Today’s post is 1450 words, 43 photos, 1 video, a 7 minute read. Enjoy!

Hi everyone,

Last week I ended the article saying that we were leaving Coyoacán and on our way to Puebla. If you missed that post and the others in this series, click here, here, and here.

This week I’ll take you to the Great Pyramid in Cholula, an interesting and unique church, and introduce you to a very large Mexican sandwich.

Puebla

Our three-hour drive to Puebla, the “City of Angels,” was slow due to an accident and heavy traffic. Upon arrival we checked into the Hotel Casareyna, the best hotel by far that we stayed in on this tour. Built in the 1600s through 1800s as homes for workers and later a convent, the conversion to a boutique hotel began in the 2000s. What an excellent job they did. My Traveling Partner and I thought we could live there, the room was huge, a great shower and bathroom, a comfortable bed, and centrally located. What else would we need or want?

I don’t have any photos of the building or the room but did take one of this interesting door made from scrap wood.

After freshening up a bit, we met Rafael and walked into the city center. Along the way, he pointed out the many styles of architecture from Renaissance, Baroque, Neoclassical, Art Deco to Spanish Colonial. Puebla was founded in 1531 and now has a population of 3.3 million people, the fourth largest city in Mexico. But it doesn’t seem that big of a city. Sure, there is heavy traffic on the streets and lots of people in the shopping areas in the city center but it has a small home town feel. We liked this place a lot. Puebla and the surrounding area is known for fine ceramics and pottery, agriculture, food processing, and industry such as manufacturing. VW has an automotive plant nearby.

In the downtown, there is a large covered shopping mall built in the Art Deco style. The nearby pedestrian mall was much busier on the nice evening.

While nearly obsolete in the US, shoe shine stands are common in Mexico, at least the part I saw. This guy looked like he was quite busy.

It was dark when we walked by the Puebla Cathedral also known as the Cathedral of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception. We would come back the next day for a closer look.

As we walked the pedestrian mall, this ballon vendor had his hands full. I was waiting for him to lift off the ground!

As always, Rafael took us to an excellent place to have dinner, El Patio de San Luis. The food was excellent, I enjoyed the Aztec soup and the fresh guacamole with fresh made chips. 

After a good nights sleep in our exquisite hotel room, we were up early the next morning for breakfast at the hotel. The food was good but service was slow. We boarded the bus at 9 AM bound for Cholula.

Cholula

Cholula is a part of the metro area of Puebla. Founded in 500 BC it now has a population of around 150,000 people. It’s known as the home of the Great Pyramid (Tlachihualtepetl) now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is the largest pyramid by volume in the world. Although only 82 feet (25 m) tall, the base is 984 x 1033 feet (300 x 315 m). The Great Pyramid in Giza in Egypt is much taller at 480 feet (146 m) but narrower at the base. The Cholula pyramid is actually four pyramids built on each other, that’s what gives its height and width. 

It is believed this temple was dedicated to the Aztec god, Quetzalcoatl, the god of wind, rain, sun, arts, crafts, knowledge, and learning. Archeologists have found altars, artifacts, and human remains. Until recently, visitors were allowed inside the pyramid through a well-developed tunnel system. Those are now closed for safety reasons.

Before walking up to the top of the pyramid, we took a stroll around the downtown of Cholula. It is quite quaint and picturesque. I think you’ll agree.

At the base, we looked at the path going up. There was no elevator or escalator to the top, it was all foot power. We stopped often to catch our breath and take in the view over looking the city.

Upon reaching the top of the pyramid, we learned the Spaniards built a church on top of the Aztec temple. The Church of Our Lady of Remedies was built in the later 1500s and finished in the 1620s. Today it’s a major pilgrimage site for Catholics. It’s built of carved stone and contains lots of 24 carat gold. The yellow exterior and the gilded interior inspire awe from visitors.

From the plaza surrounding the church, visitors enjoy panoramic views of the Puebla Valley and nearby volcanoes. The photo below is a panorama taken with my iPhone. The active volcano on the left is Popocatépetl, also known as the smoking mountain. It stands nearly 5400 meters (17,700 feet) high and has erupted several times this century. Its partner Iztaccíhuatl, the sleeping woman, is extinct. She stands more than 5200 meters or 17,100 feet. The two volcanoes are about 10 miles or 16 kilometers apart. Click here to read a little about the legend of these two volcanos. It was a nice day for viewing and we took advantage of the sun and warmth.

I believe this photo is of the dormant volcano, La Malinche, northeast of Puebla. It is over 4400 meters (14,600 feet) tall.  This photo was snapped with the Sony RX100 VII with the zoom extended to 200 mm. You’ll note the smoggy air in the valley between all the volcanos. It’s probably due to industry and auto exhaust.

This view is looking towards Puebla. Yes, there are some tall buildings in this city but not in the historic city center where we were staying.

Cholula is known as the city of churches. We were told there were 365 churches, one for every day of the year. That’s an exaggeration, there 37 main churches and an estimated 125 small chapels. Either way, it’s a lot for a city this size.

Back on the bus, Rafael asked us if we wanted to see another interesting church nearby. We all agreed and away we went.

Temple of Saint Maria of Tonantzintla

Soon we reached the Temple or Church of Saint Maria of Tonantzintla on the outskirts of Cholula. The bus dropped us as close he could get down a partially blocked off street. We wondered how we would get out of there. We did but it was close.

As we walked up to the church yard, we noted the colorful decorations done in a traditional Mexican art form.

The exterior features a mustard yellow paint and red-tiled facade as seen in the photos below.

The courtyard is well-ordered and clean with trees for shade where parishioners can rest before or after Mass.

The churches interior is richly decorated with plaster carvings, paintings, and gilding, incorporating indigenous motifs and pre-colonial artistic techniques. Every square inch of the walls and ceilings are filled with carved faces some with light skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes. Others have dark skin, dark hair, and brown eyes. Apparently when the church was constructed, the clergy thought it would entice the local indigenous peoples to convert if they were allowed to decorate the interior. The result is a mix of Christian religious figures with indigenous culture. It’s quite an impressive display and quite unique. The No Photography prohibition inside the church is rigorously enforced. A fellow at the entrance sells photos of the interior. I purchased a couple, scanned them, they are displayed below.

This was an interesting stop, glad we had the time. On the way back to the bus, one of the side walk vendors had this sign that made us stop for a chuckle.

Back in Puebla, Rafael took us to the Flavors market for lunch. Another delightful foodie experience.

Cemita

Cemita is a sandwich that originated in Puebla. Rafael warned us that they are huge and flavorful. He was right on both counts. Cemitas are on a large bread roll usually covered in sesame seeds. Add to that Oaxaca cheese, a meat, herbs, avocado, onions, peppers, and as many hot peppers you can stand. Fortunately, my Traveling Partner and I decided to share one. I’m no slouch when it comes to eating but that is a big sandwich. See photos below. The top photo is Rafael, our guide, in what looks like a prayer for guidance on eating his Cemita. This followed by a short video of him actually trying to eat it. The second photo is of Tommy, one of the tour participants taking a photo for social media. I’m happy to report they both finish off their sandwiches!

Until then, happy travels!

Tom

PS: Click here for a link to the post about my book “Farm Boy.” Contact me if you are interested in purchasing a copy. Thanks to all have plunked down your hard earned dollars and read the book. TM