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CUERNAVACA |
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The old road to Acapulco ran out from the capital via Cuernavaca and
Taxco, and although the modern route (Hwy-95D) skirts the former and
gives Taxco a wide berth, both remain firmly established on the tourist
treadmill. The journey starts well: a steep, winding climb out of the
Valley of México into refreshing pine forests, and then gently down,
leaving the city far behind. It's a fast road, too, and, smog permitting,
offers lovely views back over Mexico City.
CUERNAVACA has always been a place of escape from the city - the Aztecs
called it Cuauhnahuac (Place by the Woods), and it became a favourite
resort and hunting ground for their rulers. Cortés seized and destroyed
the city during the siege of Tenochtitlán, but he too ended up building
himself a palace here, the Spanish corrupting the name to Cuernavaca (Cow
Horn) for no better reason than their inability to cope with the
original. The fashion then established has been followed ever since: the
Emperor Maximilian and the deposed Shah of Iran both had houses here and
the inner suburbs are now packed with the high-walled mansions of
wealthy Mexicans and the expats who flock down here from the US and
Canada each winter.
For the casual visitor the modern city is in many ways a disappointment.
Its spring-like climate remains, but as capital of the state of Morelos,
Cuernavaca is rapidly becoming industrialized and the streets in the
centre permanently clogged with traffic and fumes. The gardens and
villas that shelter the rich are almost all hidden behind high walls, or
in districts so far out that you won't see them. It seems an ill-planned
and widely spread city, certainly not easy to get about on foot, though
much of what you'll want to see is close to the centre and accessible on
foot. Food and lodging, too, come relatively expensive, in part thanks
to the large foreign contingent, swelled by tourists and by students
from the many language schools. On the other hand, the town is
attractive enough and makes a good base for heading north to the village
of Tepoztlán , with its raucous fiesta, or south to the ruins of
Xochicalco . If you are at all interested in Mexican history, it may
also be worthwhile taking a trip to Cuautla , where Emiliano Zapata is
buried in the Jardín Revolución del Sur.
The Town
The zócalo - as ever, the heart of the city - comprises the Plaza de
Armas and the smaller Jardín Juárez, with its bandstand, to the
northwest. Around the twin plazas you'll find a series of cafés where
you can sit outdoors overlooked |
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