2022.1.31. Go Bananas

Walked by 6th avenue today, saw a "Go Bananas" sign. Followed the pointer down to the lawn in front of Amazon's Sphere, and picked up a bunch. I heard about Amazon handing out bananas before, but never saw it. Now I know where. I wonder who would be staffing this banana stand. There were 2 employees.

2022.1.29. Fly home + Summary - Wintering Mexico, part 28

1/29, Saturday. Couldn't get anyone at the hotel office to checkout (too early). Left the keys, and headed out at 7:53.
Arrived at the main bus terminal at 8:16. It's rather big.
First window is Flecha Roja. The lady said that the next one is in 10 minutes, so I bought the ticket (70) and got on the bus. It left at 8:24. The bus was only 40% full. I think they leave for Mexico City every half an hour or more frequently. I saw 2 of their buses along the way, going at the same direction. It made 5 stops in Toluca along blvd Solidaridad las Torres, picking up passengers. The 5th had a lot of people. The bus was now full. Upon entering Mexico city, 2 more stops.

Arrived at Observatorio at Mexico City at 9:38. Took metro 1 right in front, all the way to its end. Frequent. It took me a few minutes to make sure I was waiting at the correct platform. It turns out, this is the western terminus, so the only choice. 5 peso. There's servisable wifi on the train.

10:20, I'm out of the underground. However, getting out of Pantitlan Station is confusing. The walkway is underground, with exits A to god-knows-what-letter up different stairs. I got out at M. Too late. I was in some camionette parking lot. After I corrected myself, it was easy walking. Also passed a few food vendors, and bought a glass of fresh squeezed orange juice. Maybe 12 minutes, I was behind terminal 2 building. Back door, no sign whatsoever. I entered port 5, following the guidance of 2 guys, and arrived at the proper passenger hall. However, I'm not sure if I'm able to find the reverse route without pestering a few people.

The security check is first, not sure why. So I had to get out of the line to drink my beer. Since I was 4 hours ahead of departure, I had time. I waited at the gate for extra security or COVID check. Only right before bording, two employees were handing out questionairs, and helping us to fill out. They checked my COVID test report, only for the date. I doubted they even checked the name, let alone the provider.


Summary. 2021/11/22 - 2022/1/29

• WhatsApp is used everywhere. Useful to install.
• bed is usually very hard.
• check-in's are usually after 1pm. check-out is often before noon.
• towns I considered liveable: Orizaba, Puebla, Toluca, which I certainly will re-visit.
• 2-3 hour time difference is nice, allowing me to do sightseeing in the morning.
• people are friendly.
• noisy.

2022.1.27-29 Toluca + Tenango, Mexico - Wintering in Mexico, part 27

Tenango de Arista is noticeably cooler (elevation 2600m (8500'). I got off the bus around 3:35pm. Walked ~1 mile to Zona Arqueológica Cuauhtinchán. I arrived at the gate ~5 minutes to 4pm. The guard was reluctant to let me in, until I promised to exit by 4:30pm. Well, I exited at 4:32 (not the last one), not bad, considering it's a bit of a hike to get to the site proper on the top of Tetépetl Hill. He was helpful to let me leave my roller bag in his office. The site is quite nice. Menicured lawn. Flat top pyramids provide good view of the valley below. At this hour, not too many tourists around. I really liked it.

On the way back to main road, near the town center, and the market. Bought some tomatoes and avocado from an old lady sitting on the side walk, and 2 cucumbers from a fruit stand. There are guys carrying men's box shorts touting at every passers-by, even at me. At the same bus stop where I got off, I got on Linea Teo bus for Toluca centro. 16 peso. More buses to the main terminal, as well as taxis in the vicinity. 50 minutes. Slow traffic in the city.

Teo bus' terminal is only 2 blocks away from my hotel. After checking-in, I walked about the vicinity, (the photo to the right is the Culture Center, and the museum of science and industry), and bought some food from Soriana. The hotel has a nice but smalll deck with seating and potted plants, but the sunset was not the best. Will come back for sunrise.

1/28, Friday. Up early to the deck for sunrise. Not the best, but Nevado de Toluca was clear. I had considered hiking to its summit. Running out of time on this trip. Next time.

