Tepoztlan

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#CC9900" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="041005a0dwnjzk.gif"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mexico Feb. 2006"><U><B>home</B></U></A><B>     | </B><B> </B><B> </B><B>  </B><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>Mexico Feb. 2006</B></FONT></div> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Mexico City"><U><B>Mexico City</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Teopanzolco"><U><B>Teopanzolco</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Centro Cuernavaca"><U><B>Centro Cuernavaca</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><B>Tepoztlan</B><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Taxco"><U><B>Taxco</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id16.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Centro Cuernavaca 2"><U><B>Centro Cuernavaca 2</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="People"><U><B>People</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Family"><U><B>Family</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Encuentros"><U><B>Encuentros</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Info"><U><B>Info</B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=130 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> Tepoztlan</div> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Taxco"><U><B>On to page 6</B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <IMG SRC="143e77c0.jpg" border=0 width="999" height="380" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="973" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 490 WIDTH="488"><div> Day 10 Feb. 19th Sunday</div> <div> High Temp: 86. Tepoztlan was our destination, a smaller town northeast of Cuernavaca known as <A HREF="id18_ufo.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Info"><U>a place of mystical energy and UFO sightings.</U></A>  I believe in no such thing and have to say I did not see a single space alien while in town but<A HREF="http://www.ufoevidence.org/photographs/section/1980s/Photo69.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.ufoevidence.org/photographs/s"><U> there are stories that others have</U></A>.  We took a cab to the Marcado bus terminal and a nice bus to the town. The trip saw the bustle of the city fade to a more barren looking terrain of winding hilly roads and sporadic development. The Frommers guide says this about the town. 72km (45 miles) S of Mexico City; 45km (28 miles) NE of Cuernavaca </div> <div> Tepoztlán is one of the strangest and most beautiful towns in Mexico. Largely undiscovered by foreign tourists, it occupies the floor of a broad, lush valley whose walls were formed by bizarrely shaped mountains that look like the work of some abstract expressionist giant. The mountains are visible from almost everywhere in town; even the municipal parking lot has a spectacular view.</div> <bR> <div> Tepoztlán is small and steeped in legend and mystery -- it is adjacent to the alleged birthplace of Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec serpent god -- and comes about as close as you're going to get to an unspoiled, magical mountain hideaway. Though the town is tranquil during the week, escapees from Mexico City overrun it on the weekends, especially Sunday. Most Tepoztlán residents, whether foreigners or Mexicans, tend to be mystically or artistically oriented -- although some also appear to be just plain disoriented.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="474"><div> <IMG SRC="17438bf0.jpg" border=0 width="312" height="447" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 327 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="176cc410.jpg" border=0 width="460" height="321" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="474"><bR> <div> Aside from soaking up the ambiance, two things you must do are climbing up to the Tepozteco pyramid and hitting the weekend crafts market. In addition, Tepoztlán offers a variety of treatments, cures, diets, massages, and sweat lodges. Some of these are available at hotels; for some, you have to ask around. Many locals swear that the valley possesses mystical curative powers.</div> <div> If you have a car, Tepoztlán provides a great starting point for traveling this region of Mexico. Within 90 minutes are Las Estates, Taxco, las Grutas de Cacahuamilpa, and Xochicalco (some of the prettiest ruins in Mexico). Tepoztlán is 20 minutes from Cuernavaca and only an hour south of Mexico City, which -- given its lost-in-time feel -- seems hard to believe.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 344 WIDTH="488"><div> We walked down from the bus station (GPS: N18 58.870 W099 06.283) onto the main road leading to the temple path. The streets were just starting to get activity with venders setting up their tables and preparing for the Sunday market. There really is no getting lost if you are heading up the mountain as the flow of traffic moves towards the beginning of the trail. The streets are lined with colorful storefronts and we pass several Spas offering massage starting at as little as a couple dollars for five minutes. We spied a Pizza place and figured it would be open by the time we got down from the hike. Joy was thrilled with this idea. We walked and watched the cobblestone road get narrower as it changed to a path leading up the mountain. We started the climb passing food tarps and margarita tables passing to great old trees and beginning the mile or so of steep ascent to the temple. We climbed a long series of stone steps developed over the years to make the trek easier. There was a steady stream of people both climbing and descending the mountain, many times we had to let people come down before we could go up in the narrower sections of the trail.</div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="187c2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 606 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="18bc2580.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="600" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="474"><div>  It was only 10:30 am and the place was hopping. The climb was steep but there were many children and elderly making the climb. At the top there is a refreshment bar selling drinks. We found some space to eat our snacks and drink or fluids away from the temple so we would not be so crowded by the throngs of people almost all Mexicans. After this we went to the 30ft. high temple, ancient and the birthplace of a God (GPS: N19 00.046 W099 06.074). We took some pictures and enjoyed the view for quite a while before heading back down. In the town we did not look for a curuodero, a healer known around these parts for cleansing a persons body and mind. Instead we walked back to the Pizza place and had a very good brick oven pizza that would rate good even in the states. We walked through a small part of the market before heading to the bus stop.