An Anti-Travel Blog
Okay, not exactly, but we got your attention, right?
A little over 100 years before I had the privilege of vising the ruins of Teotihuacan, the massive pyramid pictured above had been forgotten for over a millennium, overrun with sediment and vegetation. Before its renovation, President Porfirio Diaz was already known to prioritize the interests of the high society of European over his own impoverished and indigenous populace. In an effort to elevate Mexico to a world-class destination filled with ancient wonders on the level of Egypt or Greece, he embarked on a program to promote tourism by showcasing the country’s ancient past for the outside world to admire. There was one “problem”: the ruins of Teotihuacan were still inhabited by indigenous peasants who farmed around the ancient structures. To spare the new visitors from the discomfort of witnessing the poor state of Mexico’s existing indigenous people, the remaining tenants were offered pocket change for their land or forcible removal. The price for the Pyramid of the Sun pictured above: 100 pesos.
The story above has been a common template for tourism developments to the present day. Though tourism has undoubtedly elevated Mexico’s world status and brought significant wealth to the country, it has often required displacement of native populations, environmental degradation, and the replacement of local culture with with American decadence. This sub-page will provide updates on existing and proposed tourist projects, particularly the proposed Tren Maya, and suggest ethical alternatives for travel, relocation, and property investment. The page will also discuss larger migration patterns, such as the recent trend of southbound migration.
Source: Archivo Leopoldo Batres, Subdireccion de Documentacion, Biblioteca Nacional de Antropologia e Historia, f. 216.