Toluca, the capital of state of Mexico, sits at 2660m (8730'). Pretty chilly in the morning. It is close to Mexico City, many local buses to different suburbs. A goodl collection of museums and universities. Very lively.

Bus 12 peso first 5km. Then .25 per km. I took one bus to Metepec (feels like a suburb of Toluca), to visit the Capilla Calvario on the hill. I totally missed the Ex-convento de San Juan Bautista which is right at the next street corner. Also need to try the drink "Garañona". It is made from 15 herbs and is a strong, sweet drink. Some locals say it is an aphrodisiac. The only place that sells and distributes this drink is a bar called the "2 de Abril".

There were a few joggers and dog walkers heading up the hill. A small temple on the top, too bad, no view at all. It's a small hill. The small chapel is at the foot of the hill on top of an elaborate staircase. A large colorful relief. In the morning, it's quite nice. No vendorer hauking their sales. Most of the shops were closed. I found a Tienda 3B, bought a few eggs.

Back in town (put the eggs in the fridge first), I walked north to the attractions. The building of Cosmovitral grabbed my eyes. I highly recommend it. (25 pesos?) I love this place. The garden itself is not interesting, not a lot of varieties of plants, no labels, no signs. The draw is the stained glass windows: huge, colorful, surrounding all sides, and the middle of the roof. There're 2 fountains, a small Japanese red bridge (even a raked stone field, very small), lots of bench to sit and admir the color. No shops. Not too many tourists.

Outside is the large outdoor concrete plaza called Parque de Ciencia Fundadores. It's very nice, full of flowering plants, in geometric shaped designs. Benches, stairs, a perfect place for a picnic. No shade though.

The west end of the long plaza/park is the fine art museum, a large planetarium dome and its adjacent church Iglesia del Carmen. The art museum occupies the old convent part of church. A nice plaza without vendors. No shade.

I went to visit the 3 museums west of the plaza, on the same corner behind (west of) the austere looking (closed to public) Palacio de Gobierno. Museo Taller Luis Nishizawa, Museo Felipe Santiago Gutierrez and Museo del Paisaje Jose Maria Velasco. All are nice and free, small though. The latter two museums are linked. I went into Museo Gutierrez and walked into an employee meeting in the landscape museum. I like paintings.

1 block south (walk along Palacio de Justicia) is the beautiful catheral with fancy glass doors. Large marble, 19th century construction.

Facing the cathedral is the interesting looking Plaza Gonzales Arratia (probably an underground parking lot). All these nice looking plazas have no shade.

After lunch, I visited Casa Toluca, which has some period furniture and layout. Quite nice, again, small and free. I really like the museum of watercolor. Free too. It also showcases the winners of recent painting contests. There are many other museums to visit. I'll definitely come back.

Since I was flying back to US the next day, I needed a covid-test. When I was looking into booking a test a few days ago, all seemed wide open, and I couldn't book one within 3 days. By the time I arrived at Toluca, I couldn't find any open slot. So I decided to do a walk up in one of the parmacies listed on US consulate website. I went to a few, only at Farmacias de Ahorro, I was told I could get a test, just wait at the door to see the doctor. There were a few waiting already, so I waited there. I didn't know that I need to ask for a ticket. The doctor was pretty slow, the door opens only when a "patient" enters/exits her office. After every client (sometimes 2), she asked the cleaning lady from the pharmacy to mop the floor, wipe all the surfaces. I liked how clean it was operating, but this was slow. An hour and half later, the doctor asked who was the last person. I then spoke up. Two other parents (came with their teenage kids) spoke for me. The doctor took pity at me, and gave me a number, and told me to pay at the pharmacy, and go get a warm jacket and return after one hour. I was to be her last one for the day. I did as she said. Yes, it gets chilly here as soon as the sun sets. When I was back, more waiting. By the time I got my certificate, it was aleady past 9pm. The city was not as bustling at night as those in warmer climate.

Going home tomorrow.

