MEXICO ~ Pyramid of the Sun - Teotihuacan - UNESCO ~

... Beautiful view of the largest pyramid at Teotihuacán and the third largest pyramid in the world (after the Great Pyramid Cholula also in Mexico and the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt)... a huge UNESCO site with a 2,000 year-old history... probably used as a religious and sacrificial center...  the Pyramid of the Sun consists of over 3 million tons of stone... built enterily without any metal tools or help from animals... thousands of visitors a month climb the 248 steps up the Pyramid... Thanks a lot Marco!!ヽ(ヅ)ノ

Built between 100 and 200 AD, the structure was originally 215 by 215 m at the base, and about 63 m high. The Pyramid was rebuilt fifty to seventy five years later and enlarged to a final 225 m square and 75 meters high to become one of the largest buildings created in the Pre-Columbian New World. The temple that once crowned the Pyramid was completed in 300 AD.

The pyramid was built with 4 stepped platforms made with stone blocks plastered with lime plaster and painted red and other brilliant colors with murals and motifs. When the site was rediscovered early in the 20thC, the pyramids appeared as hills of stone rubble with trees and plants growing up from the rocks. The temple atop the Pyramid of the Sun had long vanished from the towering structure.

It is part of Pre-Hispanic City of Teotihuacan and became a UNESCO WHS in 1987.

Stamp:

International Year of Crystallography
19-11-2014)

MEXICO ~ El Castillo - Tulum National Park - UNESCO ~

... Fantastic new National Park and my first from Mexico... the legendary Tulum ruins are one of the most well-known archeology sites and one of the most visited in Mexico... over two million people visit Tulum each year ʘ͜͡ʘ... crowded or not, it's worth the visit.... a magnificent archaeological site in greenery surrounded by sandy beaches with turquoise blue water...  renowned as being one of the old Mayan sites along the ocean with stunning cliff side views of the Caribbean Sea...Thanks a lot Alonso!! ✿◕ ‿ ◕✿

Photo: Luis Gomez C.
Tulum  is one of the very few walled cities known to be built by the Maya. It is located in the southeast of Mexico on the coast of the Caribbean Sea on 12m tall cliffs and was one of the last cities built and inhabited by the Maya. It was at its height between the 13th and 15th centuries and managed to survive about 70 years after the Spanish began occupying Mexico. Old World diseases brought by the Spanish settlers appear to have resulted in very high fatalities. They disrupted society and eventually caused the city to be abandoned.

It was surrounded by huge walls as their protection with having just five entrances. But it was assumed that only the governors and priests lived within the walled city while most people lived outside the walls.

The tallest building next to the Temple is the " El Castillo". Some referred it as the lighthouse during the Mayan settlement era, while others considered it as the city landmark for the sailors coming from the Pacific, Gulf and other parts of Central America.

Sian Ka’an is a natural UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mexico that was inscribed in 1987.

Stamps:

Handicrafts
(Issued 30-11-2005)

The 80th Anniversary of the IPN
(Issued 20-05-2016)

MEXICO ~ The Arch - Los Cabos ~

...Yeaaaaah!!! Crossing my fingers helpedツ... your fantastic postcard arrived finally after two months traveling... and it was worth the wait... what a breathtaking view... it must have been the perfect winter escape... Baja Los Cabos is a unique mixture of miles of amazing beaches with sparkling sapphire blue waters... next to deserts and the most unique rock formations and landscapes...  the Arch of Cabo San Lucas is one of the most famous landmarks... situated at the tip of the world  "Land's End"... National Geographic magazine has named Los Cabos one of the must-see places to visit in 2017...  a real paradise between two seas...  where the Gulf of California meets the Pacific Ocean... Thanks soooooo much Andrene!! ( ˘ ³˘)❤

Photo: A & P. Giberstein
Los Cabos  is located at the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula, in the state of Baja California Sur. It encompasses the two towns of Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo (the municipal seat) linked by a twenty-mile Resort Corridor of beach-front properties and championship golf courses.The area was remote and rural until the latter 20thC, when the Mexican government began to develop Cabo San Lucas for tourism, which then spread east to the municipal seat. Tourism is by far the main economic activity with over two million visitors per year.

