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Published: October 19th 2010
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Church's Chicken
Lunch at TAPO bus station on our way to Puebla Another week of school has come and gone, we are in a routine now, and of course keeping busy. Incredible amounts of work need to be covered in school before testing starts the 5th of October. Math is taought at least an hour and a half a day. We do take snack and a bathroom break because Linda just can't make that whole time on task. Testing, testing testing and more testing. They do something here called NWEA testing. This/that takes place the week before the end of grading period 1. Two weeks in a row of testing has wiped Linda out...and the marking is making her CRAZY! Yes, please keep in mind that there are still at least 3 manditory meetings a week during the testing time. Linda has Spanish classes with a tutor after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and now we go salsa dance class on Tuesday evenings. What a workout!!! It is quite a shock to see oneself in the full wall mirrors, I don't think a 50 something year old man should be doing this, but Linda insists. She says just to watch that pretty young assistant instructor, but I tell Linda that is what is
Casa de la Palma
checking in, Megan, Fran, Linda and I making me loose my step! Oh well, great exersize. Plus we ecobic there and back of course.
And then, weekend time again! Off we go to Puebla, a city of 5 million or so 2 hours East of Mexico City. I meet the three teachers at Juanacatlin metro station at 3 pm, we continue on and arrive at San Lazaro metro station which is joined with TAPO bus station. A short walk, we buy tickets for the 4 o'clock bus which gives us time to enjoy a bucket of chicken complete with mashed potatoes, gravy, corn on the cob and cole slaw. There are 90 buses a day that leave Mexico City for Puebla and return daily, so catching a bus is no problem. Cost is about $20 Canadian for the round trip. We arrive in Puebla at 6, take a $4 cab ride to the Zocalo, historical city center, and find the quaint old hotel that has been recommended to us. Casa de la Palma was built in the mid 1700's and features 16 unique rooms, each suite unique and different. Very little remodelling has been done other than adding the power and running water and upgrades to
Our room
large rooms filled with statues, and bookcases full of old books the bathroom and king size beds. There are old armoirs filled with antique statues and old books, the flooring looks like it is thge original wood, and the furniture original as well. We found it quiet, clean and very comfortable. After checking in, off we go exploring, we grab a snack and a beer, and continue along until we find a fun live band pub and enjoy the evening.
Saturday morning, we take advantage of the free breakfast including fresh fruit juice, eggs, ham and rolls specially prepared for us Then off in the sunshine to do more exploring and we find that there is a turibus that leaves at 11 am for a 1 and a half hour tour of the city complete with an English version explanation fo the sights we will be seeing. Seats on the upper level allow us the best view and we are able to enjoy the sun. We learn a lot about Puebla's history, see many of the sights and old historical buildings, and are treated to a fantastic view of an active volcano. Popocatepetl Volcano is 70 km (43 mi) southeast of Mexico City, from where it can be seen regularly,
Room for Linda and I
notice there is no glass in the windows because there is no need for it depending on atmospheric conditions. It is visible from Linda's school and on a clear day the steam is visible as well. The residents of Puebla, a mere 40 km (25 mi) east of the volcano, enjoy the views of the snowy and glacier-clad mountain almost all year long. The volcano is also one of the three tall peaks in Mexico to contain glaciers. We were treated to spectacular views on the bus ride home Saturday evening as well.
After the turibus, we grabbed a lunch and then shopped in the huge outdoor markets, Puebla is renowned for its' pottery, some of which we had to take home of course. Then, back to the bus depot, and home in Mexico City by 9. The bus we took cost 18 pesos, or $1.50 extra because it was the luxury model. Bigger seats that recline like a rocker, 2 bathrooms, one for ladies and the other for hombres and they gave us a softdrink and snack as we boarded. Not bad, it made for a very good sleep after we passed by Popocatepetl. By leaving right after school, travelling a couple of hours, and only spending one night, we were home Saturday
No Molestar
means don't bother the wife night and that gave us Sunday to rest and relax. After such a fun trip, we are now hoping to get out and explore every 2nd weekend or so. We have a fun group of people we can invite with us, it is not expensive and we will get to see a lot more of Mexico that way. We are planning an excursion further away for the long weekend we have coming up on October 15th to the 18th.
Then it was Monday, back to school and routine, we had company over for supper Thursday evening and I got to make use of our BBQ agaiin. It does take planning and time to get the charcoal ready and smouldering, but the results are fantastic. The meat here is cut much thinner that at home, and therefore more difficult to maintain tenderness when cooked, however the BBQ seems to enhance both tenderness and flavor.
Till next time.........
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Rob B
non-member comment
wow
Fab. Have fun. Love the blog.