Mexico City, with a population estimated to be somewhere between 23 and 25 million people, is located at an altitude of 7,350 feet in the Valle de México, a valley in the high plateaus of México.
Three days in Mexico City wasn´t enough time to see everything we had planned to.  What we did see was mostly sensational,  and with the exception of a few hours of rain one day,  fall weather in the 70´s during the day was perfect for strolling through the leafy, tree-lined streets of Condesa and Roma.

CONDESA – IN THE BOROUGH OF CUAUHTÉMOC – MEXICO CITY –  LA CIUDAD DE MÉXICO

The National Museum of Anthropology is simply spectacular.  Located between la Reforma and Chapultepec park, the museum covers an area of almost 20 acres (8 hectares).  The enormous rectangular building surrounds a large rectangular pond .  A very large, square concrete “umbrella” is supported by a single pillar with water cascading down it.  This fantastic museum contains 23 halls looking out onto gardens, several of which have outdoor displays, including replicas of pre-Columbian temples.  The first floor is devoted to important archaeological and anthropological artifacts, while the second floor has a large and handsome display of indigenous costumes, etc. We spent seven hours immersed in myth, magic, religion, history and beauty at the National Museum of Anthropology and wished we could have returned the following day.
.

THE CENTRAL COURTYARD “UMBRELLA” OF THE MUSEUM – EL “PARAGUAS” DEL MUSEO DE ANTROPOLOGÍA

PAKAL TOMB- NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY

PALACIO DE BELLAS ARTES

“CORTINA”  IRIDESCENTE DE CRISTAL – EL TEATRO DEL PALACIO DE BELLAS ARTES

Museum of “Arte Popular”  – This excellent museum of handicrafts and folk art takes up three of the four floors and is organized into five permanent halls divided by themes, plus two dedicated to “grand masters.”  Themes are “lo Cotidiano” (“Everyday Things”); “Las Raices del Arte Mexicano” (“Roots of Mexican Art”); “Lo Religioso” (“Religious); and “Lo Fantasmagico” (“Fantastic and Magical”).

EL MUSEO DEL ARTE POPULAR

Mural Museum of Diego Rivera – There is only one mural in this museum, but it is a wonderful one – “Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Alameda Park.”  The mural was painted during the years 1946 and 1947,  and depicts famous people and events in Mexican history.  The museum is adjacent to the Alameda in the historical center of Mexico City.

Museo Mural de Diego Rivera – “Sueño de una tarde dominical en la Alameda Central”

Museum of Dolores Almedo Patiño – In 1994, business woman, musician and philanthropist Dolores Almedo Patiño converted a beautiful property she had purchased in 1962 in Xochimilco, a southern part of Mexico City,  to a museum and named it after herself.

MUSEO DE DOLORES ALMEDO PATIÑO

 A friend of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, Almedo Patiño donated her entire collection of art to the museum, which included 6,000 pre-Hispanic figurines, folk, colonia, modern and contemporary and the largest collection of paintings by Kahlo,  Rivera and Angelina Beloff.  In addition to sculptures in the lush gardens, there is an assortment of geese, ducks, peafowls and a dozen Xoloitzcuintles (Mexican hairless dog).  The Xolos here are all related and so are bred only with outsiders.  It was interesting to see that they collected near their look-alike sculptures.

This museum should not be missed if one is visting the floating gardens of Xochimilco, about 10 mninutes away by car.

XOLOS – MUSEO DOLORES ALMEDO PATIÑO

Xochimilco – No floating gardens in sight, but there are several nurseries selling plants on both sides  of the meandering canal.  One can ask the boatman to stop next to a restaurant and have a lunch delivered, or buy grilled corn on the cob being sold from a panga (small boat).  Mariachis float by on barges and can be hired for a song or for hours.  In the latter case, the customer´s barge and the barge carrying the mariachis are tied together.   Xochimilco is not a beautiful place, but it is colorful and joyful.

XOCHIMILCO

VISTA INTERESANTE DE MUÑECAS A UN LADO DEL CANAL EN XOCHIMILCO.  INTERESTING VIEW FROM THE CANAL IN XOCHIMILCO.

Siqueiros Cultural Polyforum – The largest mural in the world was completed by David Alfaro Siqueiros in 1971.    Entitled “The March of Humanity on Earth and Towards the Cosmos, ” the work is an integration of architecture, mural painting and polychromed sculpture.

