Study Abroad - Mexico City (Day 3)

Day 3 of the study abroad trip was primarily dedicated to travel outside of Mexico City and provided an opportunity to visit Cholula and Puebla, two historically significant states. It was a wonderful opportunity to see two culturally important locales within Mexico, while gaining a deeper grasp of the Mexican society and culture. With regard to the theme of the program, it opened my eyes to two unique opportunities within Mexico for tourism, and at the same time, the inadequacy of the development, the promotion, and the marketing structure to facilitate success as a tourist destination at these locales.

With regard to Cholula, we were able to examine the Great Pyramid of Cholula. It is the largest pyramid by volume in the world, as it houses seven distinct structures. The ingenuity and intelligence that was employed to develop such structures is truly amazing. Pictures from Cholula will be forthcoming in a future post.

Within Puebla, we had the opportunity to visit the numerous churches. Of particular significance to me was the Santa Maria Tonanzintla church, which was built to honor the Virgin Mary. The church was built above a pyramid that was created to similarly honor the mother of the gods. The baroque style of design and the heavy use of gold created a very distinct and beautiful church. I will post pictures of Santa Maria Tonanzintla church in a forthcoming blog post as well.

We also visited the famous Amparo Museum in Puebla. The Amparo Museum houses numerous exhibits that provide a historical view of Mexico through its art. The pieces provided a perspective of the culture and heritage that I had yet to see. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to take pictures within the museum. Thus, I am including a link to the museum’s website. It is www.museoamparo.com

While in Pueblo, we had dinner at Mural Poblanos Restaurant Tradicional. The food was delicious. I ate the chicken mole, a traditional Pueblan meal. Mole is a sauce that "is prepared with dried chili peppers, ground nuts and/or seeds, spices, Mexican chocolate (cacao ground with sugar and cinnamon and occasionally nuts), salt, and a variety of other ingredients including charred avocado leaves, onions, and garlic.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mole_(sauce). It is a sauce that is very common in Mexican dishes. The website for the restaurant is www.elmuraldelospoblanos.com