Doing the Laundry in Puebla

Oh hi! We left Mexico city by first class coach (sooo much better than Berrys). We made the journey to Puebla, Wij slept and I looked out the window for four hours at the changing arrid mountainous landscape. Mega cactus forests on massive mountains and hair pin bends-yikes!

We had read that Puebla was the city of Angels. Very actively religious, Puebla has 70 churches in the centre alone. The city is also famous for the ceramic decorative handpainted tiles that adorn nearly every colonial building. Today Pueblans are still proud of the spanish influence, much more so than other parts of mexico. When we arrived a massive carnival was in full swing, with traditional dress and the whole Zocalo (square) filled with music and people.

We booked into the Hotel San Miguel a total throw back to the 70´s in every way... really funny decor, but budget oh god yeah! We needed to do our washing here and the next day set off to find a laundromatt. I had read in the Lonely Planet that one of the top end hotels would let you do a service wash. We went off and asked. They were a bit surprised, but looked us over agreed, monies changed hands and we were ushered away from the colonial open plan entrance hall and up in a single size wardrobe 'service elevator? with an unconvinced porter. Up and up we went the three of us wedges in to this intimate space, to the top!

The porter pointed us through a rooftop conservatory full ofplants and to a small sunny room that opened onto a massive roof terrace. This was were the washing machines were!!! This could only be the most spectacular place to get out laundry done! Check out the views...


A lovely scene, someone else pottering about with the radio on across the road... little finches in cages.


One of the 70 churches.


Many more churches...and the cathedral in the background, which appears on the 500 peso note.


Amazing architecture...


Good lord!


How fantastic?




Delicious.


Handpainted tile murals, I was loving it!


We found a great little cantina and had a few beers with the owner, who then plied us with free tequilla. We sat in this beautiful internal courtyard looking at the blue sky.


Here's the front of the cathedral with some impressive lighting.


Beautiful iron work.


And finally, beautiful boy, rocking on in our very uncolonial 70´s room. LMAO! Nice twin beds for us then... and a lot more freaky patterns that you can´t see here.


We pegged out clothes up on the spindly balcony like shoddy bunting. Fortunately it was there when we returned and not strewn across the road!

That was pretty much our contribution to Puebla. We didn't stay long, it had a bit of a stiff atmosphere... we headed of to the apparently chilled out Oaxaca... bye Puebla.

Window Shopping Part One

Oh hi! Mexico City, Puebla and Oaxaca have all had the most amazing window displays. Pretty much like the markets, it doesn't matter what is for sale, presentation is nine tenths of the law. I have marvelled at these. There are so many brilliant examples to capture. I'm not sure how many more Wij really wants to look at, so I'm going to include a variety in the Blog so that I can work through this fixation in my own time. Enjoy, with me, my special guests Adam and Fenner. Mwahx Mwahx.

Mexico City. Plastic fantastic, soon to be found on a beach near you.


Mexico City. Underwear circa 1970.


Mexico City. Pound shop styliee.


Mexico City. Lots of cabinets displaying the work of the dentists inside.


Oaxaca market.


Oaxaca market. Chocolatey Mole?!


Oaxaca, Zocalo. A very typical shoe shop display. The sheer choice could induce an epileptic fit.


Mexico City seemed to only sells white underwear-on mass.


Mexico City first class bus station, pastry fest.


Mexico City. Plenty of shops selling medical equipment of all kinds to the public, if you fancy your own oxygen tank, crash cart or uniform..?


Puebla. Sweet shop and foreign film namesake.


Oaxaca market. 'THE' tinned chillie stall.


To be continued...

Mercardo de la Merced

Oh hi! The markets in Mexico are one of the places that I was most looking forward to visiting. Mercado de la Merced in Mexico city occupies eight whole blocks dedicated to the buying and selling of every item you could possibly imagine, it really is mind blowing. It does not matter what type of product or produce is involved it is always displayed in the most aesthetically pleasing manner. The market is divided up into sections such as fruit and veg, kitchen and household, textiles, dried spices...So much care and effort is taken to make each stall attractive, its not only a visual feast, it really hits all your senses. We were the only tourists there it seemed.
Say it with a fruit basket, Mexican style. What exactly are you saying wth a fruit basket? Probably "I love you" if you gave one of these. That totally covers your five a day love.

Sexy nutty sweets and glace limes stuffed with coconut.

Mexican Mole. Check the mahoosive containers, pile it high.

Oh god! There was a whole meat section! It had single duvet size pieces of tripe, as well as everything a meat lover could possibly wish for, not to mention all the bits that go into sausages and burgers...yeah in their original state mmm tasty. The smell was something else, warm, pungent and off. It turned Wij's stomach and he was hot footing it off. Sadly for me, this coinsided with the realisaton that I was on the menu. "Alright love, fancy a portion?"

Why are these chicken legs so yellow?

Big Jugs of juice. And O´ natural- best way.

Pinata frenzy.

H&S hell (One for you Dellus!).

Mr Sheen my onions.

One of many exits.

Oh hi!

This man had a massive dried fish. Yum. "Ala carte Island of the Dolls".

Which Lime to buy for my Sol..?

Hey lovely lady show me how to make a Tortilla! Sausage of dough under the plastic...

press the handle down...

Hey da darrrh! She was actually very smiley and happy for me to take photos, but didn't want to smile in them.

Wiji eats a "Town Cafe" Mexican style. Yay!! They loved him.