Mexico Day #3 Cuernavaca, Tepoztlan! PART A

After a early morning rise and shine, we left our little hotel in Cuernavaca for a day trip to TEPOTZLAN! Its is only about a 25 min drive from Cuernavaca, but it situated in a small rim of very steep mountain uprisings. This is one of my favorite places in all of Mexico, because it is right out of the fairy tales. The myths and legends surrounding this village, and the temple shrine on the looming cliffs above mention "little people", stories of trolls and mythical woodland creatures that supposidly dwell in the mountains..... I imagine many things just wandering around the village below.
As my knee had been giving me trouble, since before we left for Mexico, I told Julie and Chuy to go ahead on the hike up to see the Temple/Shrine remains from ancient days. I would wait down below in the town village and watch the local people at the market.
This post has to be made into a couple of parts, due to the amount of photos we took that day....
Just the hike up thru the mountains is a photo gallery in itself.....so, I will divide these posts up a bit.
So far, in this post.... Julie and Chuy hiked up the mountain which lays at the end of a village street. At the base of the trail, before you head up the ancient worn stairs.... and rock steps smoothed over from thousands of years of wear from the Indians, lives a family that guards the trail so to speak. They pray there for your safety, and have put up an altar to keep the bad little people and devils away........! It all reminds me of the stories of Little People Gramma Hazel used to talk about now and then...... she heard the stories from her brothers or mom......?
So, this hike is beautiful, and is a test of endurance. You go nearly straight up in a continuous fashion for 3,000. feet. Julie admits to huffing and puffing, and glancing at Chuys vanishing backside a few times....looks like Chuy is still as fit as ever! Its an ardous hike..... but, once you reach the top there are a few surprises awaiting you! Thats for the next post!


This is part of the mountain you climb.

The family that lives at the base of the mountain trail.......

A few houses along the street before you reach the end of the street, and the mountain trail head begins.

A TROLL lives near here....

The Altar the locals put up for protection....

A real DEVILS plant. Very pretty White flowers, but deadly!

View of the looming cliffs and mountains surrounding the village streets....

Julie found a local "cooling off station" before heading up, and up and UP!

More of the local houses.... they incorporate STONE into everything, everywhere........

Another view of the nearby mountain that holds an ancient Temple/Shrine.

Very mysterious....