Watts Family Goes to Mexico

Tepotzlan

After leaving Cuernavaca, we headed for nearby Tepotzlan. This is a small village, which has a trail leading up to a pyramid at the top of a mountain.

It was nearly 5pm when we arrived in Tepotzlan, and we learned that the pyramid closed at 5pm, but we decided to hike up anyway.

Elena waited at the bottom of the trail with my parents.

The gate at the top. It didn't look like there was anyway around it, so Chiara and I started back down the trail. But Karl and the boys decided to head off the trail on a back route, and they were able to at least see the ruins from a distance.

The Pyramid

Another view. Too bad we didn't arrive earlier. It looks like it would have been fun to visit up close.

Looking out towards Tepotzlan.

A gorgeous sunset. Pictures never seem to match the real thing.

The boys coming down from their off-the-trail route.

Eating at a fun restaurant in Tepotzlan.

Karl decided to try something new - a plant that was fried up in some kind of batter and covered in a sauce.

Chiara liked the small toilets just her size (for kids under 5 years old).

After leaving Tepotzlan, we headed back to Puebla. A wrong turn and a missed turn made for a long trip, but we made it back late Saturday night.

Cuernavaca

The traffic was terrible trying to leave Mexico City on a Friday afternoon, so it was late evening before we reached our hotel in Cuernavaca. The kids were so excited about the pool that they went straight there. My Mom and I got in with them, and the guys (Karl and my Dad) went to buy us some dinner.
The following pictures of the hotel were taken the next morning when it was light.

Looking down at the pool.

The kids got back in right after breakfast. Karl went in with them, and the rest of us got things packed up.

A picturesque waterfall near the pool.

There was a shallow pool within the larger pool. It has benches and bubbles like a hot tub, but it wasn't warmer than the rest of the pool.

Joseph

Elena coming out of a handstand.

Chiara and Karl

All three boys

We checked out of the hotel around 11am. Here we are headed to downtown Cuernavaca.

We visited Cortez's palace, and saw another Diego Rivera mural. I thought it was interesting that his mural was in Cortez's palace, considering that he doesn't think very highly of Cortez. Maybe that's why they wanted it there - to show that the palace is a part of history, but that Cortez isn't necessarily honored by the people of Mexico.

Karl explains the mural to us.

We thought this tree was interesting.

Another picture showing the branding of the natives. The history of this country is pretty brutal.

In front of Cortez's palace.

Still in front of the palace, but looking a different direction.

After Cortez's palace, we went to buy fruit drinks. We're all looking at the choices here.

Here they are. Those of you who read Spanish will notice there is one near the bottom called "Levanta Muertos," which means to raise the dead. Karl decided he'd try that one. All the drinks have an orange juice base. That one adds in alfalfa, nopal (cactus), spinach, celery, pineapple, carrots, beets, and honey.

Yum! I tried a sip and thought that the celery and alfafa taste were a little strong.

Here we all are with our drinks.

Chiara's ended up on her shirt. She liked the balloons seen in the background of this picture.

We also got elote -corn on a stick. They spread mayonaise on it and then sprinkle cheese and chili on top. None of us are big mayonaise eaters, but we asked for very little mayo, and enjoyed the corn.

After our corn, we left Cuernavaca and headed for Tepotzlan.

U.S. Ambassador and Mexico City

The Fulbright teachers in Mexico were invited to a dinner with the U.S. ambassador in Mexico. The dinner was on February 25th in Mexico City, which coincided perfectly with my parents' arrival on the 26th. So we all headed to Mexico City.

Nick, Ambassador Carlos Pascual, Karl, Nikki, Kristen, Tim, and Gretchen

We saw the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City. This corresponds to Park Place in Mexico Monopoly. (My boys remembered this - Daniel got Mexico Monopoly for Christmas and they love playing it).

It's a beautiful building.

Then we headed to the Palacio Nacional to see the Diego Rivera murals which are painted on walls surrounding a courtyard. We had to show our passports to get in.

Beneath his murals, Diego Rivera painted pictures which look like stone carvings.

Cortez is the guy with the green face. You can tell that Rivera doesn't have too high of an opinion of him. At the left the conquistadores are branding a native.

Chiara plays in the courtyard.

Near the Cathedral, we saw this faith healer. He is waving the smoke from some kind of incense over the guy who is being healed.

A view of the Cathedral from the Palacio National.

We took a tour of the Cathedral's bell tower. Here is some of our group on the roof of the Cathedral.

Elena and Chiara

Looking down towards some ruins next to the Cathedral. We had planned to see these next, but we ran out of time, since we needed to meet my parents at the airport.

One of the bell towers.

This picture is at a weird angle - just cock your head to one side. All these ropes lead to different bells in the bell tower. In the center is an old spiral staircase that we didn't get to climb. Our guide told us a story of the punished bell. Some of the bells swing all the way around, and one of them came around and hit the guy that was ringing it, killing him. So they punished the bell by not ringing it for 50 years. Then it was finally pardoned by the archbishop or someone like that.

Joseph, Stephen, and Elena's feet. They are descending the stairs of the bell tower.

After the bell tower, we went to lunch and then to the airport, where we picked up my (Krista's parents) and headed for Cuernavaca.

Flat Stanley Project

Karl's students sent "Flat Stanley" to visit students at DHS. They were excited to receive some return correspondence from the students there. Karl is going to write about the following pictures.