|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Puebla, Mexico vacation, travel and tourist information by reviewer Janette Higgins.
|
|
Mexico
|
|
Review of the City of Puebla
|
Tourist Information:
State Tourist Office or
Municipal Tourist Office, both near Zocalo
Puebla, Puebla
Mexico,
|
| Phone: |
| Puebla may be famous for its talavera tiles but I found much more. So much more. |
|
|
|
Review by Janette Higgins
author of The Best Places to B&B in Ontario: A Selective Guide
Six editions of the book were published to critical and popular acclaim. Janette now publishes her B&B
reviews and holiday reports online.
|
Though popular with Mexicans, Puebla is not much touted as a tourist destination for the rest of us. There’s not even a city-sponsored website in English that I can find. And that’s our loss, as well as theirs, because Puebla is a standout amongst Mexico’s exciting colonial cities. Sure, these 16th and 17th century marvels all have lots in common; lively zocalos, arresting architecture, friendly people and a host of other attractions. There’s Morelia which I favour for its outstanding restaurants, Queretero for its cobblestoned pedestrian ways, and Oaxaca for its proximity to crafts villages. I’ve also enjoyed traffic-laden Cuernavaca with its hidden treasures and mountainous Guanajuato where, some years ago, I determined to learn Spanish so I could at least read a menu.
Puebla shares in the positive traits of these other colonial cities but, for me, what sets it apart is the expansive life of the zocalo, a capacious square filled with gardens, fountains, walkways, shade trees and welcoming benches. Throughout the days I encountered much to entrance, whether it was an indigenous dance, a special art exhibition from Russia, a creative protest against the government, clowns performing for laughing children, or musical and dance concerts on temporary outdoor stages.
One Sunday a symphony orchestra was setting up on the sidewalk below as my tour bus pulled away. Another time I experienced a delightful school-assigned interview, in English, with a clutch of shy 11-year-olds. The zocalo is bordered on one side by the cathedral and on the other three sides by arcaded walkways where you can while away the time at outdoor cafés. Of course if you’ve visited any of Mexico’s colonial cities much of this will sound familiar; there just seems to be more of everything in Puebla. And it’s easy to get to. Fly into Mexico City airport. Hop on a bus that leaves the airport every 30 minutes and be in Puebla in less than two hours.
There’s something else that, as far as I’m aware, no other colonial city offers right on its zocalo – a municipally-sponsored theatre, too new to be mentioned in most guidebooks. I stumbled upon it when I saw people standing in line and followed them in. I paid 25 pesos (about $2.50) for what, I didn’t know, and was gobsmacked by a colourful, whirling folk dance complete with stomps and yips. So, of course, I went back. Once to see a popular musical play for children. And on another, to attend a mind-bending modern dance recital. Yup, 25 pesos. Performances are held several days a week and most start at 6:30, a convenient time because if you do as the Mexicans do, you’ll have had your main meal of the day in mid-afternoon and then time to relax before venturing out for some entertainment in the warmth of the early evening. But do take a sweater. You are at an elevation where it cools off later on.
There are many other tourist attractions in and around Puebla, a city of close to two million though you’d be hard-pressed to guess that fact because of the surprising lack of highrises and the intelligently-planned traffic flow which, at least in the central area, considers the pedestrian. I became the 'exploradora' of galleries, museums, talavera workshops (I haven’t even touched on the talavera tiles and pottery for which Puebla is best known!), archeological sites, 16th century convents and cloisters, numerous streets closed off for pedestrian malls and an intriguing collection of churches. Puebla is also famous for its candy which includes camotes, a sticky version based on yams flavoured with various fruits and, my favourite, the aptly-named Glorias, made of goat’s milk. I’m glad I didn’t discover these nutty, caramel-like chews until the day before I left. When I checked them out next day at the airport ‘duty free’ shop they cost three times as much, making it easy to resist the temptation.