The exterior was planned to encourage people to enter the Forum Universal, the interior of the polyforum.  The size and scale of the mural is impressive, but the art did not resonate with me.  The “march of humanity” is dark, emphasizing chaos amd a bleak struggle.  A circular, revolving floor, complete with chairs,  enables visitors to sit while viewing all aspects of the Forum, but it wasn´t working when we were there.

“LA MARCHA DE LA HUMANEDAD” POR DAVID ALFARO SIQUEIROS – EN EL                                                                     POLYFORUM CULTURAL SIQUEIROS

DONATIONS AT CLINIC IN COLONIA LA FLORESTA NOVEMBER 16-19:  1,480 pesos

DR. PEÑA – ALTAVELA

ALTAVELA, NAYARIT – A newish colonia with a few hundred small, cement houses is a ten-minutes drive east of the stoplight in Mezcales and about 40 minutes north of Vallarta.  The PEACEAnimals clinic took place inside the clinic of Dr. Esquivel Peña Rico, a green-eyed vet who practiced in Phoenix for six years.

Arriving about 11 AM on the way to a PEACEAnimals board meeting in la Cruz with directors Lucy Muñiz and Ralph Osborne, we were too late for photos of people with their pets, but on time to see Patti Meneses of Vallarta Adventures deliver a donation of 10,000 pesos worth of vet supplies.  She was there with a Vallarta Adventures videographer who was filming an interview with
Dr. Peña.  Dr. Peña not only gave PEACEAnimals the
use of his clinic, he and Genero Parra, mayor of Sayulita and founder of Mi Bahia Querido (My Beloved Bay) Foundation,  paid the extra costs of driving time and gasoline for this clinic outside Vallarta.

LUCY MUÑIZ (PEACEANIMALS) , PATTI MENESES (VALLARTA ADVENTURES)  Y RALPH OSBORNE (DIRECOR – PEACEANIMALS)- CLÍNICA EN ALTAVELA

         

In my hurry to get to the board meeting, I sped through two feet of a yellow light which soon turned red and was immediately followed by a police car with flashing blue and red lights.  After I pulled over, a discussion took place and ended in my first Mexican “arrangement” regarding a possible ticket and removal of one of our car´s license plates.  Lucy and Ralph were very helpful with the transaction.

STERILIZATIONS AT CLINIC IN ALTAVELA, NAYARIT – NOVEMBER 23-26

Female dogs: 47 ; Male dogs: 23 ; Female cats: 54 ;  Male cats: 19

TOTAL: 143

DONATIONS AT CLINIC IN ALTAVELA, NAYARIT:  1,720 pesos

LA MANO GENEROSA DE RALPH OSBORNE, MIEMBRO DE LA MESA DIRECTIVA DE PEACEANIMALS – ALTAVELA – THE GENEROUS HAND OF RALPH OSBORNE

DONATIONS TO PEACEANIMALS:

VALLARTA ADVENTURES:  (donates 10,000 pesos worth of vet supplies and medicines every month for 8 months of the year)

20 cajas de guantes estériles grandes para esploración 
30 cajas de guantes estériles medianos para esploración  
10 paquetes de gasas no esteriles de 10/10/200 
8 cajas de bisturis # 10  
12 galones de benzil concentrado rojo 

(IF YOU DON´T HAVE A CHARITY IN MIND, PLEASE USE BANDERAS BAY CHARITIES, INC. WHEN YOU ORDER FROM AMAZON – SIMPLY LOG ON TO WWW.AMAZONSMILE.ORG   THANK YOU).

TABLE FULL OF DONATIONS OF VET SUPPLIES FROM VALLARTA ADVENTURES – ALTAVELA MESA CUBIERTA DE DONACIÓNES DE SUMINISTROS PARA EL EQUIPO VETERINARIO DE PEACEANIMALS – GRACIAS A VALLARTA ADVENTURES

YOU AND YOUR DOG/DOGS ARE INVITED TO THE 11TH ANNUAL PET PICNIC:  Sunday, Decmber 3rd at 11 AM at Daiquiri Dick´s.  The fun and popular event includes boxed lunch (tip included), dog treats, raffle and costume contest at 12 noon.  Net proceeds benefit the free, mobile spay/neuter clinics of PEACEAnimals.  Tickets are 350 pesos in advance or 400 pesos at the door,  and can be purchased at Daiquiri Dick´s on los Muertos beach (Olas Altas #314) Tel:  322 222 0566  Thank you to event organizers, Laura Gelezunas and Tari Bowman, owner of Daiquiri Dick´s.

