Let’s play! Today will will explore who the Aztec were and how they founded a city in a most unusual place that would become one of the largest and most beautiful city in the world.

Aztecs were the last ones to migrate into the Valley of Mexico about 750 years ago. For the last 200 years they were on a pilgrimage. Aztec most important deity God of War and Sun Huitzilopochtli sent them in search for a site of a great city. Huitzilopochtli told that they will know the spot when they see an eagle with a snake in its beak perched atop a cactus.

Seven original tribes left on the pilgrimage from the arid lands in the North of the valley. 200 years of wandering around is a long time! They learned along their journey: how to search for food and water, how to hunt and how to trade. They were poor if you only measure their belongings. And they did not speak the valley language when the tribes finally stumbled into it from the north.

Quest #1: Visit the Tacubaya subway station (line 1, 7, and 9). Locate mural Guillermo Ceniceros "Del Códice al Mural". It depicts the pilgrimage of the Aztec from their departure from Aztlán to their arrival in the Valley of Mexico. Can you find Huitzilopochtli? What animal represents the Earth?

The valley of Mexico supported many tribes living around the lakes at the time of Aztecs arrival. The locals continued to practice the ancient codices (painted books with mystical and spiritual laws of the world and life) of Toltecs, even though it was roughly 500 years after the collapse of the Toltec civilization and the Toltec practices were somewhat degraded.

Remember QuetzalCóatl or Feathered Serpent and his promise to return? He was part a bird and part a snake. And, what about Huitzilopochtli’s sign for showing the site of a future great city? It was an eagle with a snake in its beak. Coincidence?

In the first 50 years after their arrival, Aztecs traveled through the valley, learned the local language, the ancient codices and gods of Toltecs, adapted to whatever was left from the Toltec culture, made alliances and enemies, and, finally in 1325, they fulfilled the prophecy. Aztecs witnessed an eagle with a snake in its beak perched atop a cactus. There, they settled, founding a City of Tenochtitlán. This prophecy is now immortalized in Mexico’s coat of arms and on the Mexican flag.

Quest #2: While walking around the Historic Center main square, locate a fountain that depicts the moment of the prophecy fulfillment. How many Aztecs are in the composition?

Quest #3: (Bonus) Visit the Hidalgo subway station (line 2) and the Zócalo subway station (line 2). Look for decorative panels with murals that depict the pilgrimage of the Aztec from their departure from Aztlán to their arrival in the Valley of Mexico. Can you find the Mexico's coat of arms?

And, remember to take at least one picture with the most important symbol of Mexico. Here is my picture. What is yours?

Do you like my posts? What until you see my quests! If you ever decide to visit Acadia National Park, check out my book available on Amazon as paperback and Kindle editions. Buy a book, change a life! Thank you for your support and patronage.

Copyright © 2022 by E.Gra. Unless otherwise noted, all rights reserved. Unless otherwise indicated, no part of this work may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the author’s prior written consent.

The idea of QuetzalCóatl and its return is a great part of the beliefs of people of Mexico. Let’s discover who was QuetzalCóatl, why was he important and how you can spot it while in Mexico.

You might remember that the Valley of Mexico is surrounded by mountains with two prominent volcanos: Iztaccíhuatl (White Woman) and Popocatépetl (Smoking Mountain), with Popocatépetl is being the most active volcano in Mexico. The valley is also prone to strong earthquakes due to its location on the edges of three colliding tectonic plates. No wonder that the valley’s tribes had complex religious beliefs, worshipping large pantheon of gods. Their Earth Goddess, symbol of the creation and distraction, was represented as a Serpent (Cóatl). With all that ground trembling, you might believe that you are living on an enormous snake.

Aztecs were the last ones to migrate into the Valley of Mexico about 750 years ago. While wandering around the valley looking for a place to settle, they discovered that all tribes still practice the ancient codices of Toltecs, the books of laws that survived after the collapse of the Toltec civilization roughly 500 years ago. Strangely, in today multi-ethnic mosaic of 62 Aboriginal peoples of the nation of Mexico, not one is of Toltec. If they were people with a major culture, they should be able to survive. It is because the Toltec have never been about people or culture. The Toltec were always about a wisdom, a way of life, a religion of sort.

“Tolteca” was a word for a wise man. There were Olmec Toltec and Maya Toltec. There were Toltec in every culture, who studied energy around themselves and taught harmony and balance. Conquest and cultural unity were not part of Toltec way of life, as it did not set restrictions on languages, religious manifestations, architecture, art, food or clothing. The Toltec allowed all peoples to be different, while only aligning their moral values and principles.

Well, more than a thousand years ago Toltec already practiced the white magic of healing and studied such non-materialistic concepts as freedom and suppression, fear and envy. They taught peace, promoted no conflicts or weapon development. No new weapons were developed besides the bow and the arrow, the spear and the shield, the mallet and the sling that existed since prehistory. It is believed that the Toltec discovered medicine, designed the calendar system, and even created the Nahuatl language.

