I read a great blog post on Pura Vida that compares Mexico City with Gotham City. It has some startling statistics in it about the city we call home, and it references another article from the New York Times about crime in Mexico City (free registration required).
Some startling facts about Mexico
Since the end of 2006, the Calderón government has sent more than 25,000 soldiers and federal police on high-powered anti-drug “operations” to combat drug cartels.
This year is on pace to be the bloodiest on record for Mexico’s drug war, surpassing by almost 50 percent last year’s toll of more than 2,500 deaths.
The U.S. Congress has authorized $400 million worth of aid to Mexico for next year, including equipment and technical support for García Luna’s police.
In a national poll taken earlier this year in Mexico, 56% of Mexicans think the cartels are more powerful than the government.
A powerful drug cartel left a “hit list” of police chiefs and mayors on a monument to fallen police officers in February of this year. Of the 22 names on the list, 18 were assassinated within three months.
Last year the largest confiscation of cocaine in history – 23 tons – happened in Mexico and the amount of $207 million dollars was seized all in one house (there were entire rooms filled with hundred dollar bills stacked from floor to ceiling).
Please continue to pray for Mexico. It is definitely a spiritual battle that is being waged. We know that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, and we know who ultimately wins.
Each of the statistics above represent many lives and families that are being destroyed. Mexico needs your prayers.
I already wrote about our trip to Xochimilco and included photos, but I wanted to give you a taste of what it was like to be on the boat with the Mariachi band playing. So, here’s the video of the Mariachis that came onto our boat in Xochimilco, Mexico.
I love living in Mexico City. I love the fact that I can go see so many things here just by getting in my car or taking public transportation.
Most people would have to hop on an airplane and travel a long way to see these sites.
If you are ever visiting Mexico, here are five more places to visit in Mexico City.
Chapultepec Castle: The Castle in Chapultepec is a great place to visit. It’s where Maximilian lived while he was emperor of Mexico.
Anthropology Museum: An interesting place to see the history of all the different people that have lived in Mexico and who make it what it is today.
Mexico City Post office: I love the post office’s building and architecture. Inside, there is a huge staircase, and it’s just a beautiful place overall. It’s located beside the Palacio de Bellas Artes (the Fine Arts Palace), and it won’t take much time to visit, but it is a work of art.
Basilica de Guadalupe: The second most visited Catholic site in the world, after the Vatican, is a gigantic complex that will help you understand more about Mexico’s culture, religion, and people. Here’s a video of the Basilica de Guadalupe and the Castle of Chapultepec.
Yesterday, we went to Xochimilco with our friends, the Torberts, their family, and Joel, a missionary in England (who used to live in Mexico City). We had a great time on the boats, listening to Mariachi music and eating quesadillas and other great Mexican food.
Xochimilco is a great place to go (despite the traffic to get there from the north end of the city), and it’s really fun if you want to experience Mexican culture.
Here are some pictures of Xochimilco, Mexico.
Click a thumbnail to see a larger image
It cost us 160 pesos to rent the boat for an hour, and the vendors come alongside you in their own boat selling drinks, food, and entertainment. It’s like a Mexican Venice. We had a blast!
We spent half a year studying Spanish in Cuernavaca when we first arrived in Mexico. We went down there this week to take Jon and Nicolle and to relive some of our memories from our time in language school. Here are some pictures from Cuernavaca, Mexico.
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