PET PICNIC

EDUCATION PROGRAM:  Leslie Caratachea, vet tech and director of PEACEAnimals education program, visited the Secondaria #132 school in colonia coapinole this week and presented to 120 students.

SOFI:  The small black dog I found in the garbage was accepted by wonderful MexPup.   After 21 days of observation in Puerto Vallarta with Patty Marchak and her husband Todd Melchor, she will fly to Canada.  Sofi tested negative on all tests given by Dr. Tamayo.  Sofi will be fostered by Janice Parker in Canda, the lovely woman who brought leashes and collars down from Canada and worked as a volunteer at la floresta clinic.

TODD MELCHOR DE MEXPUP CON SOFI

RICHARD R. REED:  I met Richard Reed two years ago, who impressed me with his intelligence, kindness and his commitment and dedication to helping children and animals here in Puerto Vallarta. Richard´s foundation donated to many groups here, including a $10,000 USD grant to PEACEAnimals.  I was shocked and saddened to learn only this week that he had died very suddenly on August 24th.  Described last year as the “new angel in town,” hopefully the work Richard envisioned will continue.  He will be missed by many.

AMAZONSMILE – PEACEAnimals is able to receive donations from Amazon Smile under the umbrella of Banderas Bay Charities, Inc. Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of eligible AmazonSmile  purchases to the charitable organizations selected by their customers.  This is a very simple way to help fund our clinics:    https://smile.amazon.com/ch/47-4752247   

If you would like PEACEAnimals to be the charity receiving a percentage of your purchases on AmazonSmile, please list Banderas Bay Charities, Inc.  PEACEAnimals receives all these donations.

GREATERGOOD – PLEASE CLICK!  Your daily clicks or direct donations help animals, people and the planet.  www.greatergood.org; www.greatergood.com  To donate specifically to PEACEAnimals, please click on:  http://bit.ly/1cWY0lP

PLEASE CHECK OUR WEBSITE, FB PAGE OR BLOG FOR NEW DATES AND LOCATIONS.  FAVOR DE CHECAR NUESTRO WEBSITE, PÁGINA EN FB O BLOG PARA NUEVAS FECHAS Y HOGARES.

December 1- December 3 – Ixtapa – en la delegación (3 días en lugar de 3 1/s porque la delegación necesita su edificio miércoles).  NO CLINIC ON WEDNESDAY THIS WEEK.

December 7-10 – San Pancho, Nayarit (Pets for Life)

December 14-17 – San Blas, Nayarit (Pets for Life)

December 21-January 4, 2017 – CHRISTMAS VACATION

2017

January 11-14, 2017 – Bucerias, Nayarit (Pets for Life) 

February 8-11, 2017 – El Tuito

CALENDAR FOR SPECIAL SUNDAY ONE-DAY CLINICS ON THE ISLA CUALE, WHERE SO MANY CATS AND KITTENS ARE ABANDONED.  PURO GATO WILL HOLD ADOPTIONS ON THE ISLA FROM 11-2 ON THESE SAME DATES.  THE CLINICS OPEN AT 9 AM.  ARRIVE EARLY!

           Diciembre 4- domingo – PURO GATO

PAY PETS FOR LIFE A MEXICAN S.C. (BUSINESS) IS PAID 4,500 PESOS FOR THE STERILIZATION OF 30 ANIMALS.  IF NUMBERS ARE GREATER,  INDIVIDUALS OR ORGANIZATIONS WILL REQUEST DONATIONS FROM THEIR SUPPORTERS TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE. For each cat or dog over the number 30,  sponsors of the Sunday clinics will be charged 150 pesos.

January 7, 2017 – October 2017 –  ANONYMOUS DONOR HAS DONATED  FUNDS (SPAY/NEUTER FOR 30 CATS AND DOGS) TO PEACEANIMALS  FOR 10 SUNDAY CLINICS ON THE ISLA CUALE.   

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPONSOR A ONE-DAY SUNDAY CLINIC ON THE ISLA CUALE, THE COST IS ONLY 4,500 PESOS TO STERILIZE 30 CATS AND DOGS.  PLEASE CONTACT SHANN[email protected]

Please “like” PEACEAnimals and Calle Cero on FaceBook.

LINEA DESIGNADA PARA DIRECIÓNES Y COMO LLEGAR (EN ESPAÑOL) A LAS CLÍNICAS CADA SEMANA:   (322) 113 3955

PARA REPORTAR ABUSO A LOS ANIMALES –  293 3690