P-day to Amecameca, Panoaya, Tlalmanalco with a few stops along the way

We wanted to take a trip to a Hacienda that is featured on the $200 peso bill.  It is called Panoaya and is in or near the town of Amecameca.  On the way we stopped at a town called Tlalmanalco that had a small but interesting museum.  

The museum had a picture of animals whose bones had been found in the area.  I thought it was interesting  because in Ether 9:16-19 the Book of Mormon talks of elephants, cumons and cureloms that were useful animals.  This picture of animals whose bones were found in the local area looked to me like they could be useful animals.  

This was another display at the little museum.  This was an artifact found in the area around the city.  It is a face made from lava stone.  The face has thick lips and Asian eyes.  Were these some of the original Jaredites that lived in the area?

The town still had decorations up from the Independence Day celebration the day before.  

We went to the old church in that city.  It had an open chapel and this picture depicts it.  The five arches are suppose to represent the five holes that the crucified Christ had in his body, one in each foot, one in each hand and one in the side.  They obviously don't know that he also had a nail in each wrist to prevent the nail in his hand from ripping out.

The people there are very proud of this old church.  It has been rebuild several times.

Dennis is standing in what was a baptismal font.  Obviously the font was big enough that a person being baptized was not sprinkles with water but was immersed.  

Five more arches on another side of the church

A newer tower of the church.  A Mexican guide told us that this was the most original and true church in Mexico.  He was in no state of mind to hear what was really the most true church in Mexico.  This church had been altered many time by Franciscan monks and Catholic Priests later.  

 There was a staircase and a window where the priest would speak to the people gathered in  the open chapel.  Mexico has a religious background of various groups that extends back to the Jaredites.

 The route we took to Amecameca is known of ancient times and is called the route of the volcanoes. It is quite obvious that these mountains are volcanic.  I believe they set off a lot of steam, lava  and black ash at the time of Christ's death.

We stepped into the church that was being used by the town now.  The people there were getting ready for a wedding and so the two chairs and a kneeling pad are in position.  The band is preparing.  The man with his back to the camera is wearing a black jacket with a cross sequin cross on it.  

At the church a family was also having their young daughter (dressed in white and being held by the mother) baptized.  The priest is behind the table with a basin of holy water on the table.  He is sprinkling the water on the child while the little boy dressed in a blue robe is holding the book of prayers for the priest to read.  After the service the priest signed legal papers to record it officially.

I am always impressed with the architecture and wonder how those ceilings were constructed years ago.  The lighter new ceiling has been rebuild as it probably fell down in an earthquake.   

This church had a beautiful court yard in the back.  There were offices and rooms for school.

We went on to the amusement park called Panoaya.  It had 5 zip lines, a pool, restaurants, camp grounds, picnic areas, bikes to rent, animal shows and exhibits and so much more.  It was wonderful to see such a family friendly, clean park.  It was very inexpensive to enter. 

The maze was amazing.  We didn't go through it but enjoyed the view from a high platform.  

Zip lines , paddle boats and water features.  

The restaurant we went to was a buffet.  They cooked the meat outside on a spit and brought it into us. There was a lot of varied of good food.