A haphazard chronicle of my inevitable misadventures during a year in Vietnam and points east.

p.s. I'll be pitifully grateful if you send me email during my exile: TravelerKaty@hotmail.com

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Day 3 - Part 4 - Puebla to Mexican Home Cooking School, Tlaxcala

Part 4, for crying out loud! Dang, this was a long day. My typing muscles are exhausted.

At 5 pm we were picked up by Ruben, the friendly van driver who was to take us to the Mexican Home Cooking School (MHCS) just outside Tlaxcala, which I will henceforth refer to as Tlaxcala City to differentiate it from Tlaxcala state, of which it is the capital. Tlaxcala City is about 30 km from Puebla, of which the first 20 km is one town after another without pause. It's dry, with cactus and typical Mexican cinderblock construction on most of the commercial buildings. The backdrop is dominated by three large volcanoes, La Malinche, which I will discuss in a future episode, Ixtacihuatl (try to get your tongue around that one) and Popocatepetl, AKA El Popo (for the charmingly named "Popo-cam", click here). The highway is infested with the most obnoxiously large speed bumps I've ever experienced and signs designating it a "Ruta de Evacuacion." Popo, apparently, is a disconcertingly active volcano, currently smoking daily and having inflicted an actual eruption on the region in 2000. In the words of National Geographic News:

Government trucks racing through village streets blaring warnings didn't do it. Neither did clanging church bells, or soldiers begging residents to leave. Not even the sight of ash, smoke, and large, red-hot rocks shooting 650 feet (200 meters) into the sky could convince thousands of Mexicans this week that the time finally had come to flee Popocatepetl, the 'friendly volcano.'?

I suspect the "Ruta de Evacuacion" signs went up after that little episode.

The residents of Tlaxcala may be in danger if any of these volcanoes decides to exert some Aztec revenge, but at least they will have an awesome view of the disaster in progress. Our residence for the week, the Mexican Home Cooking School, is located on a rise overlooking fields of cactus and other crops, and has an unobstructed view of all three. From the school's location, the sun rises directly over La Malinche and sets over the cone of Ixtacihuatl, which makes it look like it is erupting with rays of light. Very cool, and that's not just the margaritas talking.

The Mexican Home Cooking School is a very serene place, located well up a dirt road (thank Montezuma we didn't rent a car) in a creatively designed stucco house with many attractive and welcoming accoutrements, not least of which were the Margaritas handed to us as we walked in the front door. Fireplaces in every room, large windows and windowed doors with lovely wrought iron detail, a homey living room with comfortable couches, and bedrooms decorated with local crafts, colorful tile, decorative painting techniques and typical Mexican wooden furniture all contributed to the ambiance.

Our hosts were equally delightful. Jon, an American from San Francisco, serves as business manager, sous chef, cooking instructor, font of local information and emergency shopper. Estela, the master chef and Jon's tiny adorable wife, you'll hear more of when cooking class starts.

That's all for now -- Day 3 has been so exhausting that I may need a margarita right now.

More photos of the Mexican Home Cooking School:



posted by Katy at 1:13 PM