Mountain View

 When we got off the train at Zinacantepec, we stopped at a nearby restaurant and had something to drink and a bite to eat, and, most importantly, use the facilities.  (One major flaw to "El Insurgente" is that neither the train cars nor the terminal has restrooms.)

Alejandro was looking at Google Maps while we ate, and he saw that there was a large park just a couple blocks away from the station.  So after was finished our light meal, we headed there to take a walk.

The Zinacantepec terminal in the background

The park was a natural area with unpaved paths.  It was forested predominately with pine trees.  (Toluca is at an even higher elevation than Mexico City... 8730 feet above sea level... so pine trees are common here.)

The best part of our walk was that we had views of the volcano Nevado de Toluca.

Nevado de Toluca, with an elevation of over 15,000 feet, is the fourth highest mountain in Mexico.  It is an inactive volcano, and it is thought that it's last major eruption was over 10,000 years ago.  The word "nevado" means snow-covered.  The mountain used to have permanent glaciers, but due to global warming, the glaciers have all disappeared.   As you can see, there was a small amount of snow on the mountain peak.

 

On the Train

Our train trip from Mexico City to Toluca on the brand new "El Insurgente" train took around 40 minutes.  It was a comfortable journey.  Although the seats are not upholstered, I felt as if I were traveling on a train in Europe.

There are two more stops within Mexico City.  First there is "Vasco de Quiroga" which is also the terminus of one of the "Cablebus" lines.  Then the train passes through the ritzy neighborhood of Santa Fe with its high-rise corporate headquarters and luxury apartment buildings.

  

After stopping at the Santa Fe station, the train is soon climbing through the forested mountains to the west of Mexico City.

Through the highest part of the mountains, there is a three mile long tunnel.

The train then descends into the Valley of Toluca and the metropolitan area of the city.

There are several stops in the Toluca area.  First is at Lerma, a large industrial suburb just to the east of the city.  Next is Metepec, a city known for its handicrafts.  From Metepec there are buses that take you to Toluca International Airport.  Toluca Centro is not in downtown Toluca, but buses that take you to the center of the city.  

As we continued on we could see Nevado de Toluca, the fourth highest mountain in Mexico.  

The end of the line is Zinacantepec, a suburb to the west of Toluca.

After having a bite to eat at a nearby restaurant and walking around a bit, we got back on the train to return to Mexico City.

Soon were back in the city and got off the train at the "Observatario" terminal.

All Aboard!

Way back in 2014, construction was begun on an interurban commuter train to connect Mexico City with Toluca, the capital of the State of Mexico.  After long delays, the train route was finally completed on February 2 of this year with the opening of a terminal in Mexico City that connects with Line 1 of the subway.  The train line is called "El Insurgente", after Miguel Hidalgo, the "father of Mexican Independence."  From Mexico City, the train runs west 35.9 miles.  It is electric and can reach a speed of 99 mph.

Last Saturday, Alejandro and I decide to ride "El Insurgente".  We took the newly renovated Line 1 of the subway to the end of the line, the "Observatorio" station.  The subway station merges seamlessly into the new train terminal.

You use the transit card that you use for the Metro or Metrobus.  Going through the turnstile, you are charged 15 pesos from the credit on your card.  When you exit the train you go through another turnstile and are charged depending upon the stop from which you get off.  If you go all the way to the end of the line you will be charged 85 pesos for a total of 100 pesos (less than 6 U.S. dollars).  So, you need to be sure to recharge your card with enough pesos to make the trip.

We barely had to wait at all when a train pulled into the station.

The trains were manufactured in Spain.  Each train consists of five cars and has a capacity of 700 passengers.  The cars were spotlessly clean.  Food and beverages are not allowed on the train.

We boarded the train.

We found window seats facing each other.

Soon we were on our way.

You can see the World Trade Center in the background.

More to come from our train ride...

Snowy Mexico

As I reported in this morning's post, yesterday's weather was quite miserable.  Today also began cold and cloudy, but by 11:00 A.M. the skies had cleared and the sun was shining.  The air was still a bit chilly, and I wore a jacket, but it was a pleasant day.  After being cooped up in the apartment yesterday, it was good to get out today.

As I passed a newsstand, I had to take a picture of the front page of one of the Mexico City newspapers.

