Sepember 27 Taxco
Arrived late in the afternoon. This is the city of silver, built on the side of a mountain. Our room had a wonderful view over the city, particularly as the lights began to twinkle when the sun went down. Visited several jewellery outlets selling silver ornaments, statues, and of course jewellery. Succumbed and purchased one ring. The city only really has one other feature of interest, being the cathedral which of course we visited.
September 28 Taxco to Puebla
Long drive through beautiful countryside. The fields are so green, and the country quite open. The altitude is still affecting us - the guide said we had been as high as 12,000 feet and Puebla is still 10,000 feet. We will reach lower altitudes in the next few days. Dinner at a restaurant near the hotel, where we had very good steak with prickly pear, rice, mashed avocado, brown bean mash, and vegetables. No chilli!
September 29 Puebla
Visited the cathedral and a church, where we saw some exquisite gold statues and ornaments, with one chapel being completely gold from floor to ceiling and even the ceiling itself. A street near a market had many artist outlets operating from small doorways, but most of the artwork did not appeal to Western taste.
Lunch was partaken in an old Colonial hotel, where we had our first taste of Mole (pronounced molay) with chicken. This is a traditional paste, made of bitter chocolate and about 20 other ingredients including spices and chicken consome, which looks like a dark gravy. It was surprisingly enjoyable and not too hot. Pueblo is supposed to have the best mole in Mexico, and if possible we will try to bring some home.
Spent several hours wandering through the Museum and learnt about the history of Mexico through artifacts and relics. The majority of the signage was also in English, so it was very interesting indeed.
A very dilapidated vehicle drove down a narrow street, an old lady jumped out, and took a basket of bread rolls and other pastries from the back for a store nearby. The vehicle continued down the street with the tailgate open, where this exercise was repeated with traffic behind tooting impatiently. Interesting to watch!
Observations of Interest so far
The young children are particularly beautiful, with no smiles and huge black eyes. Smaller children are very quietly spoken, and extremely well-behaved. Teenagers vary greatly, but the majority of the boys are slim and the girls plump. The tummies of many girls wobble quite a lot as they walk.
Small babies are wrapped in a blanket with their heads covered, carried by their mother or in some cases the father. There do not seem to be any prams or strollers, presumably because of the uneven surfaces of the roadways and footpaths.
Many of the women are quite overweight, which is most likely because of the intake of Western junk food which is readily available. Also, some of the Mexican delicacies are sweet and cooked in deep oil ie deep fried.
The hotels have signs "potable water" but we do not trust it, drinking bottled water as a precaution.
It is best to be very cautious about any sauce which is coloured either bright green or red! Try a little first.
Very few people seem to smoke, and we have been told that in Mexico city is not permitted to smoke anywhere outside or in restaurants, hotels etc. Presumably one could smoke at home?
There are many shoe-shine men, one on every corner around a plaza or square. They do an excellent job, and are kept very busy. It is pleasant to see men with very shiny polished shoes made of happy leather!
In Taxco we saw a wedding about to commence, although no bride yet. The bridesmaid was a puffball of bright red with beads and a tiara, and the flowergirl a bubble of white and pink.
According to our guide, Mexico is self-sufficient in agricultural products, and no-one goes hungry. But he also says that everyone has a job - so how come there are beggars on the streets?
Education is compulsory, and the children all wear uniforms. Teenage girls wearing long snow-white socks with light coffee-coloured knees above plus a tartan skirt were beautiful to behold. It seems that each school has a different uniform. Indians apparently do not attend school much, and this is not really policed.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Another fountain in Puebla
When you open the door on the street and step inside, this is typical of what you come across.
These court yards make these old buildings.
There are many of these in the cities, towns and villages on our travels
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Policeman on horseback in Guanajuato
Ali Let Dennis know that there are a few vacancies over here for him !!
September 25 San Miguel De Allende
Spent the day wandering around the city, enjoying the sights and sounds, antique shops, cafes, bars and garden squares.
Still very tired, wide awake at 3.00 am and nodding off at 3.00 p.m!
Interesting observation from our guide that there is only one public train line in Mexico, with lines only carrying freight.
The countryside is quite green, with wild prickly pear, wild sunflowers, and strange low trees with very flat tops. Donkeys seem to be in every second field, and there are herds of cattle which can be seen from the car.
