Queretaro

Traveling from Tula to Queretaro Centro was straight forward and we etabished ourselves in Hotel Hidalgo, athough we would have to move 30 hours later as the hotel never managed to deliever hot water to our shower and was evasive about the problem or non-problem.

We arrived in Queretaro on the wednesday before the long weekend around Constitution Day, a national holiday. Turns out the Constituion was drafted and adopted in Queretaro. Whoa! So Enrique Peña, the President of Mexcio was due on Tuesday Feb 5 for commemorations. Not to mention that the day for blessing Nino Dios was Saturday Feb 2. Let the fiestas begin!

In addition to the usual museums and churches, Queretaro has many plazas and gardens filled with fountains, shady ficus trees, monuments, and statues. Strolling is pleasant.

We only made one excursion, to the suburb of El Pueblito, for the festival of the Virgen del Pueblito, which featured pilgrims, a pyrotechnic tower, food, and a blessing of vehicles (see video below) - all cool stuff.

Lots of photos from our 5 days in Queretaro. You can see them all here or see a selection below.

Passed these bicycling pilgrims while on the bus from Tula to Queretaro.


Parroquia de Santiago with Police communications truck parked in front.


Many of the churches in Queretaro have an image of Christ on the Cross at their entrance.


Queretaro was the birthplace of the 1810 Mexican Revolution. The leaders are depicted in this mural.


Getting started on a tasty vegetarian lunch.


The transfer of the Christ image from Chapel to main altar - Templo de la Santa Cruz.






The old aqueduct.


Preparing for Constitution Day.


Tamale Row.


Ex-convent of Santa Rosa de Viterbo.


The Twelve Apostles rest in a back room at Santa Rosa - very cool.


Ex-convento Santa Rosa.


The old Queretaro Station is looking good.


Our first michelada: beer with tamarind & hotsauce, plus salt on the rim of the glass.


Mass at Santiago for the blessing of the Nino Dios.


Nino Dios at Santo Domingo.


Monument to Benito Juarez with our friend Dayle strolling by.


Cleaning a monument.


Procession in Barrio Santa Caterina, Queretaro.


Fountain in Plaza de la Constitución.


Beggars and vendors assemble at Santiago before Sunday morning mass.


Making Gorditos in El Pueblito.


Pilgrims wait be received in the Santuario - El Pueblito.


Sun-Ling waits for her Eskimo.


Blessing of the Vehicles - El Pueblito, Queretaro, Mexico.

Tula and Tepotzotlan

We hopped into a Central Terminal bound van just outside our hotel, and 3 hours later were settled in Tula in the Hotel Casablanca (Pasaje Hidalgo, 11) which happens to be next door to the only vegetarian restaurant in town. Woohoo!.

Most folks see the Toltec ruins at Tula as a half-day trip from Mexico City but we decided to spend two nights; seeing the ruins the afternoon of our arrival and daytripping to Tepotzotlan the next day.

So of course we liked Tula: good hotel next to a vegetarian Restaurant; awesome ruins - hope the photos and video below do them justice; and the highly touted museum in Tepotzotlan which was worth price of admission and the longish trip.

Mana Vegetarian restaurant adjacent to our hotel.


Ball Court #1 - Tula Ruins.


Atlantes Warriors - Tula Ruins.


And some video.


Temple.


First Course - Enslada and Fruta (Salads and Fruits).


Second Course - Crema and Sopa (Cream Soup and Clear Soup).


Main Course - Tres Guisados (Three Dishes).


Museum of the Viceroyalty of New Spain at Tepotzotlan, Mexico.


Dome of San Pedro Aposto - part of the Museum.


San Pedro Aposto.


Camarin of the Capilla of the Virgen of Loreto - part of the museum.


Idigeous Motifs - Chapel of the Virgen of Loreto.


Camarin of Chapel of the Virgen of Loreto.


We were fascinated by "wedding portraits" of nuns in the museum - married to God of course.


Monastery of San Pedro - part of the museum.

Pachuca

Pachuca is the capital of the state of Hidalgo and a former mining town. We arrived after a pleasant bus ride from Tlaxcala, and a convenient combi ride to downtown, and snagged a room at Hotel Casablanca overlooking Plaza Independencia and its famous clock tower (El Reloj).

