Chapultepec

We took the subway two stops from the station near our hotel to Chapultepec. The Mexican Metro stations are marked with interesting symbols, this one a Grasshopper, as apparently that is what Chapultepec means. Continuing with the 1847 idea of our tour, this was a logical place to visit on our last day. It was the last battle in the war, American troops marched from there to the center of the city where a peace treaty was signed.

There is a lot more history at the site, it was Maximiliens palace when he was emperor, Porfirio Diaz lived there, etc. In 1847 it was a military school, and some of the students died as heros defending it. One was only 13 years old.

There is a huge monument at the site, that makes mention of the war in 1847, but is silent as to the identity of the invader. Our tourist map was equally circumspect. The last room we visited at the museum did indeed identify the US as the invader, and even included an American uniform and rifle. There was a video playing on repeat that showed a reconstruction of the battle. My Spanish is far from excellent (not even passable to be honest) but it seemed that they video claimed the Mexicans were outnumbered. Ballentine of course asserts the opposite.

We spent some time at the Museum of Modern Art, at the foot of the hill on which the citadel stands. The Frida Kahlo painting of her cutting her blood vessel to symbolize her divorce from Diego Rivera is there, as were a number of other interesting paintings. Our plan was to go to the Geology museum, but it was closed for the month, so here we are. Soon we should leave to the Zocalo, or perhaps Churrabusco, another site of battle in 1847 that is now within the city limits.