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to read about us in the news Tepoztlan - July, 2007 I
have just returned from spending seven days in Tepoztlan, a mysterious pueblo
located high (5,000 ft altitude) in the mountains, and 60 miles south of Mexico
City. The travel book describes it best: "Tepoztlan is one of
the strangest and most beautiful towns in Mexico. Largely undiscovered by foreign
tourists, it occupies the side of the mountain and the floor of a lush valley
whose walls were formed by bizarrely shaped mountains that look like the work
of some abstract expressionist giant. The mountains are visible from almost everywhere
in town - even the municipal parking lot has a spectacular view. Tepoztlan
is small and steeped in legend and mystery ---it is adjacent to the alleged birthplace
of Quetzalcoatl, the Aztec serpent god. The town comes about as close as you're
going to get to an unspoiled, magical mountain hideaway." The
location of the town reminded me of those very old Chinese silk paintings of mountains
veiled in mist and when the sun comes out the surrounding mountains are stunning.
While walking through the plaza you see a beautiful mission and convent
built in 1592. The Catholic Church has a full-time staff of muralists who go around
Mexico restoring old missions. They were working on the convent while I was there.
They gave me permission to sit and watch them work
very interesting and time
consuming. Talk about patience! Also in the plaza is the colonial municipal building
still being used for government and areas for the open air market still held on
Saturdays and Sundays. You notice the people and realize you are looking at the
descendents of Aztecs. You are looking at history hidden away. Someone pointed
out the pyramid ruin high on the mountain. Once you know where it's located you
find yourself checking it out throughout your stay. Sometimes you'll see very
old women wearing dresses and pinafores; their hair pulled into one long braid
hanging down their backs, and their faces telling of hard lives. The townspeople
are vibrant, very polite, helpful and sweet. I asked a traffic patrolwoman where
a particular building was and she took my hand and walked me there. All
the town's streets are paved in cobble stones that are angled toward the middle
of the road to funnel rain toward the valley. Each night, a one-hour rain shower
douses the town which accounts for the lush vegetation. During the day you can
hear horses' hooves clip clopping along at a slow pace. Most of the cars are small
due to narrow streets. Going down the mountain closer to the valley, very tall
stone and adobe walls hide houses. Cascading bougainvillea of all colors adorn
the walls. Of course I spent time peeking through the tall gates and spied wonders
(like Carter in 1923). I stayed at the Villa del Tepoz Fuego, a
wonderful B&B that was built only two years ago by the owners, Bruce and Marci
Kramer, originally from Maryland! They were gracious and charming and quickly
made me feel at home. The grounds of the B&B are lovely. It backs up against
the mountains and when you're having breakfast outside you're looking up at them.
Bruce said it was mandatory to spend at least 20 minutes each day in one of the
three hammocks located in secret spots around the garden. In addition to testing
hammocks, I tested the pool and Jacuzzi. It was all very exhausting requiring
afternoon siestas. The staff is very accommodating and efficient, great care is
taken with details; the chef provides excellent food. Scroll
through their WEB pages: www.villadeltepozfuego.com I
realize I must sound like an advertisement but I cannot rave enough about the
B&B. One day I had lunch at the Posada del Tepoztco, a Mexican
"heritage" hacienda that has been converted to a hotel. www.posadadeltepozteco.com
Take a look
beautiful hotel with spectacular views. Getting
There. The best/easiest way to get there is to fly into Mexico City. Luckily the
B&B had transportation to/fro the airport at a special price. Julian (a superb
driver who had lived in Mexico City in a previous life) picked me up inside the
airport and drove me to Tepostlan (approx. 2 hours). Never rent a car!!!! Always
arrange car travel by private driver. The drive through Mexico City during rush
hour is scary, dangerous, and above all, thrilling! One travel book said that
"driving through Mexico City is like doing post-graduate work in chaos theory".
