Mexico - Day of the Dead

Our day begins with an exploration of the Templo Mayor, the most important Aztec temple. This temple also functioned as an ideological environment constructed to support the authority of the Aztec ruler and pivot of Aztec imperialism. Religious display was exploited to amplify power. The excellent Templo Mayor Museum houses the archaeological remains found onsite. The objects vary from human remains to flora and fauna and thousands of artefacts from the 38 tributary provinces of the Aztec Empire. In the afternoon, we walk to the National Palace, where we will admire Diego Rivera’s magnificent murals: Mexico through the Centuries.

Hotel: Hampton Inn & Suites Mexico City

Today we travel to Toluca, in the State of Mexico, to see the feria del alfeñique, the sugar fair that precedes the Day of the Dead. Sugar skulls, which come in all shapes and sizes, and all kinds of animals are made of icing-sugar and a powder called pápalo that is obtained from a plant that grows in the nearby mountains. In the afternoon, we venture to Metepec, a potters’ town where these skulls are produced, as well as complex and symbolic trees of life and pottery candelabra. Afterwards, we drive to our hotel in Tepoztlán.

Hotel: Hotel Posada del Tepozteco

Early risers may take the opportunity to hike to El Tepozteco temple-pyramid. The temple, which was the place of worship of the Pulque (wine) gods, has interesting carvings, including the glyph of the eighth Aztec ruler, Ahuitzotl, on the interior chamber, though its construction goes back to early Aztec times. After a visit to the site museum at Tepoztlán, we walk to the market to explore items produced for the Day of the Dead, including incense and bark-paper paintings. After lunch, we travel to Cuernavaca to visit the Palace of Cortes, now a wonderful museum that houses a large collection of Pre-Columbian and Colonial artefacts, as well as an extraordinary mural painting by Diego Rivera called History of Morelos, Conquest and Revolution. Later, we travel to Puebla, our base for the next two nights.

Hotel: Hotel NH Puebla

Today’s first highlight is Cholula known for its Great Pyramid and Church of the Virgin of the Remedies built on top of it. The pyramid already out of use at the time of Cortes, was a place of pilgrimage, as the Catholic Church of the Virgin of the Remedies is today. We journey back to Puebla for a tour of the city and markets.

Hotel: Hotel NH Puebla

We spend the whole day in the City of the Gods, Teotihuacan. According to the Aztecs, the gods gathered in the darkness at Teotihuacan to bring forth the sun. The development of an origin myth based on the belief that Teotihuacan was the place where time began. One of the largest cities in the world in A.D. 600, the ancient city has been systematically excavated for the past forty years, uncovering extraordinary finds.

Hotel: Hampton Inn & Suites Mexico City

Today we visit two fascinating museums which prepare special offerings for the Day of the Dead in memory of the artists whose works are exhibited. We first explore the Anahuacalli Museum, which displays Diego Rivera’s large collection of Ancient Mexican artefacts as well as his art. After lunch we visit La Casa Azul, where Frida Kahlo was born and where she spent many years with Diego Rivera. Today it is a museum which contains a significant part of her collection, approximately 200 paintings.

Hotel: Hampton Inn & Suites Mexico City

We drive to the lake area of Xochimilco, once the breadbasket of the Aztecs. We take a trip round the lake on a large trajinera (dug-out canoe) to explore the canals and prolific wetland farms of the Aztec capital. We then proceed to the Dolores Olmedo Museum for its collection of Rivera and Kahlo paintings and during our visit at the Olmedo Estate we are able to enjoy some of the most creative Day of the Dead events in Mexico, including skeleton contests and theatrical performances. We continue to another lake location, Mixquic, to experience more Day of the Dead celebrations, which include music, competitions for the best decorated boat and for the best ‘offering’ within the houses. The cemetery in Mixquic is the focal point of the celebrations, where people remember their lost loved ones. The graves are cleaned, families bring candlesticks and vases for flowers, incense and food.

Hotel: Hampton Inn & Suites Mexico City

Today we visit the Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City, the largest museum in Mexico, which contains a world-class collection of art and artefacts from the country’s rich cultural heritage, including the Stone of the Sun and the Aztec Xochipilli statue. In the afternoon we explore contemporary Mexico, visiting the Museum of Modern Art to see its collections of international Mexican artists, including such notable figures as Rufino Tamayo and José Clemente Orozco, as well as Rivera and Kahlo.

Hotel: Hampton Inn & Suites Mexico City

We visit the archaeological site and museum of Tlatelolco, once an independent Aztec city which was conquered in 1473 by the Aztec ruler Axayacatl who incorporated the city into the polity of Tenochtitlan. This city played an important role in ensuring prosperity of the Aztec capital. Adjacent to the archaeological site is the Colegio Imperial de Santa Cruz de Tlatelolco, a 16^th century Franciscan centre which played a vital role in the education of native children. In the afternoon, we visit the National University of Mexico with its wonderful murals by Mexican painters, including Siqueiros, Rivera and O’Gorman.

Hotel: Hampton Inn & Suites Mexico City

We spend the morning at Cuicuilco, an interesting archaeological site where we admire an early 1^st century BC circular pyramid. Cuicuilco’s development was interrupted by the eruption of the Xitle volcano which forced its inhabitants move to Teotihuacan. We finish our tour at the beautiful San Angel Inn Restaurant where we have a tasty farewell lunch before transferring to the airport for our flight home.

Hotel: Hampton Inn & Suites Mexico City

After an overnight flight we arrive back in London.