"Wintry!" says the headline.  "Cold front lowers temperatures and surprises residents of the capital with persistent rain and fog; first big snowfall on Xinantécatl"

I had to do a little research to find out where Xinantécatl is.  It is the Nahuatl (Aztec) name for Nevado de Toluca... the volcanic peak which is Mexico's fourth highest mountain.  So that snowy scene on the front page was about 80 miles to the west of me, and several thousand feet higher.

As an update to yesterday's post about the monarch butterfly hanging from a tree branch outside my window since Tuesday...  This morning before I left the apartment, it was still there.  But when I returned this afternoon, it was gone.

Hopefully today's sun warmed up its wings, and it fluttered off to find its companions.

Climbing... climbing... climbing

It seems that every time that I visit Alejandro, there is at least one excursion that we take that involves climbing a small mountain, hill or pyramid.  Alejandro is an experienced rock climber and mountain climber, so it's no big deal for him.  But sometimes I wonder what I am getting myself into!

On Monday, when we were visiting Toluca, I mentioned that I would like to get a good view of "el Nevado de Toluca", an extinct volcano to the south of the city.  With an elevation of 15, 354 feet above sea level, it is the fourth highest mountain in Mexico.  Alejandro asked a local where we could go for a view, and we were told to keeping heading south out of the city on a certain road until we came to a hill with a cross on top.  There was a path up the hill that we could climb for a view of the volcano.  So off we went, Alejandro stopping to frequently ask if we were still on the right road for the hill with the cross.  We came to the town of Santiago Tlacotepec and found the hill (or perhaps small mountain would be a better description).  Houses climbed part way up the hill, and we were able to drive up until we came to the end of the paved street.  We parked the car and looked for the path to the top of the hill.

                         We found the path leading leading up to the top and began to climb.

 

Looking down at the town of Santiago Tlacotepec (with the zoom lens)

We finally reached the cross at the top.

 

The path was actually not too bad.  It was cobble stone or even concrete most of the way.  But we were at an elevation of nearly 9000 feet (Toluca is the highest major city in Mexico), so every step was an effort.  I trudged my way to the top.

Upon reaching the top, we discovered that there was a farmer who was burning his cornfields in preparation for the spring planting.  There was a lot of wind up there, and the smoke was obscuring the view of the volcano. 

 So from the hill we followed a ridge that climbed even higher.  It seemed as if we should be too high and remote for there to be agriculture, but there was.  The dusty path ran alongside plowed "milpas" (cornfields) and rows of maguey cactus from which they make a brew known as "pulque".

                                                       Toluca was very far below us.

(photo taken by Alejandro)

Zooming in on the city

 

Because of the sun's position, and all the blowing dust and smoke, the view of "el Nevado" was not the greatest.  Nevertheless, it was a fun adventure, and I can't help but wonder if I were the first "gringo" to tread that path.

  

Toluca

February 5th is a national holiday, Constitution Day.  However the day was celebrated yesterday, February 3rd, to create a long weekend.  Alejandro didn't have to go to work, and we had an additional day to take an excursion.

We decided to go to Toluca, a city of close to one million people, which is located about an hour to the west of Mexico City.  Toluca is the capital of the State of Mexico.  (Americans find it confusing that within the country of Mexico, there is also a state called Mexico.)

 

Toluca is not considered a major tourist destination.  It is a busy industrial and commercial city.  But we both found downtown Toluca to be very attractive and interesting.  The atmosphere to me seemed quite prosperous and almost European.  Like almost every other Mexican city, though, the center of Toluca is a plaza surrounded by the Cathedral and government buildings.

The Cathedral of Toluca was constructed in the mid-nineteenth century, and was designed in the style of a Roman basilica.  It is an impressive structure, but it's interior has a much different feel than most Mexican churches.  

 

On the opposite side of the plaza is the "Palacio de Gobierno", the headquarters of the governor of the state of Mexico.

Beyond the main plaza is the lovely 18th century Temple of Carmen.  It was currently undergoing restoration.

Nearby is probably the most fascinating attraction in downtown Toluca, the "Cosmovitral" Botanical Garden.  This building was constructed at the beginning of the 20th century as the city's municipal market.  It now houses a botanical garden, but what makes the structure so unique is that it contains 48 stained glass panels that were created by Tolucan artist, Leopoldo Flores.  The panels, made from a half million pieces of glass, depict the quest of humanity to escape the forces of darkness and search for light and wisdom.  The circular panel at the entrance is known as "El hombre sol" (The Sun Man).

 

 

      

(Photo taken by Alejandro)