We left the 12,400ft pass about 10AM to drive the short distance to our next stop. The drive was only about 25 miles, but it took about two hours to get there due to the slow, steep, winding roads down from the national park. It was a beautiful drive down that mountain on a freshly paved and smooth road.
We camped at a well known iOverlander spot that was recommended to us by Keith and Yudi, which is a gravel parking lot next to the pyramid and museums. The location is really a prime spot since we can walk to the pyramid in 5 minutes and there are stores and restaurants around every corner. The only downside was for the pups, as we were next to the local park and 5-6 churches that all have fireworks going every 30 minutes or so. We ended up giving Maggie a sedative so she could relax. She found a new hidey-hole in the camper that helped her to relax.
Kathy and I took a walk around the park and the fenced area that was the old pyramid. On the far side we found a carnival in full swing and the streets lined with vendors and shops. We strolled around, looking for stickers for Howie, and then made our way several blocks to the massive city park, where another carnival was going on. Next to the square was a huge old church, Convent of San Gabriel Arcángel and we went inside to look around. The church was founded in 1528, but construction was not begun until 1549 due to a shortage of Friars. Connected to the church was another church that was different than most we have seen here. It is called the Capilla Real de Naturales, was built for the local indigenous people, and as 49 domes covering a very large open space inside. Most churches are in the shape of a cross, long and narrow, but this one was wide and open inside and other than the altar area, was not as ornate as most in the area. It was built to coincide with local traditions and beliefs. And the stone water bowl at the entrance was carved from a single stone in the mid 15th century. We wandered a little over 3 miles in the first evening and then retired back to camp for the evening.
The next morning was Monday, and every tourist place in Mexico seems to be closed, so we would have to wait until Tuesday to see the museum and the old pyramid. But the Church at the top of the old pyramid was open, so we walked up the hill to check it out. This church is called Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios (Our Lady of Remedies) and construction was begun in 1575. The church is probably the most ornately decorated church we have seen so far in Mexico. It has suffered damage and destruction in several earthquakes, with the most recent in 1999, but has been fully restored and updated.
We finally found some stickers to purchase for Howie and then made our way down the steep hill and to a really nice restaurant called La Casa De Frida Sucursal Pirámide where I ordered some chilaquiles (corn chips smothered in a Mole sauce) and Kathy had a dish inspired by the painting, The two Fridas. One had chorizo sausage on a bed of black beans and verde sauce on a corn chalupa and the other had carne asada on a bed of black beans, red sauce, on a corn chalupa.
In our camp we have a couple from Quebec who have a 2018 RAM 3500 long bed diesel with a Lance camper and a lady from Tennessee in a Class C. We all sat and had some beers and beverages and talked for several hours about traveling, trucks, electrics, people, etc. It was really nice to have a group to chat with. And I learned something about my truck after almost three years. I have been wishing I bought the extended mirrors for when the camper or trailer are on the truck, and Xavier, the canadian with the 3500 Ram, asked me why I did not have my mirrors extended. My jaw dropped to the floor when I saw they flip up to extend. I guess sometimes it pays to read the manual, which I have not done.
Anyway, here are some additional photos from the past two days, and here is a map of our travels to this location.