And it’s not just the sweets that make Puebla a destination for foodies in the know. Here are a few of my favourite places to nosh. Fonda Santa Clara (Avenida 3 Poniente 920) for traditional Pueblan cooking including a terrific selection of tapas-like specialties served up with an excellent tomato-cilantro salad. Hackl (Avenida 7 Oriente 403), an artisinal bakery and restaurant with the best coffee I had in the city. A flaky almond pastry was the perfect accompaniment. Great sandwiches, too. The Austrian owner/chef’s imaginative fusion menu is a bit rad for Puebla so it may be slow to catch on with the locals. Restaurant Sacristia (Calle 6 Sur 304) where I savoured the vegetable broth soup and Chicken Mole Sacristia (mole, Mexico’s famed chocolate/chili/spice sauce, was invented by Pueblan nuns); but not so much the spicy-hot and somewhat gelatinous nopale salad (peeled and diced cactus paddles) which I normally like.
I wasn’t there for any of the seasonal specialties such as late summer’s chilies en nogada (large green chilies stuffed with meat covered with walnut sauce and sprinkled with pomegranate seeds) or fall’s huitlacoche (corn fungus) though I have had the latter in a restaurant in Queretero; a smoky flavourful dish. Other seasonal specialties demand a more adventurous palate than mine: in spring you can lap up escamoles (ant larvae) and gusanos de maguey (worms fried in sauce). Fall markets yield up chapulines, crunchy dried grasshoppers served with lime and chili powder. Hmmmm. That last one I might try. Apparently they’re addictive, a bit like potato chips. And I do like the way they spike much of their street food with lime and chili powder, everything from fruit to nuts to corn-on-the-cob.
One day I ate at a memorable ‘barbacoa’ or barbecue joint, one of several which line the route to the nearby town of Cholula. That finger-lickin’-good lunch was included in a productive week spent with the small but excellent Livit Spanish Immersian Centre run by a dedicated young couple, Scott and Maru Thompson – he American and she from Puebla. As part of our immersion we were off on an excursion to Cholula’s famed pyramid, and Mexico’s largest. Started in pre-Columbian times, several rival civilizations built pyramids one on top the other until finally, in the 16th century, the Spaniards lopped off the last pyramid’s top and built a church. Thus ended the one-upmanship.
Then there was the restaurant on Calle 4 Sur that I happened into one day. It’s one of several on the east side of the street somewhere around Avenidas 11 and 9 Oriente. The cheerful owner was very patient with my broken Spanish while I agonized over what to put in my torta. Puebla is famous for these tasty sandwiches using hollowed-out buns often containing sauced, shredded meat topped with cheese, avocado and other tasty bits. Next time I walked by, having noticed me, he came outside and insisted I come in to meet his wife and have a little chat, ‘en Espagnol’ of course. His charm and friendliness speaks to the welcome I felt from this city of happy, smiling people who take the time to welcome visitors and enjoy life. After ten action-packed days I reluctantly left for Canada feeling I had so much more to experience of this undervalued, artfully-cut gem called Puebla.
For a great place to stay see my review of Mesones Sacristia.
|
Reviews of Janette Higgins'
favourite places beyond Ontario
Janette Higgins' reviews
of Ontario's best bed and breakfasts
|
|
Review of the City of Puebla , Puebla, Mexico
|
| Tell your hosts Janette Higgins sent you! |
| Website: |
http://www.mexperience.com/guide/colonial/puebla.htm |
| Season: |
All year |
| Location: |
Southeast of Mexico City. Less than two hours by bus direct from Mexico City Airport. |
| Directions: |
At the Mexico City airport follow signs for the buses to outlying cities. Buses leave every 30 minutes for Puebla. On the hour, they go to a huge full-service terminal on the outskirts of Puebla. On the half-hour they go to CAPU, a smaller, more manageable, centrally-located terminal. There is also an airport at Puebla so you could fly in. Or take a bus from TAPO, Mexico City's east-side bus station. Some buses go from Mexico City's Terminal Norte as well (the north terminal). |
| |
|
|
|
