04.08.12 - Investigating the Monobrow

A relaxed morning before heading to Coyoacan, a district of the city, where both Frida Khalo and Trotsky lived, and died. The Blue House, as Frida’s house is known, was where she was born, raised and died. She was married to an artist called Diego Rivera who is incredibly famous in Mexcio, much more famous than Frida. They had a tempestuous marriage because he was an inveterate womaniser. They split for a while after he slept with her sister. When Trotsky had been kicked out of yet another

country after having to flee Russia he eventually ended up in Mexico and was taken in by Frida and Diego who were leaders in the communist artistic scene. Then the Trotskys had to move out, round the corner, because he was having an affair with Frida, or so it is believed. After two failed assassination attempts (see bullet holes) he was eventually got by a Soviet insider armed with an ice pick. The Trotsky’s house was much plainer and austere than Frida’s bright home full of art and artifacts, they really did fit to national stereotype.

The streets here really suffer from the roots of trees destroying the pathways. Hannah says that the rains are also take a heavy toll on the roads; despite constant resurfacing the pot holes reappear.

Many of the districts of the city have the feel of separate towns; with a town square, church and bustling streets, but also an old wordly feel to it as though the atmosphere hasn't changed much in the past century. There are lots of people throughout the city raising money for an equivalent of the Salvation Army, they are all dressed in the same uniform, like an old fashioned bus conductor, and they all have a barrel organ that is propped up by a single stick of wood. One person winds the handle whilst one or two others have their hats out for money. They all make the most horrendous noise, like a large group of children having their first recorder lesson, but without cessation, on and on and on. I was on the brink of paying them to stop it was so bad. 

Lots of kids come and try to sell us things as we had our lunch but they leave you alone once you’ve said no which is relaxing. We eventually capitulated and bought some little wooden animals, brightly coloured with wobbling heads. We both got a dragon and a dinosaur for £1 each. Everything is very cheap here, and not just things bought on the street.

We returned home for another pit stop of tea, biscuits and the Olympics. There is lots of diving on as the Mexicans have won some medals in this. Our plan was then to go to the cinema to see The Dark Knight Rising, the new Batman film. Here you can get tickets to VIP cinema which includes a huge, lazy boy chair and chair service so you can have you popcorn delivered to your seat. We tried two cinemas and they were both sold out so we got a video instead, Frida, and had supper on the sofa. Having been to her house earlier in the day we thought that it was an appropriate film to watch. 

This is a man selling little, colourful windmills from a bicycle.

This is Trotsky's stark bathroom.