I arrived to Mexico City in a sunny Thursday. It had been seven years since I’d set a foot over the place where I was born. When I got off the plane I heard people talking in that strange accent that I haven’t heard for years and grew unaccustomed to. I was born there and was a little bit fond of that place. Because I was only nine years old my last time in Mexico City, I don’t remember it well so my family told me that we were going to meet Mexico City for the second time.
The first day we went to El Zocalo, we had breakfast at a beautiful hotel facing towards the cathedral of Mexico. The hotel was over one hundred years old and the stained glass on the ceiling was astonishing. After eating, we went to the cathedral, which has been the most gorgeous religious place I have ever been in. My godmother bought me a bracelet there, and I still wear it because I feel that it’s protecting me.
After leaving the cathedral we went to a museum. The museum was called El Templo Mayor. It was the main temple of the Aztecs in Tenochtitlan. Even though whatever’s left of the temple is in ruins, it’s still a great sight. I cannot describe the feeling I had walking through the halls of that temple and thinking that a great civilization walked through those same halls. However, the rest of the city is underground and in order to see it many buildings, including the cathedral and hotel, would have to be demolished. But of course, no one will destroy those buildings since they’re from the colonial times and historically important.
The second day we went to Teotihuacan to see the ancient pyramids. I walked many miles and climbed the Temple of the Moon. Each stair was one foot high and eight inches thick, so I had to use my hands to help climb up the stairs. When I was halfway up, I had to stop to rest and my cousin said that’s why the Teotihuacan people were skinny. After a long day of walking, climbing, and getting sunburned we went to a restaurant called “La Gruta” or The Cavern. It was literally inside a cave but it had candles to light up the area which made it a beautiful scenery.
A few days later, we went to a castle called Chapultepec. There are only two castles in the continent of America, and both of them are in Mexico. The castle was built in 1784 and during the Mexican-American War in 1847, it was attacked by the U.S. In 1872 the dictator Porfirio Diaz made the castle his home until the Mexican Revolution. Since then, the castle has been a museum. The rooms had antique furniture with captivating designs and the garden was green and nicely cut. I had already been there once, but this time I was truly enjoying the splendor of the castle and valuing everything I saw since it played a role in the formation of Mexico.
This trip helped me feel a greater connection towards Mexico City that I once thought was lost. Although seeing my family after seven years gave me joy, I was also glad to learn about the place where I was born. Now I’m even prouder about my heritage than I’ve ever been. I admire all the cultures that have occupied the lands of my country. According to my family, we left pending many places so hopefully I’ll soon visit the city that has taken over my heart.
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