Walking in the "lost" city of Mexico
• Walk in the "lost" city of Mexico
Mexican jungle is not the best place for the realization of artistic ideas. However, an eccentric British millionaire has decided that the lush hills of the Sierra Madre is an ideal place for the realization of his ideas and created there a surreal city, as it has got lost with the passage of time in the impenetrable thickets.
The late Edward James, being rich patron, came up with an unusual park called Las Pozas (Las Pozas), as the original draw for future generations, and filled it with quirky sculptures that give the impression of incompleteness.
Gardens are located deep in the jungle and grow in different directions along the fantastic streets of "old" city.
The flight of his imagination James embodied in the creation of walls with surrealistic sculptures, where between them and the growing plants close you can relax in the shade.
The complex concrete structures and strange spiral staircases give the impression of the ruins that have been preserved from the past civilization.
The director of the park Carlos Barbosa explained that Mr. Edward wanted the visitors were at a loss with respect to the establishment of the "lost" city and its wonderful artistic conception knocked them astray. The fictional town located in the north-eastern state of San Luis Potosi on the mountainside of the Sierra Madre and occupies 100 hectares, but its size is gradually reduced, as the jungle is steadily advancing.
This did not prevent James in his undertaking because he always liked to think that in the future archeologists will find his lost city and are wondering, it was built in the time of a civilization.
As the grandson of Canadian baron and son of English aristocrats, he had enough money to travel. In 1944, at the invitation of the psychiatrist Erich Fromm, he went to Mexico, where he joined a group of artists and intellectuals in different Cuernavaca, a spa town in the south-east of Mexico City.
Surreal 'Lost World ", created by an eccentric Englishman.
When James received an inheritance from his father, then I used the money to support the works of the great surrealists, including Salvador Dali, Magritte, Leonora Carrington and Remedios Varo.
"I watched the video and documents, but did not expect that it is so impressive," - said Vida Arellano, a tourist from the northern state of Chihuahua, "When you are here, you are surrounded by nature, sculpture, architecture ... all this takes you to. Other psychological state. "
Las Pozas translates pools. James spent 20 years of his life, making this city and growing a garden, but it was still only at the beginning of his plan.
Sculpture and gardens of Las Pozas, which are located within the park, reminiscent of the ruins of ancient Greece, entwined with exotic plants.
For years, James grew thousands of orchids on their land, but in the 1962 cold snap ruined them, - said Zaire Linan, assistant park director. James then ordered the workers so that they are made of cement flowers that could not destroy the weather.
James was not limited in his fantasies, inventing colors. He began building increasingly complex sculptures, often carried away in different directions of art philosophy. His sketches of sculptures can be seen on post cards Mexico.
Barbosa shared his memories of the many eccentricities of James, including how he asked the chef to the banquet prepared for all predators and exotic animals he kept and loved as his children. If you also love exotic animals and want to see them with an idea, then go to the Circus on Vernadsky and you will live to see the proud lions, majestic elephants, leopards, tigers and others. Trained animals.
The gardens opened to the public in 1990, and now to come about 75 000 visitors a year who want to explore all the hidden corners of a fantastic park.
"James used to walk naked through the park, and even being a millionaire, he often slept in a sleeping bag, including your garden" - Barbosa said.
Walking through the maze of paths, around which are full of jungle adventures. Guides gladly help visitors visit the most remote corners of the park, including the bed to see in the form of a sheet of wood, where James was meditating and preparing for death.
But James did not die in his favorite park. He died of a stroke in 1984 in San Remo, Italy, before he could finish his project.
"Since he left no sketches for future sculptures, construction stopped, and in the grand fantastic park slowly but surely began to advance the jungle" - said Linan.
Since 1990, the park is open to tourists, and now they are every year with admiration admire a combination of the product of human imagination and creations of nature.
"Lost" in Mexico City - a wonderful garden Las Pozas (Las Pozas)