Pivoter pour une meilleure lecture
Tlaxcala / Cantona
We visit Tlaxcala this morning. It’s the capital city of the smallest state in Mexico.
The « Taxcaltèque » formed a coalition with Cortès to conquer Tenochtitlan in the hand of the Aztecs.
The historical center is full of prehispanic and colonial remains.
Fantastic murals in « El Palacio del Gobierno » depict the history of the spanish conquest.
On a hill stands the « Basilica de la Virgen de Ocotlan ». We cant appreciate it as today is Sunday and offices take place . It’s a pitty !
Never mind, we take our camper and drive to Cantona.
The remains of this ancient town take place in a large area close to a lava field. The original town was laying on a 12km2 area.
Unfortunately, the history of this town is unexplained. Population was at it’s highest between 700 and 950 AD.
The whole city has been built without cement or mortar. The stones have just been placed one on top of the other.
We visit this site during two hours. We wander through the « calzadas », (little paved lanes) amid the ruins and yucca trees.
The way to the top passes through 24 " juego de pelota " and ends at the " Acropolis ".
It’s an incredible site. We don’t understand why it’s rarely mentioned in the guide books.
Cherry on the cake : We’re allowed to sleep within the archeological site!
Huejotzingo / Cacaxtla / Xochitecat
We leave the « Popocatepelt » behind us, as we have to join Mexico City before april the 3rd : the day we fly back to France..
On our way we stop in three different villages : 1 convent and 2 archeological sites to visit.
" Huejotzingo " is one of the 14 world heritage convents located at the feet of the Popocatepelt.
Founded in the 16th century by the Franciscans, it’s a fortress made of a church and a convent built around a cloister.
Unfortunately, it’s impossible to visit the church because of the damages left by the last earthquake in 2017, but « el museo de la Evangelasacion » is still open to the public and offers a beautiful cloister and frescoes.
" Cacaxtla " means « where the rains dies into the earth ». It’s a very beautiful archeological site.
One of the most impressive remains is « El Gran Basamento », an architectural complex displaying very well kept and colourful frescoes, painted with colours made out of local minerals.
One of the most beautiful one is « El mural de la Batalla ». It’s 22 meters long, has got bright colours and depicts a fierce battle between jaguar soldiers and eagles… A masterpiece !
The local museum helps us to understand the meaning of this pre-hispanic fortress, built between 600 ans 900 AD, center of the Olmeque-Xicalanque culture.
" Xochitecat " : « village of the flowers lineage »
Site dedicated to the worship of mountains and fertility by the meso-american religions.
We discover « la piramide de las flores » , « la piramide de la serpiente » and
« la piramide de la espinal » with a round shape dedicated to the God of the wind.
Today’s anegdote :
Driving to Tlaxcala were beeing stopped by a policeman.
He asks us our driving license and the camper’s documents. ( as usual we only show copies and not the originals).
He tells us he recorded an infraction. We were driving on a one-way street, on the right lane and turned left…
It’s a traffic violation ! ( Yes, there are traffic regulations in Mexico ! Glad to know !)
And of course there is a fine to be paid.
We refuse to pay anything and ask the policeman to take us to the police station to solve the problem.
The word « Police Station » is our equivalent to « Abracadabra ».
Suddenly , he asks us where we want to go and tells us how to get there. .. Have a nice trip…
This kind of situation is quite frequent in Mexico and a lot of campers have experienced it.
Rule number one : never give any money to bad cops…
ROAD BOOK 048
MAVROS ODYSSEE