Day 71-73: Kluane National Park

August 23-25

Day 71 & 72. After short visit at Haines Junction (Kluane NP) Visitor Information Centre, with supplies loaded, we drove short distance and settled quickly at Kathleen Lake CG (for two nights). With weather improved, mix of sun and clouds, we were ready for a hike. We decided summiting King’s Throne Peak was probably too much for that day, but hiked up to King’s Throne “seat”- bottom of the bowl below it. Trail starts easy at Kathleen Lake (near campground). It then turns into good workout on steep rocky slope, almost scramble with fading trail in places. Joanna again could not resist and hiked higher to see what’s on the other side of the mountain. Piotr just guessed – more mountains. Upon return, we relaxed on lake’s shore. Enjoyed long day with sunny weather to cook dinner. Piotr refreshed his skills chopping wood logs. It was good, well organized NP campground.

Next day weather was mixed and hard to predict. We used the day for two short hikes. On Rock Glacier – a pile of frozen rocks, rather than a big chunk of ice like the other glaciers we visited. Interesting feature to explore, even in light rain. Then very easy, almost flat trail (old forest road) to St Elias Lake, enjoyable in better weather.

We left the final decision whether to go to Haines for the following morning.

Day 73. With rain in the forecast on the coast and car ferry sold-out, we decided to skip Haines, turn inland and drive around to Skagway. It was all day of slow driving watching mountains and valleys, rivers and lakes passing by – car tourism. We passed Whitehorse again (without stopping this time), but spent some time in Carcross. Important station on White Pass & Yukon Railway during gold rush. We liked the small town, now just tourist destination, visitor center, good coffee and pastries. We walked a bit on Carcross Desert (large dune, not true desert) – what a change after walking on glaciers. Plus short evening walk on Lake Bennett.

We settled for the night further along Klondike Hwy at almost empty Conrad CG on shore of Windy Arm of Tagish Lake. It is located on the grounds of long closed and dismantled copper mining operation.

Day 66-70: Wrangell-St Elias NP-Nabesna Rd-Skookum Volcano-Alaska Hwy-Haines Junction

August 18-22

Day 66. After short, morning hike to Crystalline Hills we were heading back to Chitina to the end of McCarthy Rd and then to Glennallen – we came that way. Just driving around Wrangell Mountains without much stopping. Weather was mixed, but we could see the high peaks: Blackburn (we saw its other side from airplane), Wrangell and Sanford, although their tops were in clouds. In Glennallen we ignored low fuel warning and continued to Gakona only to discover that gas stations there were closed. So we had to go back. Joanna was making phone calls from the road to find a place to stay in Gakona. Nothing worked, but one place (Snowshoe Haven Cabins in Gakona) called back with an offer: no cabins available, but we could rent an old house under renovation for the night. Very nice hosts. Bedrooms upstairs and kitchen/living room were already done, bathroom was still old. We had entire house for ourselves, good opportunity to regroup. Another case on this trip when interesting opportunity came along on the go.

Day 67. Another day of driving – interesting, scenic Tok Cut-Off Highway to Nabesna Road to enter Wrangell Mountains, this time from north – spontaneous decision, as we liked this NP a lot. We talked to rangers at Slana Station, filled-up water containers, we had enough food. Nabesna Rd is first paved and then good gravel. Not much traffic and many camping options. We chose to stay at excellent Kendesnii Campground (NP). Like camping on the edge of taiga. Small lakes and mountain views everywhere. We had only a couple of neighbors – one was also Subaru camper. Enough time left for afternoon hike to Caribou Creek. To cook dinner we had to dress like winter time – temps dropped a few degrees below freezing at night and local mountaintops were dusted with snow in the morning. Not even the end of August and winter made its first move.

Days 68. We drove, after same hesitation, further up Nabesna Rd to Skookum Volcano trailhead and spent several hours going up and down the mountain. Steep trail to Skookum Volcano Pass with great colorful rock formations and view of Alaska Range. Good, mostly sunny weather, nice experience. We then drove to the end of drivable road (Subaru) to the site where Nabesca Mine used to be for evening view of Alaska Range. Our Forester got tested on not so good stretches of road and crossing streams. Back to Kendesnii Campground for another wintery night. Joanna tried to rent one of the backcountry cabins, but everything was booked (?). We were glad we came this way: nice scenery, interesting volcano hike with Dall sheep sightings and we liked relaxing camping in taiga despite freezing weather.

