From the Copilco metro station, it is not immediately clear which way you have to go to the university campus. The station lies in a built-up area and I did not see any signs directing to the UNAM. But I did notice lots of medical students in white coats and decided to follow them. In about 5 minutes, we duly arrived at the Faculty of Medicine, the first complex of the university area. It's a bit strange to walk here as a tourist, as all the other people around you are staff and students. But you can just walk in and the general atmosphere is very relaxed.

The first great murals are already at this Faculty - rising enormously behind your back! And at the edge of a basketball field where students were playing, I noticed right away one of the more famous structures of the campus: the Cosmic Ray Pavilion by Felix Candela. There are no information panels or any other signs that will guide you around the university and I forgot to print out a map. That proved to be no problem though: from the Faculty of Medicine, you just head out straight ahead and you will pass all the highlights and end at the Olympic Stadium. I started walking on the right-hand side and took in the other side on my way back to the metro station.

The central area is occupied by a landscape garden designed by Luis Barragán. This part of the campus clearly has seen better times: the grass has been trampled over and over, and people walk their dogs there. It has plenty of benches to sit on, but a persistent smell of urine drove me away. Fortunately, at the end of this large field, the two most impressive buildings are located: the library and the rectory. The library is impressive from all sides. Its design is much Aztec-inspired and feels somewhat familiar after having seen the Templo Mayor in the city center yesterday.

I finished at the Olympic Stadium. It really does look like the volcanic cone that it was meant to emulate. From the stadium, I walked back to where I started and passed several more interesting reliefs and murals. The whole place is a quiet getaway from the hustle and bustle of most of Mexico City, and to me, it looks like a pleasant place to study. Fortunately, it is still in active use as a university; I would not know what would have become of it if it had lost its purpose.