Blue Bear rests in a giant amethyst

While visiting Cuernavaca, a group of us decided to visit what was described as a “cute little town” up the mountain from the city. Not knowing exactly what we  were getting into, we drove halfway across town for lunch suitable for a vegan and stopped at a rock shop so our driver could show off his knowledge of geology, and arrived late in the afternoon at the “cute little town” (ancient  – all narrow cobblestone streets with the usual picturesque zocolo in the middle) at the base of a spectacular mountain glowing in the setting sun.

Tepoztlan, turns out to be the location of a pre-Spanish pyramid on the mountain and a center for the largest Rastafarian/Hippie village I have seen since the 1960s. Something to do with that pyramid, I suppose.

Since the sun was already setting, we were not allowed to climb the mountain and view the ruins so we did  the next best thing. We browsed the junk (most imported from India) in the market stalls that lined the zocolo, snacked on jicama, vegan bread, toasted grasshoppers (ICK!) etc., and bought postcards.  The ex-convent/museum (there seem to be a lot of those in Mexico) was filled with artifacts from the indigenous cultures who lived here centuries ago. Though many similarities to other archeological sites, each has its own uniqueness as well. Always interesting.

We all agreed that we would like to come again, on a weekday, when we can climb the mountain, examine the ruins, get a great overview of this cute little town, and avoid most of the modern, hippie culture on the main street.

Jill, Vanessa, Amarani, Emanuel, & Dan

Care to join us?