Category Archives: Mexico
Taxco
December 19th I booked into the hotel Posada and Spa and the owner instructed me that it would be best to take a taxi from the bus station to his hotel which turned out to be a very good idea. Taxco Is a very hilly town. There is not one single square meter that lies flat so although the hotel was not really very far from the bus station. It was up an incredibly steep and cobblestone Street. It would have been a nightmare to drag my suitcase up there. In fact, it was a strenuous experience just to walk up that hill. It made walking up to Eze seem like a stroll in the garden. The hotel Posada was really a completely different experience. Unlike the very modern furnished rooms in my prior hotels, this was clearly an individual passion project. The owner told me that it had been an orphanage and that he had grown up in the orphanage and left to make his fortune elsewhere before returning buying the dilapidated building and fixing it up. It was so unique and there was so much to look at in every corner of the hotel. I loved it and … Continue reading →
Puebla
December 21, I got into Puebla into the hotel. Margarita in early evening. I absolutely loved the hotel which appears to be housed in an old Convent. By the time I got settled in it was around 8:00 and I was starving. Problem was everything was closed. The hotel staff couldn’t have been sweeter and the young lady even walked me to a street where I finally found a sort of a tapas place that was open and I had a very mediocre bacalao dish. At least it was something. December 22 Today’s project was visiting the Cholula archaeological site. It’s one of the oldest continuously occupied places on earth and the site of the Cholula culture which later became allied with the Aztecs as part of the Triple Alliance. Unfortunately for them as it turned out. More on that later. It’s also the site of the world’s largest pyramid looming over the ruins of the once great city. I set out early but getting there was a bit of an expedition. First I had to trek across town to catch one of the minibuses that shuttle out to the town. It took about an hour and then I walked … Continue reading →
Oaxaca
Back to Puebla & Cholula
December 27 Because I liked Puebla so much and hadn’t visited the Cholula Archaeological site I decided to bus back and arrived in early afternoon after a 3 hour journey to the Hotel Tamara. As it was the Saturday after Christmas and a school holiday, the town was incredibly busy and traffic clogged. There was some pedestrian street that seemed to go on forever entirely devoted to stalls selling all variety of merchandise. I strolled for a while, soaking up the buying frenzy and picked up some snacks at a health food store (which are fairly prevalent). I also checked out the Cathedral. The streets were so crowded and noisy I couldn’t get excited about leisurely exploration. I couldn’t find a suitable Mexican place so I opted for an upscale Italian place next to the hotel. I was dubious but they served up an excellent black rice with squid. December 28 Cholula Yet another expedition out to Cholula! (It was closed last Monday) First a lengthy trek across town to the bus station which at least gave me a chance to appreciate Puebla architecture. Then the hour-long bus ride and the trek to the archaeological zone in central Cholula which … Continue reading →