Puebla

Puebla is situated at the crossroads between east and west; north and south, and has, therefore, grown immensely in size, population and importance.

An active volcano (Popocatépetl) performed for us – erupting and sending a plume of ash and steam up to 21,000 feet. It was even newsworthy! The mountain is visible all around Puebla.

Our hotel Quinta Real was a former monastery in the city center and close to the Zocalo.

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The historic center is colonial and the streets, planned out by the Spanish, are in a grid system. Many of the buildings are adorned with locally made Talavera tile and decorative white “icing like” ornamentation. The Renaissance-era Puebla Cathedral has tall bell towers and overlooks the central square, the Zócalo.

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The city is spotlessly clean and prides itself on that and its many traditions and role it has played in Mexican history. It’s known for its culinary history, colonial architecture and pottery. The painted Talavera tiles adorning numerous buildings are locally produced.

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The Great Pyramid of Cholula, also known as Tlachihualtepetl, is located in Cholula which neighbors Puebla. It is the largest pyramid by volume known to exist in the world today – it measured 590 feet on each side. Workers built the Great Pyramid in four stages that began in the 2nd century B.C.

Circa 1200, the Toltecs conquered this region and took the Temple of Quetzalcoatl as their ceremonial center. By the time the Spanish conquered Cholula, the Great Pyramid had been hidden in nature so it looked like a normal hill. It was later discovered to be a huge pyramid.

The conquistadors, led by Hernán Cortés, decided to build a church on top of the Great Pyramid, not knowing what was beneath it. Experts believe that Cholula had 365 churches, one for each day of the year. Fewer churches are there today, and the most visible one is on top of it. A multi-domed cathedral was built in 1594.

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Our last stop of the day was a church (Santa Maria Tonanzintla) with the most amazingly ornate interior I have ever seen. There was a Mass in progress and we couldn’t enter. However, we were treated by a Quinceanera procession. (Back in the day of the Aztecs Indians, when a girl turned 15 she would be considered to be ready for marriage. Today this celebration of coming of age has turned to more of a celebratory event for the young girl and her parents. Another procession leaving the church – with people carrying a cross and many flowers on their way to the cemetery to commemorate the first anniversary of the person’s death.

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We also encountered some “charros” (Mexican horse riders, who maintain traditional dress, such as some form of sombrero, which in Mexican Spanish are called sombrero de charro).

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