Today, PJG and I immersed ourselves in the charm of the movie ‘007: Spectre,’ visiting the actual location in Mexico City where the opening scene of the Day of the Dead parade was filmed. We knew today we would be walking quite a bit, so we tried taking a bus to get nearer to the plaza.
However, after boarding the bus, we found they only accept local transit cards! Fortunately, it was a kind driver and a helpful passenger who assisted us by swiping his card. We paid the passenger 11 Mexican Pesos for the fare — that was the first little surprise of the day.
很多这种卖tacos和现榨蔬果汁的路边小摊 Many of these roadside stalls are selling tacos and freshly squeezed vegetable and fruit juices.
街边卖盗版碟的小贩,突然间感觉回到了2000年的北京 Street vendors selling pirated software, suddenly felt like I was back in Beijing !贝多芬雕 Beethoven sculpture
After realizing we needed a transit card to take the bus, our walking tour turned into an adventure to find a transit card. We thought it would be an easy task, but reality was much more complicated than we imagined. We entered the first subway station, asked the ticket seller with hope, but unfortunately, she didn’t have a card. However, she pointed us to another subway station, as if the answer would be there. With a glimmer of hope, we went to the second station, then the third, and the fourth… Each time, we were told to go to another station. Today’s adventure to buy a card ended in failure, surprisingly unfriendly to tourists.
地铁站里售票员的超级小的小窗口 The super small ticket window of the ticket seller in the subway station.
As the bus gently swayed, we got off after a few stops and restarted our walking journey. Finally, we reached our destination — Plaza Manuel Tolsá, which was the bustling scene of the Day of the Dead festival in ‘Spectre’. The grand celebration parade opening scene was impressive, and tricky editing made it appear as one continuous shot. We enjoyed lunch at a restaurant inside the hotel where the film made it appear that 007 was staying (in fact they did a lot of CGI to make it appear that way.)
曼努埃尔·托尔萨广场 Plaza Manuel Tolsá电影开场镜头里的曼努埃尔·托尔萨广场 The Plaza Manuel Tolsá in the opening scene曼努埃尔·托尔萨雕像,曼努埃尔·托尔萨(Manuel Tolsá)是一位在18世纪末至19世纪初活跃的著名西班牙建筑师和雕塑家。这里很多历史古迹都被这种难看的铁皮给围了起来。Manuel Tolsá Statue, he was a famous Spanish architect and sculptor active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. These ugly barriers were everywhere.电影里詹姆斯邦德从酒店的阳台里走出来的那个场景,应该就是这个酒店的三楼,当然一部分是合成的 The scene in the movie where James Bond walks out onto the balcony of the hotel is likely from the third floor of this hotel, although part of it is clearly CGI.电影邦德从那个饭店里的阳台走出来,不过实际上,这个饭店的阳台外面并没有那个平台,所以平台应该是后期特效加的 In the movie Bond walked out of the balcony of the hotel, but in fact, there was no platform outside the balcony, so the platform should have been with CGI.右上角就是邦德开枪射杀对面楼的地方 The top right corner is where Bond shoots and kills someone in the opposite building.邦德躲藏的那个角落 The corner where Bond hidesPJG点的牛肉 The dried Beef PJG ordered我的慢慢炖的包在叶子里的猪肉 my braised pork cooked in a wrapped leaf
然后参观了电影中邦德与女郎共乘的电梯所在的Gran Hotel Ciudad de México酒店。这家酒店的壮观内部和独特的建筑风格被用作拍摄地之一,展现了酒店的华丽装饰和新古典主义建筑风格。
After lunch, we visited the Gran Hotel Ciudad de México, where the elevator that Bond and the lady share in the movie is located. This hotel’s spectacular interior and unique architectural style were used as one of the filming locations, showcasing the hotel’s lavish decor and neoclassical architectural style.
我的詹姆斯出现了 My James appeared.酒店大堂的富丽堂皇的屋顶, 一种典型的艺术新古典主义风格,可以看到精细的铁艺工作、弯曲的扶手、以及华丽的彩色玻璃天花板。这种风格融合了古典建筑的对称性和几何形态,加入了现代材料和工艺技术。 The grand and magnificent roof of the hotel lobby, showcases an example of the Art Nouveau style, characterized by intricate ironwork, curved balustrades, and an opulent stained-glass ceiling. This style blends the symmetry and geometric forms of classical architecture with modern materials and craftsmanship techniques.邦德和女郎坐的的电梯 The elevator that Bond and the lady took.电梯入口 ,可惜只让这里的客人使用 🙁 the entrance of the elevator – it was for guests only 🙁电影里两个人走入电梯 They walked into the elevator in the movie
Then our steps took us to the historic Constitution Square. On the way to Constitution Square, we encountered a protest march on the streets with many people of different groups. Since I don’t understand Spanish, it was hard to grasp all the details, but some were advocating for women’s protection, and one group was protesting the current war in the Gaza Strip.
