The Centro revisited & Tepito

The Centro is jam-packed with churches (not of the Chicken variety), museums, and other sights.

This is the Universidad del Claustro de Sor Juana.


Sister Sor Juana is "considered the greatest Spanish-language poet of the 17th century."


She's entombed in the Iglesia de San Jerónimo, and that's a portrait of her at the top:


Random church:


The church San Miguel Arcangel.

A man covered in some type of liquid approached me when I was sitting on a bench and asked if he was bothering me as something dripped on my boots. He kept talking - can't remember (perhaps don't want to) what else he was saying/asking for.


This is the Templo de Jesús Nazareno. Lonely Planet says that Hernán Cortés is entombed here, which is really strange. I couldn't find his tomb there, and when I asked I was given a long speech, of which the gist was that he was in the sky.

Wikipedia seems to clarify that the remains used to be at the Hospital de Jesús, which is close by.


Mystery church tucked away amongst the bustle:


The picture doesn't do justice to the shimmering tiles on the walls, chandeliers, and light from above.



It's always busy in the Centro.


I was looking for my next sight, but I got a little lost since the area wasn't well-documented on my map.


I ended up smack dab in the middle of a crafts market. My mother would be in heaven!


The market is alive and it's identity continually morphing. Fake glitzy nails, food vendors, toys, baskets, hair and makeup supplies just to get you started.



The shopping outside of the tents continued on seemingly forever. Blocks and blocks of shops only selling ribbons and gift wrap. Then, only women's clothing. Then only furniture. Then, only shoes.


This area is really cool. It has a European feel, with a "below-street-level walkway ... an earlier waterway used to ferry produce from the Southern community of Xochimilco."


Also note the somewhat dark detailed facade of the church in the area:



The Templo de Nuestra Señora de Loreto. You can't really tell from the photo, but it's noticeably sagging toward the east. Yet another sinking-thing in Mexico.


And now for a little Tepito.

The "rough" area is "notorious among Mexicans as a scene of criminal activity." I'm sure it's safer during the daytime.



Again, the streets in the area weren't well-represented on my map, so I had to ask for directions three times. But I found it!

This is an altar for Santa Muerte - the Mexican god of death.


Her popularity has been increasing, much to the chagrin of the Roman Catholic Church. "The saint's popularity, especially among the lower echelons of society, is feared to be rivaling that of the Virgen de Guadalupe."

People leave offerings of tequila, candles, flowers, their words, and other tokens.


The walk back to the metro was great because I knew where I was and I had more time to look around and snap more shots. Like, of this crazy-tall man-puppet-mascot which was slowly walking around in circles in a concrete park.


I got a lot of strange looks for taking the next two photos.


C'mon! Have you ever seen so many grapes for sale in the street like that? And, I had to show you guys these chickens that look like they're made from rubber.


Welcome to the informal Tepito Art Gallery of the Streets: