Taxco

"Have you been to Taxco?" We've been asked that question countless times, and now we can finally answer in the affirmative. We took a quick little day trip the other day (we don't have the money for an overnight, SORRY Taxco fans!). The bus ride was two and a half hours of sinuous beauty through countless mountain switchbacks. I was captivated! Everyone else on the bus was either sleeping or watching a very dramatic Angelina Jolie film dubbed in Spanish. "C'mon people, look out your windows! This is beautiful stuff!"

The final switchback on the journey to Taxco affords you gorgeous views of the city. Taxco is a city of white buildings built up a lush green foothill. At first glimpse, I turned to Matt and said, "It looks like a bunch of skulls!" He told me that he thought the same thing; aren't we cute??

There are very strict building codes in Taxco, to preserve its historic integrity. In other words, the buildings must be white and usually have terra cotta or bright pink painted trims. Interesting side note: there is a huge, monopolistic paint company in Mexico called Comex. The paint of Comex is the only kind that people use to paint their businesses and houses. Comex's paint colors are trademarked, thus making uniformity of color in a town like Taxco achieved much easier.

The roads are steep, narrow, and without sidewalks, so we were forced to be very vigilant pedestrians. It is a roaming pedestrian town, and since we love to wander, that was very fun for us. Not a good stop for people with bad knees or respiratory issues.

The earth of Taxco was formerly full of silver and subsequently full of silver mines. The mined silver is long gone, but Taxco is still known for being a town where visitors can buy tons of cheap silver jewelry (there are a lot of silversmiths). This and its unique look make Taxco a den of tourism.

I liked Taxco, but the congestion was terrible, and the diesel-fueled air quality seemed horrendous. It wasn't a quiet escape, but I'm glad we got to see it.

Another view of the city:

I love the picture below, but I owe its charm to serendipitous happenstance. The old lady on the balcony is cute as can be, but in the upper right-hand corner, check out the adult holding the baby. How awesome!

One of many churches in Taxco. I loved how this one conformed so well to the colors of the Taxco:

The picture below is from the big, Baroque cathedral in the Zocalo. Extreme restoration was happening in here, so we didn't have the opportunity to see the church in its full glory.