ChatGPT看到并帮我翻译的:这个牌子上写着西班牙语:“A LAS MUJERES NO SE LES TOCA” 这句话的意思是“不要触碰女性”,或者更广义上的意思是“不要伤害女性”。这是一个强烈的反对对女性的暴力和骚扰的口号。ChatGPT reads the sign: The sign in Spanish reads: “A LAS MUJERES NO SE LES TOCA.” This phrase means “Do not touch women,” or more broadly, “Do not harm women.” It is a strong slogan against violence and harassment towards women.向宪法广场走去 Marching towards Zocalo PlazaChatGPT看到并帮我翻译的:横幅上写着 “JUSTICIA para las mujeres”,意为“给女性正义”。这是在呼吁对女性的公平对待和司法正义。 ChatGPT reads the sign: The banner reads “JUSTICIA para las mujeres,” which translates to “Justice for women.” This is a call for fair treatment and judicial justice for women.
In the movie, Constitution Square was packed and crowded with people. Today, the square gathered crowds from the march, filled with Spanish speeches and slogans, but unfortunately, we couldn’t understand a word. Although Constitution Square is a filming location for the movie, it is actually a major landmark in Mexico City, the heart of the city, symbolizing history and culture. It is surrounded by important historical buildings such as the National Palace of Mexico and the Mexico City Cathedral, serving as a center for political and religious activities, as well as an important venue for cultural events and public gatherings. The history of this square dates back to the Aztec era, through the Spanish conquest and centuries of changes, witnessing key moments in Mexican history.
商业步行街,也是小偷的天堂 Walking street a pick pocketer’s heaven. 这里有很多擦鞋的小商贩 There are many of these shoe-shining vendors here.这张照片是反面的,ChatGPT说它读不了,哈哈 This is a reversed sign, and even ChatGPT couldn’t read it, lol电影中的宪法广场 The Zocalo in the movie 墨西哥城大教堂,拉丁美洲最大的教堂之一,建筑风格融合了巴洛克、新古典主义和新西班牙风格。Mexico City Cathedral, one of the largest churches in Latin America, has an architectural style that combines Baroque, Neoclassical and New Spanish styles.墨西哥国家宫,是墨西哥的政府总部,其历史可以追溯到阿兹特克时期。这座宫殿以其长廊上的迭戈·里维拉壁画而闻名,这些壁画描绘了墨西哥的历史。可惜今天因为游行的原因,都被遮挡和关闭了 – The National Palace of Mexico is the government headquarters of Mexico and its history can be traced back to the Aztec period. The palace is famous for its Diego Rivera murals on the long corridors, which depict the history of Mexico. Unfortunately, today due to the parade, everything was blocked with ugly barriers and closed to the public.
在宪法广场的边上一家酒店Balcon Del Zocalo的楼顶,我们品尝了两杯香醇的咖啡和甜点。从这里,我们可以俯瞰整个广场,轻风拂面,远处的两座雪山尽收眼底,这无疑是今天的高光时刻。
We enjoyed two cups of delicious cappucino and a dessert on the rooftop of the Balcon Del Zocalo, a hotel next to Plaza de la Constitución. From here, we can overlook the entire square, with a gentle breeze blowing, and an awesome panoramic view of the two snow-capped mountains in the distance. This was undoubtedly the highlight of today. Although finding the entrance to the hotel was quite a challenge as you will see!