Day 69 and 70. Now it was time to go to Kluane NP. Two days of easy, but somewhat monotonous driving despite interesting scenery starting with short opening in clouds to view (base of massive) Mt Wrangell. First back on Nabesna Rd to Tok Cut-Off Hwy and then Alaska Hwy to nice Deadman Lake CG. We stopped in Tok for lunch at Fast Eddy’s Restaurant and to pick-up groceries (plus Denali Beer Variety Pack and Jagermeister) at Three Bears. Some small businesses already started shutting down for winter. We stopped in Tok earlier on the way to Alaska. We were lucky to get camping spot and had only little time to walk to Deadman Lake and on short nature trail. The following day, we crossed the border and continued on Alaska Hwy to Haines Junction where we rented (Airbnb) room in newly renovated small house with two bedrooms, modern shared living room and kitchen. Rainy and cold weather was a factor in deciding to stay there. Despite end of season hotels were full as everybody (campers) tried to stay indoors. Piotr showed his skills quickly starting fire in wood stove to warm the house (our host came later to start gas furnace). We spent the evening cooking, drinking beer and talking to French couple from Martinique, travelers (bikers) staying in the other bedroom.

Western Canada and Alaska 2024: 103-day road trip.

We planned the road trip for quite sometime, but it was only this year that we were able to pull it off. The initial plan was very ambitious (we skipped some destinations shown in red on the overview map below) as there are so many places one would want to see across six provinces/teritories (ON, MB, SK, AB, BC, YT) and eight states (IL, WI, MN, WA, ID, MT, ND, AK). We were in Alaska 40 of the 103 days. We crossed US-Canada border 8 times. The interactive map shows places where we stayed O/N, more often in areas explored in-depth.

Overview map

The plan was to drive between major destinations and camp in our car or tent most of the time (campgrounds and wild camping), stay in motels/hotels/cabins from time to time. Altogether we stayed in 76 different destinations. We drove 13000 miles with only several longer driving days (longest was 660 miles on return to Chicago from Fargo). Luckily, we were able to fix unexpected car mechanical problems on the go, but wasted energy and precious time (~4 days).

It was wide range of scenery and activities. Mountains, glaciers, lakes, rivers, fjords, temperate rain forest and old tree stands, sand dunes, badlands, Pacific coast. Dinosaurs. Wildlife watching (salmon, bears, orcas, whales…). Driving through areas destroyed by wildfires, some recently. Historical towns and sites from gold rush era. Changing views along highways. Changing weather. In retrospect, our schedule was very interesting travel-wise, but also very intense with little time to rest.

We managed only one short backcountry hike/camping from Kennecott to Root Glacier, disappointing as we were prepared for more. But we did many day-walks/hikes. Memorable several hours on Root Glacier, long day on Harding Icefield Trail and long, but relaxing hike to Kinney Lake and beyond. Two off-trail “wild” hikes: one on slopes of Cathedral Mountain in Denali NP and one exploring petrified forest in badlands of Theodore Roosevelt NP. Kayaking half of Eklutna Lake. Walking along rivers to watch salmon. Exploring gold rush history. Add sightseeing fly-over from McCarthy to Mt Blackburn in Wrangell-St Elias NP, and two ship cruises: from Seward to Northwestern Glacier and from Valdez to Columbia Glacier. Just to name some highlights.

Even with last minute daily planning, we did not have any problems, other than a couple of times, finding places to overnight. There were many campgrounds with good locations and layouts. Most had no running water, flush toilets or showers. We were sometimes surprised by dilapidated infrastructure and poor maintenance. Some automated fee collection stations were technologically top notch. We found very good old-fashioned campgrounds too. We stayed at established campgrounds most of the time (61 nights/42 destinations). Wild car-camping was fine (11 nights/11 destinations). Weather (rain), tight schedule, restocking and laundry, car repairs and long driving was a factor: renting a place to stay overnight was then the only viable/comfortable option (30 nights/23 destinations). Found many excellent and some interesting ones, not always expensive.

We experienced two travel health problems, but both resolved quickly.

Main expenses: gasoline $1980 ($2.80 to $6 per gallon), three ferries $200, rental overnight accommodations $3600 (average $120 per night), paid campgrounds $1060 (average $19 per night), tickets (airplane/ship excursions, mountain gondolas, museums etc.) $2120. Plus we camped 17 nights for free. Total $8970 = $88 per day. Spending on food and drinks was no more than at home. Car repairs and maintenance totaled $2180, but were not directly related to this trip other than by added mileage.

