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BajaBlanca
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TAXCO
We left San Miguel really early and when we got hungry, we stopped to eat breakfast hours later at a random hotel. It was beautiful but more
interesting than that is that they served us green tomato jam and it was rico (delicious):
On the way to Taxco, I happened to read that there was a glass stained botanical garden in Toluca. So, we did a side trip. The town is one of the
ugliest I have ever seen but the botanical garden was really exotic:
Then, there was a turnoff for this incredible canyon:
and now....here we are! I must confess that I was a bit concerned that San Miguel would cloud my appreciationof Taxco but I need not have worried.
Taxco holds it's own!
It is gorgeous and has a charm that just oozes out. Totally different from any other town I have been to. The houses roll down the mountainside.
OUR HOTEL- we are at the HOTEL LOS ARCOS, which came highly recommended by the new Zealander from Allende and she kidded not when she said it was
perfectly located and good value for the price. The path from the garage to the hotel is so steep, one takes an elevator.
THE INSIDE COURTYARD:
Taxco is famous for silver and there must be hundreds of miniature shops, each crafts artist with their own style.
lovely balconies of course:
It took us 9.5 hours to get here and we were very hungry. An official government guide who took a liking to us, walked us to this wonderful
restaurant with a view second to none of the city:
THISIS A VIEW OF OUR HOTEL AS SEEN FROM THE BALCONY OF THE RESTAURANT:
THE EATERY BALCONY:
DO YOU THINK I AM HAPPY?
OUR WAITER RAMON PREPARED THE CAESAR SALADS RIGHT AT THE TABLE:
AND WE HAD SKEWERED CHICKEN THAT WAS VERY TASTY, SPLIT BETWEEN THE TWO OF US:
DO YOU THINK HE LOOKS TIRED? His middle name might as well be superman. He drives almost 10 hours, goes out to dinner with a smile and even walks
around with me and sits for a bit of a Mass that is going on at Santa Prisca.
We took a walk after dinner and saw SANTA PRISCA Cathedral. A very wealthy man built it for his son who was a priest. Opulent doesn't begin to
describe it:
AND WE FOUND OUT WHO THIS SAINT IS!
NOTICE HOW THE STONE ENTRANCE IS WORN DOWN:
ORNATE DOORS:
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BajaBlanca
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Sorry about the abrupt ending but the computer was about to die.
Taxco is an extremely busy town. There is buying and selling and much action, which is fun to see. The merchants seem to be doing well, the bars are
crowded, the streets have kids and dogs and cats and they are so NARROW that driving is a treacherous activity, even walking one has to be totally
alert at all times.
Here are a couple more photos to finish up - this Les spotted on the way here and I think it must be one of the Indian Gods:
tomorrow we visit the statue at the top left
from the angel restaurant
next to the Cathedral
another window and that's all folks! Hasta manana!
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Whale-ista
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Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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Beautiful! Thank you for reminding me how lovely it is there. (It's been 20 years since I've been)
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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Iflyfish
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Taxco....the fabled Silver City of Mexico...another Colonial Gem with beautiful winding cobble stone streets, tile roofs and charm galore. Another
outstanding travel log. Thanks Blanca for taking us along on this wonderful mainland adventure!
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BajaGeoff
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Mood: Heading To Baja!!!
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Very nice!
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monoloco
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What a beautiful spot! Thanks for sharing.
"The future ain't what it used to be"
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motoged
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Blanca and Les,
You folks are seeing some great places. Are you planning on a trip to Oaxaca?
Don't believe everything you think....
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BajaBlanca
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http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=50985#pid5933...
That was our trip to Oaxaca! We have been to almost every state....
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Paula
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Did you not like Oaxaca, Blanca? I always see so much there....
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BajaBlanca
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Oh yes ! We loved Oaxaca !