You will never forget the experience. I sat up front with Julian in order to experience
the full thrill of it all. One taxi company uses Volkswagen "Bugs" colored
bright lime green, hot red, and bright yellow; the front passenger seats have
been removed and passengers "crawl" into the back seat and stretch out
more comfortably. It made me yearn for an old VW again. Surprisingly, during the
driving chaos everyone is polite. You don't hear honking horns and, in fact, there's
an odd sort of rhythm that is very eerie. After leaving the city you start climbing
mountains on an excellent four lane highway with stunning views. After living
in arid San Jose del Cabo the lush vegetation takes your breath away: pine trees
(including torey pines), blooming flowers, much, much greenery. Flower stalls
along the roadway contain thousands of long-stem roses (three dozen for $7). Then,
all of a sudden, you are off the highway going down a rabbit hole on a paved,
switchback road
the sides of the road are built with brick scallops. Occasionally,
you see the valley far below. Finally you arrive in Tepoztlan and you enter another
world. I know I will return, someday. Travel Tips:
1) If you decide to visit Tepoztlan take aspirin because of the altitude. 2)
Know some Spanish. 3) Wear sturdy walking shoes (rubber soles) to walk over
the cobble stones.
=================================================================== Alex
and I just returned from a vacation to Tepotzlan, Mexico, and I feel compelled
to tell you about this place, as I think you would REALLY like vacationing there.
The B&B/spa/villa with extraordinary restaurant was truly incredible and a
great bargain, but you can find great places to stay all over the world, so first
I'll tell you a bit about Tepotzlan.
Tepotzlan is a spiritually sacred
puebla set amidst spectacularly beautiful mountains about 1 hour south of Mexico
City. The setting is rivaled only by Macchu Pichu by my travel experience. The
puebla itself is charming: cobbled streets, wonderful little shops that feature
beautiful Mexican arts, very good restaurants, a lovely church/former convent,
and, of course, a food and handicraft open market. The town is very authentically
Mexican, but due to the spectacularly beautiful setting and high spiritual energy
of the place, it has attracted savvy travelers from around the world, some of
which have made Tepotzlan their second home. That means that you can find a terrific
espresso shop, some really good restaurants, purified water, yoga and chi gong
classes, English speakers. There are ancient ruins and pyramids set in the mountains,
so hiking and spiritual journey opportunities abound. Did I mention that there
are nearby golf courses? (Alex and I don't, but who knows: you might!) As
for the amazing inn at which we stayed: http://www.villadeltepozfuego.com/index.htm The
Villa is owned and operated by Bruce and Marci Kramer. They moved from Maryland
to Tepotzlan about 4 years ago, purchased the Villa and remodeled it into a fabulous
BandB complete with spa, small conferencing facilities and a full on small restaurant.
The rooms are beautiful and comfortable, nearly all affording wonderful views
of those enchanting mountains. We stayed in the Oaxaca Suite, which is the
room I would recommend for you. A full gourmet cooked to order breakfast is included
in your room fee, When I say gourmet, I mean international spa cuisine standard
fare. The chef, Noe, is a genius. His food is seasoned and cooked to perfection,
and it is light, highly flavorful and completely fresh, whether it is adapted
traditional Mexican, European or fusion. Marci, a former nurse and terrific cook
herself, has worked with Noe to make sure that he has adapted his recipes to be
much lower in salt, fat and sugar than traditional Mexican chefs' fare. Bruce,
an Acupuncturist, has hand picked the therapists, and trust me, they are gifted--not
your run of the mill spa therapists. Of course, there is a pool,
hot tub, small conferencing facility as well all set in a gorgeous garden surrounded
by the mountains. This is a place where you would enjoy a romantic
reprieve or a time out for yourself, or you could take a group of your clients
for a mission creating workshop, etc. The energy of the place and the setting
is just right for it. I think it holds 14 guests that could stay there, but they
work with another nearby inn for larger groups. they can hold many more for workshops. Anyway,
if you are interested in knowing more, check out the website http://www.villadeltepozfuego.com/index.htm
Lisa Stein |