革命纪念塔 Monument to the Revolution

2023年12月1日，星期五，墨西哥城之旅第八天

December 1, 2023, Friday, is the eighth day of our trip to Mexico City.

今天早上坐公交先到了何塞巴斯孔塞洛斯图书馆，坐落在繁华的城市之中，这座图书馆以其独特的现代建筑和丰富的藏书闻名。图书馆的历史可以追溯到2006年，它是由时任墨西哥总统倡议建立的，以墨西哥诗人、外交家和图书馆学家何塞·巴斯孔塞洛斯（José Vasconcelos）的名字命名。图书馆的建筑由墨西哥建筑师Alberto Kalach领导的设计团队设计，该建筑以其现代感和透明性而著称，采用了大量的钢结构和玻璃，创造了一种漂浮书架的视觉效果。

This morning, we took a bus to the José Vasconcelos Library, nestled amidst the bustling city. The library is renowned for its distinctive modern architecture and extensive collection of books. It dates back to 2006, initiated by the then President of Mexico and named in honor of José Vasconcelos, a renowned Mexican poet, diplomat, and librarian.

The building’s design, led by Mexican architect Alberto Kalach, is celebrated for its contemporary style and transparency, featuring extensive use of steel and glass to create an illusion of floating bookshelves.

我俩酒店附近的这个公交车站 – The bus station near our hotel.

一踏入图书馆，仿佛走进了一个静谧的世界，周围的一切都变得宁静。图书馆里的人不多，空气中弥漫着书页的香气，抬眼望去犹如身处盗梦空间的感觉。

Upon entering the library, it felt like stepping into a tranquil world where everything became peaceful. There weren’t many people in the library, and the air was filled with the scent of books, creating a feeling akin to being in a dream space.

感受完安静的图书馆，我俩步行十余分钟来到了革命纪念塔，又一座重要历史建筑和地标。没想到，纪念塔竟然在中午12点才开放。我们在附近闲逛，感受着周围的市井气息。

After experiencing the quiet library, we walked for about ten minutes to reach the Monument to the Revolution, another important historical building. Surprisingly, the monument only opened at 12 noon. So we strolled around the nearby area, soaking in the local atmosphere.

今天塔下在举行一个旅游活动，各种旅游团在这里做广告 – Today, there was a tourism event being held under the tower, with various tour groups advertising products there.

直到12点15分，我们终于踏入了这座历史的见证者。门票是每人150比索，可以登上塔顶的观景台。革命纪念塔最初并非设计为纪念革命的建筑，它原本是墨西哥总统波菲里奥·迪亚兹（Porfirio Díaz）委托建造的一部分，打算成为国会大厦的一部分，以庆祝独立一百周年，但因墨西哥革命爆发而未能完成。在革命后，这座未完成的建筑被改造成为纪念墨西哥革命的纪念碑。革命纪念塔于1938年正式对公众开放，成为了纪念墨西哥革命及其英雄们的地方。

After waiting for awhile, at 12:15 PM, we finally entered into this witness to history. The ticket cost was 150 Pesos per person, with access to the observation deck at the top of the tower. The Monument to the Revolution was not originally designed as a monument to the revolution. It was initially part of a project commissioned by Mexican President Porfirio Díaz, intended to be part of the National Palace to celebrate the centenary of independence but was left unfinished due to the outbreak of the Mexican Revolution. After the revolution, this unfinished structure was transformed into a monument commemorating the Mexican Revolution. The Monument to the Revolution opened to the public in 1938 and has since become a place to commemorate the Mexican Revolution and its heroes.

午餐时间，我们在广场旁的比萨店找到了一个绝佳的座位。那里，我们可以一边吃午饭，一边眺望着革命纪念塔。正当我们沉浸在这美妙的环境中时，广场上响起了阵阵歌声。这个歌声与周围的风景格格不入，让这个本该宁静的午餐时光变得有些滑稽。

During lunchtime, we found an excellent seat in a pizza place next to the square. From there, we could eat lunch while gazing at the Monument to the Revolution. As we were enjoying this delightful setting, bursts of singing erupted from the square. This singing, somewhat out of place with the surrounding scenery, turned what was supposed to be a peaceful lunchtime into something rather disturbing. We wanted to pay them to stop.

菠菜，桃和核桃仁沙拉，帕尔玛火腿披萨，披萨上竟然有果酱，不好吃 – A spinach, peach, and walnut salad, and a Parma ham pizza with fig jam. Not very good.

随后，我们乘坐地铁前往宪法广场，本想参观国家宫，却没想到今天的参观团已经结束。好在，工作人员告诉我们可以在明天早上10点再来参加。我俩在这个建筑里看了一个正在举行的画展，又去了旁边的阿兹特克帝国的主要神庙的历史遗址，称为“特诺奇蒂特兰的大神庙”（Templo Mayor），这个神庙大约建在1325年左右，在1987年被联合国教科文组织列为世界文化遗产。

Afterward, we took the subway to Constitution Square, planning to visit the National Palace, but we missed todays tour. Fortunately, the staff informed us we could join a tour tomorrow morning at 10 AM. We viewed an ongoing art exhibition inside this building and then visited the nearby main temple of the Aztec Empire, known as the ‘Templo Mayor’ of Tenochtitlan. This temple, built around 1325, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

晚饭选择了一家日本餐，第一次我俩不是那么寂寞，饭店里有很多别的食客。饭后，我们漫步至酒店旁边的那个市场，那里正上演着一场地道的墨西哥音乐表演，乐队的演出充满了激情和活力，让周围的客人们都随着音乐起舞。今天的旅程以这场充满墨西哥特色的音乐和舞蹈的欢快氛围画上了圆满的句号。

For dinner, we chose a Japanese restaurant, where for the first time, we didn’t feel so alone, as there were many other diners. After the meal, we strolled to the market next to our hotel, where an authentic Mexican music performance was taking place. The band’s performance was full of passion and energy, prompting the surrounding guests to dance to the music. Our day’s journey concluded perfectly with this lively atmosphere of Mexican music and dance.