It's just about that time of year again, when we MexicoCity residents go looking for the shade of a generous tree, the exquisite flavor of lime or mango ice cream, and it's in Coyoacán, in the southern part of Mexico City, where these activities have a very special flavor.

The word Coyoacán in Náhuatl means "the place for those who have or worship coyotes".  This is due to the  fact that the Aztecs felt great admiration and respect for all animals, especially for those which were the base of their religion, like the jaguar and the coyote.


Coyoacán is one of the most attractive places in
Mexico City for many reasons, among them being that there are uncountable ways of getting close to culture there.  For example, in the Centenario Garden there are cafés and bookstores where young people and intellectuals gather to discuss and exchange ideas and opinions about literature, art, music and politics.
There are also artists painting everyday scenes of
Coyoacán; there are musicians and mimes, and of
course, there are many people enjoying the richness of these cultural activities. 

In the zócalo, people gather to chat while their
children play with bubbles, balloons and the pigeons which they chase with unending interest.

Around the Coyoacán area, there are many museums, such as the Watercolor museum, the Carrillo Gil museum, the Leon Trotsky museum where this famous Russian revolutionary lived during his exile, and of course, there's the Frida Kahlo Museum. This museum is especially interesting because it was the residence of
two of Mexico's most famous artists -- Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.  Frida was born in this very same home and the materials which she used to paint and draw, despite her sickness, have been conserved.

The Museum of Popular Culture is particularly
interesting, given the fact that it is here that
non-traditional artistic expression is openly
displayed.   The reason for the existence of this museum  " the necessity to recognize, document and make known the creativity and the cultural initiative of the country's popular sectors."


The Museum of Popular Culture is a warm and fun place in which we can find exhibits of art, customs, food, traditions and Mexican shows.  Some of the exhibits that have been on display are: "El Maíz, Fundamento de la Cultura Popular Mexicana", Corn, the Fundament of Mexican Popular Culture, "Puros cuentos, la historia de la historieta en México",  Stories :The Story of the Mexican Comics, "La lucha libre", Wrestling,  "Tepito, Mito Mágico" Tepito Magic Myth, and "El Juguete PopularMexicano", Mexican Popular Toys..

Presently there is an exhibit about salt and another
one about Mexican food -- mmmhhhh! How about some "panuchitos" (tortilla with beans and pork prepared with  Mixiote) directly from the state of Yucatán, or a delicious mole poblano? You can also enjoy mole negro , black mole, from Oaxaca,  goat from Monterrey.  It truly is just a sample of the great richness of Mexican culinary tradition.

This exhibit is called "Dime qué comes. las cocinas de México" ,Tell me what you're eating...Mexican kitchens.  By the way, although we love chile and we have over 50 types that we eat here and export to other countries, not all Mexican food is spicy.

Another delicacy that you can try in the museum is
bread, as on the weekends bread makers from all over the country bring fresh breads to sell.  They also share their secrets about how the bread is made, its history and name; for example, las chilindrinas, los
cuernitos, cochinitos and semitas.  Just telling you
about it makes my mouth water!

As you can see, Coyoacán is one of the typical places in Mexico City where we can find and enjoy the essence of Mexico.    

 

 

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