2022.1.26. Ixtapan de la Sal + Malinalco, Mexico - Wintering in Mexico, part 26

1/26, Wednesday. 89 peso from Taxco to Ixtapan de la Sal. Only 12 on board. I got on the 11:50 bus. Winding mountain road. 1:20 arrival. I fell asleep on the bus and got off at a wrong stop, and forgot my roller in the luggage bin below. When I realized my mistakes, I talked to the agents at the station. They called the bus driver to leave my luggage at the next stop. I took a taxi to the southern terminal. Not far, 50 peso. I retrieved my bag, and walked into the town, maybe ~1Km. Checked into my hotel (no need to reserve, there are a lot of hotels along the main road). Seems like I was the only guest. By then, I was dripping with sweat. Ate and filtered some water. Time for a relaxing soak.

Ixtapan de la Sal is a spa town, another designated magic town. There're 2 pools accessible by all. The municiple pool (Balneario Municipal Aguas Termales), and the one at Ixtapan Aquatic Park. The park itself is only open on weekends. I went to Ixtapan Aquatic Park, only because it's closer to my hotel. Also I was hoping to get a glimpse of the water park (supposed to be quite elaborate) -- which is proved to be impossible. I put on swimsuit inside my shirt and skirt, took water and a book, walked north to the pool. Saw a bus stop with someone waiting. A huge, deserted parking lot. After paying the entrance feen 85 pesos, I was surprised to see at this many people: least 20. I mainly used the indoor pool first, then mostly stayed in the outdoor pool after the sun moved low enough to create enough shade. Attendants would bring buckets of dirt that you can cover your skin with it. You are only allowed to smear mud in the two smaller and hotter pool. No wonder the water is brown. It's relaxing.

Walked to downtown after sun down to buy food. Very lively. Temperature is pleasant in the evening. Parroquia de la Asuncion de Maria was open late for me to peek inside. Quite nice.

1/27, Thursday Up very early, researching what to do. At 8, I went to ask the receptionist how to get to Malinalco. She called someone, and suggested I take a bus to Tenancingo and transfer there. There's a bus stop right in front of the aquatic park, which I saw yesterday. It's a short walk. She said a bus goes by every 20 minutes. I looked at the Flecha Roja schedule, and expect one at 8:55. So I checked out and went to wait for the bus. A bus passed by, but didn't stop. Went back to the hotel to use the restroom. The lady said that I could take a taxi colectivo at the south end of the town, at the main bus terminal. So I went. Walked to the town center first, for some photo. I slipped in front of one shop, because the lady was mopping the floor there, and swept water onto the street (this is very common here).

Taxi colectivo 9:45 to Tenancingo, 38 peso. 1 hr. Downtown was so congested, so the driver dropped all the passenger instead of crawling the street. It's not a pretty town, but good for transit. I visited the cathedral, took some cash at an ATM near zocalo. I walked to the east of the town looking for taxi stands. Went to Bodega Aurora, and checked my roller bag at the package store. This is a good idea. A large open space, packed with plastic canopies, signed Garis Tenancingo, looks like country fair to me, with live chicken, all sorts of merchandise.
At Super Che and Electrika, I found the white van station to Mali and Chalma. The streets here are very congested, lots of vending stalls. The van has 17 seats. We took off, without fill up and took off. 33 minutes.

Malinalco, yet another Magical Town, is well worth the detour. The white van drops you right off the main plaza. The town is small, walkable. The main plaza has a beautiful Convento Agustino de Transfiguration. The temple itself is in renovation, so couldn't go in. But the cloister around and the ground is open for public. The fresco on the walls and ceiling of the cloister is quite extensive and impressive. The manicured lawn is quiet and has plenty shade. I ate my lunch here. All vendors are blocked outside. There was a meeting going on in zocalo. Quite a big turn out, people with printed handouts.

From almost every location in town, you can see the archeology site up Cerro de las Idolos, at least the white canopy. That's where I went next. All paved or stairs. From time to time, there is a area to sit and rest. It takes maybe 20 min.
The site is small. Structures were built clinging to the steep slope. With the elevated position, you get a fine view of the valley below and the surrouding hills. A few displays, Spanish only. One of those explains the two kinds of construction used here: monolithic and masonary.

