Exploring Puebla & Gastronomy at El Balcón del Zócalo, CDMX(Day4)
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We started our morning adventure in the heart of the city, the Zócalo. As we strolled through the square, we couldn’t help but marvel at the stunning architecture of the Puebla Cathedral. The towering twin bell towers,the tallest in Mexico, seemed to be rising above everything else in the city. As we stood outside the cathedrals, taking in the intricate details of the facades, a harmonious mix of Baroque and Renaissance styles. The front of the cathedrals is adorned with intricate stone carvings of saints, angels, and religious symbols. As you enter through the door , you must look back to admire the huge intricately carved wooden doors.Inside the cathedral , the high ceilings, supported by soaring arches, gives the entire space a sense of openness and light. As is common in all cathedrals in the hispanic world everywhere you look, there were ornate altars, chapels, and sculptures, each one more elaborate than the last.The striking main altar at the center of the cathedral, is a towering structure covered in gold leaf. The cathedral has numerous chapels all around it,some chapels were simple, with minimal adornment, inviting quiet reflection and prayer while others, however, were more elaborate, with detailed frescoes covering the walls and ceilings, telling stories from the Bible or the lives of the saints. The cathedral also has a lot of religious artwork that adorns the walls along with a beautiful and intricately designed pipe organ.
Next activity , shopping!! And the best place to do that is puebla is Callejón de los Sapos or the Alley of the Frogs. During colonial times the alley was often flooded with stagnant water and attracted a large number of toads, which gave it the name the Alley of the Frogs. It is actually a market square called the Plazuela de los Sapos very close to the historic center of Puebla city and has two sections , Antigüedades los Sapos ( Antique Market) and Bazar los Sapos ( handicraft market). Many stores are housed in historic buildings and it is an ideal place for collectors and art lovers. Musicians play open-air on Saturdays and Sundays while vendors sell handicrafts from outdoor booths. There are also several restaurants and cantinas for those who prefer drinking and dining, but they don’t open till the afternoon. There are also a lot of shops offering talavera pottery but most of them are not authentic Talavera and should be marked as ceramics rather than Talavera, which is a tourist trap to avoid. The non Talavera marked ceramics are lighter and do not have the finesse that comes with years of training and honing your skill. They are still colorful and bright nonetheless and slightly cheaper than the actual Talavera.As we strolled down the cobblestone street of Callejón de los Sapos, with its colorful building, we could not resist buying some of the beautiful Mexican handicraft on offer. After a casual stroll back to the hotel and enjoying the beautiful Casona de Chile Poblano heritage hotel we packed up and started our drive towards Mexico city.
As we were full from the heavy breakfast we just had some pastries that we had with us along the drive and only stopped for gas till we got caught in traffic. Then we took a wrong turn and then another all the while stuck in traffic. Mexican highway traffic is a more civilized version of traffic in India, where less honking and shouting but more sudden lane transfers and movement ( guess the honking in India is a way of communication). Also it is a little difficult to get used to the exits and markings on the highway as they are sudden , if you are used to the US ways of telling you an exit is coming numerous times for at least a mile if not more. After an hour of this we finally got on to the right lane and continued our journey to Zocalo in Mexico City. The plan was to explore the Zocolo after checking in but we got stuck in more traffic as we had to pass through some markets to get to Zocolo. The market had come alive on this monday evening with vendors lining the street with tables and stalls overflowing with all sorts of daily life items. It was both terrifying and entertaining to drive through these narrow lanes with people lining up on each side. To add more drama the traffic police seems to be closing sections of the road at will and it happened to us twice. So with google map going crazy rerouting we decided it better to take any streets as long as it takes us closer to our destination. Using this method we reached 1 block of the Zócalo Central Hotel and found out that the police had closed the Zocolo to traffic due to some protests in the afternoon. After calling the hotel we found out and we needed to have a hotel Person escort us through the police corden. Finally after 2 extra hours we checked into Zócalo Central Hotel.Located right in the heart of the historic center, this boutique hotel offers both luxury and convenience, with the views overlooking the Zócalo, the city’s main square and the stunning Metropolitan Cathedral. From the moment we reached the rooms, we knew we had chosen the perfect place to experience the area and all the driving through traffic and people was worth it.The hotel’s elegant design seamlessly blended modern comforts with the rich historical character of its surroundings.Our window opened up to an incredible view of the Zócalo with its lively mix of locals and tourists going around with the amazing backdrop of Palacio Nacional and the cathedral, all decorated for the upcoming Mexican independence celebration.The hotel apart from being a peaceful retreat also offers complimentary food, drinks and coffee all day long, and as we availed this facility to get few cups of coffee to recharge ourselves.
Another reason for staying here was the rooftop terrace where the gastronomic restaurant El Balcón del Zócalo is located. We had planned to have dinner during sunset while savoring delicious Mexican dishes, but as it was raining we decided to take a stroll around the block to get a feel of the area. Even though it was raining there were a lot of people around with all the stores and restaurants open and bustling with people. There seems to be a lot of jewelry stores on this side of the Zocalo, probably because it is the safest place in Mexico City ( just a guess). After 30 mins or so we had enough and went for our dinner.
The meal was complemented by some Mexican wines and Mezcal as we couldn’t resist trying a few new artisanal mezcals. As the evening progressed, the city lights as well as the special decoration lights began to twinkle, and the square below transformed into a lively, illuminated scene with the faces of the heroes of Mexican independence. It was magical to watch the bustle of the city from such a serene vantage point specifically while the celebration was going on. The restaurant serves food 3 ways, one is the traditional al la carte menu the second a “chefs selection” where you pick one for each of the 4 courses and the lat being the gastronomic experience , which includes alcohol pairings as well as a visit to the kitchen to experience the food being made. We went with the middle option of chef's selection and as we were three people and each course and three options to choose from it made life really easy and we went with 1 of each , so then we can share and try different things. First up the starter section we had grilled asparagus with mushrooms, stuffed plantain empanada with mole sauce and a tortilla soup with dried seaweed. For the “Corn” course ( because it's Mexico) we had Mexican sausage with pickled radish,cochinita pibil and grilled octopus all served on corn tortillas. In the main course we had squash flower and vegetable risotto, grilled fish with mole sauce and sonoran tenderloin with mole sauce. The Dessert was creme brulee with sesame and mamay, chocolate mousse and mango gelato all served in unique shapes. The dinner was a relaxing 2-3 hrs affair with drinking and admiring the panoramic view in between. After all that's satisfying, we went down to our room to go to bed as we had to get up very early on our last day to get on the balloon ride.
