Sylvie's Travels Home

October 23 2022

It was a very slow morning as I didn’t get much sleep the night before.  I was feeling much better but not totally recovered so Pogo went for breakfast next to the hotel on his own as Max didn’t want breakfast either. 

We left the hotel at 11am and made our way to Atlixco. Max had reserved rooms in an Hacienda called Santo Cristo. It was a nice surprise as she knows my obsession with haciendas. And what a beautiful place it was! They started construction on this place around 1540. It was abandoned multiple times but in 2006 it was renovated and it took them 3 years to bring it back to its own original state. 

While our rooms were being prepared, we went to have lunch at their restaurant. It took a long time to get our food. So long in fact that the waiter brought another beer to Pogo on the house. By then I was really hungry which was a good sign. We shared a couple of appetizers.

Our rooms were so beautiful and I can’t believe they were cheaper than the last cavernous motel. We all took a nap and met at 4:30pm. 

We went to the Jardin Magico, a small but beautiful botanical garden. They had a few interesting topiaries. Next we went to find some fields of marigolds to take some pictures and for Pogo to drone over.  At this time of the year, you see them everywhere. Marigolds have become the symbol flowers of the day of the dead. It is believed that their scent guide the spirits to the altars erected in their honor.  We also saw fields of cockscombs as well, which is also a popular flower at this time of year. I was taking pictures of Max in one of the fields and a photographer asked if he could take pictures of her with his dog who was painted to look like a skeleton. 

Our last stop was Brilla, a Christmas festival that started yesterday and will be on until Christmas. Max had been offered a collaboration with them and got free VIP tickets ($40 each),which gave us access to spinning tunnels, a 3D Christmas walk, a train ride emceed by a skeleton and tickets to the St Nikolas show with VIP seating….folding comfy chairs in the front row instead of bleachers. It wasn’t cirque du soleil but it was enjoyable. We had choripan for dinner, a chorizo sausage in a bun and it was very good. The place was bright with lights everywhere and full of Christmas decorations. I loved it! It might have been a little campy but we had a great time!