Got on a return van just before 2pm. Waited less than 5 minutes. The van Malinalco-Tenango had been waiting for passengers for awhile (if I had no lugguage, that's what I should take). There was a steep section of road west of San Nicolas, fabricated washboard to increase friction.

Picked up my roller bag from Bodega Aurora in Tenancingo. The girl was reluctant taking my tip. I walked to the highway junction. A lady sold me a bus ticket to Tenango, 17 peso. She said in 10 minutes. There are a lot of taxis advertising to Mexico City. Well, 20 minutes later, the bus (to Toluca) arrived. I and quite a few others hopped on this bus. I'll be staying overnight at Toluca today.

2022.1.25 Taxco, Guerrero - Wintering in Mexico, part 25

1/25, Tuesday. Arrived at Taxco ~12:30, non-stop. Another Magic Town. Inquired about buses at Flecha Roja. Checked in at the hotel. Filled some water in my leaky thermal bottle. I had to ring a bell for someone to open the main gate. Incovenient. Taxco is so different from other towns. Very very hill. Quite pretty.

I took a light, packed water and returned to the same bus terminal for las Grutas de Cacahuamilpa (meaning in the seed of the peanut), a national park, which I hadn't heard of until yesterday. I'm hoping to take the 1:20pm bus (departures are: 5:50, 7:20, 8:50, 10:20, 11:50, 13:20, 15:20, 16:50, 18:30). The guy at the tourist info booth suggested me to take the colectivo van (8:25, 11:10, 13:10, 16:10), because it'll arrive at the parking lot in front of the ticketing area. The bus only stops on the main road, so extra walking is needed. I found the van nearby. No passenger in sight. He said he would go, but was waiting for more takers. It was scheduled to leave at 1:10. But by the time the bus left, he was still waiting. I got on the bus. This turns out to be better. The bus with reclining seats are more comfortable than combi"s hard bench. Walking to and back from the cave to the hwy is hot, about 10-15 minutes. The bus is 44 pesos, AC singing loudly, but not cooling much.

The cave is open daily at 10am, and last entrance is at 5pm. 100 peso. There's a guided tour, and it takes 2 hours. I didn't join any guided tour, because it's all in Spanish, and it goes very slowly. Whenever I met a group, I'd stop and listen for a bit. I only met 2 on this 4 mile RT walk. All paved or with proper stairs and hand rails. The only problem, and also a good thing is that most lights are turned off until a guide turns it on. The vicinity will be illuminated for 10 minutes, and then all goes dark again. I was able to find one of those switches, but mostly I walked in semi darkness. There's some very faint emergency lights, so even without a headlamp, you are not going to fall over. The cave is HUGE. I'm very impressed for how large all the chambers are and how long. One mile in, there's even a restroom area. I walked back to the hwy, and waited. Caught the bus at 4:08. 35 pesos.

Walked to the main plaza: Borda. Santa Prisa de Taxco is an amazing building, both inside and out. Plaza Borda is also very pleasant. Having such a fine flat plaza, albeit small, is rare in this hilly town. There's wifi here, and many people just hangout. Quite a few benches. Next to Plaza Borda were two different taxi pickup points.

I asked a policeman how to get to the Cristo. At Plazauela de San Juan, west of Plaza Borda, took a combi for Panamica. 15 on board. 8 peso. After many zigzags, picking up and dropping off passengers at every corner, I was told to get off at some point and walk. It was longer than I expected, and I missed the proper sunset. The statue is quite ugly. There were a few (less than 10) people here watching sunset. View is not bad. I then walked down the hill directly, instead of taking the winding road. Once I hit the homes, I found many alley ways, stairs to walk down. However, I ended up in some house's backyard with closed gate. The barking dogs got the owner out, and I was led to proper alley to continue my journey downhill. One dog bit me. Good that I had long pants and hiking boots, so my skin was not punctured.

Later, I walked to Chedraui for some groceries.

1/26, Wednesday. I informed the hotel employees that I wished to watch sunrise. So, someone had to open the gate for me. At 6am, I left for Parroquia Guadalupe.

It was very nice to walk in the cool dawn, all is quiet. On my way back, the cleaning crew was sweeping Plaza Borda. The city was waking up. I went to visit the old public washing area. Lots of shops sell silver products, silversmith is the trade of the town.

