Chilling out in Puebla

The day started with a visit to the Post Office where it turned out that the shop in Cholula that sold me postcards AND stamps, wasn’t quite such a bargain.  Not only were the stamps 0.5 of a peso too little but I had to buy the whole correct value all over again.  The cost for Europe is 14 pesos but this can only be achieved with two massive 7 peso stamps which, given that the cards were already written meant that either the address of the actual picture had to be partially obliterated.  From here, I went to the cathedral which was truly massive, too large to photograph effectively from the outside and a somewhat dour grey building given what had already been seen elsewhere.  Inside however, it was magnificent although the grey stone of the vertical pillars created a slightly more sombre atmosphere than in the other places visited.  What was truly impressive, and this is already becoming a theme of church visits here in Mexico, is the sheer quantity and quality of the fresh flower displays. 

The main altar had five massive pots of white chrysanthemums and the scent of lilies issuing from one of the side chapels was overpowering.  Later in the day I looked into the Iglesia del Espirito Santo and noticed that the altar is set really high compared to many English churches.  Worshippers really do have to ‘look up’ to God.  Externally, most of the churches seemed to be painted with a bright pastel, if this is possible, in a distinctive shade.  Every church I looked into had a small number of people praying or simply sitting contemplatively.  Now I don’t really have a fair basis for comparison but find it hard to imagine that English churches get such a high level of use.

Catching up my diary and sorting out my possessions so that everything fits into the rucksack took an inordinate amount of time but by midday I headed out to take in the galleries.  This proved disappointing as one had very little in it and the other, the Museum of Contemporary Art had nothing.  It did have work going on in creating new display galleries so perhaps things will improve.  There was a very pleasant garden outside which featured a statue of a blue man. 

The area also contained a conference centre with startling colour scheme and a shopping complex which integrated a much older building beneath, not without success. 

Wending my way back to the main Zocalo I passed through the crafts district where masses of brightly coloured textiles were available but then I decided to focus on the people rather than the buildings.

I had already noticed the vast array of school uniforms which looked distinctly like what I remember of Australian Schools although the thick woollen jumpers or jackets were often in much brighter colours. 

Of course, once I decided to photograph this, only grey uniforms appeared!  Given the population of over 2.5 million it shouldn’t be a surprise that there are so many schools or that with an altitude of 7,000 feet the locals felt cold enough at this time of year to be wearing woollen garments.  Whilst the numbers of police didn’t quite match Mexico City, there were still plenty about so I was somewhat surprised to see a motor bike with three on board in the middle of the afternoon. 

Elsewhere I noticed two painters on a platform painting the Aztec Bank. 

Nothing remarkable in this except that the only thing keeping them in position was the three chaps below holding onto the ropes. 

There were large queues for the cash machines along this street at 5pm which seemed strange.  Perhaps they are the only ones that don’t charge for the service; it’s not as if there is a shortage of machines in the area.  As everywhere so far beggars are plentiful but Puebla only boasts a single organ grinder the central area.  Globalisation has had it’s way here as well, with MacDonalds’s occupying  prominent place on the square.  However, the Big M is nowhere to be seen and the sign is in a rather understated gold. 

There was even a Woolworth’s which is odd given that it has vanished in most British towns.

Our evening meal was taken in the same restaurant I visited last night and this time I sampled the local speciality, Mole Poblano, a chicken cooked in a sauce containing 26 ingredients and based on chocolate.  I appreciate that there were many complexities to the dish but overall, it was too sweet for my taste.  Afterwards, many went to bed early in preparation for tomorrow’s early start.  I spent two dissolute hours in a pool hall with 5 other hardy souls.  We were still all in bed well before midnight!