Puebla and Cholula

The church of Nuestra Senora de los Remedios (our lady of Remedies Church) is on top of the Cholula pyramid.  The pyramid now looks like a mountain or at least a hill made of dirt but it is actually a pyramid.  There are varying myths of why the pyramid not looks like a mountain.  Some say that it was covered by dirt so it would not be destroyed.  Others say because it was made of adobe bricks that over hundreds of years grass and trees grew from the bricks as they deteriorated.


A model of the Cholula Pyramid as it may have originally looked with the church now on top as well.  Every 50 years or so the pyramid was increased in size  by making it bigger and taller.

artist concept of what the pyramid and town may have looked like





A trip to Puebla 2 hours south of the city to see the largest pyramid in the world. 

The Tenorio's went with us.  They had been there two times before but wanted us to see it.



They make Talavera pottery in Puebla so I bought one dish to take home.  Some missionaries here buy a whole set of plate ware. It is usually blue and white but now other colors are used as well.  Authentic Talavera pottery only comes from the city of Puebla and nearby communities because the quality of the natural clay is good. The tradition of pottery making goes back to the 16th century.


The active  Popocatépetl Volcano just outside Puebla.  It was spewing smoke and  when we were in Puebla

I imagine this volcano was active at the death of Christ.

I like this idea of having groves down the middle of the sidewalk so the blind people are enabled as they walk with their cane to know when the middle is.  

outside of the Pyramid

They wanted to give us a sampl

As we walked to the pyramid we passed street vendors selling fried grasshoppers.

lots of tunnels in the pyramid

inside the tunnels of the pyramid

more tunnels in the pyramid

Just exiting the tunnel Neal Beecher and President Tenorio with the guide.

The large court yard with very old structures still standing

A stone face from hundred of years ago

original murals and painted walls

out of the pyramid tunnels...into the court yard and looking back at the church built on top of the pyramid

 
Marigold fields from a distance as we drove past the pyramid with the church on top.  We were on our way to dinner in the center of Puebla.

The town square where people congregate and visit as see from the touribus

a church as seem from the top of the bus

 
The Turibus.  We were on top.

Tesoros, a nice restaurant.  I had soup

They do soup a little different.  They bring my bowl with a little fresh spring greens and onions and whatever and then a cup of hot chicken broth and pour the broth in on the greens and that is my soup.  This was the case when I had corn soup at a previous location as well.   

 me and my soup

Dennis' dinner some kind of meat with mole sauce

Me, Stan and Janet Call, Neal and Jackie Beecher, Sister and President Tenorio

Tresoros Restaurante in Puebla Mexico.  Lots of murals  on the walls.

The ceiling has a glass retractable roof like the City Creek Mall.

This was the pianist on the second floor playing classical music for the patrons.

 we went up to tip the piano player

Back at the Cholula Pyramid (which was actually before dinner) We climbed as far as we could go on an old pyramid and took this picture of all the churches in Puebla and Cholula.  They say there are supposed to be one for every day of the year but our guide told us that actually there are only 144 churches in the area.   I thought that was a lot.

lots of churches

Dennis at the ruins

This architecture is similar to the Mexico City Temple

After coming out of the pyramid tunnels we had a close up of the church but no one wanted to walk up to the top....so another day (or not).

The serpent motif on this alter is reminiscence of Jesus Christ.  It appears all through out Mexico. 

We frequently see a triumphal arch in the cities.  I think they hearken back to the Spanish colonial time with direct influence from Europe and Spain.  

I climbed to the top of this pyramid and this was the view straight down.  Very steep.  Dennis and the Tenorios are below.

Lots of statues all over Mexico

These ruins used to be at ground level but over the thousand + years since they were build, debris and dirt had buried them.  They have been excavated now and are 20+ feet below ground level.

Colorful Mexico.  All their houses and buildings are made of cement and if they didn't paint them it would be pretty boring.  

Again, colorful Mexico and the city of Puebla as seen from the top of the Turibus.

tile work is common on building fronts

The church atop of the mountain or a least a pyramid that is now all cover with dirt and looks like a mountain.  

It is amazing that a civilization used to live here and then layers of dirt covered it all.

Our guide..he was very knowledgeable