TAXCO THE SILVER CITY

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Wednesday found us leaving Mexico City and heading up the mountains to Taxco. We were on a group tour because this trip is difficult to tackle alone. Eight of us boarded a van with driver and guide and headed to our first stop Cuernavaca. Our guide told us that this is a city for resting and that the unlucky Maximillian and Carlotta came here to rest. She before skedaddling out of Mexico back to Europe and poor old Max before he was executed in Puebla. The Mexicans did not take too kindly to these Aristocratic Austrians trying to take over their country. A quick visit to one of the first European Churches in Mexico and we hopped back on the bus. Of course there is always one couple who does not respect the time and so we waited. The driver apparently had once been a bat and was driving like one let out of hell. We whipped up the road until we reached the outskirts of Taxco. It is a beautiful white city. By law all of the buildings are white and they literally gleam from the side of the mountain. We were here about 15 years ago and the area seemed very isolated. It has grown a lot but is still charming. Unfortunately we were forced to hear a lecture on silver mining, herded through a shop and then served a bad meal before actually entering the city. The plaza was teeming with people. Everyone is still celebrating. People stroll around the plaza, eating, selling goodies, buying churros and ice cream and a gang of little boys attempt to create mayhem by setting off firecrackers in a plastic bottle. No one seems to care that they may lose a hand or an eye. One mother yanks her son away and the length of his arm may never be the same. When I took a picture of the little Mafia, one demanded a dollar. Hide and watch was my thought. The church yard was decorated with pink and red poinsettias and lavender plants. They were arranged in the shape of a huge poinsettia with the word TAXCO spelled out in red poinsettias. Even the little Mafioso did not dare to touch this place.

The artisans here are remarkable. The silver jewelry is beautifully designed. One table featured the designs of Freida. Diego Rivera helped to initiate jewelry making here in the 1930's to help the economy. The textiles and carvings are also top of the line. We left the group to take photos and enjoy the culture. As usual we waited for the tardy couple and had a wild ride back to the city. If asked about Vieja Tours they do not make my A list. Still we loved Taxco and were happy to see it prospering.

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