March 28, 2013: Thursday*** We woke up early a 0700H in this cold foggy morning in Cuernavaca. We readied our luggage because we wanted to leave it at the reception office of the hotel so that we can explore a little bit of Cuernavaca before going to Taxco.
After leaving the luggage we happily explored the town on this quiet morning starting from the zocalo, the palaces, the churches, the Jardin de la Borda, as well as the streets of Cuernavaca. I never stopped clicking my camera to gather hundreds of pictures about the place to share it for my online friends.
Cuernavaca is quite a quaint town with its own quiet serenity. I was captivated by it. Although it doesn’t pass up with the beauty of Queretaro and Guanajuato during my previous travels it still had captured me at an instant. I was amazed by how slowly she drawn me with it’s cool weather and the lush green gardens as evidenced by the Jardin de la Borda.
We started at the Zocalo where two palaces were located. The first palace was the town’s municipal hall believed to be a house of a baron before. The building appears like a big mansion and it’s close at that time of that early cold foggy morning. We ambled around the zocalo exploring the gazebo at the middle of the plaza and also the bronze statues at the east side of it. I took some pictures of it also and I will post it on Facebook.
After we explored the zocalo we went to see another palace believed to be Christopher Columbus’ palace. It looks like a fortress to me and it’s also huge. It’s now the town’s armory and the office of the law enforcements. From there we headed north and went to visit the churches which were visible from the fortress.
We ambled north until we reached the churchyard. There were nuns selling early morning treats at the church gate and we decided to buy some tamales and fresh squeeze orange juice. We went inside the churchyard and ate the food there then started to walk around after were done eating.
There were three churches there at that churchyard. One big and two small ones. The big one I guess was the town’s cathedral and the two small ones, one appears more baroque and the other appears more English were probably the chapels. It was so quiet at the churchyard despite of the early churchgoers who eventually multiplied every minute on this cold Holy Thursday morning.
The two chapels were close so we explored the big church instead since it was the only one which is open. The church was also huge and there were scaffolds inside because they were renovating the ceiling. The altar was not really captivating to us because it was just bare maybe because they took the big crucifix at the center of the altar due to the Holy Week celebration.
After scaling the whole churchyard we went out there and ambled more north at the corner street and spotted the Jardin de la Borda also situated beside another street on the next block. We went at the entrance where it was adorned with purple and white paper ruffles on the ceiling which looks very pretty and fiesta-themed.
We explored the vast garden adorned with many fountains and quiet pools. There were lushed green foliage everywhere which probably contributed to the coolness of the place which magically enveloped the entire garden. It was very quiet there and very magical. There were a wide array of fruit trees everywhere all in full bloom as evidenced by the fruit droppings on the trails and the pavements as well.
We saw vendors coming back and forth trying to ready all their stuff for the whole day affair at the streets near the church. The sun had already crept out late in the morning because of the thick fog this morning. My friend had told me that Cuernavaca is the coolest place in Mexico and also a very fertile place because of its moderate temperature.
After strolling the streets of Cuernavaca we decided to go back to the hotel and pick up our luggage then took a taxi to drop us off at the bus terminal. When we arrived at the terminal we asked the receptionist what’s the next trip to Taxco and she told my friend that it will be at 1200H. It was 0830H at that time so that means that we will be waiting for almost another 4 hours.
My friend was already stressed out and luckily a taxi driver had offered him to drive for Taxco for 800 pesos as long as we can find two more passengers willing to split the fare. Luckily, we found two willing people to come along with us so the taxi driver had to ready his car for us to leave.
We left Cuernavaca at 0900H and we passed by several tollways and highways as well as beautiful sceneries along the way. I didn’t neglect to snap some more pictures on my way to Taxco to document this very amusing trip that had happened on a Holy Thurday.
My friend and the two guys at the back were very noisy talking each other in rapid unlabored Spanish accent. They resembled like fighting cats and dogs because they all were talking on the top of their voices. It was so annoying to hear but I just quietly listened at the front passenger seat and was just concentrating on my taking pictures of the captivating sceneries on the way.
The driver was also been paying attention on his driving and was just intently listening to the guys at the back. Midway at Ixtal the driver had said that his car’s battery was making ominous sounds which I also noticed earlier so he decided to transfer us to another taxi of their company at Ixtal to continue the driving for us.
The taxi was more okay compared to the ones we had earlier and the driver was more interactive with the guys at the back who doesn't ever cease talking with their unstoppable crescendo Spanish voices rapidly firing like a machine gun.
We passed by a lot of dangerous curves, rocky boulders and tunnels, barren trees lined the sides of the streets, and hilly roads. It was a very heart pounding ride going up the mountain where Taxco is being located. In less than forty-five minutes we reached the mouth of the town which was very captivating especially when we saw the twin belfries of the Santa Prisca church at a distance.
White concrete houses were lining on the sides of the hills and the roads and the narrow tiled streets only passable by one vehicle was very bumpy. We continued driving until we reached the plaza and there I saw our hotel just in front of the plaza.
Taxco was a very nice town and beautiful and full of mystery. We will be here to witness the strange tradition they were practicing during Holy Week and I cannot be more excited to have it witnessed personally.
All those tiring trips and bus transfers were nothing because we were here already and is willing to explore more of what I am intended to know about the mystery that I unfolded online. Please continue on the next blog for more stories. Right now I am just happy that I am here.
We went to the hotel and inquired if they can still consider our missed night last night and how lucky we are for them to consider it despite of the many tourist that were lining up downstairs hoping to get a decent room for tonight’s procession and festivities.
I cannot explain my happiness that they have not charged me for another day. Since we arrived there early and the check in is at 1300H we left our luggage at the hotel’s storage then started to explore Taxco. I must end my blog here and please continue on the next one to see how beautiful and captivating Taxco here. Ciao!
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