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="17c7f1f0.jpg" border=0 width="383" height="287" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 606 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="18dc2580.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="600" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="180c2580.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="600" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 606 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="183c2580.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="600" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="184c2580.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="600" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 543 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="18e91170.jpg" border=0 width="401" height="535" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="17a93190.jpg" border=0 width="403" height="537" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 375 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="188c2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="474"><div> <IMG SRC="17815710.jpg" border=0 width="277" height="369" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 229 WIDTH="488"><div> Day 11 Feb. 20th Monday</div> <div> High Temp: 90. We planned to let Joy sleep in, so Elisa and I got up a bit later than normal and headed up to the centro on the bus. We went to breakfast at the International restaurant where Elisa had pancakes and maple syrup while I had a chorizo and queso omelette. The coffee was good and the patio was a nice place to be on yet another excellent sunny day, oh wait....everyday was sunny and excellent. We saw the Hickman's as we finished and met Fred's two brothers, nice people. We went to the post office and the bank making sure we had enough cash for tomorrows trip to Taxco where we planned to spend a bit of cash on gifts. </div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="474"><div> We went the tourist information booth and although the girl there did not speak English we worked out where to get buses and the such to Taxco and to a water park we ultimately never got to. We walked from in town to the Spanish school for more information and to turn in our evaluations. Of course after talking with Jinny we naturally forgot to leave the evaluations damn! At home we had a delicious pork, potato and carrot meal with a side of pasta, picked up Joy and we were off again to the internet cafe. We spent a bit of time there and then walk to a main road and caught a taxi to the new mall in Cuernavaca. Plaza Galleria is a beautiful place with a giant 16 theater cineplex and big stores as well as boutiques. We walked the place and then decided that it was a time for a movie. </div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 606 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="191c2580.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="600" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="192c2580.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="600" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 344 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="19abb4c0.jpg" border=0 width="443" height="332" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="199c2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 344 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="198c2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="197c2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 172 WIDTH="488"><div> Elisa and Joy went to see Memiors of a Geisha while I chose <A HREF="http://imdb.com/title/tt0435625/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://imdb.com/title/tt0435625/"><U>The Descent</U></A>. The Cinepolis was great new and comfortable with high backed chairs and lots of room stadium style. You could choose the premium seating on some movies that are reclining leather chairs and waiter service but I went for the basic at $47.00 pesos or about $4.50. The movie was great, a story of a group of women who once a year go do an adventure and their ill fated caving expedition in North Carolina. </div> </tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="474"><div> A worthy movie about the dark and the creature that may be dwelling there and also about the dark part of our imaginations when stressed.  I got out of the movies much earlier than the girls so I went to Starbucks for a coffee and then down to the Music Store Mixup and bought a couple CDs. waited for the girls and we took a cab home. Good thing I had my GPS as the cabbie was not 100% sure where he was going but I could check the GPS to verify direction and helped get us back to the house. It also was a good conversation piece although it was so depressing that I never got to go caching.</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 344 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="19dc2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="19fc2520.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="338" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 606 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="1a2c2580.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="600" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="1a3c2580.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="600" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 365 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="1a5de670.jpg" border=0 width="478" height="359" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="1a7da640.jpg" border=0 width="474" height="356" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 606 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="1aac2580.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="600" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="1abc2580.jpg" border=0 width="450" height="600" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 391 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="1aed5600.jpg" border=0 width="469" height="352" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="1afd6610.jpg" border=0 width="470" height="353" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Taxco"><U>On to page 6</U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>