Bagging viewpoints in Taxco, Guerrero

Taxco is an old silver mining town is the state of Guerrero that has long exhausted the ore. Today, it is all about selling silver jewellery and products to tourists. Having zero interest in silver, we found ourselves having a lot of fun walking to various viewpoints. I love hill towns, but had not been to one quite like Taxco.

In Taxco one is either walking steeply down or steeply up. Here is Sun-Ling hauling herself and backpack from the bus terminal, down on the main road, up through the market to our hotel near the zocalo roundabout in city center. Thankfully it is only a 15-minute walk; or a few minutes less if we did not make that one wrong turn.


And one hour later we return down, down, into the market to buy some fruits and veggies.




The next morning we head up to the Cristo monument, via the mirador at the Sanctuary of the Virgin of Guadalupe, to score some views.




Guadalupe. And the view down to the Templo de Santa Prisca.




From the Cristo, there are more great views down to Santa Prisca.






The sky is mostly clear so from the Cristo one can see the two volcanos Popocatépetl (right) and Iztaccihuatl (left).


After walking a few kilometers east from Cristo on the ridge, we had this view back to town.


That evening, we walked up to the parish church in Barrio Ojeda, where in addition to great views to Santa Prisca, the folks of the parish were getting the church ready for Carnival. See me "try out" a diablo mask. And check out the church interior with the longest feather duster I've ever seen.










Coming down the hill back to our hotel, we stopped at a spot just above Santa Prisca for a night view of the church and zocalo.




And nearly got squashed by a VW Beetle taxi on the way down.


Which is normal. See this short video I took the next day.


And we passed an outdoor movie night.

Relaxing Malinalco, State of Mexico

Malinalco is supposed to be an up and coming place, another one of those Pueblos Magicos that people from CDMX go for the weekend. During the week it is pretty quiet. Weather was warm. We did a couple short hikes in the hills to various viewpoints.

Note to fellow travelers: Malinalco seems hard to get to, but the transfers were relatively easy and quick. Cuernavaca bus to Santa Martha, then bus to Chalma, then shared taxi to Malinco. On the way out it's Malinalco shared taxi to Tenancingo, bus to Ixtapan de la Sal, bus to Taxco.

On the bus from Santa Matha to Chalma. Second below is a short 15-second video of pilgrims in the spring below the Sacred "Ahuehuete de Chalma" tree as we pass through Chalma on the bus.




There are some very cool 16th century frescos in the Convento Agustino in the center of town.






Some vistas from our 2 hikes.




















View from our own "mirador" at Hotel Miranda.






Bonus. Around town.

Impressive Xochicalco

Xochicalco is a UNESCO archeological site outside of Cuernavaca, of mixed cultural influences. It has pyramids, ball courts, and bas reliefs. The many artifacts that were found are well displayed in the site museum, even with descriptions in English. The site, set in hills, has multiple levels. Without any doubt the highlight is the Pirámide de Quetzalcóatl (Temple of the Feathered Serpent), the vivid relief carvings were impressive and emblematic. The abandonment of the site resulted from internal revolts, as evidenced by the level of destruction of the elite quarters, but not where the commoners lived. Indigenous cultures can excel at extreme inequality too.

Notes to fellow travelers: The Xochicalco direct bus leaves hourly from the Lasser terminal in Cuernavaca, and stops right in front of the entrance to the site on its way to Cuentepec. To return, catch the bus from Cuentepec on its way back to the Lasser terminal.

Getting a sunrise start to Xochi.


The site museum was very good. We spent an hour there before heading to the site itself.




We were delayed a few minutes while walking to the site. Two 6-ft iguanas were fighting to the death it seemed.


Photos from the site. Starting with a video pan of the Lower Plaza. Also, a view to the North ball court and the valley below.








High, and higher, with another view to the North ball court.


View to the Upper Plaza.


The Grand Pyramid.


Pirámide de Quetzalcóatl (Temple of the Feathered Serpent). Spot the serpent with its jaws wide open.






Yet another plaza.


One of the ball courts has very steep sides.