Packed up, and headed to the state of Mexico.

2022.1.23-24 Cuernavaca, Morelos - Wintering in Mexico, part 24

The last week of this winter trip in Mexico.

1/23, Sunday. Up early to catch the 7:15 bus. I got to CAPU before 7am. But at the ORO ticket counter, I was told it's not going. I have to take the 8:15 bus. Oh, well. 220 pesos to Cuautla. Now I'm in Morelos state. Much lower than Puebla, so hotter. I wanted to visit Atlatlahucan for an old monastery, on my way to Cuernavaca, where I'll stay for 2 nights. At Cuautla, I bought the next bus ticket to Oaxtepec. 24 peso. While waiting for my bus (15 minutes), I dragged my suitcase to checkout the main plaza, a couple of blocks away. My bus dropped me off at the Oaxtepec terminal, which is by the highway, 0.9 mile west of the town.

I walked into the small town of Oaxtepec, hot. Only then, I realized that I should have taken one of those numerous blue minivans. They go to the town center. On the way, I saw a couple of vans parked on the road selling its content. I remembered one sells dog pads. Very odd. My goal here is the Ex-convento of Santo Domingo Félix de Guzmán. However, the handsome building was closed (COVID? renovation?). A mass was on-going on outside under a plastic canopy. I walked a few blocks into the city center, found this more striking ruin. No one was here. Nothing much left. Saw some sheets and a bunch of fresh grapes. Maybe some squatter here. Afterwards, I asked a couple of blue vans if they go to Atlatlahuacan, and the answer was no. It was too hot, and I got tired dragging my luggage around. So caught a blue van and went back to the bus terminal, which is closer to the Six Flag water park.

Bought a ticket to Cuernavaca. I had 2 options, I bought the bus to "Center", 60 peso. More buses go to Casino de Selva, 1 mile out of the city. My bus drove by a toolbooth near Tepoztlan. Saw a 1280m marker. Yes, it's warmer. Cuernavaca is at ~1500m, feels tropic, but bearable. The "center" terminal is not in the center, but quite a few blocks south of it.

It took me awhile to find someone to check-in this hotel Las Plazas right at the plaza. There is no reception desk. On 3rd floor of Las Plazas shopping mall, there's a large room with its door open. A guy sat there. He gave me the key, and that's it. My room is huge (~70m²). It has AC. A separate dining area. The best, is a balcony overlooking the main plaza, and Palace of Cortez (closed for renovation). I'll be here for 2 nights. Could have stayed longer.

The first thing I visited is Jardin Borda, free entrance on Sundays. A long pool, a series of round fountains (none running, some don't even have water), green. There's also an art exhibition room. All vendors are at one side of the long pool, so it doesn't look too brash. I like the greenary. I wish those fountains had better sculptures or finer details, or yes, with running water. As a "garden", the plants are not varied or signed. Still, it's quite pleasant to while away an hour or two.

Half a block away is the compound of the cathedral. No vendors can come in, so it's lovely and serene inside the walls. Groomed lawn, a fountain, small benches, not a lot of people.
The chapilla of San Francisco right at the gate has such an imposing facade. One gilded altar. This was build before the cathedral, so there was a place of worship while waiting for the construction to complete.
The cathedral itself is somber, still has some original mural in half faded state. There is another small church in the compound, now serves as a bookstore.

Robert Brady house museum (60 pesos) is a gem. I love the building (16th century Franciscan observatory), and the eclectic art collection in the house. Maybe too many art pieces! Some room is even a bit scary (like this one to the right full of crucifixion images). I also like the colorful tiles, the view, the pool, the open terrace. Overall, it's whimsical, but still feels homey. Each room has 1 or 2 display cards that you can read which art is what. I left with a fuzzy warm feeling for the town.

I had fish for an early dinner in a small courtyard across the street from Brady museum. On my stroll back home, I was lucky to spot a few workers coming out of the fencing around Palacio de Cortez. So I sneaked in a little bit to snap a couple of photos without the ugly fence. Cleaning crew was chasing people out of the central plaza, tying the short green fences around (not sure why).

