State of Puebla- Puebla de Zaragoza

September 2, 2021

Mexico

TRANSPORT

Oaxaca de Juarez - Puebla 5h with the AU company for 420 pesos (18 euros). The afternoon one is the cheapest. Leisurely trip in a half-full bus, the best. Stunning rainbow along the road.

To visit

Puebla De Los Angeles

Founded in 1531, baptized City of Angels, Puebla is the capital of the state of Puebla to Mexico, better known as Puebla de los Angeles. It is located 2 hours southeast of Mexico City, 2,160 m above sea level, in a valley surrounded by volcanoes Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl. Along with the agglomeration, the city has a population of approximately 3.5 million inhabitants ; making it the fourth largest city in Mexico.

A real gem classified in Unesco World Heritage, Puebla was the first city in Mexico to be completely erected by Spanish settlers. With no less than 365 churches, Puebla is full of historic monuments with colonial and baroque charm.

Ceramics Talavera (named after the original Spanish town) occurs in the region.

TOP 10 to visit

The Zocalo: central esplanade of old Puebla, a success of colonial town planning.
The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
Amparo Museum. Roof terrace offering a breathtaking view of the colorful buildings of Puebla.
The Rosary Chapel: Cupola and ornaments entirely worked with gold leaf which have earned it the name of Casa Dorada (Golden House).
The Palafoxiana Library. Founded in 1646, it is the 1st public library in the Americas. It houses no less than 45,000 works dating from the 15th to the 20th century. A real historical treasure.
The "El Parian" craft market. You will find unique objects in traditional Talavera ceramics.
Cholula. Its Great Pyramid and the Church of Our Lady of Remedies
Cuetzalan village and the Salto waterfall
Popocatépetl volcano
The Iztaccihuatl volcano

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Street Art

As usual, here are some pictures that I gleaned from right to left.

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This city is such an uplifting beauty and a green…. This incredible vegetation in the city, the size of the trees is surprising. I spent hours and hours walking around, taking an immeasurable amount of photos. I feel great there despite a fairly grey weather on the whole or even very rainy. Relaxed atmosphere, pleasure of staying there.

Cholula is famous for its Great Pyramid built, according to archaeologists, on 1000 years by the different ethnic groups that have populated the city. According to the natives, it was built by Giants before delugeIt is the largest human-made pyramid in terms of displaced volume (4.45 million m3³). She does 350 m sideways and 66 m high. To give an idea, the perimeter of its base covers theequivalent of nine Olympic swimming pools and done around 4 times the size of that of the Pyramid of Giza. Today it disappears almost entirely under a hill of natural appearance at the top of which throne the Church de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios (Our Lady of Remedies).

Due to the historical and religious importance of the church - it is a place of Catholic pilgrimage and the site is also used for indigenous celebrations. Just before the arrival of the Spanish, the pyramid was dedicated to a rain goddess called Chiconauhquiauhitl, or goddess of the nine rains. It has been replaced by the Virgin of Remedies, retaining the date of September 8, date of veneration of the ancient goddess of rain, but transferring it to this image of the Virgin Mary. The ritual Quetzacoatl, which takes place every year on the spring equinox, is closer to the pre-Hispanic roots of the pyramid. It is performed on the pyramid and features poetry, indigenous dance, music and fireworks.

Cholula

Cholula is a Mexican city ofState of Puebla, 10 kms west of Puebla. She is known for her Great Pyramid and its many churches (around 70). It is located at 2,135 meters above sea level, at the foot of Popocatepetl, a still active volcano.

Cholula was a pre-Columbian city inhabited in their time by many peoples such as the Mayas, Mixtecs, Zapothecs, Olmecs...It would date at least from 2nd century BC.

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Anecdote: The Jumping Peas

If you had seen my face ??? 😂

With Mohamed, we are walking in Cholula when we pass this young woman selling something that catches my eyes. Instantly, I stop, dumbfounded at this moving stuff. I do not understand what I see. Well, these would be “jumping peas”. After some researches, the mystery is solved. In fact, they are seeds of a specific shrub in Northwestern Mexico in which a butterfly has laid its eggs. The seeds give the illusion of being alive when, after the eggs hatch, the larvae developing inside manifest themselves by making them hopping from a few millimeters to sometimes a centimeter. It is so funny.

Moreover, these peas were popularized in France by the magazine Pif Gadget, under the name of "Pifitos" in 1971 with a circulation record of one million copies.

Housing

- Hotel El Descanso -

Pour réserver, cliquez ici

Room booked on Booking for 310 pesos per night (13 euros). It includes a double bed with private bathroom. Only 500 m from the Zocalo, this hotel offers rooms distributed around a superb hacienda.

