Two volcanoes stand guard over the city of Puebla: the symmetrical cone of Popocatépetl rises to an elevation of 17,930 feet and Iztaccíhuatl, 10 miles north, with three summits, the highest one reaching 17,159 feet.
Popo is on the left with a plume of vapor and Itza on the right. We were thrilled to wake up with this clear view as they are often shrouded in clouds.
After lying inactive for more than 70 years, Popocatépetl erupted in December 1994, causing an ashfall over Puebla. Volcanic activity recurred in 1996 and 1997, and in December 2000 thousands of villagers were forced to evacuate after another eruption.
Sun setting behind Popocatépetl, or “Popo” for short. Volcan el Cuexcomate. A small volcano right in a children’s park! There is a staircase up to the top and a spiral staircase down inside the crater. It was closed when we visited. Fort Loreto also overlooks Puebla.
Cinco de Mayo, celebrated on May 5th, is more popular in the United States than in Mexico except for Puebla. Cinco de Mayo commemorates the anniversary of Mexico’s victory over the French Empire at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. A larger French force ultimately defeated the Mexican army at the Second Battle of Puebla and occupied Mexico City.
We explored a bit further abroad. The Xananetla neighborhood which originally was on the far side of the San Francisco river was where the indigenous people who worked in Puebla lived. It has been spruced up with murals. In Xananetla one finds the entrance to the Underground Historic Tunnels. Through the centuries myths and legends mentioned secret underground tunnels.An archeological expedition uncovered some tunnels. The hypothesis is they might have been communication tunnels between the forts and monasteries.Or they were ditches that eventually became covered and buried. They were used in the Battle for Puebla.
The city of Puebla has hundreds of churches. We entered many but rarely discovered their names.
The face of this church is covered in Talavera tile. A hotel and restaurant are in this cute little plaza opposite the church pictured above. The Convent Church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán.The Chapel of the Rosario attached to Santo Domingo was considered in its time to be the “eighth wonder of the world”. The cupola is in the shape of the crown of the Virgin Mary.There’s a lot of gold in the Chapel of the Rosario. 360° video of the Chapel of the Rosario. Another pretty brick and Talavera tile facade. Puebla is colorful. And then there’s this?
We’re always asked, “What’s your favorite place?” That’s hard to answer. The last 7 weeks we’ve enjoyed everywhere we have been in Mexico, but we both agree that Puebla is great. This is a place you could enjoy a lengthy stay and not get bored. There is culture, history, food, symphony, museums, several close Pueblos Mágicos, modern conveniences plus it’s only 2 hours to Mexico City.
Wishing you were here in Puebla! This photo was taken on Friday where we had dinner. We had no idea that Travel Woes were about to begin – again!
I’ll Meet You in the Morning and tell you all about it!
Meet You In The Morning 