Brown

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Arrived in Puebla today - and decided to stay only one day. It is a big city of almost 2 million people, and while the historic section is beautiful with one main cathedral that is on one of Mexico´s bills, and churches and museums and some pedestrian streets, coming into town I got wierded out so decided not to staymore than one night. Also the air pollution hurt my eyes -guess that answers my question if I am going to Mexico city.

Coming in on the bus from Xalapa sadness encapsulated me - as we rose in elevation the land turned brown and dusty, and then straight roads in wide valleys with peaks further in the distance. The landscape seemed faded with planted agave, prickly pears, minimal oaks and some desert tree, but mainly alot of beige dry soil - mostly hard, and the villages we passed also seemed hard - with concrete block houses (familiar) some abandoned, trucks and tires, a harsh edge to it. Began to wonder if dry harsh prickly landscape makes people harder - think of photos of much of middle east where you have brown mountains, also reminded me a bit of area around Kamloops - and I felt less safe. (Generally in Mexico I have felt safe despite the police and military with their machine guns in places). Broken windows, etc. While no poorer than many areas I have been through seemed meaner. And on the outskirts of Puebla, passed by some areas that were poor, run down and full of graffiti which I havenot seen that much of except in San Cristobal and that was politically motivated - this looked more like gang tags.

The bus station is huge - like an airport - different bus lines with arrival and departure gates for each, many wings, gates numbering over 100, taxis expensive to city centre so took public bus in - many pull into station - packed things driving down huge roads clogged with city buses 4 abreast, swerving in and out. In the historic centre traffic seems less crazy than in Xalapa, a) is grid layout while as Xalapa built on hills has more curvy streets b) most traffic goes around centre c) more private cars - only about 20% taxis whereas Jalapa is about 50% taxis.

The centre has a calmer feel - also more diverse feel - the pedestrian zone with cheap clothing and shoes and food vendors vs the university area and the zocallo with many tourists. Not as uptight. Still with the diversity, walked down one area and found many men hanging out (not with art of relaxation the is practiced ion Mexico (and much appreciated) but more the glazed eye down and out type.

Visited a few churches, including the cathedral before they closed - the cathedral rivals most European ones in terms of glitz and size and ornateness, beautiful a work of art with murals on ceiling over main alter, huge chandeliers, many chapels, an ornateness and feeling of gold, through maybe less of god. Walking in and out of churches I noticed that the simpler ones (though still grand compared to north american churches) for the majority tend to be dominated by a bloody crucified Jesus (yes the nails on the cross and painted blood) while this does not dominate the more grand places. I should really examine this - cause in my memory seems to be true in general.

Still were galleries, restos (though hard to find a mid-range place - sure I just needed to look harder cause in centre centre found taco places, fast food, and places more than I usually pay. But I had got in a mood, and hostel was not great, and I had nightmares, and a deja vu in the bathroom, so my mind was on go to Cuetzalan which I had been planning anyways.

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