Completed itinerary
Day       Destinations   Overnight
1 Jun 14 Fri Harstad Park, Eau Claire River IL-WI Harstad CG
2   15 Sat Voyageurs NP MN Woodenfrog CG
3   16 Sun Voyageurs NP MN RiverFront Hotel, International Falls
4   17 Mon Voyageurs NP, Rainy Lake, Rushing River PP ON Rushing River CG
5   18 Tue Kenora, Anicinabe Park ON Kenora Traveloge
6   19 Wed Trans Canada Hwy, Portage Spillway PP MB Trans Canada Hwy wild camping
7   20 Thu Echo Valley PP SK Echo Valley CG
8   21 Fri Echo Valley PP, Trans Canada Hwy SK-AB Tel Star Motor Inn, Brooks
9   22 Sat Dinosaur PP hiking, Little Fish PP AB Little Fish CG
10   23 Sun Midland PP hiking, Royal Tyrrell Museum AB Two Jack Main CG
11   24 Mon Banff NP: Minnewanka Lake, Cascade River, Banff AB Banff Tunnel Mtn Village I CG
12   25 Tue Banff NP: Johnston Canyon, Ink Pots AB Lake Louise (hardsided) CG
13   26 Wed Banff NP: Lake Louise, Lake Agnes & Little Beehive AB Lake Louise (softsided) CG
14   27 Thu Yoho NP: Takakkaw Falls, Emarald Lake, Banff NP: Icefields Pkwy BC-AB Waterfowl Lakes CG
15   28 Fri Icefields Pkwy, Banff NP: Peyto & Bow Lake, Bow Glacier Falls AB Waterfowl Lakes CG
16   29 Sat Banff NP: Chephren & Cirque Lakes AB Waterfowl Lakes CG
17   30 Sun Banff NP: Waterfowl Lakes, Mistaya River AB Waterfowl Lakes CG
18 Jul 1 Mon Icefields Pkwy, Banff NP: Mistaya Canyon, Parker Ridge, Saskatchewan Glacier AB Wilcox CG
19   2 Tue Icefields Pkwy, Jasper NP: Wilcox Pass trail, Athabasca Glacier AB Wilcox CG
20   3 Wed Icefields Pkwy, Jasper NP: Sunwapta Falls, Athabasca River & Falls AB Jasper Becker’s Chalets
21   4 Thu Jasper NP: Medicine, Maligne & Moose Lakes AB Jasper Becker’s Chalets
22   5 Fri Jasper NP: Maligne Canyon trail, Mt Robson PP: Overlander Falls AB-BC Robson Meadows CG
23   6 Sat Mt Robson PP: Kinney Lake, Valley of Thousand Falls BC Robson Meadows CG
24   7 Sun Yellowhead Hwy: Rearguard Falls PP, Ancient Forest PP BC Yellowhead Hwy wild camping
25   8 Mon Yellowhead Hwy: Vanderhoof, Hagwilget, Hazelton, Ksan Village, Kitwanga BC Kitwanga Municipal CG
26   9 Tue Cassiar Hwy: Gitanyow Totems, Bear Glacier, Clements Lake, Stewart, Salmon Glacier BC Granduc Rd wild camping
27   10 Wed Stewart-Cassiar Hwy: Salmon Glacier, Fish Creek, Hyder AK, Bear Glacier AK-BC Dease Lake Water’s Edge cabin
28   11 Thu Cassiar Hwy: Boya Lake, Alaska Hwy BC-YT Alaska Hwy wild camping 1
29   12 Fri Alaska Hwy: Teslin, Johnsons Crossing, Marsh Lake, Whitehorse YT Caribou RV PK
30   13 Sat Whitehorse: Yukon River, Miles Canyon YT Kaleido Lodge Whitehorse
31   14 Sun Klondike Hwy: Carmacks, Five Finger Rapids, Moose Creek YT Moose Creek CG
32   15 Mon Klondike Hwy, Dawson City,  Diamond Tooth Gerties YT Dawson City private room
33   16 Tue Dawson City: Dredge No. 4, Bonanza Creek, Midnight Dome, Klondike & Yukon Rivers YT Dawson City private room
34   17 Wed Yukon ferry, Top of the World Hwy, Taylor Hwy, Chicken AK, Pedro Dredge YT-AK Taylor Hwy wild camping
35   18 Thu Alaska Hwy, Delta Junction, Richardson Hwy AK Chatanika Lodge
36   19 Fri Fairbanks, Chatanika AK Chatanika Lodge
37   20 Sat Fairbanks: Pioneer Park, Tanana River AK Chatanika Lodge
38   21 Sun Chena River, Angel Rocks, Chena Hot Springs AK Granite Tors CG
39   22 Mon Parks Hwy, Nenana, Denali NP AK Riley Creek CG
40   23 Tue Denali NP: Savage Alpine Trail AK Riley Creek CG
41   24 Wed Denali NP: East Fork Toklat River, Cathedral Mountain AK Riley Creek CG
42   25 Thu Denali NP: Savage River, Horseshoe Lake, Nenana River AK Riley Creek CG
43   26 Fri Parks Hwy, Talkeetna AK Talkeetna Cabin
44   27 Sat Talkeetna, Parks Hwy, Hatcher Pass, Independence Mine AK Eklutna Lake CG
45   28 Sun Chugach SP, Eklutna Lake AK Eklutna Lake CG
46   29 Mon Eklutna, Anchorage, Ship Creek AK Anchorage Airbnb
47   30 Tue Seward Hwy: Turnagain Arm, Mt Alyeska AK Granite Creek CG
48   31 Wed Chugach NF: Carter and Crescent Lakes, Kenai Lake AK Primrose CG
49 Aug 1 Thu Kenai Fjords NP: Exit Glacier, Harding Icefield AK Resurection River wild camping
50   2 Fri Resurection River, Kenai Fjords NP: Exit Glacier, Seward  AK Nauti Otter Inn Seward
51   3 Sat Kenai Fjords NP: Northwestern Glacier AK Trail River CG
52   4 Sun Ptarmigan Lake trail, Tern Lake, Kenai Lake AK Kenai Lake wild camping
53   5 Mon Kenai River (Russian River Ferry) AK Cooper Creek CG
