Malinalco

Over the river and through the woods….

No, we weren’t going to Grandmothers house, but rather the puebla of Malinalco, Mexico, to recoup and regroup from the hustle and bustle of Mexico City.

Most people I’ve talked to, Mexicans included, are not familiar with Malinalco, even though it is only about two hours from Mexico City.  Truth be told, I’m not really sure how I came upon it while planning this year’s Mexican road trip. I just saw a picture of vertical cliffs, lots of green, and figured it would be a good compliment to Mexico City.  So upon leaving the sprawling metropolis, we headed southeast, past beautiful rolling hills, through small, potholed towns, into cowboy country. We passed tons of campgrounds and rental cabins, each one advertising horseback trips or mountain biking and more. We were tempted to stop for a few nights, but carried on to our original destination.

Malinalco is another Puelba Magico, and we have made a point of visiting as many as feasible on this trip. This one (like the rest) did not disappoint. The often brightly-painted adobe houses with red-tiled roofs tightly lined the narrow cobblestone streets, old women with donkeys shared the road with dilapidated vehicles and an over-abundance of taxi’s. Taco and helado (ice cream) stands were crowded among trinket-sellers and tables overflowing with fresh vegetables. It was a colorful smorgasbord of typical Mexican life.

Typical street scene

This horse was tied on our street.

Rustic saddle.

Among the vendors, unfortunately, were an over-abundance of street dogs of every size, shape and color. What they shared were empty bellies and broken spirits. There was a small tienda beside our Inn that sold dog-kibble from 100-lb bags, and every day, sometimes several times a day, I purchased a few scoops to feed the poor souls.  We always saved our leftovers to give them, as well. One night I was scolded by a shop owner for feeding a scruffy little mutt in front of his store, so I learned to feed them in more remote areas or dark alleys. Yes, I am “that girl”. I can’t help it.

Since it was the rainy season, the verdant hillsides surrounding Malinalco were lush and in full bloom.

Cliffs overlooking the town

The highlight of Malinalco is perched 125m above Aztec ruin of Cuauhtinchan, perched snugly into the hillside of the Cerros de los Idolos (Hill of Idols). Carved directly into the mountain is the Cuauhcalli (House of Eagles) which remains the only known monolithic temple built by the Aztec. The path up the hill to Cuauhtinchan includes 426 steep steps, surrounded by flowering trees and shrubs, and was totally worth the climb. The clouds obscured our view of the distant mountains, but the fog lent an otherworldly quality to our morning hike..

Kids practicing martial arts atop a ruin

Malinalco indeed proved to be a magical place. The clean air, lush surroundings and tranquil pace were indeed the perfect compliment to the busy bustle of Mexico City.