The Mountain of the Star

Earlier on this trip I wrote about meeting up with Scott, the author of the blog "Gringo Potpourri".  Scott is a world traveler who lived in Mexico City for a while.  After an absence of several years, he returned to Mexico City last month, and, after having followed each other's blogs for a long time, we were finally able to meet face to face.

We made plans to get together a week after our initial meeting, and Scott took me someplace that I, even after my many, many trips to Mexico City, had never visited.  We went to the "Cerro de la Estrella" (Mountain of the Star), an extinct volcano which rises more than 700 feet above the Mexico City district of Iztapalapa.  Iztapalapa is Mexico City's most populous borough, and also has the reputation of being one of the poorest and most crime-infested parts of the city.  But I figured that I was going in broad daylight with someone who is familiar with the area.  When I told Alejandro about our planned excursion, he said, "Cuídate" (Be careful), but he did not seem overly alarmed.

Scott and I met near the "Centro Médico" Metro station and took the subway to, logically, the "Cerro de Estrella" station.

"Welcome to Itzapalapa"

A city within the city with a population of 1.8 million people

It was short walk from the Metro station to the base of the hill.  Here there are three crosses which are used each year in Iztapalapa's "Passion Play".

The Iztapalapa Passion Play is the largest in the world with more than 450 actors portraying the Biblical events over the entire course of Holy Week in locations throughout the borough.  Here, at the foot of the "cerro", the actor playing Jesus is tied (not nailed) to the cross.

We continued to trudge uphill.

 

The road came to the entrance to the Cerro de la Estrella Natural Protection Area which covers the top of the hill.  Although the paved road continues upward, cars are not allowed beyond this point.

 A short distance farther up the road there is a look-out point from which you can look westward across the city.  Unfortunately, the day was quite smoggy, and the view was not as spectacular as it would be on a clearer day.  Through the haze you can make out the skyscrapers of the city, including the Torre Mítica, Mexico City's tallest building.

The summit of the hill was now in sight.

The final portion of the climb was up a flight of stone steps, although there is also a ramp for handicapped visitors. 

At the top of the hill there is a small archaeological site. 

The Aztecs used this platform on the hilltop for one of their most important religious rites, the New Fire Ceremony.  The Aztec calendar was divided in cycles of 52 years, and they believed that at the end of each cycle the sun was in danger of dying, casting the world into darkness.  At sunset at the end of the cycle, all fires would be extinguished.  Priests climbed to the top of the "cerro".  They watched the constellations in the sky, and when they saw that their normal movement was continuing... specifically Orion's belt rising above the horizon... they performed a human sacrifice.  A fire was lit on the victim's chest, and a large bonfire was ignited.  It could be seen throughout the valley below, and the population rejoiced that the world was safe for another 52 years. 

Scott and I on top of the "Cerro de la Estrella"

Looking toward the northwest, I was able to make out through the smog the World Trade Center which is near my apartment.

To the north you can see the "Central de Abasto", the vast wholesale market which supplies the city with most of its food.  It is the largest market in Latin America.

Looking toward the east, the volcanoes would have been visible if it had been a clear day.

The yellow building down the hill is the Museum of the New Fire which deals with the Aztec ceremony held here on top of the "cerro".  It was our next stop.

Thanks to Scott for taking me someplace in Mexico City that I had never seen before!

Farewell to Cuetzalan

On Monday, May 1st, Alejandro and I returned to Mexico City after our roadtrip to Cuetzalan.  It was another beautifully sunny day, so before we checked out of our hotel, we took another walk around the picturesque town.  Here are some more photos of magical Cuetzalan...

Alejandro trying to climb the pole used by the "voladores"?

It was time to get on the road and make the arduous journey back to Mexico City.  We left the "municipio" (county) of Cuetzalan.  "Regresa pronto" the sign says.  "Return soon."

And once we were out of Cuetzalan, the highway was again a horrendous road filled with potholes.

It's a shame that Alejandro had to focus all his attention on the road and couldn't enjoy the scenery of the "Sierra de Puebla".

Finally, we were out of the "Sierra", and back on well-maintained roads for the rest of the journey.

A little after 4 P.M. we reached Alejandro's family's house in Mexico City. We were very tired, but very glad that we had made the trip to Cuetzalan.

Cinco de Mayo = Noise!