54   6 Tue Russian River & Falls, Sterling & Seward Hwy AK Williwaw CG
55   7 Wed Portage Lake, Whittier, Williwaw Creek, Portage Valley, Anchorage AK Anchorage Airbnb
56   8 Thu Glenn Hwy, Chugach Mountains, Matanuska Glacier, Tazlina Glacier AK Lake Louise Rd wild camping
57   9 Fri Richardson Hwy, Tonsina, Worthington Glacier, Thompson Pass AK Sheep Creek wild camping
58   10 Sat Richardson Hwy, Valdez, Columbia Glacier AK Valdez Airport Mancamp Hotel
59   11 Sun Valdez Glacier Lake, Duck Flats, Old Valdez, Richardson Hwy, Edgerton Hwy AK Gilpatricks Hotel Chitina
60   12 Mon Chitina, Chitina & Copper Rivers, O’Brien Creek AK Gilpatricks Hotel Chitina
61   13 Tue McCarthy Rd, Kennecott, Wrangell-St. Elias NP AK McCarthy CG
62   14 Wed Wrangell-St. Elias NP: Root Glacier AK Root Glacier moraine backpacking
63   15 Thu Wrangell-St. Elias NP: Root Glacier AK Root Glacier moraine backpacking
64   16 Fri Wrangell-St. Elias NP: Kennicott & Root Glaciers, Erie Mine AK Root Glacier moraine backpacking
65   17 Sat Wrangell-St. Elias NP: Root Glacier, Wrangell Mts, Gilahina Trestle  AK Gilahina Trestle wild camping
66   18 Sun Wrangell-St. Elias NP: Crystalline Hills, McCarthy Rd AK Snowshoe Haven Cabins Gakona
67   19 Mon Wrangell-St. Elias NP: Nabesna Rd, Caribou Creek AK Kendesnii CG
68   20 Tue Wrangell-St. Elias NP: Nabesna Rd, Skookum Volcano AK Kendesnii CG
69   21 Wed Nabesna Rd, Tok Cutoff, Alaska Hwy AK Deadman Lake CG
70   22 Thu Alaska Hwy AK-YT Haines Junction Airbnb
71   23 Fri Kluane NP: King’s Throne YT Kathleen Lake CG
72   24 Sat Kluane NP: Rock Glacier, St Elias Lake YT Kathleen Lake CG
73   25 Sun Alaska Hwy, Klondike Hwy, Carcross Desert, Carcross, Bennett & Tagish Lakes YT Conrad CG
74   26 Mon Klondike Hwy, Summit Lake, White Pass, Dyea, Skagway YT-AK Westmark Skagway Hotel
75   27 Tue Skagway, Klondike Gold Rash, Yakutania Point AK Westmark Skagway Hotel
76   28 Wed Klondike Hwy, Tutshi Lake, Alaska Hwy YT Alaska Hwy wild camping 2
77   29 Thu Alaska Hwy, Watson Lake, Liard River Hot Springs YT-BC Toad River Community CG
78   30 Fri Toad River, Alaska Hwy, Stone Mt PP, Summit Lake BC Andy Bailey CG
79   31 Sat Alaska Hwy, Hudson’s Hope, Chetwynd, Pine Le Moray PP BC Heart Lake CG
80 Sep 1 Sun John Hart Hwy, Bijoux Falls, Crooked River PP, Prince George BC Prince George Airbnb
81   2 Mon Cariboo Hwy, Green Lake BC Green Lake Arrowhead CG
82   3 Tue Cariboo Hwy, Chasm, Hwy 99, Marble Canyon PP, Fraser River BC Nairn Falls CG
83   4 Wed Whistler: Blackcomb & Peak 2, Whistler Mt, Half Note Trail BC Whistler RV PK
84   5 Thu Sea-to-Sky Hwy, Brandywine & Shannon Falls, Howe Sound, Porteau Cove, Langdale Ferry BC Porpoise Bay CG
85   6 Fri Sunshine Coast, Porpoise Bay, Eagle Falls, Comox Ferry, Vancouver Island BC Seal Bay RV PK
86   7 Sat Vancouver Island. Comox: Goose Spit, Seal Bay Park BC Seal Bay RV PK
87   8 Sun Strachona PP: Karst Creek & Wild Ginger Trail, Buttle Lake BC Ralph River CG
88   9 Mon Comox; Strachona PP: Lower & Upper Myra Falls, Lupin Falls BC Comox Airbnb
89   10 Tue Strachona PP, Mt Washington: Paradise Meadows, Battleship, Lady & Croteau Lakes BC Comox Airbnb
90   11 Wed Catherdla Grove (MacMillan PP), Ucluelet: Wild Pacific Trail BC Surf Junction CG
91   12 Thu Pacific Rim NP: Rainforest Trails, Long & Wickaninnish & South Beaches, Florencia Bay BC Surf Junction CG
92   13 Fri Pacific Rim & Island Hwy, Sproat Lake PP, Nanaimo-Vancouver Ferry BC Surrey Airbnb
93   14 Sat Surrey, Hwy I-5 & 20 BC-WA Newhalem Creek CG
94   15 Sun North Cascades NP: Skagit River, Rock Shelter, Trail of the Cedars, Ladder Falls, Gorge dam WA Newhalem Creek CG
95   16 Mon North Cascades NP: Gorge & Diablo Lakes, Thunder Knob, Ruby Arm WA Newhalem Creek CG
96   17 Tue Okanogan NF: Lake Ann, Washington Pass WA Klipchuck CG
97   18 Wed Driving: Hwy 20, 155, 2, I-90, Coulee Dam WA-ID Coeur d’Alene LaQuinta
98   19 Thu Driving: I-90, Hwy 20, MacDonald Pass ID-MT Helena Baymont Hotel
99   20 Fri Driving: Hwy 12 (89, 294) Helena to Forsyth, I-94, Medora MT-ND Sully Creek SP CG
100   21 Sat T. Rosevelt NP, Wind Canyon, Buck Hill & Coal Vein ND Cottonwood CG
101   22 Sun T. Rosevelt NP: Roosevelt Cabin, Petrified Forest South & North ND Cottonwood CG
102   23 Mon T. Rosevelt NP: Skyline Vista, Painted Canyon trail; I-94 to Fargo ND Fargo Expressway Suites
103   24 Tue Driving: I-94, I-90 MN-WI-IL Chicago

