Garañona in Metepec, Wedding in a Hacienda, and Friends in Malinalco

Another one of the few Toluca-based weekends but it was a great one because fellow Fulbrighters Preston, Jordan and Clara came to visit! Once everyone arrived we did some good ‘ol home cookin’. We feasted on spaghetti with homemade meatballs, broccoli sautéed in garlic, double baked potatoes, and for dessert: a sweet Mexican cookie pudding dish. We talked for hours and had to push ourselves out the door to discover the magical drink of Metepec: garañona! We went to a little bar to try it and sat at a corner table where the music couldn't have been any louder. The bar didn't even need a sound system it was so small. We set out to find another bar and went to a new one in Metepec that overlooked a plaza. We met up with some of our Mexican friends after and I learned how Mexican Jordan is with his Spanish.

Jess and our guests set out early Saturday morning to hike the volcano Nevado de Toluca that I hiked in January. I told them not to be intimidated because there are trails everywhere and the worst is uphill walking. Too bad, I forgot they were going with Jess! They ended up summiting. Meanwhile Bruno and I had a wedding at noon. One of the teachers I work with at the teacher training school invited me to her daughter’s wedding. It was one of the most beautiful weddings I’ve been to. The bride looked flawless. And the couple was young! They were 24 and had been dating for 8 years. The mass was in a church in a little pueblo then everyone drove over to the Hacienda Serratón where the reception was. The place was stunning. When we arrived, there was an ice cream man in the garden! After a while, they had the civil ceremony in the gazebo (super common to do it right after the wedding) then we headed inside the reception building. We sat at a table with friends of the bride who were all super friendly. The entertainment and the giveaways were on point! They had an entertainment company with a DJ for most of the afternoon\night but then after about 2 hours there was a man on the stage practically giving a fitness class. I swear he was a Zumba instructor. A few hours later there was a Cuban man and a band performing salsa. A few hours after that there was banda. In between all these, the DJ was playing and handing out things like blow up guitars, light-up Minnie Mouse ears, sunglasses, foam hats, aprons, etc. The bride’s family walked around with baskets filled with slippers, flip flops, fans and towels. There was even a candy table! I can’t express how much I love this kind of Mexican weddings. The mother of the bride looked beautiful, as well. The whole event was perfect. I was thinking that 12PM is pretty early for a wedding so it must end early. WRONG. We were there until about 11PM. I had no problem with that. When I walked into my apartment, our guests were cuddled on the couch watching Pitch Perfect. They even bought us cookies & cream ice cream!

Preston had to leave early Sunday morning but Clara, Jordan, Bruno and I went to Malinalco for the day. When we arrived, we had to get ice cream because it’s one of the things Malinalco is known for. Then we hiked up to the pyramid and the ceremonial site that was in the mountains. Part of the archaeological site was restored and we were discussing if it’s better to restore the ruins or to leave them how they were found. I’m on team restoration. We climbed back down and went to the ex-convent with the beautifully painted black and white walls. For lunch we had the famous trout. I couldn’t handle my food looking at me like last time so I enjoyed some quesadillas. Jordan got the spiciest one on the menu. They had updated the place since Bruno and I went in January. It’s always the perfect temperature in Malinalco which was nice. After that the crew all headed their separate ways.

Los pirámides de Malinalco

I’m back on my weekend trip grind! This past weekend Bruno and I went to the “pueblo mágico” of Malinalco. It’s in the state of Mexico about an hour from Toluca. We arrived early Saturday afternoon and headed straight for the pyramids….after stopping for beer and ice cream to enjoy on the climb up. It was about 400 stairs to get to the pyramids. In the 1470s, the Aztecs conquered the area and established a sanctuary for their military called House of Eagles. It was built on the side of the mountain next to the pyramids. It’s a semi-circular room that was used to see if warriors-in-training were worthy enough to become the real deal. I’m amazed by the quantity of the pyramids in Mexico.

After we made the climb down (which was much easier than the climb up) we went to a university-sponsored museum about the Malinalco and its beginnings. What I loved most about it is that in every room there was a person to explain the highlights of the exhibit. One of the exhibits was under the glass floor. It was an exhibit of some of the minerals and rocks of the area. It was very cleverly done. The semi-circular room on the mountain is no longer open to the public to walk through it so the museum had a replica that could be entered. It’s shaped as a snake and you walk in through its mouth.

We were starving after all the climbing and looking so we went to a well-known trout restaurant. I’m not big on fish but I thought it was necessary so I womaned-up and ordered a Hawaiian style trout. I at least thought they would take off the head, tail, and skin! It was like they plucked the poor thing right out of the water and gave it to me wrapped in foil. It was difficult to look at it and to avoid all of the tiny ribs but I did it! Not sure if I would voluntarily do it again but it was a good one-time experience. For dessert we went to an ice cream shop because Malinalco is known for their ice cream. Yes, we had ice cream twice in one day.

On Sunday we went out to breakfast at a cute little outdoor cafe then we headed to mass in a church attached to a convent with Franciscan monks still living there. The Divino Salvador Convent had beautifully painted walls with all sorts of embedded meaning. We took a tour to understand all of the black-and-white paintings. When we left, we headed to the market for a snack. We had a huge helping of fresh fruit with granola and icing. We were going to get ice cream …again but decided fruit might be a better choice. They sold everything in the market from traditional clothes and hand-made jewelry to fresh sweet bread and native fruits.  After exploring the market we packed up and headed back.

We stopped in Metepec on the way back to Toluca. It’s another pueblo mágico right outside of Toluca. We walked around and looked at the shops. They have many art shops and traditional clothing from other parts of Mexico. Then we climbed up el Calvario to see the church. It’s a massive hill with a church on top. The view was great and the church was adorned in gold accents over white paint. For Christmas, the steps leading up to the church had a life-size nativity scene complete with wise men and animals. Then we went to a clay museum. The best exhibit was of the trees of life. They even had miniature ones! “Arboles de la vida” are typical of Mexico and very expensive because they are so detailed. We ended the adventure with pizza at an Italian restaurant which was pretty tasty for being located in Mexico!