Puebla

On Saturday, and friend and I drove about 130 kilometers outside of Mexico City, passing two inactive volcanoes along the way (it was foggy so I couldn't get a photo), before arriving at Puebla. With more than two million people, Puebla has managed to blend its historical past with the present. The center of the city and the main plaza is filled with 17th century churches and government buildings, while the borders are comprised of modern office buildings and apartments.

According to my guidebook, Puebla remained very loyal to Spain throughout its history - hence the large number of Catholic churches scattered throughout the city. The city was occupied by Napoleon after the Mexican-American wars and, on May 5, 1862, the Mexican army succeeded in overthrowing the French. This date - celebrated as Mexican Independence Day - is famous world wide for being an opportunity to drink Corona beer (Cinco de Mayo).

Puebla is most well known for its "mole," - a very rich sauce served over chicken or beef that is made from chocolate, sesame seeds, onions and chiles. You wouldn't think that combination would taste very good, but the mole I ate (see the photo above) was delicious! Halfway during lunch, there was a heavy downpour that ended just in time to drive the two hours back to Mexico City where I had time to buy a pair of authentic cowboy boots (botas).