The Toltec highest teacher was virtuous and spiritual Quetzal (Feathered) Cóatl (Serpent). His upper body symbolizes the sky, and the spirit, represented by the Quetzal, a bird that flies high. His low body symbolizes the earth, and the matter, represented by Cóatl, a serpent. He was the representation of his teaching – the unity and balance between spirit and matter. Feathered Serpent had his university set in town of Cholula, the heart of the Tolmec empire. People from all over Mexico including the Mayan, the Oaxacans, the Purépechas, the Tlaxcaltecas and the Chichimeca came to study there.

One day, Feathered Serpent abandoned his people. The legend tells us that due to increased seismic activity in the region, people became scared and some demanded human sacrifices to appease the gods. The bloody ritual of human sacrifices was prohibited by Feathered Serpent. So, he left promising to return and restore harmony and balance of the land in the year One Cane. With his departure, Toltec knowledge centers were destroyed. Some codices survived, but without guidance in deciphering the teaching, the knowledge became somewhat lost and degraded. With time, ruling families took more control, the lands were divided, which brought conflicts and wars.

The year One Cane repeats every 52 years. Since Feathered Serpent departure, people of Mexica were waiting for him to return. For them, QuetzalCóatl represents the hopes for a brighter future, when finally everything that is wrong with the society today would be set right.

Quest #1: Now, you have the knowledge to spot QuetzalCóatl on archeological sites and in the local art throughout the Mexico. Can you take a picture with this important symbol? It will bring you luck in your future. Here is my picture. Let's see yours.

Do you like my posts? What until you see my quests! If you ever decide to visit Acadia National Park, check out my book available on Amazon as paperback and Kindle editions. Buy a book, change a life! Thank you for your support and patronage.

Copyright © 2022 by E.Gra. Unless otherwise noted, all rights reserved. Unless otherwise indicated, no part of this work may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the author’s prior written consent.

Let’s play! Today, we will explore the geography around Mexico City through paintings.

Quest #1: Visit the Museo Nacional de Arte (Free on Sundays) in Mexico City in search of any of the paintings below.

Well, Mexico City is located in the Valley of Mexico. To imagine the valley before its degradation with today’s urban development, enjoy three paintings by the famous Mexican artist José María Velasco, depicting the valley from more than 150 years ago.

Completely surrounded by mountains, the valley used to collect its waters in five now-extinct lakes dotted with countless islands.

The white peaks that predominate paintings vistas are the Iztaccíhuatl (White Woman) and Popocatépetl (Smoking Mountain) volcanos.

In Aztec mythology, Iztaccíhuatl was a princess who fell in love with one of her father’s warriors, Popocatépetl. Noticing his daughter’s affection, emperor sends the warrior on a suicidal mission with his daughter hand in marriage as a reward. After receiving grave news about Popocatépetl death, Iztaccíhuatl dies of grief. When Popocatépetl returns and finds his lover dead, he takes her body for burial as far away from the city as possible.

After saying his goodbyes, he kneels by her grave. During the night, gods covered both bodies with snow, turning them into mountains. Iztaccíhuatl is the dormant volcano and its four snow-capped peaks depict the head, chest, knees and feet of a sleeping female. Popocatépetl is the most active volcano in Mexico, raining fire in rage at the loss of his beloved. Since the arrival on the Spanish in 1519, it have had more than 15 major eruptions.

Iztaccíhuatl is the third, while Popocatépetl is the second, highest peak in Mexico. They are called twins as they are connected. The dangerous pass between them is how Hernan Cortes and his men sneaked into the Valley of Mexico in 1519, while trying to avoid Aztec warriors.

Quest #2: Where is the artist's house? While the Museo Nacional de Arte in Mexico City, locate the paining above. Can you find the contours of Mexico City by two towers of its Cathedral? Now, follow the ancient Aztec causeway or raised road to the Basilica to the Virgin Guadalupe, one of the greatest spiritual places in Mexico. What geological formation the Basilica is on? The artist’s home at the foot of it.

Humans were always attracted to the valley due to its abundance of water, fish and game, mild climate and large territory suited for growing food. Inhabited for at least 12,000 years, the valley was a center of many early Mesoamerican cultures, including the ones we now know as

• the Builders of Teothihuacan (who lived 2000 years ago),
• the Toltec (who lived 1000 years ago), and
• the Aztec (who lived 500 years ago).

Quest #3: Look for more landscapes of the Valley of Mexico. Can you find any paintings of the Italian artist Eugenio Landesio? He was Velasco professor in the Royal Academy of San Carlos.

Quest #4: (Bonus) Visit the Antigua Academia de San Carlos. It is a beautiful building and good art museum.

Do you like my posts? What until you see my quests! If you ever decide to visit Acadia National Park, check out my book available on Amazon as paperback and Kindle editions. Buy a book, change a life! Thank you for your support and patronage.

Copyright © 2022 by E.Gra. Unless otherwise noted, all rights reserved. Unless otherwise indicated, no part of this work may be reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the author’s prior written consent.