Day 2 was a bit of a transit day as we made our way from Mexico City to Oaxaca, some 290 miles south/west. We did make two stops along the way, however, before we settled into our luxury coach for the 4 hour drive to Oaxaca.
Spanish Church Atop Tlachihualtepetl Pyramid
Our first stop was in Cholula to view Tlachihualtepetl, the Great Pyramid of Cholula, which is the largest archeological pyramid in the world (yes, bigger than all the pyramids of Egypt!). It may not be as well known to the world because of the fact that it is still buried under vegetation. When the Spanish conquered the area, they built a giant church atop the pyramid and allowed the pyramid to be covered with grass and weeds. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to actually explore the pyramid and cathedral, but just seeing it in person was impressive.
Restuarants on the Zocala in Peubla
After Cholula, we continued on to the city of Puebla, with which I was most impressed. The city’s architecture consists of both Renaissance and Mexican Baroque buildings and structures, many of which are painted in bright blues, reds, and yellows. Puebla has a beautiful zocalo, or town square, surrounded by restaurants and charming cafes. On one side of the square is a cathedral that has the tallest bell tower in Mexico!
The Cathedral on the Zocalo of Puebla
We visited another church in Cholula that was radiant with golden intricacies before doing a site-inspection of Mesones Sacristia, which was a really interesting hotel with a lush courtyard. Before heading off to Oaxaca, we completed one last site-inspection at La Purificadora hotel, another of the Grupo Habita.
Lunch at the Purificadora Hotel
Purifacadora Hotel was amazing. The building used to be an old water purification factory, hence the name, and has since been converted into a massive boutique hotel that defines chic luxury. We had lunch at one of the gigantic wooden tables (made from beams found in the factory) before making our journey south. Stay tuned for three days of reporting from Oaxaca!
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