Monterrey Julio
Day:5
Why travel? People travel for many reasons and no matter the type of travel you always learn something new or experience something different. Ultimately this is what attracts me to travel most, experiencing the unknown and learning different cultures. I had lots to learn about Monterrey since the first thing that comes to mind is Monterrey jack cheese, which I never saw anywhere.
Our first full day in Mexico we found ourselves in untouristy Monterrey. A city of 3.5 million and supposedly the most American city in Mexico. Monterrey is one city that has benefitted immensely from NAFTA, over 500 U.S. and Canadian companies do business here. I was surprised to find among all this commerce a city full of world class museum’s, beautiful parks and a hip music scene.
We left our hotel and walked around the Gran Plaza in central Monterrey. A revitalized area which is beautifully landscaped, with pools and fountains throughout. Around the Plaza are some of Monterrey´s striking modern buildings mixed with the old colonial style. In the distance are the towering mountains that look down on the city.
After strolling the city we were ready to experience some of Monterrey´s great museums. We checkd out the Musee de Arte Contemporaneo or MARCO. The museum houses some of Mexico´s best contemporary art, something I had no clue about. There was a large exhibit, almost a tribute to the recently passed Julio Galan. I had never heard of this man before, yet Andy Wharhol called him Mexico´s most important artist ever. The collection was huge and his work was impressive if not a bit strange. Then again it´s modern art and what do I know? There was a wealth of information provided in english which allowed us to gain at least a basic knowledge of Galan´s work. Besides the art the museum itself is an amazing building. Filled with natural light and pools indoors it is one of Monterrey´s modern architectural gems.
At the end of the day I thought this is what travel is all about. The little surprises and lessons learned. I´m far from an expert on art of any kind but it felt good to learn about a new artist and gain some insight into modern Mexican culture. I´ll no longer just think of Monterrey jack cheese when I hear Monterrey again.
Tags: Art, Mexico, Monterrey
Michael Coroneos
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