Travel — Mexico
The End Of My Recent Trip: Tlaxcala-Zacatlan-Puebla
Day 5
The morning is still so cold I can see my breath. Today is our last day here; my husband and I must return to Mexico City.
I rise, pack, clean the room, and go to the kitchen to make tea. I prefer not to eat before traveling by bus to avoid using public toilets. A few times, I hit the jackpot using them. (I hope you know what I mean.)
We load our bags into the car. However, before heading to the terminal, my friend takes us to a few places nearby.
Our first stop is a botanical garden, a lush, green oasis in the middle of a bustling street. The noise fades as we enter, replaced by the chirping of unseen birds.
I take a long, deep breath. I love the air after the plants have been watered; the earthy smell makes the air so fresh and pleasant.
Visiting the botanical garden without exploring the glass house is incomplete. Unfortunately, the glass house is not open; the door is closed and locked.
Then, we go to the archaeological site of Tizatlan. This place is not far. Ten minutes later, we arrive and park in front of the old church.
We make our way to the site and pass a group of people. “¡Buenas tardes!” We greet them, thinking they are locals who reside nearby.
A man, who looks like he is in his fifties, is whistling as if calling us. We don’t notice him; he shouts, “Wey, weyy.” And my friend see him.
Still in his position, sitting under the tree, “¿No ven la iglesia cerrada?” “Don’t you see the church closed?” “Queremos ir al sitio arqueológico,” my friend remarks. “We want to go to archeological site.” Then he stands and gets closer to us, saying, “Hay costo de entrada, 70 pesos por persona.” “There’s an entrance fee, 70 pesos per person.”
We’re surprised. Who is this man? Is he the staff or just a person who wants to scam us?
I observe carefully, from head to toe, staring at what he wears — a uniform or casual clothes.
This is not our first visit to an archaeological site; we’re aware that there’s always a ticket office where we can purchase a ticket before entering.
I try to believe and give the money, saying, “¿Tiene los boletos, señor? Me puedo ver por favor.” “Do you have the tickets, sir, Can I see it please?” “Allá, sígueme,” he says, directing his hand to the site. And we walk together toward it.
He points his hand to the right building and says, “Es el Museo.” “It’s a museum” Then he grabs the key in his pocket and opens the lock.
Now, I believe he really works here.
It looks like we are the first visitors today. He takes a cloth and cleans the dust over the glass case before he lets us in.
It’s a little room, about 10 square meters. It contains a brief description of the site, which consists of two altars discovered in 1927. They were once assumed to be sacrificial altars, but they were actually initiation altars intended to prepare warriors. There’s also an explanation of the murals on the altars, and some ceramics were discovered nearby.
The altars stand just in front of the museum. With a canopy and glass case to protect the altar’s murals. This is the tiniest archaeological site we’ve ever seen
Where there’s pre-Columbian Mexican ruin, there’s always a church nearby. Our next spot is Capilla Abierta, which was built in the sixteenth century and aimed at Christian doctrine for the indigenous.
The staff informs us that the chapel is no longer used for religious services. The interesting of this chapel is not only the religious murals that were painted by indigenous people but also the parts of the chapel’s structures are still original.
Our next destination is Parque Temático, a house to Boeing 727 airplane. The ticket is just 10 pesos, but we think 10 pesos is cheap for what they offer
After we buy the ticket, we receive a boarding pass and passport and wait in the boarding room; yes, just like in a real airport.
When it’s time to board, the counter staff checks our boarding passes and stamps our passports.
Then we climb the stairs, and the flight attendant greets us and takes us to our seats.
She gives us a VR to wear, playing a video that brings us on an aerial tour of Tlaxcala and its tourist spots.
It’s time to go to the terminal. We make a quick stop in Tienda to get some snacks for the bus.
It was a wonderful trip to end 2023, from the greenery lust of Zacatlan with the exquisite mosaic murals on the panteon walls. I finally drove on the left side before the shit happened, and discovering the hidden lake is one of my favorite moments, which I’ll absolutely revisit.
Thank you for reading this story ❤
See you tomorrow