Mexico: Around the Centro Historico of Zacatecas

The sun was just making its appearance and the morning was chilly as we stepped out of our bus in Zacatecas. We had endured an eight hour bus ride from Mexico City to reach this former mining town and UNESCO World Heritage Site. From the bus terminal, we took a cab to our hostel, driving through deserted cobbled streets which would later be bustling with activity. Since it was too early to check-in, we left our bags at the hostel and decided to walk around the centro historico a bit.

The Historic Centre of Zacatecas is about 2,400 meters above sea level. According to UNESCO, "With Guanajuato, Zacatecas is among the most important mining towns of New Spain. It was a major centre of silver production, and also of colonization, evangelization and cultural expansion. The townscape of the ancient centre is moulded to the topography of the steep valley in which it is situated and is of outstanding beauty."



Our first stop for the day was the Catedral Basilica de Zacatecas. The highlight of the church was its richly-decorated red stone facade, an explosion of Churrigueresque ornamentation which appears like a huge stone retablo or altarpiece. The cathedral was open for earlybirds who were there for their morning prayers. The interiors were more austere. The main altar is in fact a modern one, but very tastefully done.


After that short walk around the vicinity of our hostel and getting some hotdogs at a convenience store for a really quick breakfast, we checked-in, freshened up and rested a bit. We actually had a grand view of the centro from our balcony window. And the hostel rooftop was a perfect place to chill.

We explored more of the town later in the morning. The Festival Cultural de Zacatecas, a music festival, was ongoing that month. Good coincidence you would think. But for architecture enthusiasts, it was quite unfortunate since stages and bleachers were set up in the charming plazas of Zacatecas, covering some iconic heritage buildings.


In front of the cathedral is an alley which leads up to the Templo de Santo Domingo, another significant church in Zacatecas. Built by the Jesuits from 1746 to 1749, it has an interesting Baroque facade and exquisite gold wood-carved Churrigueresque altars inside.



After lunch, we took a taxi to Cerro de La Bufa, a hill overlooking Zacatecas, to enjoy a panoramic view of the city. An equestrian statue of Pancho Villa greets you at the site of his greatest victory, the Battle of Zacatecas. Also on top of the hill is the Capilla de la Nuestra Señora del Patrocinio. Beside the church is an arcaded balcony which offers a grand view of Zacatecas and the surrounding hills.



From the hill, we took the teleferico or cable car down to La Mina El Eden, another major attraction of Zacatecas. We were a bit tired and since there were no English explanations inside the mine and we felt it was not worth the cost, we decided not to enter anymore. The chilly morning had transformed into a really hot afternoon. So instead, we walked back to the hostel for an afternoon siesta.



We continued our walking tour of Zacatecas late in the afternoon and the crowds started to grow. Bands and singers started performing in the designated stage areas around the centro historico. But nothing beats street performers churning out traditional Mexican music. I wish we had these in Manila. Our night ended early since we had to catch an early bus to Guanajuato. But at least we got to enjoy the sunset from our balcony window.

How to get to Zacatecas from Mexico City
Zacatecas is approximately 8 hours by bus from Mexico City's Terminal Central del Norte (MX$540). You can also opt to fly from Mexico City to the Zacatecas International Airport. The airport also has direct flights to international destinations such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Denver, and Houston.

Mexico: Trajinera ride & mariachi bands in Xochimilco's Aztec canals

As a neophyte to Mexican culture, I had no idea what mariachi bands were. Sure, we all hear Mexican music every now and then. But I was quite clueless. Friends who found out we were off to Xochimilco told us to make sure we get serenaded by mariachis.

The Aztec canals and floating islands of Xochimilco are inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List together with the Centro Historico of Mexico City. Xochimilco, one of the delgaciones of D.F. (pronounced de efe) or the Distrito Federal is about 1 hour and 30 minutes from the Centro Historico via the Metro and the connecting Tren Ligero. Stepping out of the Tren Ligero station in Xochimilco, we were met by really helpful local guides outside and at every street corner who pointed us towards the embarcaderos, the docks where the trajineras are located.


Trajineras are small non-motorized boats that were used to transport goods along the canals of Xochimilco. Today, these boats no longer serve that purpose and are instead used to take tourists for leisurely rides along the canals. In the olden days, these boats used to be decorated with flowers and juniper branches. But those have long been replaced by arches painted with really colorful designs. Each arch has a name on it, usually the name of the boat or a significant someone.

The highlight of any visit to Xochimilco are the trajinera rides through its historic Aztec canals. Nothing much to see as we walked to the embarcaderos. So I was anxious to find out what this was all about.


We finally made it to Embarcadero Belem, one of the nine trajinera docks in Xochimilco. They had fixed rates per person and we opted to take the 45 minute ride since it was already late in the afternoon and we simply wanted to experience these famed rides, even just for a while.

Of course, my first question to our trajinero (I would think that's what they call the trajinera drivers) was "Where are the mariachis?" He pointed towards the direction we were going to and said they were further ahead. Like a gondolier, our trajinero weaved through the ancient canals built by the Aztecs. But he didn't sing though. That was the job of the mariachis.


As we entered one of the main canals, we saw even more of these colorful local boats. And there in one of the boats was a mariachi band dressed in suits and tuxedos. Ah! They were the vital element that added charm to an otherwise uneventful experience. As we got nearer, I felt the festive atmosphere these bands created. Indeed, I was in Mexico!


Their boats would dock with another boat filled with picnickers and they'd render some classical Mexican songs for a tip of course. But bystanders like us got showered with graces as we passed by boat after boat of these musical ensembles. Many locals would rent these trajineras for hours to enjoy a lazy Sunday afternoon with food and drinks in tow. If you don't have food and you suddenly get hungry, floating stores and hawkers are all over the place.

By the time we knew it, our time was up and we made our way back to the embarcadero. After enjoying a home-cooked meal at one of the residences which dished up some food for visitors (now that's tourism helping the local community), we made our way back to Mexico City. Then it hit me, our Mexican adventure was about to go full steam ahead.

How to get to Xochimilco
Xochimilco is conveniently connected to Mexico City's Metro. Take the Metro to Tasquena (MX$3) and transfer to the Tren Ligero to Xochimilco (MX$3).

Four-day long weekend from August 27 to 30, 2011 (National Heroes Day and Eid'l Fitr)

Long-weekends have become scarce with a change in the holiday economics policy in a year when most holidays fall on a Saturday or Sunday. So the upcoming four-day weekend will give holiday-starved Filipinos a welcome respite from work and a chance to travel. National Heroes Day on August 29 (Monday) has previously been declared a non-working holiday as part of Proclamation No. 84. Malacanang is also set to declare August 30 (Tuesday) a non-working holiday to mark the end of Ramadan or Eid'l Fitr. We're just waiting for the official proclamation. In the meantime, here's the list of Philippine holidays and long-weekend schedule for 2011.