Highligts…

10 days in Mexico: Part 2 – Mexico City and Teotihuacan

January 17-23

Day 5-7: Mexico City

Day 5. After we walked over to Cuauhtémoc station, we discovered the metro line was closed. Joanna was disappointed because she looked for and chose apartment close to metro. We walked to Balderas (next stop) and took Metro 1 and then Metro 2 to Catedral Metropolitana. First experience with public transportation – very good, frequent, efficient, but information often lacking, navigating the system requires fluency in moving with local crowd, as we learned during our visit. Part of huge Zócalo (main square) was fenced off for a future event. Cathedral, also huge, built over centuries in different styles using some material from pre-Hispanic temples, quite impressive outside and inside. Towers are leaning like many heavy buildings built on ancient lake island. Later, we searched for entrance to Palacio National, as it was open to public on that day, but we circled it in wrong direction and (free) tickets were gone already for the day.

We returned to Zócalo and interesting Templo Mayor ruins. It was the main pyramid temple of Mexica/Aztec in Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City), as usual built over time in several layers, with temples of war and rain gods at the top. Remains of the pyramid and some other structures from the old days have been excavated and restored. Museum has many interesting artifacts (from the site), many offerings were buried and survived above-ground demolition.

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Since we missed murals in Palacio National, we checked excellent Murales de la Secretaría de Educación Pública (Museo Vivo del Muralismo opened in 2024) with hundreds of murals by Diego Rivera and others, surrounding several courtyards on 3 levels. Signs and directions are confusing to reinforce the idea that people should get lost here (museo vivo) and find what they like by chance. We then walked around the neighborhood a bit looking for place to eat (some restaurants were already closing) and decided to stay at nearby Restaurante Catedral for dinner (Quesadillas Vegetarianas and Taquitos del Chef). On return to Cuauhtémoc (Uber – metro was not going to our station and we had not yet figured out bus routes) we stopped at Tiendas 3B to get some basics for breakfast. We saw many food vendors around the city, but we had not yet found any better-stocked grocery stores near our accommodation.


Day 6. After days of intense sightseeing, rather than visiting more museums and historical places, we decided to spend the day just walking around. It would be hard to retrace our route precisely. We started with la Romita, once independent pre-Hispanic village, and then strayed in Roma Norte, our neighborhood, further away from home than on the first evening. Our strategy for this entire trip was to try to stroll smaller, side-streets and as many parks as possible to break more tiring (mega) city walking.