El Arco and the Arch refer to the arch-shaped rock formation that makes up a part of the larger Land's End rock formation, also known as El Finisterra and is located at the southern tip of Cabo San Lucas, which is itself the extreme southern end of Mexico's Baja California Peninsula. The arch is locally known as El Arco.

Stamps:

2X World Food Day
(Issued 24-11-2014)

MEXICO ~ San Juan de Dios Market - Guadalajara ~

... Delicious fruits and vegetables displayed for sale... this is probably the biggest and oldest market under a roof in Latin America... it gives travelers a unique shopping experience... three levels market that appears to be one of Guadalajara's hot spots.... it literally sells everything and anything you can think of... each level has sections for something specific... from traditional clothing, jewelry, food, fresh meat, candy, tequila to touristy items... Thanks a lot Diego!!【ツ】

Mercado San Juan de Dios (San Juan de Dios Market) is located in the city of Guadalajara, Jalisco,  in the Historical District of the city. The market was inaugurated on December 30, 1958 and was designed by the architect Alejandro Zohn. There are approximately 3.000 posts in the market with an area of 40,000 m².

Guadalajara is Mexico’s second largest city and the capital of Jalisco, home of tequila, mariachi and charreria, the country’s official national sport. It is a city steeped in tradition but also one of the country’s most vibrant and a cosmopolitan.

Stamps:

The 150th Anniversary of the Restoration of the Republic
(Issued 14-07-2017)

The 4th Anniversary of the Telecommunications and Broadcasting Reform
(Issued 26-06-2017)

MEXICO ~ Tequila Town - Jalisco - UNESCO ~

... Beautiful unique view of a field blue agave... the plant that gets you drunk off tequila... never knew that is not just a drink but also a place... this area produce the entire world supply of tequila, some 60 million gallons each year... Jalisco’s diversity, beautiful landscapes and cultural traditions make it one of Mexico’s most popular tourist destinations.... Thanks a  lot Alonso!!ヽ(ヅ)ノ

"An agave field and a traditional factory compose this image"

The famous "Tequila" liquor, done with the juice of the Blue agave, takes its name fro the town Tequila Jalisco. This region, which besides the state of Jalisco also includes parts of the Mexican states of Guanajuato, Michoacan, Nayarit and Tamaulipas.

Tequila made outside these regions is forbidden, by law, to be labeled tequila.

The area encompasses 85,650-acres of land between the Tequila volcano and the Rio Grande River. This region contains a living, working landscape of agave fields, including distilleries, factories and haciendas.

It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2006 due to its unique features of natural landscape and cultural traditions.

Stamps:
2017 Mexico Aerospace Fair
(Issued 26-04-2017)

April World Intellectual Property Day – Innovation, Improving Lives
(Issued 26-04-2017)

MEXICO ~Historic Centre of Mexico city-UNESCO~

...Great postcard showing four examples of different architectural styles of the historical centre of Mexico city... a must see in the city... and most of them beautifully preserved...Thanks a lot Marco!! ツ

Palace of Fine Arts      National Palace      Palace de Correos      Metropolitan Cathedral
Mexico city, one of the largest cities in the world, was founded above the prehispanic city of México, Tenochtitlan in the year 1325 by the Aztecs and was conquered by the Spaniards in 1521.

The Historical Centre is the oldest part of Mexico City and it’s also the area that contains some of the most appreciated cultural treasures of the country.

It was recognized as Heritage City in 1987 due to its Historic Center and its Xochimilco National Park.

