I’ll be there for Christmas, with Yana and Natasha, please help me improve the quality of our experience. You all know how fond I am of Mexico, and you can leave your suggestions in the comments…
Puebla bleg
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T: check out the amazing murals at Cacaxtla off the Mexico – Puebla Highway
http://www.delange.org/Cacaxtla/Cacaxtla.htm
also there are several amazing “folk baroque” churches within easy driving of the City of Puebla. Incredible interior carvings mixing indigenous with catholic symbols, awesome colors and style.
http://www.colonial-mexico.com/PueblaTlaxcala/atlixco.html
they are really better on the inside than the outside.
Make sure you try manchamantel while at Puebla. Also make sure you try pipian.
Tyler,
Here go some suggestions from a loyal Mexican MR fan:
1. Spend a morning at the Museo Amparo, probably the second best private museum in the country (after the Franz Mayer museum in Mexico City) and the holder of a superb and eclectic collection of prehispanic, colonial, and modern art.
2. Do not miss the Capilla del Rosario in the Church of Santo Domingo. It is one of the most awe-inspiring examples of Mexican baroque and, believe me, it will truly take your breath away.
3. I agree on the Cacaxtla suggestion made by angus, but go there as part of a day trip to Tlaxcala, a truly lovely colonial town that a) was, during precolonial times, a ferociously independent city-state that succesfully resisted Aztec domination and went on to become the key ally of Hernan Cortes during the conquest; and, b) is bypassed by most tourists. As part of the Tlaxcalan excursion, you can go to the church of Ocotlan, a magnificent exmple of the 18th century churrigueresco style. If time allows,you can also try visiting one the many former pulque-producing haciendas in the region.
4. Where to find good mole in Puebla is a source of major controversy among both locals and visitors, but I will venture a couple of suggestions: Fonda La Mexicana and La Bola Roja. Avoid the Fonda Santa Clara: it is a radically overpriced tourist trap.
5. Time allowing, you should consider a trip up the mountains to Cuetzalan. It is a misty, nahuatl-speaking town with winding streets and,among other rarities, one of the few gothic churches in Mexico. Cuetzalan is a two-three hour drive from Puebla through a two-lane mountain road in less than perfet state, but the town is well worth the ordeal, particularly if you happen to go on market day.
6. Regarding Sergio’s queries about Mexican blogs, I can rather immodestly suggest visiting my own: http://www.mexicolibertad.com. I have there a bunch of links to good blogs on Mexican political and economic affairs.
7. Have great fun in Mexico. Hope you come early enough to attend a posada (i.e., before December 24th).
Best regards from south of the border.
Try Puerto Escondido and surrounding areas.
Fresh oysters. Nice beaches. Few Americans. Very inexpensive.
http://www.tomzap.com/escondio.html
Actually the beaches to the slight east of it are even better…
The Biblioteca Palafoxiana, a huge library. Very cool.
Cholula is definately a must go. A 2-hour car drive will take you to Teotihuacan, with amazing pyramids. I had a very well made ‘Mole Poblano’, but unfortunately i forgot the name of the restaurant.
Enjoy!
I also found the Puerto Escondido comment somewhat odd for at least two reasons:
1) Puerto Escondido is about 10 hours away from Puebla by car. On a limited time budget, you would have to go to Mexico City and take a flight. Considering the horrendous traffic you would find entering the capital from Puebla, the whole journey would still take about four to five hours at least.
2) If someone is going for Christmas to a colonial town in the Mexican highlands, I think it is a rather safe assumption that that person is not looking for a beach vacation.
Finally, a couple of additional cultural tidbits for Tyler:
1) There are a number of good literary depictions of Puebla. Just out of the top of my mind, I would recommend “Tear This Heart Out”, a novel by Angeles Mastretta, and the chapters devoted to the two battles of Puebla during the War of French Intervention in Fernando del Paso’s “Noticias del Imperio” (I don’t think there is an English translation of that novel).
2)For local news and information on cultural events in Puebla, check out this page: http://www.poblanerias.com.
Again, best regards from south of the border.
Tyler: Would you be spending any time in Mexico City? In the city center is the newly opened Museum of Economics (MIDE: Museo Interactivo de Economia). It is a superb place, and has won numerous awards since it opened last year. Highly, highly recommended.
FWIW, the most interesting (in a good way) hotel I’ve ever stayed in was in a converted 17th century monastery just off of the zocalo in Puebla. Alas, I can’t remember the name, though.
The “Hotel Colonial” is located in downtown Puebla, that is the one that was a monastery and then transformed into a hotel. It is a must; you can go to the top of the hotel and appreciate the view of the city at night. And when you walk inside it, you can feel transported to the 17th century. The food there is also good. In general, food from Puebla has one of the best reputations in Mexico. There is also an inexpensive restaurant where you can go and mingle with the “poblanos” while you have a healthy breakfast, it’s called “La Zanahoria”, it’s in the back of the Cathedral (I believe it is 3 Sur street). There are wonderful stories about the Cathedral, you should have a tour guide tell you some of them. And don’t forget to try the “chalupas”. Those are the very typical “antojitos” (snacks) that are sold at night and that are very typical to Puebla. Like someone said before, try to attend a real Posada if you get a chance. It’s part of the tradition. Best wishes!!!
Cuexcomate is officially classified as “inactive”, considered highly unlikely to burst into renewed activity. However, local residents are quite concerned, since Popocatépetl has been increasingly active over the past few years, leading to several temporary evacuations of the villages around its base.
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