We looked-up grocery stores on map – this time we came across small, but well stocked Sumesa Colima. We looped around Plaza Río de Janeiro with small park and David statue fountain. Mercado Medellín in Roma Sur was next – now we knew where to get fruits and veggies (other stuff was of lesser interest to us on a short trip). People were friendly and relaxed, none of the hustles we experienced in markets in some other parts of the World. We saw food tours there, but Piotr was not ready for lunch at the market. Continued into La Condesa (or was it Hipodromo?), even nicer and more posh neighborhood, and rested in very pleasant Parque México – walking, sitting, watching people walking with dogs and pond with ducks and geese.

Most of the time on this trip we would buy fruits and veggies, baked goods and other food items stopping in different places as we were walking around, buying something here and something there, rather than making special grocery shopping trips. We found some items in local mini-markets, a lot of stuff at markets, learned how to find good bakeries and coffee shops. Non-diary food is hard to find – everything is con queso or con crema. Fortunately lactose-free milk is available everywhere. Here we shopped at La Espiga Panificadora to get bread and pastries for supper and breakfast.

There are many restaurants in Mexico City, hard to choose on the go, if you have only time for a few. Lunch at El Pez Azul (recommended). Simple street-side table and tasteful seafood. After lunch, we started walking along Ave Insurgenes Sur and somehow found our way home, stopping in Parque España⁩ (even more dogs around here). Piotr had to stop at the Sumesa again to get more sweets (Abrazos con Crema) and of all things Jamon Iberico for Joanna.


Day 7. We spent almost all day at Museo Nacional de Antropología and it was worth it. The museum covers a lot of ground from Olmecs and Maya to Aztecs. There are many interesting artifacts and some models (reconstructions) from different cultures. After one-day and rather fast visit it all got mixed up in our heads, as we focused more on overall picture rather than discerning historical and cultural details. We have more than 600 photos to sort through. We took Uber to get there faster in the morning and stayed until it closed. We watched dancers and voladores performing in front of the museum, and then walked into Polanco (upscale neighbourhood) checking out restaurants (on expensive side). We chose Taquería El Califa (recommended) for dinner (Gaona, Taco de Pastor, Costra Gaona, Quesadilla Champiñones Portobello, Frijoles de la Olla). Cafeteria-style, fast service, good food, not expensive. Uber home.

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«« Scroll to view more photos »»


Day 8: Mexico City and Teotihuacan

We decided to go on organized tour with Amigo Tours (recommended), so we could stop at two other sites on the way to pyramids. Uber to group meeting point at Miga Cafe . First was Tlatelolco – second Aztec city in central valley of Mexico. We looked at the ruins (similar to Templo Major), 16th century church (built with temple stones) and the earliest college in the Americas (Colegio de Santa Cruz) from large Plaza de las Tres Culturas (pre-Colombian, colonial and modern Mexican). Tragic events took place here not only during conquest: in 1968 student protests were suppressed in military massacre.

Next we went to Basílica de Santa María de Guadalupe, major religious and pilgrimage site in Mexico where Virgin Mary is believed to appear to indigenous peasant Juan Diego. It is a large complex with old and modern basilicas, several chapels (mass for Polish pilgrims in one of them), including one on the hill above basilica (great views) where apparitions took place. Many religious and souvenir shops, restaurants and services outside. Not crowded on week-day, we had good look at everything and nice stroll over and on both sides of the hill.

Next was obligatory touristy stop at souvenir market, but it included good explanations (weaving, pottery, stonework) and tasting drinks made from agave (pulque, mezcal and tequila), and then lunch. We had to wait 45 min for our (essentially pre-cooked) food – way too long.

Finally we got to Teotihuacan (Zona Arqueológica). Huge ancient city was long abandoned when Aztec arrived. They gave it its name (place where gods were born) and called pyramids of Sun and Moon, but the civilization that built the city 2000 years ago remains unknown and it was discovered that rain gods were worshipped here, not Sun and Moon. City grew and flourished thanks to control and processing of obsidian.

We started exploration in ‎⁨Palacio de Quetzalpapálotl⁩ with some well preserved frescos – interesting and quite rare in ruined ancient cities. Next was impressive Moon Pyramid at the beginning of Avenue of the Dead. The guide gave very informative and engaging explanations, but a little lengthy. We briefly stopped at the largest Sun Pyramid where the tour ended (2 hours at archaeological site). We decided to stay an hour longer and return by bus on our own. Unfortunately by the time we got to Ciudadela and Templo de Quetzalcóatl the temple was already shutting down and we were not allowed to visit it up close. Still it was an interesting walk and we saw areas not included in the tour. Bus back to Indios Verde and Metro 3 to Balderas. Stopped at small Panadería Chapultepec (rolls and more pastries) on the way home.


