I.I.II.III – Puebla de Zaragoza: Day Three
PUEBLA DE ZARAGOZA
I.I.II.III – DAY THREE
12/08/22
As accomplished and fulfilled as I might have felt after trekking on Iztaccíhuatl, my legs weren’t quite as thrilled the following day. All sore and limpy, I spent my last remaining day in Puebla doing some sight-seeing.
I started my day checking off some of the things I had read about when planning my visit to the city. My first stop was the Xanenetla neighbourhood where I spent a few hours gazing at the beautifully eclectic murals covering the walls of the streets – an attempt to bring together artists and the residents in the community. Then I made my way to the imposing Fuerte de Loreto y Guadalupe – a fortress that was built over a number of chapels on top of the Acuayemetepec hill to protect the city during the French invasion in the 19th century. This was the centre stage of the Battle of Puebla where the Mexicans achieved their victory – something which is still celebrated to this day on the Cinco de Mayo.
Tourin'
Whilst the city’s charm is enough to quench any explorer’s thirst, one can also appreciate other areas in its surroundings. To this end, I ended up on a guided sight-seeing bus tour. I’d usually dismiss such tours but given how little time I had, it seemed the best possible way to see as much as I could.
Our first stop was at the very unimpressive geyser of Cuexcomate; which the locals erroneously market as the ‘world’s smallest volcano’. Small though it might be, it was still a super cool experience getting to enter the thirteen-metre sinter cone. Its rocky innards, covered in moss and plants, are also home to a pool of sulfurous water that is said to be a geothermal spring arising directly from Popocatépetl.
As can be expected during such tours, we then made a couple of stops to a few artisanal shops selling anything from obsidian souvenirs to handmade rugs – a complete waste of time for a backpacker with no space in his bags and no money to dish out. Whilst usually I’d be the best prey for such tourist traps, I had to refrain this time round – spending my time walking aimlessly whilst the others indulged in their materialistic ventures instead.
Cholula
Then we headed to the highlight of the tour. A short ride away from Puebla is the city of Cholula; the oldest still-inhabited town in the Americas. Here, we had some time to visit the Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios, a Christian church built atop the remains of the Great Pyramid of Cholula; the largest pyramid in the whole world by volume.
Otherwise known as Tlachihualtepetl, meaning “Handmade Mountain” in the Nahuatl language, the adobe pyramid is only 25 metres tall though boasting of a staggering 300 by 315 metres in width. Its construction was started by the Toltecs in 300BC and went on until the 9th century. It is said to be a temple dedicated to the serpent god Quetzalcoatl. Whilst at its peak Cholula had the second largest population in the entire country, the temple was abandoned in the 12th century. When the Spaniards arrived, the pyramid was already overgrown and covered by vegetation.
To finish off, we were then given a brief talk about the Cholula’s history. Here, during the time of the Spanish Conquest, the indigenous people tried to resist Cortés and his army at the request of Monteczuma. Unfortunately, they failed miserably, resulting in a massacre that haunts the people to this very day.
