Mexico City

And some of the Tlatelolco buildings were the hardest hit by the big earthquake of 1985:

I'm liking learning about all these places, some entirely new to me, and some with names I recognize but couldn't have told you anything about, like Tlatelolco.

We keep moving east and find Barrio de la Lagunilla, and the oldest, most traditional and biggest flea market of the city.
You can get many different kind of stuff at Lagunilla, but mostly shoes, cheap (and I mean it in both senses) wedding gowns, horrible Sweet XV Years party gowns, all kinds of antiques and furniture.

From Lagunilla we can either go south, to Plaza Garibaldi, and listen to some mariachi music (in the plaza or in the bars that surround the plaza)...





South American visitors really love this place. I personally don't find that attractive.

... Or from Lagunilla we can dare to go east to Tepito, el Barrio Bravo (The Tough Barrio).

Tepito is where "the children of Sánchez" used to live in the 50s. A low class neighborhood, that had evolved into something more complicated.

During day time, Tepito becomes a huge maze of commercial stands, in which you can buy practically everything, at incredible prices.
When I say practically everything, I mean practically everything. When I say "incredible prices", I mean it.

This is part of the maze, as seen from above:



"Practically everything" means you can buy clothes, toys, appliances, movies, records, MP3, computer programs, purses, on the aisles near the main streets; watches, sunglasses, perfumes, creams, contraband cigarrettes, if you move further inside the maze; sex toys and steroids are farther inside; and as you near "The Fortress", drugs, police uniforms, weapons and who knows what.



Some of the stuff are legitimate remnants, most is piracy and cloning, some is stolen.
You can buy a legit Armani suit for $150, 10 MP3 with ten records each of obscure US metal and English folk groups for $5, a clone TV series like "Rome" for $4 (both seasons), rare manga for $3, etcetera

You are not supposed to go to Tepito with jewels, credit cards (though some stablishments accept them), or fancy clothing; you are supposed to divide your money different pockets, and under your socks. Pickpockets are at work.





At night, Tepito is no man's land.
If you're not a tepiteño, you should n0t be there.

Every once in a while there is an "operativo", a police raid. And riots ensue:

Now, if you're really into murales, Tepito is full of them. None of reknown artists, but they have become part of their peculiar local culture:

I suppose it is time for me to ask you about vecindades.
I read this book, long ago, Children of Sanchez, by Oscar Lewis. I think we have since talked about it on a2k, years ago. Anyway, that is how I was interested past being a zona rosa tourist. If I remember, you were dismissive.

I don't dismiss your being dismissive - just wondering.

This is how they look now in Tepito, but I don't think this is what you were expecting. We'll get to see run-down vecindades soon

The main characteric in old vecindades was that several families lived on them -each in a tiny one or two rooms apartment- and shared a couple of bathrooms and a place laundering clothes.

I don't just expect decimation. Not me. I am not that book.

Vecindades? Have I been misusing barrio as a general term for neighborhood?

Like the Bronx?

No, you have not, Roger.
Barrio is a way of saying neighborhood. "Colonia" is another way of saying it in Mexico.

Vecindades is a term that applies to a specific type of housing, common in Mexico from the XIX century to the mid XX century. It consists in groups of dwellings that share some things like bathrooms and laundering.

That's kind of a relief. Thanks for a new word

The vecindades I read about were tough to read about
and I wasn't kidding re the bronx, but tougher, and I've read a lot of trouble on that too.


But, as FB knows, I'm just talking.

I'm the one who bought up the new word. I know he would get to it. He has paced very well, no argument on that from me.

I consider Delegaciones like buroughs or counties.

Queens has neighborhoods like Forest Hills, Jackson Heights, Corona, Jamaica, etc.
Cuauhtémoc has Roma, Condesa, San Rafael, Tepito, etc.

Got it.

We leave Tepito, head east towards La Merced, but we cross a bit of Centro Histórico and find Arena Coliseo, a homely building, but the Cathedral of Lucha Libre:



Hair against Mask!

Barrio de La Merced is a low class neighborhood, next to what was, until the late 60s, the biggest wholesale food market.
It's still commercial, a big retail food market, and has become somewhat of a "red zone", with lots of cheap prostitutes.





Some people in La Merced are devouts of La Santa Muerte, the" Saintly Death", a strange cult, often linked with delinquency.

Christ, I was there in some place around that piazza with a bad date, or so I thought..... I avoided looking at him.

Well, another story, eh? Probably an actual nice gentleman.