Stamp:

Handicrafts
(Issued 30-10-2005)

MEXICO ~ Coyoacán market ~

...Wonderful market postcard...an abundance of colorful and tasty looking tropical fruit... most of them are new to me.... Many Thanks Eddy also for the great stamps!

Coyoacán (place of the coyotes) remained completely independent of Mexico City during the colonial period until the mid nineteenth century.

With its narrow, cobbled streets, colonial churches, vibrant markets, world-class museums and sidewalk cafes, its historic center is a popular destination for residents and tourists.

Stamps:

The 75th Anniversary of the Institute of Epidemiological Diagnosis & Reference
(Issued 17-10-2014)

National Football Team
(Issued 27-05-2014)

MEXICO ~ Chichen Itza-UNESCO~

I do prefer my cards written and stamped (sent from the country of origine), but I love this ones anyway... Its not easy to get sent postcards from Mexico... So a big thanks to Anja from buying them for me during her holiday!! They all are wonerful!:D


Chichen Itza is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Yucatan Peninsula. It was named as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. The stepped pyramid has a staircase on each side and at sunrise and sunset during both the Spring and Autumn visitors gather from all over the world to observe an unprecedented archaeo-astronomical phenomenon not to be missed. The corner of the pyramid casts a shadow of a plumed serpent – Kukulcan- and as the sun moves, the shadow of the serpent slithers down the side of the pyramid to fertilize the earth...

Playa, as the locals call it, is a beach-side city located on the coast of the Caribbean Sea.



The beach at Tulum.
Temple of the Descending God.
The Temple of the Frescoes.
Spectacularly located on a cliff overlooking the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea, Tulum is a Mayan settlement that flourished from around 1200 AD until the arrival of the Spanish. The Tulum ruins are the third most visited archaeological site in Mexico.

MEXICO ~Puebla-Food~

Received two wonderful cards today! From Mexico "Puebla", a delicious looking food card. I don't think there are many Mexican food restaurants here in Belgium, I never tasted it... I don't know any of the dishes the sender mentioned on the card... But I will certainly look for them on the internet... The one drink everyone knows must be tequila! :-)
And a great and big official card from Russia (RU-235962) with a view of St Petersburg... It is probably one of my largest received cards ever,15cm by21cm.


The city of Puebla is a "gastronomic heartland" for central Mexico because of its history straddling the main route between the Gulf Coast and Mexico City; Puebla is famous for its very complex "Baroque" recipes.
Some typical dishes: *Mole Poblano *Cochinita Pibil *Chiles en Nogada *Quesadillas
And drinks: *Agua de Jamaica *Tequila *Tepache *Pulque

MEXICO ~ Pre-Hispanic City and National Park of Palenque - UNESCO ~

... Wonderful postcard of one of the most important and famous prehispanic sites in Mesoamerica, surrounded by rainforest...  the palace is one of the most complex architectural structures at any Maya site... Palenque is regarded to contain some of the best bas-relief carvings and sculptures... one of the best examples of Maya architecture in all of Mexico... Thanks a lot Maggie!!

Located in the foothills of the Chiapas altiplano of modern Mexico, Palenque was an important Maya city which flourished between c. 600 and 750 CE. The name Palenque derives from the Spanish, meaning 'fortified place', but the original Maya name, we now know, was Lakamha.

Uniquely for Maya cities, at Palenque a royal residence and not a temple is the central focus of the city. The building, set on a 10-metre high platform, is largely composed of rooms arranged around internal courtyards and galleries with vaulted ceilings, the whole measuring 91 x 73 metres. Perhaps the palace's most striking feature is the square four-storey tower, another feature unique in Mesoamerican sites. The 25-metre tower was climbed via a staircase winding around the interior walls. The building was used as a royal residence and court but also as accommodation for nobles, servants, and military personnel.  The palace was also richly decorated with stucco painted in bright colours which depict scenes of Maya kings and nobility.

Palenque, was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987.

Stamp:

Handicrafts
(Issued 30-11-2005)