The Land of Eternal 'this is way more summer than spring' (Cuernavaca)

Member Name: zoe_page_1

Product:	Cuernavaca
Date:	31/08/08 (87 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Really pretty and with proper Mexican flavour

Disadvantages: Not so much to see

Wiki tells me that "Cuernavaca lies about 700 metres (2,300 ft) lower than Mexico City, and therefore serves as a popular refuge from the cold for inhabitants of Mexico City". This, I find hilarious. I have been living in Mexico City for two months and worn long sleeves only once in that time. Most days I dress like I'm going to the beach, flip-flops, tank top, you get the idea. I do not think Mexico city is cold, especially not in summer (ask me again in December), so that wasn't my reason for going to the "Land of Eternal Spring" this weekend. No, I went because my Saturday student had cancelled her class (yay!) so I actually had a weekend off for once, and needed to do something with it. A day trip to Cuernavaca was just the thing.

GETTING THERE

We travelled by express bus which took about 1 hour 15 mins and cost 65 pesos each way. The bus leaves from one of Mexico City's 4 bus stations, the one in the south. Take the metro to Taxquena (end of the blue line) and you're there. Busses leave regularly - going there we had to wait 15 mins, and on the way back we waited just 10 mins - and seats are assigned. You do not need to book in advance for this route. These are not your standard Stagecoaches - they have plush seats which recline a long way, TVs showing films (a German thing on the way there, Wild Hogs on the way back, both dubbed into Spanish) and separate toilets for men and women. You can find more details including the timetable here: http://www.pullman.com.mx/ The journey is pleasant though the swift descent left my ears popping. Alternatively the route is quite an easy drive if you have a hire car. One thing to bear in mind with busses is that different companies pull into different bus stations - the Pullman one is really central (maybe 50m from the start of the historic centre) but some of the others are further out.


PALACIO DE CORTÉS: http://www.palaciodecortes.com/

Our first stop (out of the bus station, up a small hill, turn right and a few minutes up the road) was the old Palace where I scored free entry as a Mexican teacher (!) but Manuela paid the standard 38 Pesos admission. There are two main attractions here - the series of murals by Diego Rivera (Frida Kahlo's other half) and an archaeological museum which is interesting but not a patch on the biggie in Mexico City. The murals are on the first floor, and though there are floor plans as you enter, we almost missed the stairs up. The views from up here are great, and you can take various picturesque shots of the rest of the city looking down towards the cathedral. Display information is in Spanish only.


JARDÍN BORDA

Our next stop was what looked on the map like a public park but was actually more like a private botanical garden. Entrance is 30 pesos (15 for us Mexican teachers) and includes the grounds and a small (pretty boring) museum. The gardens are pretty though, and we enjoyed sitting in the sun by the two "lakes", one of which also has pedal boats for rent (though as lakes go it's pretty pathetic, so nobody was bothering with these).


CATHEDRAL

Like any good city, Cuernavaca has an impressive cathedral, but it goes one step further and has this co-located with several other churches. When we arrived early afternoon a wedding was just finishing, and the newlyweds were posing for photos in the grounds. The cathedral has additional murals, but these are not as impressive as those at the Palacio.


MUSEO ROBERT BRADY: http://bradymuseum.org/

Another 30 pesos (and, sob, no teachers' discount) bought us entry to this museum which is housed in a former cloister of the cathedral, though to get in you have to leave the grounds and enter from the side-street. This was a really gorgeous house/museum that had me missing my home back in the UK. It is an extremely lavish set-up and the first museum I've been to with a swimming pool. Each furnished room is also like a gallery, with numerous paintings and artisan crafts hung on the walls. Every room has its own information sheet in Spanish and English that clearly highlights the pieces worthy of note, and catalogues the origin or artist's name, useful if you don't know your Diegos from your Maurice Prendergasts.



EATING AND DRINKING

No decent day trip would be complete without several refreshment stops. We started the day at a cafe overlooking the palace, where the choice ranged from Mexican breakfasts to Nutella crepes. Next stop was the Heladeria near Mc Donalds for massive and cheap cones (under 20 pesos, compared to 40-50 pesos in the city). Our final rest came in a small place recommend by Manuela's Germany guide book, where the set menu included starters, soups, a main course and a pudding for 50 pesos. They were a little confused by the idea of vegetarianism, but managed to cope reasonably well. None of the places we went were anything too special, because Cuernavaca is crawling with restaurants, mainly Mexican style, but we managed to eat well and cheaply with little fuss.


FIANL THOUGHTS

We had a super day in Cuernavaca but a day was enough - we got there about 11am and caught the 5.15 bus back to the city, which from our fairly central place meant with the metro trips we were out of the house from 8.30am until 7.30pm. There are a few hotels if you do want to stay over, but there isn't really enough there to warrant doing so unless you are planning to continue your journey the next day to Tepotzlan or somewhere. If you are in the Distrito Federal it's well worth a visit though, as it's a very pretty town with proper Mexican flavour. The centre is very compact and easy to explore on foot, which is basically the only option anyway (though there is also a tacky tourist tram thing)


POSTSCRIPT

I was wrong about the weather, thought. It was roasting in Cuernavaca, and Mexico City is not a patch on this place. It reminded me why I came to Mexico in the first place, and I would seriously consider moving there if I had the chance, for the climate alone.


Currently 20 pesos = $2 = £1 mas o menos.

Summary: A worthy day trip from the big smog