The ruins of Xochicalco and winding down in Cuernavaca

After walking about 1.5 miles from the bus drop-off point towards the Xochicalco pyramids (an hour bus-ride outside of Cuernavaca, we weren't getting noticeably closer and decided to go for the local transportation.

An unsupervised horse in the middle of the road. Why not?

Xochilcalco was an important city state between 700 and 900 A.D., after the decline of Teotihuacan, which are the much more well-known ruins north of Mexico City.

Memo examining some of the displays in the extensive museum.

The great pyramid.

One of three ball-playing fields that were used. The teams were usually good versus evil, earth versus water, and other significant contrasts and the games were used to make predictions.

The most stunning pyramid on the site, with 8 serpents visible in bas-relief.

Inside one of the ball-playing fields.

The saumerio plant, which was burned as incense for ceremonies. I am guessing its a cedar relative from the smell of a broken branch.

I though taking one of the local transports back to Cuernavaca would be an adventure, but really it was just hot and twice as long as the regular bus. It stop about every 100 yards and for anyone who steps out into the street or nods their head in the right way.

The driver's seat of our local transport. Note the stereo basically being held-up by duct-tape.

We were dropped off in Cuernavaca at the mercado, and ducked in to get to the other side rather than walking around. Mistake. You can't imagine how narrow the passages are and how crowded they are with people and merchandise. They are truly labyrinths.
Now we are in the dried chile section of the market. You can see Memo ahead of me.
Yes, those are parakeets strapped to this young lads back. I snapped the picture while a large group of kids were being entertained by some sort of street magician / prognosticator.

At the entrance to the Jardin De La Borda. Jose de la Borda was a crazy wealthy silver magnate who made his fortunes in Taxco in the 1700s. This house and extensive, Versailles-like gardens was built by his son in the late 1700s/early 1800s. This super-sized pinata at the entrance caught my eye.
A pavilion at the lake of the de la Borda house with decorated skeletons left over from the day of the dead and created by local school groups. (Dia de los Muertos)
Decorated with corn husks and seeds.


I was intercepted at the lake and interviewed and videoed by two local girls for a school project. This chica's English was superb. The facade of Cuernavaca's cathedral, the Templo de la Asuncion de Maria, has a scull and crossbones over the doorway. This is a symbol of the Franciscan order that was active in this area in the 17th- and 18th- centuries.
The belfry of the Cuernavaca cathedral.
Inside the cathedral, with frescoes rediscovered in the early 20th century.
Strange fruit hanging from a tree in the cathedral compound. The compound itself, as in other cities, is a local meeting place, with dozens of pairs and groups of people sitting on the benches and low walls and enjoying the peace. This compound had three other churches within it.

An elderly lady heading to the Zocalo to peddle her wares. We followed her to the Zocalo in order to see the Coca-Cola Christmas tree lit up.

What we actually found in the Zocalo was a bit more bizarre. In front of the Christmas tree was a group of dancers wearing indigenous-inspired clothing and dancing to two drummers in the middle of a large circle. Memo asked what was going on, and was told that this happens every 20 days, but we still aren't sure what the group is.
Sneaking a photo with artificial flowers peddled by a street-vendor in the Zocalo.
Memo's persistence was able to get over 10% knocked off of some jeans and a shirt in a local trendy boutique. Thanks babe!
We wandered up to one of the 4 bus stations in the city (each operated by a different private bus-line) in order to get information for our trip to Taxco the next day. On our way back to our hotel, we encountered some amazing karaoke in the park dedicated to mothers. The group pictured here featured one woman belting out a melody to a cumbia rhythm and two women beside her doing their own interpretive dancing. We got into the spirit, got up and danced as well. I have posted video of the last performer below. He rocked the Rachero style.
THE DANCERS IN THE ZOCALO


KARAOKE IN THE PARK