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BajaBlanca
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How to recap such a fine day? Not easy, but I will try. This morning I set out to see some of the silver jewelry etc. the town is famous for:
A La Bocana native who came here 42 years ago told me there was lots of stuff made with abalone. I didn't see tons of it, but what I saw was
beautiful. They apparently buy it in Ensenada now.
All around town you see the artisans at work - truly amazing:
Houses are so intricately put together:
random pics:
We ate lunch at a place on the main square- I swear, we had to walk up 7 flights of stairs to get to the top but it was worth it!
After lunch, we found a taxi driver to take us around town, up and down hills. He is a very good driver and we really went a lot of places:
we took a cable car ride from the street to MONTE TAXCO HOTEL
This guy was in the mining museum making silver jewelry
For dinner, we went back to the main square and ate upstairs at a place across the square from where we ate lunch. This is a pic of the lunch
restaurant:
the tour guide taxi driver had told us that there is free music and dancing on the main square every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. WE watched
while we ate and then went down and danced one song ourselves. Now we can say we REALLY did up the town!
this is out of focus, sorry
Tomorrow we move on, starting our way back to MexicoCity, La Paz and then La Bocana. It has been great here. Taxco is, in my opinion, a place to
visit but perhaps not to live. All the folks here are beyond kind. They are also, gracias a Dios, extremely clean. At the park tonight, even little
ones were putting their trash in the bins. The streets are spotless, the surrounding areas are not perfect, but cleaner than almost any other place
we have been to. Lastly, the talent is undeniable. Almost every craft we have seen sold around the country originates here. Who woulda thunk?
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DianaT
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Well, we have missed Taxco in the past, and now we have to go!
THANKS
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churro
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Love it! Brings back sweet memories! Please keep us updated!
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vandenberg
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Great report Blanca. We did most of the colonial cities in central Mexico, but somehow missed this one. Now you got my "Wanderlust" up. lol.
Taxco looks very similar to Zacatecas, an other gold/silver mining town further north, and also built in severe mountainous terrain.
Have a safe trip back.
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BajaBlanca
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Here is the scoop: I had a very good friendin high school in Rio de Janeiro and in the 1975, she and her brother took a trip to Taxco. That is how I
heard of it and for all these years I have wanted to go! When Les and I decided to take this trip to DF, I asked Les if he was interested in taking
sidetrips .... Well, one place was San Miguel de Allende because Jill (DTbushpilot's wife posted pics and it spurred my curiosity). And the other
place was in the opposite direction (Les rolled his eyes at first) and it was Taxco.
Both are gorgeous, both are radically different. There was a gentleman named Wiliam Spratling, from NY, who was a silversmith and put Taxco on the map
when it was going nowhere. I will read his autobiography. He moved there solo to help the Native Chichimeca Indians have a better life. It is such
a bustling town, he really did make a difference. I believe this was in the 40's. Not positive.
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Paula
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If you are on facebook, there is a page called "Cultura". Somehow it caught my eye and I gave it a "like". Sinc then I get random pictures of
Mexico, sometimes food, or artesania, or people, or places.
They put up an old black and white of Taxco, I don't remember what year, but it was so mysterious and beautiful, I've been wanting to go ever since.
Blanca, I think you would enjoy cultura if you are a facebooker.
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BajaBlanca
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Thanks, I will certainly look for it! I am an avidfacebooker.
Here is a link to a video of a village I would have loved to have visited had we had more time. A taxi driver told us about it
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nnYmeBO9d8c
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Paula
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https://www.facebook.com/145997272170488/photos/pb.145997272...
let's see if this link to the picture works...
Going to those out of the way places like your link above is always interesting!
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BajaBlanca
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Thanks for the link, I tried last night and could not find it! Isn't that picture fabulous?
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BajaBlanca
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So, I should mention that taxi drivers will take you around to the different sites for $140 - $150 pesos an hour. I wanted to go here but we ran out
of time. Next trip, it will be one of the first places I go to:
http://redocelotl.wordpress.com/tlamacazapa/
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