Heading Back

After a wonderful weekend in Jalapa, on Monday morning Alejandro and I set off on the four hour drive back to Mexico City.

Leaving the busy city of Jalapa

Ahead of us the slopes of the Sierra Madre Mountains

We head onto the highway to Mexico City and begin our climb over the mountains.  By the way, as you can see by the road sign, Mexico City is often referred to simply as "México".

"Si tomas no manejes."  "Don't drink and drive."

After crossing the crest of the Sierra Madre, we then descend slightly onto the "altiplano", the high plateau of central Mexico.  The plateau here, however, is not a flat plain.  We are in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt and the landscape is punctuated with mountains of volcanic origin.

Although the fields were green from the summer rains, this area is semi-arid.  Yucca and cactus are the predominant natural vegetation.

Although it was a sunny day, the clouds were already piling up around the tallest mountains.  We weren't able to see the highest peaks which are arrayed along this route like a procession of volcanoes.  The one exception was La Malinche, a 14,600 foot high peak on the border of the states of Tlaxcala and Puebla.  It is the fifth highest mountain in Mexico.

Since we were returning to Alejandro's house on the north side of Mexico City, we did not take the toll road that goes from Puebla, over the mountains, and down into the Valley of Mexico where Mexico City is located.  Instead we took a more northerly route through the city of Texcoco and then south into the city.  Along this route, the descent into the valley is more gradual.

After entering the smoggy valley and passing the unattractive city of Texcoco, we went by the site were the new Mexico City International Airport was being built.  The current President, López Obrador, abandoned the project, costing the nation billions in cancelled contracts, and built his own pet project airport farther from the city.

  

A short distance from the unfinished airport, we crossed the city limits into "la Ciudad de México"... Mexico City.

At around two in the afternoon we arrived at Alejandro's house.