Day trip to Tepotzlan

Last week I took a day trip to Tepotzlan, a village about an hour from Mexico City in the state of Morelos.  Tepotzlan is known for its stunning scenery -- it is located in a valley surrounded by jagged peaks.  It is also known popularly as a place of great spiritual energy, and is home to new age homeopathic pharmacies, health food stores selling organic produce and shops selling incense and crystals.   

Since I had come during the week after Easter, there were still quite a few people and there was still quite a lot of traffic.  But the photos below give the general idea of the ambience of the town.

I didn't spend much time in the town of Tepotzlan, though.  It is also famous for a pyramid, and so I decided to climb up to see it.  Ignoring the signs at the bottom of the 'hill' that indicated the hike up to the top where the pyramid is located is only to be attempted by the physically fit, I ventured forth.  Signs suggested that at a steady pace the summit could be reached in about 45 minutes or so...  It took me almost 2 hours to ascend what was a steep and, in places, treacherous climb. 

However, along the way I was rewarded with great vistas.

Towards the end of the hike, the pyramid finally came into view.  And I thought, I still have to climb all the way up there?

During the pre-Columbian era the location made the pyramid -- and the small village around it -- easily defensible against enemies. 

The reward for the climb is the view to the town down below in the valley. (The pyramid itself is very modest in size -- only about 15 meters high. )

One curiosity of the site was a family of coati -- a raccoon-like animal native to Mexico. 

Like raccoons, coati are omnivores, and have figured out that the tourists usually have food in their bags and backpacks, so they are quite brazen in approaching tired hikers. 

Because I spent most of my time on the mountain, I didn't see much of the town -- more for another visit.  I did, however, see this amazing mural on the portal leading to one of the town's church's.  What's remarkable is that it is made entirely of seeds.  For that reason it needs to be replaced every couple of years. 

Can't wait to return to this captivating place.

Magical Neighborhood

Some years ago, the Tourism Council, in an attempt to promote local sites of architectural and cultural importance began designating certain towns within Mexico "Barrios Magicos," or "Magical Towns," and certain neighborhoods within the Federal District Barrios Magicos or "Magical Neighborhoods."  One of them is Iztacalco, where I spent a day recently on a walking tour.



At the time of its settlement, Iztacalco was located on an island in the middle of Lake Texcoco.  It was actually settled by the Aztecs (or the Mexica) before they built their capital city, Tenochitlan, on the site of the modern-day city center at the Zocalo.  At the time of the conquest, Iztacalco was just another small town in the valley.  It remained a separate small town until 1954, when it was finally absorbed by Mexico City (By that time the lake and the canals had been drained.)  The main square of Iztacalco remains a quiet enclave of peace and serenity surrounded just a few blocks away by congestion and bustle of the largest city in the world. 

The Church shown above was built by Franciscan missionaries in the 16th century.  The main altar is in the baroque style, although not so elaborate as other colonial altars.

 

One of the side chapels is dedicated to the Virgin of Guadalupe

 

 

Although there is no longer a convent on the site, the whole parish complex retains the 'look' of a cloister.

 

 

Detail of the carving on a door inside the patio to the side of the church.

 

There are something like seven churches from the colonial era within a quite small area.  A few remain active as parish churches, most are only open a day or two during the year, for a saint's day patronal festival or during Holy Week.  One of the loveliest churches is Santa Cruz, the church of the Holy Cross. 



 



 

 
 



The Church, like most buildings constructed in the colonial era, is made of volcanic rock called Tezontle. 

The retablo,  the area behind the altar is actually more elaborate than that of the of larger parish church.  The bright greens and lavender in the decorations on the walls and in the ceiling detail below are colors inspired by the pre-Hispanic artwork of those whom the missionaries were trying to convert. 

 

Each of the churches also had a kind of a free-standing chapel called an ermita in a separate location.  This is the chapel of the Church of the Holy Cross.

 

You can also see in the above picture that over the years the neighborhood has encroached upon the historic site.  What must at one time have stood apart from the neighborhood, perhaps on a small plaza, is now completely and closely surrounded by houses, apartments, and businesses.  Below is one neighbor who lives next door to another chapel:

 

 

Here is the Asunción Church, also built of the same volcanic rock, here arranged in a kind of a checkerboard pattern.   Otherwise, this is a much simpler construction than the other church buildings -- probably since is was intended for a congregation of indigenous converts.  (The more elaborate structures were for the ruling-class Spaniards and their families.)

 

 

Maybe 'magical' is an overstatement, but it was captivating to visit a quite different neighborhood just a short subway ride away from where I live. 

 



 

A Day in Puebla

Not far from Mexico City, the city of Puebla is located, like the capital, in a valley surrounded by volcanoes.  It is currently the fifth-largest city in Mexico, but like the capital it has a beautiful and well-preserved historic center. 

Here is a view of the city taken from the civic center which occupies the site of a former fort on a hillside above the downtown historic area. 

The zocalo (the main square) is dominated by the cathedral, which is actually larger than the metropolitan cathedral in Mexico City. 

There is a legend about the bells for the towers being too heavy to be lifted up into the belfries, and the builders fretting about how they were going to get them into place.  One night, it is said, when the city was asleep, the angels came and lifted the bells into place... (When I heard the story I commented, "I think angels have better things to do!")

The cupola is over 40 meters high, and dominates the center of the city

 













Naturally, the interior of the cathedral was decorated for Christmas. 

 

There are something like 70 historic churches in the center of Puebla, one of them is the Jesuit Church, Iglesia de la Compania, which has these fantastic baroque carvings on the exterior.