Strengths of the establishment

Several terraces in a beautiful hacienda
Located in the town center
Excellent wifi
Lovely staff
Self-service coffee and tea, morning and evening
Very good value for money

Weak point of the establishment

Bars & Restos

Here are some addresses on which I had a crush

Casareyna

An institution in the city. Superb gourmet restaurant with various outdoor and indoor spaces. Professional welcome and service. Renowned for serving an aauthentic and tasty Chile en Nogada. Obviously, I want to taste this recipe that is talked about so much. I'm lucky, it is the season. Served in the rules of the art supporting certificate. The sauce is cold and sweet, I did not expect it. Explosion of flavors in the mouth, this dish leaves you with a unique and unforgettable taste. Divine !

Did you know ?
Chile en Nogada

Chili en nogada is a representative dish of Mexican cuisine that refers to the colors of the flag due to the ingredients with which it is presented: the green of the chili and parsley, the white of the nogada and the red of the pomegranate. It is originally from Puebla, where all of its ingredients are produced
• The base of the dish is the poblano pepper, which is stuffed with pork and / or beef mixed with panochera apple, pear pudding and Creole peach, which are characterized by being smaller and a little more acidic. In addition, can be added nuts, pine nuts, almonds and raisins.
• The wonderful nogada, which gives this dish its name, is made with walnuts, milk, cream, goat cheese, spices and sherry.
Chile en Nogada is part of the heritage and identity of the inhabitants of Puebla. The best season to eat it is in August and September; the reason is due to the temporality of its essential ingredients: pomegranate, Castile walnut, apple, pear and Creole peach, typical of these months (with frozen ingredients, the taste will not be the same). While it is true that the walnut is a product that can be stored and used at any time of the year, it is of great importance that the nut used to prepare this recipe is of recent harvest, "Castile Nuts" It thus highlights the flavor of the nogada.
Difficulty: to obtain the walnuts sauce, you have to peel the walnuts by hand, which takes time and finesse.

Casareyna

Return to this establishment to test their Moles tasting plates this time: Mole Poblano, Mole de la Tia Cris (with pumpkin seeds), Mole de la Tia Chela (with peanuts), Mole Blanco (with pine nuts). I had spotted it on the menu during my previous visit. Start tasting at the bottom left then go clockwise. Verdict: interesting flavors, very good overall but in my opinion the traditional Mole Poblano stays way above.

Did you know ?
Pollo Mole

Pollo Mole is a Mexican culinary specialty. It is a "Mole" sauce made from peppers, cocoa, tomatoes, poured over pieces of chicken. The mole includes a large number of other ingredients that differ depending on the region: almonds, walnuts, sesame, peanuts, onion, garlic, cinnamon ...
Several stories circulate about its creation but all point to Puebla as the cradle and capital of Mole in Mexico. The best known is that it was created by the Dominican nun Andrea de la Asunción, who lived in the Santa Rosa Convent in Puebla. Legend has it that she created the recipe in 1685 to satisfy Viceroy Don Antonio de la Cerda y Aragón, who was visiting the city.

Ocho30

A cafe restaurant in the middle of a bookstore: a real favorite. Peaceful place par excellence and very close to my hotel, I love it. I come here regularly to read or write because the setting is really pleasant. A simple menu that offers pizzas, salads and a few dishes, but the whole is good and the coffee excellent. Ideal for coworking!

Encounter

I met Mohamed on the 1st day at the hotel reception. I was leaving, bundle in hand, looking for a laundromat when I heard him bring up the subject with the receptionist. I stop spontaneously to benefit from the advice. So off we go, Mohamed and I, to chat while taking our laundry to the famous “lavenderia”. 55-year-old Mauritanian, living in the USA for many years, great coffee lover, fluent in French, he travels regularly for pleasure, especially in Mexico which he particularly likes. His particuliarity ? He asks you questions to which he never listens to the answers 😂; what I was able to spoof him with that.

The “Houanouhuato” mystery. But what is this city that Mohamed often talks to me about? Surprising that the Mexicans did not tell me about it. Houanouhuato here, Houanouhuato there, he seems to love this place to the point of having stayed there for 7 months. So I end up wanting to add this place name to my list of visits. When I suddenly realize that he is actually been talking to me from the beginning of Guanajuato (pronounced Gouanajouato, in Spanish for j). Convinced of its correct pronunciation, I should bring in the cafe waitress to make him listen to reason. What I was able to laugh and annoy her with that. Whenever he then spoke of Houanouhuato, where would I tell him? He remakes the names of cities for you in his own way.🤣

Assessment

I love this city of endless beauty. Each walk brings you its share of novelties as it is so full of monuments, churches, art and others ... I really enjoyed myself despite a very wet weather overall. I highly recommend you stay here, more specifically during the dry season (Nov to April).

Unfortunately my computer just crashed. A shop kept it for 3 days to tell me that it was necessary to change the motherboard, in other words, to buy a new one ! Being only 2 hours from Mexico City, I tell myself that I would have more choice in terms of repairs there or a new purchase.

I am leaving Puebla delighted with the 10 days spent here, my head full of images.

Next destination: Mexico City. 2 hours by bus with the ADO company for 200 pesos (8 euros).