Day 9-11: Mexico City

Day 9. Walking day in Centro again. This time we were not in a hurry and “found” Mercado Juarez just behind closed Cuauhtémoc metro station – came back in the evening to buy food. First destination of the day: Parque de la Ciudadela and Mercado de Artesanías La Ciudadela. The art market was surprisingly peaceful. There are many stalls packed-full with souvenirs dominated by bright, vibrant colors often emanating from clusters of objects, like small animal figurines, arranged in large numbers on shelves. Again enjoyed very relaxed interaction with sellers. Bought three small souvenirs for ourselves (cat from pictured collection, of course, and two small tiles).

And time came for colorful and large mural “Dream of a Sunday Afternoon at Alameda Central Park” at dedicated Museo Mural Diego Rivera. We spent some time there reading the explanation of who is who, rather unusual way to learn history. Then real walk across Alameda Central, the oldest park in the city and apparently in Americas, with many fountains, wide marble alleys (how they walk there when it rains?) and very clean (saw several maintenance crews).

We strolled past palaces, museums, peeked into old post office and had lunch in beautiful Casa de los Azulejos (Sanborns Madero Restaurante). Looked at modernist Torre Latinoamericana and came back to Palacio de Bellas Artes – Art Nouveau outside, beautiful Art Deco inside.

We walked to Plaza Garibaldi to end the day. A little disappointing – many mariachi bands waiting, but almost no clients and little music. We still had not figured out buses, so Uber back home. We quickly walked over to Mercado Juarez to buy bread and pastries (no time for anything else) as it closed (literally) at 7 PM – we had to find our way through stall-labyrinth to small side-gate to escape.


Day 10. Relaxing day in southern neighborhoods and many forms of transport. Metrobus 3 and Metro 2 to Tasqueña, then Train 1 (Tren Ligero) to Xochimilco – less polished neighborhood where we visited market, checked-out a few boat docks (trajinera embarcaderos) and settled on Salitre. Very nice 1-hour slow ride on canals from Aztec times between houses and chinampas – floating gardens and fields. Lunch: tlacoyos (thick tortillas with beans and chicken) delivered to our boat from restaurant on one of the islands.

Tren Ligero back to Las Torres and Uber to Plaza de la Conchita in Coayacan. Very nice neighborhood with several plazas, parks and houses of Cortez (one for La Malinche, his native mistress), Frida Kahlo and Trotsky. Had coffee and hot chocolate, sat at Plaza Coyoacán (Jardin Centenarian) and Plaza Jardin Hidalgo, visited San Juan church, found Frida mural. Finally, walked through Mitikah Centro Comercial to Metro 3 (Coyoatan to Balderas). Stopped again at Mercado Juarez Cuauhtémoc to buy fruits and veggies. Joanna cooked dinner at home.


Day 11. We jumped on first RTP bus heading to Bosque de Chapultepec. Did not really have enough time for everything and decided to skip Museo Nacional de Historia Castillo de Chapultepec. Instead we walked full circle in the park around the hill, starting with visit at Museo de Arte Moderno: sculpture garden and all galleries where we finally saw a few Frida’s paintings. Then fountains, monuments, archaeological sites (aqueduct, baths), lakes and squirrels, followed by short walk and coffee in Polanco. It was quite slow and lazy day until it was time to go to the airport. We ran for RTP bus, picked-up our backpacks and took Uber to airport, enough time left for late lunch. We landed at ORD almost at midnight ready for cold weather (it was really cold in Chicago: down to -20ºC, when we enjoyed Mexican sun: mid 20s ºC), quick Lift ride and we were back home.

During our time in Mexico City we traveled northeast from the center (Roma Norte) to Teotihuacan and another time south to Xochimilco across the city (straight-line distance of ca. 40 plus 20 km) and realized how big the 20-million people metropolitan area is. Great majority of buildings are small, but densely packed. With some effort and planning it looks like park all around though, very walkable, We liked it. We were surprised how different each district was, the city felt like a conglomerate of separate towns (which they were in the past), each with its own main square, parks, markets etc. and distinct character. Combination of public transport and Uber (fast, inexpensive) made moving around easy.

10 days in Mexico: Part 1 – Puebla and Cholula

January 13-16

It was again a last minute decision to go, facilitated by direct flights from Chicago to Mexico City (Aeromexico) and easy to work tourist infrastructure. We had a plan what to see, but made detailed decisions on day-to-day basis. We split our time between Puebla (travel day plus 2.5 days) and Mexico City (6.5 days). Joanna pre-arranged both accommodations a few days before the trip opting for locations either within walking distance or public transport to at least some of the local destinations. We used Estrella Roja to get from MEX to Puebla Paseo Destino and eBus back to Mexico City El Ángel. We used Uber (12 times) and in Mexico City also public transport : metro, metrobus and RTP buses, light train – inexpensive (free for seniors). All the transportation worked very well: convenient and fast. We got stuck in traffic only a couple of times, not too bad. Museum tickets are inexpensive, sometimes entrance is free for teachers and/or seniors. We spent ca. $1500 on everything except food which is inexpensive. We had access to kitchen to make morning coffee, prepare breakfast and supper, but had main meal each day somewhere in town. Visiting local cafés, panaderias and mercados was part of our trip. We did not do any nature hikes this time, but street-walked 10 km a day on average visiting different neighborhoods, many museums and archaeological sites.