 

 

I was particularly struck by the exteriors of two other churches -- this pink one! -- which I've forgotten the name of.

 

Puebla is known for its tile work, called talavera, and the church dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe has a tiled exterior.  If you look closely you can see the larger tiles tell the story of the  Virgin of Guadalupe, which is important not only to the religious but also the social and cultural history of Mexico.

 

One of the most fascinating sites in the city is the Museo Casa del Alfenique.  Alfenique refers to an elaborate merengue confection and the light and airy decoration on the exterior looks like it could be made of egg white and sugar. 

 

The house, which over the years was owned by series of successful merchants,  is constructed in the traditional style around a courtyard, and even has its own lavish family chapel. 

 



 

A good visit -- and a place I look forward to seeing again.  A last view of the Zocalo:

 

 

Tepotzotlan

Once upon a time, Tepotzotlan was a sleepy little village about 50 kilometers from Mexico City.  It still qualifies as a village, and it's still about 50 kilometers from the city, but it is by no means sleepy.  In the late 16th (or was it early 17th) century Jesuits founded a church, a convent,  and a colegio (probably something like a prep school) for local Indian boys.   The whole complex has been turned into a stunningly beautiful and fascinating museum.

My friend Brian is here from New Jersey, and we decided to get out of the city and see something different, so we took the Metro (city subway) and then a bus, which took about 1 1/2 hours and cost all of 21pesos (less than $2USD).  The museum is fascinating -- it tells the story of Mexico through portraits, artifacts, furniture, household items and liturgical items.  The real gem is the convent church -- amazing Baroque decoration on the retablos (reredos behind the altar): birds, plants, flowers, leaves, angels, shells and much more in intricately carved wood gilded.  And painted ceilings in the most over-the-top kind of embellishment. 

Lunch in a restaurant within the confines of the old Convent topped it off -- pollo en mole poblano  and   pork in adobo sauce washed down with good Mexican beer.  Another day, another adventure.


A view of the Church, convent and colegio,  now the Museo de los Virreyes

The main square of Tepotzotlan.



 Here I am standing in front of the pulpit of the convent church.

(Where else would I be?)

 

 

The altar of the Virgin of Guadalupe

 

 

Close-up of one of the altarpieces, to show the detail, although now photo can begin to show the beauty and grandeur of this place.

 

 

Frescoes on the ceiling and the interior of the dome

 

 

"On Behalf of a Grateful Nation"

Memorial Day, which was celebrated yesterday, is not about picnics and barbecues, long weekends at the beach, parades, or sales at the mall.  It is, of course, to remember and honor those who gave their lives for the freedom and security of their country.  Here in  Mexico, that message seems stronger without all the traditional trappings of a US Memorial Day celebration. 

The Memorial Day Observance I attended took place at the American Military Cemetery in Mexico City -- the oldest of its kind outside of the US.  Located in a busy shopping and residential section of the city, it is an oasis of peace and quiet in the midst of the noise and bustle.  In attendance were other US expatriates, including staff members of the US Embassy.  Other countries sent representatives as well, including the Philippines, Japan, Canada, and several European nations.  The ceremony culminated in the traditional wreath-laying at the monument.

 

The keynote speaker was the charge d'affaires of the US embassy, but perhaps the best speech was given by a US officer who shared stories and remembrances of members of the armed services whom he had known who later died in combat. 

 

A highlight of the morning for me was meeting three members of the Mexican Air Force Squadron 201.  Known popularly as the 'Aztec Eagles,' they fought alongside Allied Forces in the Pacific during World War 2.  There is a plaque in memory of their fallen companions on the wall of Christ Church.  Mexico was one of only two Latin American nations that actually supplied combat forces during that conflict. 

 



I was proud to be an American.  And proud, too, and humbled, to be here in Mexico.  Somehow the overarching message of the Memorial Day of observance was the yearning for peace among all nations.  Amen to that!

Place of the Coyotes

Recently I was in 'the place of the Coyotes' for a tour.   Actually it's called Coyoacan, and it's one of the oldest neighborhoods in Mexico City.  Cortes considered making it his capital at the time of the conquest, but eventually opted for the center of the city where the old capital of the Aztec (technically Mexica -- pronounced meh -sheek -uh) was.

Coyoacan was important in pre-Columbian Mexico because it had fresh water -- here is one of the only open rivers in the whole city -- most of the rest of them are covered over and re-routed underground. 

Coyoacan is best known in the tourist world for the preserved home of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera.  We did not visit there, but saw some of the lesser known sites.   For example:


The Casa Alvarado, now the 'Museum of Sound' with audio files of the History of Mexico, 




Chapel of St. Anthony of Padua

Plaza Sta. Catalina -- this church was built for the indigenous people on a large square, as they were unaccustomed to worshipping inside, and preferred an outdoor religious ceremony. 

 

 





The Italian Cultuiral Center, housed in a lovely old hacienda, offers language courses, a library of books in and about  Italian, and a wonderful little Italian grocery store!

The Gardens of the Italian Cultural Center

 

We ended up in the center of Coyoacan, in the Jardín del Centenario.  At the entrance to this plaza where this portal is located. 

 

At the opposite end of the plaza is the colonial church of San Juan Bautista, which has some amazing frescoes on the ceiling.  (There were baptisms taking place while we were there, so I didn't get any photos...)

 

 

Enjoyed a great (if pricey) lunch at one of the many restaurants that face the plaza. 

The coyote fountain above is in the center of the plaza, and like most public spaces in Mexico, it is populated by street performers -- musicians, magicians and actors -- as well as vendors selling artwork, trinkets, and souvenirs.