Monday, June 25, 2012

The road to home

The clouds over Lamar County have been so beautiful that I stopped and took a couple of shots on my way home last week.  If only it were not so hot!



Thursday, June 7, 2012

People from Puebla





Just a few people shots from Puebla.

The church on the top of a pyramid

I am determined to get a good shot of El Popo, the volcano.  However, it appears it will not happen.  The volcano shrouds itself with a cloud of ash, smog and mist. 

Last night I paid the tour guide to take me to Chulula so that I could go up a pyramid to a church at the top and try to take a picture of the volcano from there.  Didn't work.  But the church is absolutely beautiful.  We arrived at just about sunset so the pyramid was closed to tourist for the day.




The art work inside all of the churches in Puebla and Chulula are outstanding.  The influence of the Spanish and the Moors are evident on every wall, every floor and every ceiling.  The churches are  elaborate and impressive.  Truly they are art museums in and of themselves.  There is no flash allowed and I don't have a tripod with me so all of my images of the inside are blurry.






The Spaniards built the church on top of the pyramid in 1596, Nuestra Señora de los Remedios.  

The Great Pyramid of Cholula, also known as Tlachihualtepetl (Nahuatl for "artificial mountain"), is a huge complex located in Cholula, Puebla, Mexico. It is the largest archaeological site of a pyramid (temple) in the New World. The pyramid stands 55 metres (180 ft) above the surrounding plain, and in its final form it measured 400 by 400 metres (1,300 by 1,300 ft).The pyramid is a temple that has traditionally been viewed as having been dedicated to the god Quetzalcoatl.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

The volcano at sundown last night

El Popo (Popocatépetl) , the volcano is about 43 miles from Puebla and the house that I am staying at while I am in Mexico.  This old man smokes and belches and is accepted as a grumpy old relative by the people who live here.

Much of the time it is difficult to see El Popo because of smog, clouds and haze.  The clouds broke last night just before sunset and here are a couple of pictures.



Pyramids near Puebla










Trust me when I tell you I did not hike up to the Pyramid.  I found it interesting that people used the cactus to write graffiti on!  The horny toads seemed to be plentiful around the archaelogical dig.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Outside of Puebla







I am now back among the land of the living.  If you ever get sick in Mexico you will be impressed with the quality of care available.  I hope we treat travelers in our land as kind and professionally.

I haven't felt strong enough to hop on the buses and ride around the town so I contacted a tour guide who is familiar with the quirks of photographers.  I can highly recommend Carlos Rivero Tours in Puebla, Mexico.  He took me outside the Puebla area to get a real taste of the interior of Mexico.  What a delight.  He even stopped quickly each time I saw something I wanted to photograph.

I have some more pictures but I need to stop for today.


My observations about Puebla Mexico

English is not a second language.

Women wear high heels, tight jeans and tighter tops.
There must be a school run by Edward Scissorhands.
Ice is not available even when begged or whinned for.
Volkswagon bugs have infested the city.
These are the true entrepreneurs.  They sell their wares on the streets, in the buses, and bring it right up to your car while parked at a stoplight.
Even the poorest of the poor have a cell phone.
Beautiful tiles decorate the walls, the floor, the ceilings, the gates, the tables, the churches.
Cement yards are the norm.
Gas stations still have attendants.
Errands take f o r e v e r.
Lunch is two hours and begins at 2 and can include a nap.
Handshakes with a kiss on the cheek are also mandatory.
There are no shorts and fewer sandals.
Apparently there are no Methodists, Episcopalians, Baptists, Church of God, etc. anywhere in this country.
The number of political signs rival those of the US.
No windows, no closets, a bed, a light, a chair feels like a Monk's cell.
There are guards with guns and a bat guarding the cell phone stores.
Cool winds waft down from the mountains in the mornings and early evenings.
Talavera pottery is a sign of distinctions if you know the real from the cheap knock-offs.
Mohawks are still in fashion after a millinium.
If there are no tiles on the walls in the streets then there is a mural.
There seems to be a cathedral on every corner in the downtown historic area.
People don't smile.
The food is very good, wherever you eat.

Copyrighted Pictures

Page copy protected against web site content infringement by Copyscape