Day One we day-tripped to San Miguel Regla (forgettable), then Huasca (skipable), then Mineral Del Monte, a colorful former mining town, now a tourist town with things to see and do. See the photos below.

Day Two we day-tripped out to Mineral del Chico and hiked about 6 kilometers in the hills around the town to Los Monjas and Mirador Peña del Cuervo; then walked south with El Club de Exploraciones de México another 6 kms Pueblo Nuevo; then a combi back to town.

We liked Pachuca: good day trips, good food, and many interesting places to wander around in the city center.

El Reloj (The Clock Tower) dominates Plaza Independencia in Pachuca.


View from our hotel room to plaza and clock tower.


And El Reloj at sunrise.


Mineral del Monte, Hidalgo, Mexico.


The church in Mineral Del Monte has one tower in Spanish style and one in English style as many miners cane to MdM in the 1860's to work the mines.


The church in Mineral del Monte decked out for a celebration of the 15th birthdays of local young women; that is, those born in 1998.


The very cool 1950's Miner's Monument in Mineral del Monte with the Mercado behind.


Back in Pachuca, folks are getting ready for Candlemas and the blessing of their Nino Dios which marks the end of Christmas.


Fav pastry shop in Pachuca.


MTB'ers in Mineral del Chico with Los Monjas in the background.


Hiking up to Mirador Peña del Cuervo, just outside Mineral del Chico.


View of Los Monjas (left) and Mineral del chico (center) from Mirador Peña del Cuervo.




Super Soya!

Tlaxcala

Tlaxcala is the capital of the Mexican state of Tlaxacla and is located, like Puebla, just an hour from Mexico City. We stopped there to meet up with friends of my cousin, to visit to the nearby archaeological site of Cacaxtla, and to visit the small town of Huamantla; but there was more in store for us than just that.

It turns out that Tlaxcala is a great place to visit and even better when you hang out with new friends. One guide book said you could waste a whole day just wandering around the streets of Tlaxcala. Agreed. And there's great transportation connections although we were ferried out to Huamantla by Ana in her Jeep.

For a change, I won't mention the churches, parks, vegetarian restaurants, ruins, and museums; but will show a few in the photos below. Instead, the highlights of our two days in Tlaxcala were getting to know Ana and her sons; getting a tour of the bullring in Huamantla; and finally getting a sunny day in which we could see three of the Central Mexican volcanos: La Malinche, Popocatepetl (Popo), and Iztaccíhuatl (Izta).

Although we would never attend a bullfight ourselves, they are a part of Mexican culture and seeing the backstage sections of bullring plaza de toros was pretty cool: the corrals that hold the bulls, the some chapel where the matador says maybe his last prayer before he goes out to face the bull. Turns out that Ana has a relative that used to manage a bullring so she was pretty knowledgeable.

The murals at Cacaxtla were cool but the highlight was the bus ride where we first had a view to La Malinche to the east and then the twin volcanoes of Popo and Izta to the west.

Great visit to Tlaxcala. And although I stated above that I would not mention food, Zana-Hora Comida Vegetariana (CALLE XICOHTENCATL No.21-B, COL. CENTRO) in Tlaxcala was even better that the nearly similarly named La Zanahoria in Puebla.

Tlaxcala, Mexico.


The Plaza de Toros (bullring) in Tlaxcala.


La Basílica de Ocotlán is worth the 20 minute uphill leg-stretcher from Centro.


Sun-Ling and Ana at Hacienda Soltepec La Escondida in Huamantla.


Basilica Nuestra Señora de la Caridad - Huamantla, Mexico


The recently covered Plaza de Toros La Taurina in Huamantla.


The red door is opened and the bull runs down the corridor and out into the ring.


The small chapel just outside the ring where the matador may say his last prayer.


Ana and Sun-Ling "behind the scenes".


Meal at Zana-Hora featuring encamisados (left), baked chile poblano relleno, and alambre (right).,


The murals in the Palacio de Gobierno of Ciudad de Tlaxcala entitled "The history of Tlaxcala" were created from 1956 through 2000 by Desiderio Hernandez Xochitiotzin.




We finally see Popo and Izta on the way to Cacaxtlan.


The ancient murals at the Cacaxtlan ruins. The site is covered by a huge roof.