Puebla ~ Derek's Travels

A few great days in Papantla and El Tajín were now just behind me, and I decided to head down further into Central/Southern Mexico to Puebla, another authentic colonial town, though rather large. I wandered through the rain unfruitfully looking for breakfast before buying some powdered mini donuts and making it to the bus station in time to get one of the last seats to Puebla. My seatmate was a very nice young man from the area who had spent time in the US and was anxious to learn what I was doing in his town and on the rest of the trip. Unfortunately for me, he also proved to be a bit of a smelly neighbor on all too many occasions during the trip, but I managed to survive his onslaught. Other than the smells emanating from my buddy, the ride was really nice. We passed over more green mountains with small canyons and rivers below, crossing through small, untouched towns, eventually coming over the high mountain pass, after which point the clouds and rain finally cleared. The landscape that was revealed was amazing. The huge valley in front of us glowed with the yellow light of the late afternoon, lighting up corn fields, oak trees and pastures in every direction. Of in the distance, the beautiful town of Tlaxcala could be seen sitting prettily at the base of the mountain, with its pastel yellow cathedral standing tall amongst the rest of the small buildings. As we neared Puebla, we hit a big traffic jam, so the trip lasted an hour or two longer than normal, but I had some wonderful, relaxing rhythms of Bob Marley playing on my iPod, so I really didn't mind.

I found a cheap hotel in town recommended by the guide book, and the room turned out to be not much more than a closet with a bed. Just big enough to fit the bed, a tiny dresser with an even smaller tv, and a miniature attached bathroom, the place was a bit tight, but it was fine. Just two blocks from the main plaza, it allowed me to get into town and check out what was going on. A city of 2 million, Puebla is known for its historic buildings and tiles that make up many of the walls of the nice looking structures. In town, the feel of fall or even winter was in the air. It was around 45 degrees, but people were walking the streets, talking, hanging out, and the young children were running around in their Halloween costumes, getting an early start on the holiday that was still a few days away. I saw a few great costumes, but the children were all just asking everyone for money instead of candy. Looking for some dinner, I found an amazing taco stand in a small building which has apparently been there since the owner came over from Baghdad around 1930. With the ethnic influence, the owner created tacos árabes (Arabic tacos), which are basically a mix of tacos and gyros, using smoked taco meat with a spicy salsa and thick, flat bread sort of tortillas. A wonderful creation, I had four for dinner and returned for seven more over the course of the next day. For dessert, I couldn't resist the smell of the fried, sugary churros along the street corner, a bit of a donut with a hole in the middle that I chose to have filled with chocolate sauce. I brought the tasty dessert back to my room just in time to catch most of the most anticipated soccer match in the Mexican league, the Super Clásico, between Club América and Chivas. Unfortunately, Chivas lost, but it was a good match to watch, and I retired for the night after that.

The next morning, with a chill in the air, I found a great local place for breakfast, apparently an institution since 1903. After a bit of confusion, I finally enjoyed some pancakes, eggs and beans, along with freshly squeezed orange juice. Next, I made my way around town, enjoying the old buildings and numerous markets. Although most cities tend to sell the same things, I still enjoy looking at all of the booths of t-shirts, dolls, hats, etc. I also found a hectic, colorful market selling every sort of fruit and vegetable, though the hygiene of those places could be a bit questionable. The large city had a nice character, though not as memorable as places like Guanajuato or Morelia, so I decided that one more night would be enough for the place. I found a larger hotel room just across the street for the final night, happy to have room to walk around and fit my bags. Again, I wandered the streets in the cold evenings, delighted to see the happy locals all around. I also couldn't pass up another churro, deciding that I should even get Marcelle one. Once I got back to my room, I decided that she probably wouldn't want a two month old chocolate filled donut, so I treated myself to mine and hers...which may have been my plan all along. For breakfast, I returned to the same old restaurant as before, happy to have found some cheap, quality pancakes for a taste of home. On the way out of town, I also had a friendly taxi driver who was eager to talk about the US and my travels. Having spent much time in the US, he lamented about the impressions of Mexicans there, saying that many of the worst Mexicans are the ones that live there, leaving a bad impression of Mexicans on those who haven't had the chance to visit the country and experience the warmth of the people firsthand. I don't know about the people I've met in the US, but I've been very impressed with the friendliness of the people here, nothing less than I'd expect from a Latin American place.

(I think this is a large hotel along the main square. It's a large something.)