Margaret King Stanley’s Experience

Mexico City with its 23 million residents is a busy, busy city! Getting anywhere takes thirty to forty minutes because the traffic is so intense. Although Mexico has laws permitting locals to drive only on certain days, the number of cars on the road is still unbelievable.

However, I love big cities with their glamour and many attractions, and when I was invited to attend a performing arts meeting in Mexico, I jumped at the opportunity.

The occasion was the XVIII International Congress of ISPA, the International Society for the Performing Arts. Although I am no longer a presenter, I was recently made an honorary member of the organization and still regard the performing arts as one of my main interests. So I looked forward to being in Mexico and renewing friendships at ISPA.

The Mexico Congress was a truly global occasion with artist managers, consultants and administrators from China, Slovenia, Spain, Bosnia, Australia, Belgium, Singapore, Hungary, the Netherlands, Russia, Norway, Brazil, Germany and South Africa as well as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and of course, Mexico. The gathering introduced us to representative Mexican artists and delegates, many for the first time.

We stayed at the beautiful Four Season’s hotel on the Paseo de Reforma, an eight story building built around a charming patio where we enjoyed meals and camaraderie. The hotel concierge were very knowledgeable and spoke several languages. Since the perception (and reality) of Mexico City today is that taxis can be dangerous, the hotel provided reasonably priced cars for the safety of their guests. In one car that I took, the driver, learning that I was from San Antonio, revealed that he had gone to Texas Military Institute! Small world!
The first day we enjoyed the spectacle of the pyramids at Teotihaucan, one of the most important archeological sites in Latin America. This was a perfect introduction to the culture.

Among the buildings that our group visited for lectures or social occasions was the fantastic Palacio Postal, the old post office, still in use and “muy” impressive with its brass trim and twin glass elevators. I loved the brass gargoyles on the façade.

One day we visited the National Center for the Arts (CENART) where we heard discussions on arts and politics, art festivals in Mexico and Latin America and cultural exchange. A special treat was an opportunity to hear four aspiring Mexican opera singers.

A visit was also made to the Museo de Antropologia, a national museum and architecturally interesting building housing the most important pre-Hispanic art collection in Mexico. Mexico City, amazingly, has the largest number of museums of any city in the world, not counting its myriad art galleries, and more than 1400 monuments and historical buildings!

The impressive Zocolo or main square is the third largest square in the world and one day we had lunch on a high terrace overlooking the square and its massive main cathedral. Nearby were the remains of the Aztec’s Templo Mayor discovered in 1978 during evacuations for the subway.

A memorable dinner was held at Chapultepec Castle, former home of the French-imposed Emperor Maximilian and his wife, Carlotta, where the royal couple’s paintings, furniture and carriages are artfully displayed. The dinner, on the glassed-in second level veranda, was a lavish five course meal with wine and music and ISPA’s Distinguished Artist awards presented to opera star Fernando de la Mora and theatrical architect Alejandro Luna Ledesma. Only after the meal did we learn that we had been served escamoles (ant’s eggs) and gusano de maguey (fried worms), both specialties of old Mexico! We also enjoyed the view down the Reforma to the historic center, as Carlotta used to do while waiting for Maxmilian to return home in his carriage.

Appropriately, many of our evenings were spent seeing performances. The revised “El Graduado” (remember the movie “The Graduate” in the 1960’s?) was interesting because the director and scenographer, Felipe Fernandez del Paso, has enormous talent. His scene designs and his revision of the story to be more relevant for Mexicans was perfect. del Paso has worked with Robert Wilson (Nixon in China) and Julie Taymor (Frida; The Lion King).

We couldn’t leave Mexico without seeing the magnificent Ballet Folclorico. This event gave our group an opportunity to see the art nouveau Bellas Artes or Palace of Fine Arts and to admire the murals by Tamayo and other artists in the theatre.

At City Theatre, an exquisite small theatre in the heart of centro historico, the Mayor of Mexico spoke to us. He arrived on foot and slightly late since his car was held up in the terrific traffic! The Mayor emphasized the importance of the arts to Mexico. He told us that every weekend in Mexico City over 150 theatres were open to the public featuring performances of all kinds. We heard that the Mayor plans to run for President in the next election, so stay tuned.

One afternoon, passing the American Embassy, we noticed that the American flag was flying at half mast. We were stunned and almost afraid to ask who had died. Back at the hotel, we found that America had lost President Ronald Reagan that day.

Breakfast at Sanborn’s, luncheon at the Spanish Embassy, dinner at the charming San Angel Inn with 12 of my best friends (from the UK, Brazil, the USA, Canada and other countries), sightseeing in the Zona Rosa, walking in the Alameda Park where hurdy gurdys (but no monkeys) and raspa stands abound, and visits to the Insurgentes and La Ciudadela markets were only some of the things we did in the five days we were in the city. Even dancing at “Salon Mexico” where three Mexican bands play salsa, rumba and tango tunes until the wee hours.

I was impressed with the cleanliness of the city, especially considering its size, the friendliness of the people (I have always loved them, too!), the restoration and beautification that has helped to recreate downtown, the flowers blooming on the Reforma and the recently cleaned, dazzling buildings, standing in splendor in this city of palaces.

As we checked out of our hotel, Vladimir Putin of Russia checked in. I thought those men in the elevator the last morning looked serious!

No time for Xochimilco or Coyoacan or the new Circo restaurant this trip, maybe the next time. When people asked how many times I had visited Mexico, I had to answer “too many times to count.” I haven’t kept track---I only know it takes many visits to see this huge metropolis and soak up its flavor. I’m lucky and I can’t wait until the next visit!

Margaret King Stanley, June 2004

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