Washington DC, the capital of the free world, is my No 1 city in the United States.
The Library of Congress, the library with the largest collection in the world.
The Department of State, where Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton Esq, former Secretary of State, former Senator, former First Lady stationed.
The White House, at the time occupied by Nobel laureate His Excellency President Barack Obama Esq, former lecturer, former senator.
The Capitol building under construction.
The very first plane, in what was claimed to be the most visited museum in the world.
Memorial of His Excellency President Abraham Lincoln Esq, the emancipator.
Another museum along “the mall” – the District of Columbia is quite renowned for its museums.
The reason why I was fond of DC was because of its Romanesque buildings. Apparently, anyone can arrange a visit to the White House, but I didn’t know that.
The oldest surviving human structure in North America. Cuicuilco, in the south of Mexico City, just south of Ciudad Universidad of UNAM.
(You don’t see much.)
Mexico City, the largest city in the western hemisphere, a metropolis with around 25 million in population. The picture depicts the seat of power of the 120-million-strong country – the Zocalo, with the metropolitan cathedral in the middle and the national palace on the right. The spiritual and temporal powers.
The huge flag in the middle is quite impressive.
Me celebrating a new year on the street near the independence angel monument.
Did I tell you I’m a fallen angel? I was a light bearer.
One side of the capital from the Latin American tower. On the plane, what was called Tenochtitlan seemed to me the largest urban conglomeration I’ve been to. (Although apparently the one Hong Kong belongs to is the one with the largest population.)
Same location, overlooking the main square.
The few skyscrapers. There aren’t many as the region is incredibly prone to deadly earthquakes.
The Angel of Independence, pictured before the 800,000 attended gay pride.
A power in the castle. His Imperial Majesty The Emperor Maximilian I, Archduke of Austria, lived here with France’s Napoleon III’s support.
The second Mexican empire (the first happened right after independence for a very brief period of time) ended with the French troops withdrew and Maxie executed in Queretaro, after losing the war against President Benito Juárez.
In the castle over the Reforma avenue.
The cathedral from a buffet restaurant. Buffets are really cheap here.
El Zocalo before the celebration of the birth of the Sun Gods (Ra, Apollo etc).
The church of Mary of Guadalupe, literally the Mexican Madonna (the original Selena Gomez obviously). It’s the third-most-visited religious site in the world.
The legend goes The Virgin randomly exposed herself to an indigenous person, asking him to build her a church (priorities), and so he did. In fact, a head of the church once stated that he doubted the historicity of that person altogether, but no1curr.
It’s not that interesting actually, and quite out of the way.
The museum inside the national palace. Mexico City is known as the city of palaces, although this is one of the few real palaces – in continental Europe, it appears that they simply like calling everything governmental “palaces”.
Aztec ruins at the sight of a massacre of students before the Olympic games. Small but definitely a must-go. There are even flags of different states.
The historic centre is a UNESCO site, and this is another UNESCO Heritage Site, due to the mural painted on the (disappointing) library of the national autonomous university.
One of the national capital’s landmarks, the Palace of Fine Arts, or in Spanish Palacio de Bellas Artes.
The main hall is quite nice. Symphonies are incredibly economic here and I enjoyed being on the balconies. There are two museums inside and you can watch Folklore Ballet here. Not a friend of dances in general but it was brilliant.
Taken from Sears.
Memorial of His Excellency President Benito Juárez. (It’s apparently going to turn yellow in the future and there’s nothing they can do to stop it.)
Lic. Juárez was an indigenous orphan who became a lawyer, then the Chief Justice (and when the Liberal government was overthrown by the Conservatives, ascending to the presidency for the first time), and also the governor of Oaxaca. He eventually became a proper president, before the French invaded, he persisted, got back control of the entire country, and eventually dying in office. (He also had a reasonably clean election.)
Inspirational. Italian Fascist dictator, Prime Minister Benito Mussolini was named after the legendary president.
Bellas Artes on independence day. Or rather, the evening prior.
Six Flags. Ocean Park >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Aquarium. Recommended.
An archaeological site in the anthropology museum.
Interesting museum with the Messiah and his holy penis.
You see things like this before the Day of the Dead. (It’s more than one day, btw.)
The third UNESCO site in the city, Xochimilco. Very far from everything.
Frida Kahlo museum.
At the British Embassy, attending the UK Alumni Awards.
In the Auditorio metro station.
Not actually in Mexico City, but this active volcano (taken from a plane) threatens the area.
Casino Espana, where the current King of Spain visited.
The Queen of Pop MADONNA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Did you see the Nazi flag on this mini-bus?
Clubbing with Barney.
Free Roger Waters concert at the Zocalo, when he criticized both presidents Dr Donald Trump and Mtro. Enrique Pena Nieto.
At the Corona music festival, an audience with Queen Elizabeth, by the Grace of God, The Queen of New York City, The Queen of Saigon, The Queen of Coney Island.
Boating in the lake in the city centre.
Donating blood for the very first time! #likeavirgin
Pretty building in the north.
Inside.
The papal visit led to the selling of pardon tickets, first time after several centuries.
The money museum. Probably my favourite due to how empty, informative, and unique it was. Could even just walk around on the rooftop.
Diego Rivera’s museum. Another great one. Far but worth it. Lots of artefacts.
Commie.
Mexico City after the 2017 earthquakes.
The National Centre of Art. It’s a complex with interesting buildings with a Cinemex attached to it. A lot of people go there to play on the grass.
The Vasconcelos Library. A new library with modern, industrial structure. They are remembering the victims of the 1968 student movements.
The Bicentennial Park is a huge park with an unopened museum, a lot of grass, and a small botanical garden.
The National Museum of Art. A nice colonial building near the Bellas Artes. Didn’t have a high expectation, but the Mexican collection ended up being quite unique and interesting. They even have a statue of St Sebastian.
The San Fernando Pantheon, the cemetery in the historic centre with tombs of famous people such as President Benito Juárez’s. Nevertheless, it has been closed (to date, more than a year) since the 2017 earthquakes. I didn’t see any damage and there’s no sign of it reopening.
Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera studios. It’s not terribly interesting but it’s iconic. The original A Star is Born story – male star discovered female, female’s stardom shot up while the male’s faded.
The Dolorez museum – Frida and Diego’s friend. Beautiful artwork, many animals, decent historical building. Plus a Day of the Dead exhibition!
Grammy award, Academy award winner, member of the Order of the British Empire, ADELE performed there just a while back.
New York City is generally seen as one of the best cities in the world, and indeed countless cities, including my hometown, were modeled after it.
The stock exchange that influences the world.
The Presidential Palace.
And it’s true that many impactful events happened in the Big Apple, what’s with it being a historical capital and the site of Stonewall.
But it wasn’t exactly unique or impressive. In a way, perhaps it’s a victim of its own success – if Hong Kong did not model after it with the skyscrapers, for example, maybe the skyline would’ve looked more impressive to me.
The twin towers’ ruins.
Chinese tourists loved the bull.
Getting on the subway just to visit one of Queen Elizabeth “Lana Del Rey”‘s realms – the Coney Island. It was closed though.
Time Square.
I kept missing the closing time so I didn’t go to the statue, but one could get on the free ferry to observe it from a distance. It’s very small.
Brooklyn Bridge.
The museum.
One of the most important residences in the world, The Queen of Pop Madonna’s apartment. At the time, the Daily Fail was creating the controversy of the yellow line here asking people not to park there, as if Madge did it herself.
jagged little earth 