Read a bit on my balcony. A couple of mosquitoes. Later, I walked to a bus terminal in the city center. I saw two terminals, selling tickets on ETN, FUTURA, COSTA LINE. The temperature in the evening is very pleasant. A neighboring bar was very noisy into the wee hours.

1/24, Monday. Walked to the local bus area near Mercado Adolfo Lopez Mateos NE of the center, on the east side of the river. It's bustling. I got on a bus to Yautepec. 8:30am. M$19. 10 passengers. This is more like city bus except for cushioned seats, luggage rack on top. Seats are cramped, picking up passengetrs along the way. I got off about 1/2 mile before the city for the archeologic site. You could see the ruin from the street (through fences). The entrance is on the west side. I signed in at the gate 9:47. I may be the only visitor today. Free. It's very small. 5-10 minutes is enough. There are baños here. Didn't use them.

Walked to the town center. Not very interesting. Ash falling from the sky. Visited this museum, about the sound of Chinelo, and an exhibition on the actress Virginia Fabregas.

At the bus terminal, I was told that the next bus to Tepoztlán is at 11:30. She told me to go to terminal of Ometochtli. Asked 3 people. Found it. Just one bus. About 5 waiting. No ticket counter. The driver was washing it. 11am bus. 20 peso. Highway construction from Santiage and Tepoztlán had caused major delays.

Tepoztlán is quite touristy. Another Magical Town. Traffic came to a crawl in the city center. So I got off earlier. Set at the foothill of green hills, it's quite pretty. The city center is the compound of Parroquia Nuestra Señora de la Navitidad, encircled by walls. It's nice and quiet inside. The church itself is closed (for renovation?). A large plywood wall tin roof room is setup for the congregation in the courtyard. A tricycle load of jamaica here and there. Each manned by a teeage boy. You can see him chipping away the skin. I bought a bag (20 peso) with a squeeze of lime, juicy.

Took Del Tepozteco all the way to the end, and the street merged into paved trails, passing millions of shops and hotels. The vendors stopped at the boundary of the park. Now it's a hike, but still wide paved steps. I saw side trails (unpaved) from time to time, but with signs saying they are only for ceremonial use. At one creek, I took on one of those, where they didn't put a sign, thus avoided all the crowd. The track became faint. I continued higher, and took some photos. Eventually I went back to the trail, and followed it all the way to the gate of the archeology site. It's closed (50 pesos). People gathered outside. One guy (guide?) was lecturing. One guy was playing some haunting sound, which I don't like. To its left there is a gravel trail that leads to boulder top, which offers good view of the city and the surroundings. It requires some handholds in order to scale this boulder. A young guide was telling some stories to his small group. I continued on the trail. It goes on and on. A couple followed me. I took a loop and came back to the lookout. At least I was able to get to some higher point so I could see some of the archeology site. I enjoyed this hike, it was mostly in the shade, so not hot.

Instead of catching a fast bus at the highway terminal (less stops), I got on the same Ometochtli bus west side of the downtown market. 23 peso from Tepoztlan to Cuernavaca. No curtain this one. 4:17pm we headed out. I bought some fruit after disembarking in Tepoztlan, before walking back to my hotel. Read a blog on Taxco, an decided to go there tomorrow.

1/25, Tuesday. Walked about the center again. Revisited the cathedral complex. The city hall was again closed. I visited one museum, which I forgot which. I really like Cuernavaca, will definitely return. There are direct buses to Mexico City, so it's an easy jaunt. A few places I still want to checkout Teopanzolco archeological site, Ethnicbotanical garden in Acapantzingo, and many old churches (church compound with San José and Nuestra Señora de los Milagros de Tlaltenango), Los Tres Reyes Magos in Tetela, San Nicolás Tolentino in Ahuatepec, San Lorenzo Mártir in Chamilpa, El Divino Salvador in Ocotepec).

Got to the bus station 3 minutes before departure for Taxco, leaving the state of Morelos. This one is in the center. The bus left 4 minutes late. Costa Line. AC, enclosed luggage rack above. Half way out, I realized that I forgot some food and my water bottle in the fridge. Just filtered water this morning:(