Days 1-2: Puebla

After somewhat delayed flight, we took bus from MEX airport to Puebla Paseo Destino and then Uber to The Dear hostel (recommended). Buses directly from the terminal are frequent and we did not have to wait. Despite late hour (almost midnight) our kind host was waiting for us. And he took us to local taco stand for late night snack. The place was secure, very clean, well maintained and equipped: shared kitchen, dining room, living room and bedrooms upstairs (with private or shared bathroom – ours was private). The hostel is located in Centro Histórico.

Despite slow morning we managed to see quite a bit on full day of walking. Puebla is Hispanic city founded in 1531: colorful, richly decorated houses, churches, Talavera pottery and tiles. We started up Calle 16 de Septiembre towards Zócalo, but first stop was at Casa de la Cultura to visit Biblioteca Palafoxiana: oldest library in the Americas founded in mid 17th century. Then it was already lunch-time and time for famous chocolatey mole poblano. We followed recommendations and settled in El Mural de los Poblanos (recommended).

Next longer stop was at Basilica Cathedral. After a loop around the main plaza we walked along Avenida 5 de Mayo and other streets to Mercado la Victoria and Ex Convento de Santa Rosa (museum) – the place where mole poblano was invented, and beyond. This part of town looks like never ending street market. Puebla has many churches, most in ornate baroque style, we managed to visit only several. Our next main destination was Capilla del Rosario at Templo de Santo Domingo.

Capilla del Rosario – New Spanish Baroque.

We then made a loop a few blocks west to Teatro Principal, Casa de Alfeñique, Callejón de los Sapos, Cathedral and Calle 16 de Septiembre back to our hostel. With a short side “excursion” to supermarket Soriana to get groceries. Historical center is compact and very nice and easy to walk.


Day 3: Cholula

It is just 12-km ride (we considered a bus but took inexpensive Uber) from Puebla to Cholula – city with long pre-Hispanic history hidden underneath later structures. Cholula, some claim, is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Americas. Cortez destroyed its 400 temples and replaced them with 365 churches (legend not quite true, but there are many). We stopped briefly at Museo Regional to get introductory info and soon entered Zona Arqueológica of Tlachihualtepetl (Great Pyramid). It is the largest pyramid by volume ever built, but you cannot really see it, as it is mostly unexcavated. Typical for Mexican pre-Hispanic temples, it has several nested layers built over time. We spent some time investigating exposed/rebuilt parts of the pyramid (unfortunately archeological tunnels have been closed since Covid) and then walked to Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de los Remedios on top of the “hill”, with great views of the city. Cholula is one of Pueblos Magicos, which we imagined as small towns, but they are large cities. As we walked over the hill to the other side we were in different world. As the history goes the Great Pyramid was abandoned for a while by the time of the Spanish conquest, as the old city moved to the area where the main plaza is today. Nothing (visible) survived there from pre-Hispanic times.

We parked at Restaurante Santa Clara (recommended) on Plaza de la Concordia (Zócalo de San Pedro) for traditional Mexican dishes (Pipián Rojo con Carne de Cerdo and Mixiotes de Res – very tasty). Relaxing and waiting for the gates to interesting Capilla Real de Naturales next to Convento de San Gabriel Arcángel to open. We then walked the streets around town center stoping at Panaderia La Herencia (rolls and sweets for breakfast), Molienda de Cacao to get cacao tostado grains and Caffé Excelto to try Mexican (Veracruz) coffee. We returned to Zócalo and took Uber back to Puebla.


Day 4: Puebla

We had only half a day left for Puebla – we walked over to very nice El Patio de los Azulejos which used to be a part of religious school (now small museum) and then spent the rest of the time at (private) Museo Amparo (recommended) with well organized collections from pre-Hispanic cultures through colonial to modern exhibits in a beautiful palace, and more good coffee and hot chocolate at museum roof-terrace. Puebla (Centro Histórico) has real feel of an old town. It was easy and pleasant walking around in good weather, some crowded streets, but everybody looked relaxed, not much car traffic. Piotr started to learn Spanish words. Is this a sign of things to come?

Museo Amparo

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Picked-up our backpacks from hostel, took Uber to Paseo Destino and bus to Mexico City El Ángele (3 hrs). The travel was not too interesting, watching villages and neighborhoods along busy highway. We got a few distant views of Popocatépetl and Iztaccihuatl between clouds. Then short Uber ride to our apartment on Calle Guaymas. It was already evening, so we picked up some bread rolls for breakfast from street vendor and run around the block looking for a place to eat. Piotr chose El Rancho Birrieria for traditional birria (stew soup) and beer.

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