing gum. Additional items that are prohibited include backpacks, large bags, notebooks, pens and pencils. Many were asked to check these items at a cost of $10 MXN for locker rental. J.J. and I were waived in with our large bags. Perhaps the guards have difficulty explaining rules to non-Spanish speaking foreigners.

The courtyard of the castle, with a beautiful fountain, has a commanding view of the city, including a lake within Chapultepec. The view was worth the climb.

The government employees anywhere tend to be officious and that is also the case in Mexico. While castle visitors are permitted to meander on their own, guards prefer that you go through each of the rooms in sequence. Heaven forbid if you want to skip Sala 1 and proceed to Sala 2. You are gently but firmly asked to go back to Sala 1.

We took a taxi from one of now familiar taxi drivers who usually park and wait for passengers near our condo. Our fare going was flat 150 peso, but on our return, the charge was 250 pesos.

Aloha -- Cathi

Bosque de Chapultepec (Chapultepec Forest)

Aloha Everyone,

Bosque de Chapultepec is nearly 1,700 acres located in the center of Mexico City. Though officially referred to as a forest, people often call it a park. Locals pride themselves of having the largest park in Mexico and America. When they learn that you are an American, with pride they let us know that it is larger than New York City’s Central Park.

The vast open space is impressive. Aside from offering residents an immense area for rest and recreational activities, Bosque de Chapultepec has a very important role of replenishing oxygen to the residents of Mexico City.

An electric train was getting ready for a trip around the park. Happy that the two of us did not have to cover the distance on foot, we gladly paid 25 peso (US$1.39) each and hopped on the train. Recorded guide explanations gave an overview of museums, fountains and notable trees.

Here is the Mexican cypress tree planted circa 1460. Fondly known as the“Sargent,” the tree is no longer alive, but its thick trunk measuring 130 inches in circumference is still attracting visitors.

Aloha -- Cathi

Laundry & Gallery Visits

Aloha Everyone,

Our life in the Mexico City is anything but ordinary. While our first load of laundry was washing, spinning and drying (yes, a total of 3 plus hours), J.J. and I took a stroll towards the Centró Histórico.

The Cuerpo exhibition is an open air gallery where we were invited to view displays of sculptures from the Corpus Museo Soumaya. Meaning and explanation in Spanish escaped me, but here are some of the interesting pieces.

Just a few steps away is another impressive residence known as the Palace of Iturbide. Imagine receiving this as a gift. It was built as a wedding present for his daughter by the Count of San Mateo Valparaíso. After changing ownership, today it houses the Fomento Cultural Panamax.

Black and white prints of harsh, unadulterated journalistic images were thought provoking and some quite disturbing.

Aloha -- Cathi

The Palacio de Bellas Artes (Palace of Fine Arts)

Aloha Everyone,

The Palacio De Bellas Artes occupies one end of Alameda Park. It is an iconic building always prominently featured in Mexico City guides. By proving we were seniors by showing our US Passport cards as ID, our entrance fee was waived. 

I especially enjoyed the temporary exhibition of Wassily Kandinsky’s paintings. The colors, textures were far better than his works reproduced in art books.

The top floor display of the history, design, and art of the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City celebrating its 50th anniversary was closed. However, gigantic murals by major Mexican artists were excellent and it stirred your emotions.

We also purchased tickets for this Sunday’s matinee performance of Ballet Folklórico de México. J.J. recalls seeing a performance of Ballet Folklórico de México when he was still in high school in the Philippines. He fondly remembers that it was impressive and J.J. is looking forward to seeing it again. Bellas Artes is a short walking distance from our AirBnB.

Aloha -- Cathi