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.