I think enough has been written by this point that most... many?... some?... people North of the Border realize that Cinco de Mayo is NOT Mexico's Independence Day.  Instead, it is a commemoration of the Mexican victory over the French invaders at the Battle of Puebla in 1862.  The day is not even a legal holiday... only in the state of Puebla is it officially observed.  However, in Alejandro's Mexico City neighborhood of San Juan de Aragón, the day is celebrated with a reenactment of the battle.  For Alejandro and his family, the day is one of noise with the incessant firing of canons, muskets and firecrackers.  And it is a day of inconvenience, also, since many of the streets are closed off and the Metrobus is rerouted away from the neighborhood.  

I have never been to the reenactment... Alejandro says that there are usually some injuries each year... but I have certainly heard it.  The windows rattle from the noise, and the blasts of the canons set off car alarms on the street. 

Here is a picture from the internet of the battle...

And HERE is a YouTube video of last year's reenactment.  

It wouldn't be so bad if the noise were limited to the few hours that the fake battle is fought.  However, the firecrackers begin a couple days ahead and continue all night long.  Since Cinco de Mayo falls on a Friday this year, I have no doubt that the noise will continue all through the weekend. 

In the neighborhood where my apartment is located, the day is no different and than any other, and nary a single canon shot will be heard.  I tease Alejandro and tell him that his neighborhood is too "folklórico"

This year, however, Alejandro will get to miss out on some of the noise.  He will be coming here to the apartment this evening and will spend the weekend in the peaceful and non-folkloric "colonia" of Nápoles!

Cuetzalan at Night

 Here are a few photos I took while we wandered the streets of Cuetzalan at night.

The Church of San Francisco de Asís

The Town Hall

The bandstand on the town square

Eating in Cuetzalan

The little town of Cuetzalan, tucked away in the mountains of the state of Puebla, would never be considered a gastronomic center.  However, we ate surprisingly well there.

On our first afternoon there we stopped in a little restaurant near the main church.  There we both ordered the specialty of the region, something called "tlayoyos".

"Tlayoyos" are a local variation of "tlacoyos", a patty of corn meal stuffed with a filling and deep fried.  The "tlayoyos" were served with a slice of "cecina', salted, marinated and dried meat.  The meal was very tasty.

Later that afternoon we stopped in a little bakery and bought a couple of yummy pastries.

Breakfast was included in the price of our hotel.  However, the hotel did not have its own restaurant.  We were given a voucher to go to a little place down the street and around the corner.  The food wasn't fancy, just typical, hearty, Mexican breakfast fare.

Behind Alejandro you can see a musician who had come in off the street to serenade the restaurant patrons.  (Of course, it is expected that you give him a coin after he plays.)  The fellow was playing simultaneously the guitar and panpipes.  He was quite talented.

After he left, another pair of musicians came in.  The guy who played the violin was atrocious; it was painful to listen to him.  I joked with Alejandro, "Aren't you glad that Ezra (his nephew) didn't choose the violin as his instrument at school!"

 At this restaurant, as well as at the place where we ate the day before, I would occasionally get a whiff of a lovely scent.  At both places I realized that there was a bouquet of gardenias near us.

As I mentioned previously, the area around Cuetzalan is an important coffee growing region.  So it makes sense that the town has a number of coffee houses.  We went to one of them a couple of times for a bite.  Alejandro said the coffee was very good.  I had hot chocolate, and it too was excellent.  (The place was decorated with balloons for Children's Day.)

On one visit I had a slice of honey cheesecake.  Scrumptious!  ("Lindo día" means "Lovely day".)

Late Saturday afternoon we went to a restaurant called "La Peña".  It was listed as the best in town according to TripAdvisor. 

When we arrived, we were the only ones there, but before we left the place was filling up.

A cook at the "comal" (grill) prepared our appetizer of "queso fundido" (melted cheese with sausage served with hot tortillas).

Along with the appetizer we had Tarascan soup, a hearty bean soup with slices of avocado, cream and chunks of cheese.  To drink we ordered a pitcher of "jamaica" (iced hibiscus tea) flavored with anise.  It was exceptionally good.

For his main course, Alejandro ordered something that I would never order... Basque-style octopus.  He said it was excellent.

I ordered the confit of pork rib served with peanut "mole".  It was delicious.

For dessert we shared a brownie with ice cream.  The brownie was VERY chocolatey!

It was a superb gourmet meal!  For the two of us, the price was around fifty U.S. dollars, which is very expensive for small-town Mexico.  But a meal like that would have cost much more in the U.S. or even in Mexico City.

It's a good thing that we got of lot of exercise walking uphill and down on the cobblestone streets of Cuetzalan!