在喝咖啡的地方俯瞰宪法广场 – Drinking coffee overlooking Zocalo Plaza这位先生似乎特别享受这一刻,他的笑容就像是对生活说:”这就是我要的!” – This gentleman seemed to be enjoying this moment especially. His smile was like saying to life: “This is what I want!” 咖啡和甜点,这个甜点不知道叫什么名字,是服务员推荐的,非常好吃 – Coffee and dessert. I don’t know the name of this dessert, but it was recommended by the waiter. It was very delicious.远处的雪山是Popocatépetl和Iztaccíhuatl,这两座位于墨西哥的著名火山经常在墨西哥城的天际线上出现,是该地区的标志性景观。- The snow-capped mountains in the distance are Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl, two famous volcanoes in Mexico that often appear on the skyline of Mexico City photos and are iconic landscapes of the region.这一搓小型的游行队伍和旁边的警察队伍 – This small parade with a line of the policemen next to it当PJG决定摇身一变成为一位神秘的玛雅战士,但忘记了戴上面具的那一刻。- The moment PJG decided to transform into a mysterious Mayan warrior, but forgot to put on the mask.没想到这个小小的破烂不堪的入口竟然是我俩在上面喝咖啡的Balcon Del Zocalo的酒店入口吧?- We didn’t expect that this small, dilapidated entrance would actually be the entrance to the Balcon Del Zocalo hotel where we had coffee! Right?我俩废了九牛二虎之力才找到的 – It took us a lot of effort to find this entrance.这座教堂是位于墨西哥城主广场北侧的圣母升天大都会主教座堂,是美洲最大的大教堂,是罗马天主教墨西哥总教区的所在地。它融合了哥特式、巴洛克式和新古典式等多种建筑风格,建造历时三个世纪,从16世纪延续到18世纪。- This church is the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary located on the north side of the main square in Mexico City. It is the largest cathedral in the Americas and the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mexico. It combines various architectural styles such as Gothic, Baroque and Neoclassical. Its construction lasted three centuries, from the 16th to the 18th century.一座教堂前的历史照片展,照片是一九四几间的宪法广场 – An exhibition of historical photos in front of a church, showing Zocalo Plaza in the 1940s.
We started to walk back to the hotel but we had already walked a lot today and were tired. So after walking out of the crowded area, and being exhausted we chose to call an Uber. At dinner time, we went to a Thai restaurant near the hotel. The environment is elegant, but the prices were absurd US prices.
这又是一个隐藏的地方, 我在油管上看到的这个饭店,大门完全看不出来这是一个饭店 – Before dinner, we went to this speak easy that I found on YouTube and there is no clue that it is a bar from the front door.楼顶的座位竟然要等2个多小时,我俩便在酒吧区坐下喝了一杯酒 – Although they have a restaurant, we just sat down in the bar area and had a few drinks.今天的PJG看起来有些疲倦了 – PJG looks a little tired today泰国餐馆的鱿鱼汁咖喱角 – Curry Puffs – squid ink samosas in a Thai restaurant我俩晚饭点的泰式炒粉和脆皮猪肉炒空心菜,这两道菜的价格是美国的价格,味道非常一般 – The two of us ordered Pad Thai noodles and crispy pork belly with morning glory for dinner. The prices of these two dishes were US prices and the taste was only average – i.e. a waste of money.
On this day, PJG and I seemed to have become the protagonists in a movie, exploring Mexico City and experiencing real feelings that cannot be conveyed in movies. This was more than just a trip today, it was an amazing adventure of history, culture and movie magic.
4 thoughts on “007-幽灵党之死者日节拍摄地 007 – Spectre – Day of the Dead Exploration.”
What an adventure you had of movie scenes. Did you try a taco from a roadside stall?
I’m not sure I would have gone into such an eerie entrance just to find an elegant hotel for coffee and dessert!!
Hopefully you won’t need a local bus pass since you couldn’t find where to buy one. Knowing Spanish would have come in handy.
Have a great day tomorrow.
no we dont want to try anything from the roadside stall. we dont want to have the Argentina episode happen again. lol
we still cant find a place to buy a card 🙁
What an adventure you had of movie scenes. Did you try a taco from a roadside stall?
I’m not sure I would have gone into such an eerie entrance just to find an elegant hotel for coffee and dessert!!
Hopefully you won’t need a local bus pass since you couldn’t find where to buy one. Knowing Spanish would have come in handy.
Have a great day tomorrow.
no we dont want to try anything from the roadside stall. we dont want to have the Argentina episode happen again. lol
we still cant find a place to buy a card 🙁
我也喜欢看007系列,想不到今天你俩走进去了,很好玩。
这里还允许游行,看来有一定自由度。
这里的门好有特色呀!
教堂有几百年的历史,保存的挺好呢。
门弄成这个样子, 应该是怕被打劫 哈哈