Have learned the name of the beautiful black stone with the high shine - it is Obsidian.
The prickly pear grows wild in the fields. It is used as fruit, and the leaves are cut up as a vegetable. Two crops are grown in a field over a year - first corn, and then wheat. Vegetables can be planted for up to four crops in a year.
The walls in our room have interesting colours - apricot curtains, one wall a very bright lime-lemon paint, and one a vivid royal blue. Sounds terrible, but somehow it works.
Had dinner at a restaurant recommended by our guide, which provided caesar salad made for us at the table, followed by diagonally thinly cut fillet steak with vegetables and a crisp roll. Delicious.
September 26 San Miguel De Allende
Travelled by car to a city 1.5 hours away, Guanajuato. This is a university city, with picture-book colours and beautiful to wander around. Under the city is a road about 2 km long, which follows the course of a river which flowed there prior to being deflected away from the city. Visited a church, many other important buildings including the university, and also an Art Gallery which houses about 100 paintings of Don Quixote by numerous artists.
Highlight of the day was the Museum of Mummies. Many years ago (but not that many) they dug up an old cemetery which contained the bodies of people who no longer had relatives to claim them. To their astonishment, the bodies had been mummified (some in only a five year period) and were perfectly preserved. These have been taken to a special museum where they can be viewed through glass - one of the most interesting sights we have ever seen. One was a very tiny baby beside what was obviously the mother who had been cut open and stitched up. Another had been stabbed in the chest. One woman had apparently been buried alive, because she had been scratching her face in an attempt to escape. Most did not look happy, and none appeared to be very old.
Considering how nervous we were about safety and security before we left home, we feel surprisingly safe here. Of course we are still being very careful.
Spent the day wandering around the city, enjoying the sights and sounds, antique shops, cafes, bars and garden squares.
Still very tired, wide awake at 3.00 am and nodding off at 3.00 p.m!
Interesting observation from our guide that there is only one public train line in Mexico, with lines only carrying freight.
The countryside is quite green, with wild prickly pear, wild sunflowers, and strange low trees with very flat tops. Donkeys seem to be in every second field, and there are herds of cattle which can be seen from the car.
Have learned the name of the beautiful black stone with the high shine - it is Obsidian.
The prickly pear grows wild in the fields. It is used as fruit, and the leaves are cut up as a vegetable. Two crops are grown in a field over a year - first corn, and then wheat. Vegetables can be planted for up to four crops in a year.
The walls in our room have interesting colours - apricot curtains, one wall a very bright lime-lemon paint, and one a vivid royal blue. Sounds terrible, but somehow it works.
Had dinner at a restaurant recommended by our guide, which provided caesar salad made for us at the table, followed by diagonally thinly cut fillet steak with vegetables and a crisp roll. Delicious.
September 26 San Miguel De Allende
Travelled by car to a city 1.5 hours away, Guanajuato. This is a university city, with picture-book colours and beautiful to wander around. Under the city is a road about 2 km long, which follows the course of a river which flowed there prior to being deflected away from the city. Visited a church, many other important buildings including the university, and also an Art Gallery which houses about 100 paintings of Don Quixote by numerous artists.
Highlight of the day was the Museum of Mummies. Many years ago (but not that many) they dug up an old cemetery which contained the bodies of people who no longer had relatives to claim them. To their astonishment, the bodies had been mummified (some in only a five year period) and were perfectly preserved. These have been taken to a special museum where they can be viewed through glass - one of the most interesting sights we have ever seen. One was a very tiny baby beside what was obviously the mother who had been cut open and stitched up. Another had been stabbed in the chest. One woman had apparently been buried alive, because she had been scratching her face in an attempt to escape. Most did not look happy, and none appeared to be very old.
Considering how nervous we were about safety and security before we left home, we feel surprisingly safe here. Of course we are still being very careful.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Wednesday September 24
Travelled to Queretaro and then San Miguel de Allende. Lovely country. Area around Mexico city for a 50km radius is a high plateau, relatively cool and pleasant.
Time difference is still giving us angst - wide awake at 2.00 am, and dozing at 3.00 pm!
Our driver is very competent, and able to drive safely whilst talking most of the time to give us a great deal of history and politics.
Some comments which made us smile - ¨lemincheque" (let me check) and "get corpse" (I will remove the cork)
The rooms and service are quite varied - some excellent, some completely absent. eg our present shower has no curtain, the basin does not drain, and the door card only works once! Waiters everywhere are amazingly friendly, but one must hold your plate down and also your knife and fork or they disappear before your eyes! Coffee is acceptable, tea ok. Food so far is not too bad, although every meal has beans in it. No trouble with chilli so far, but we must be careful to ensure we check the ingredients before ordering a meal. Garlic chilli mushrooms were the highlight so far. Mexican red wine proved to be acceptable and relatively cheap.
We are staying now at the San Miguel de Allende, where the foyer contains an amazing feature - a well about 100 feet deep, with light globes illuminating the full depth. This was the original well when the city was first operational as a centre to check the transport of silver from south to north.
Note that there is only one passenger train line in Mexico, so people travel by bus and car.
More soon
Travelled to Queretaro and then San Miguel de Allende. Lovely country. Area around Mexico city for a 50km radius is a high plateau, relatively cool and pleasant.
Time difference is still giving us angst - wide awake at 2.00 am, and dozing at 3.00 pm!
Our driver is very competent, and able to drive safely whilst talking most of the time to give us a great deal of history and politics.
Some comments which made us smile - ¨lemincheque" (let me check) and "get corpse" (I will remove the cork)
The rooms and service are quite varied - some excellent, some completely absent. eg our present shower has no curtain, the basin does not drain, and the door card only works once! Waiters everywhere are amazingly friendly, but one must hold your plate down and also your knife and fork or they disappear before your eyes! Coffee is acceptable, tea ok. Food so far is not too bad, although every meal has beans in it. No trouble with chilli so far, but we must be careful to ensure we check the ingredients before ordering a meal. Garlic chilli mushrooms were the highlight so far. Mexican red wine proved to be acceptable and relatively cheap.
We are staying now at the San Miguel de Allende, where the foyer contains an amazing feature - a well about 100 feet deep, with light globes illuminating the full depth. This was the original well when the city was first operational as a centre to check the transport of silver from south to north.
Note that there is only one passenger train line in Mexico, so people travel by bus and car.
More soon
Thursday, September 25, 2008
September 24, 2008 San Juan del Rio
After 31 hours between start and end destinations, we were exhausted and not thinking straight. The two hour queue at customs in Mexico city was the last straw for these weary travellers.
Breakfast on the first morning was intesting, with some strange foods on the buffet. One resembled green slime, and another lumps of white stuff of custard consistency resting in a brown sludge. We settled for scrambled eggs and a bread roll.
We spent yesterday driving through the countryside, and visiting the amazing pyramids at Teotihusean. The countryside was filled with wild sunflowers in bloom, peppercorn trees, and fields of maize and cattle grazing. The land was once under water, which has been drained for agriculture. In the city, most of the very old buildings have sunk, causing the buildings to give the impression of waves on the outside.
The housing on the outskirts of Mexico was very interesting - thousands of very small, two-story constructions with water and gas tanks on the rooves. According to our guide, if people save then they can apply for one of these and pay very little for a roof over their heads.
Near the pyramids, there is are working craftsmen plus an amazing display of their handcrafted work in stone with embedded decorative semi-precious colourful stones. Coveted one of these, but too heavy to contemplate bringing home.
Also given a lesson on the usefulness of a particular large cactus - named the pulque. Holds water in the base which is replenished each day by the plant, the centre produces a needle-like pointed implement with a long strand of string attached, used for sewing. Leaves produce a paper-like sheet inside, which can be used for writing notes and then dried.
Silverwork is very beautiful - not as elaborate as we had imagined. Beautiful jewellery made from silver and stones.
We are now at the Hacienda Galindo @ San Juan del Rio, a magnificent old mansion and other buildings with exquisite gardens. There are many courtyards around the main building, each of which is planted with heavily-laden orange trees, creepers, and other bright green plants silhouetted against terracotta painted high walls. The surrounding lawns and trees are very green and healthy, and obviously receiving plenty of tlc and water. It was surprising to realise how long it has been since we have seen a garden sprinkler in action!
The rooms are attractive and the beds comfortable, with more than adequate facilities. Staff are helpful and genial, but few speak English. Some remind us of Manuel of John Cleese fame - ingratiating, simple, and appearing to stare into the distance when approached.
Au revoir, more soon. Still light on for sleep, but this will no doubt improve with more time
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