Mexico: Cuernavaca & Cortez Nov. 14, 2022

If you read the previous blog and survived without falling asleep, the photograph of the ficus roots was in fact the Hotel Cortez and  the site was originally one of the first colonial businesses set up by Cortez once he had defeated the Aztecs in the 1500s. You can see Cortez’s crest over the entrance to the Hotel. So the correct answer to the question in the last blog was B & C. It was both a Hotel and an ancient sugar making factory. It’s where they processed the sugar cane into molasses for export and made rum on the side.

Three centuries  later, stripped of its land, the place fell into disrepair after  Emiliano Zapata (he of the incredible moustache fame) captured it in the revolution (1915) and turned it over to the people. By 1945 it was a ruin but two enterprising men turned it into a beautiful hotel and resort, an ideal place to get married. The exiled Shah of Persia stayed there and has two rooms named after him. There were no rooms named after Emiliano Zapata though the road next to Walmart is named in his honor. Notoriety can be capricious and selective.

We sat and had coffee in the beautiful restaurant and Eric explained all the workings of a sugar mill. This was horribly dangerous work where the enslaved could easily get burned, keeping the fires going under the boiling vats. The chimneys and their smoke scarred vents were still there in the main hall where the juice from the crushed sugar cane was boiled in metal vats to make molasses. Sugar was a luxury item in Europe which fueled the triangular trade and furthered colonialism and slavery throughout North and South America. While we were there, workers were preparing one of the main halls with a myriad of hanging lights for a wedding.

We’ve been using taxis a lot because they are cheap and keep people employed and we don’t like driving in unfamiliar places. There are drawbacks however. Some taxis have been on the road a long time and in need of maintenance. Sometimes, though nicely decorated with mobiles, the taxi lacks a part which   might or might not be crucial. I was concerned that this taxi driver’s steering wheel looked if it was missing something and hoping it was firmly attached to the column.  Since someone in the Mexican government decided speed bumps were necessary to slow down the traffic someone else went all out and combined them with pot holes and cobblestones and because of the wear and tear on the shock absorbers, you feel that you are rattling around in a blender. Occasionally the taxi is modern and the  journey feels quite different.

Notwithstanding our dramatic encounter with the Aztec Two Step after visiting a sushi restaurant, we found an amazingly good fish restaurant called El Aquachil. One dish has become a weekly favorite. The barbecued octopus which is consistently outstanding. They have a wide variety of cerviches and their own versions of scallops, mussels and clams. Everything is sparklingly fresh and served with a variety of house made hot sauces. We have our own waiter, Alejandro, who translates for us. On one visit the place was staked out by heavy looking guards dressed in grey plastic suits and clearly packing side arms. The “boss” arrived in an ill fitting light brown suit and a droopy looking yellow rosebud in his buttonhole.  Perhaps he was a politician or a businessman. He went upstairs into the smoking section while his guards scanned the road looking vaguely worried. Marney wisely stopped me taking photographs. I smiled and nodded and Marney went back inside.

On our second visit the owner and chef stopped to greet us and chat  before getting into her silver grey VW Tiguan (our ex-car).  During our sojourn in Mexico, this restaurant has become a home away from home.  Last week we learned with great sadness that she had died the week before at 47 from cancer. Her daughter had since taken over the reins running the restaurant.

Our excellent tour guide, Eric has been busy introducing us to new experiences. He showed us the work of an English artist, John Spencer who was both a sculptor and designer – a sort of English Corbusier.  He was also something of an eccentric and a regular sight around the town going to his favorite places.  His wife died unexpectedly before him and left him a legacy which he initially ignored but when the entire block of apartments where he lived came up for sale he saw it as an opportunity to convert the whole property which was adjoining the cathedral, into an arts center now named Casona Spencer. Luckily he had the money, the government waived planning fees and the building which he left to the state is now restored and puts on regular exhibitions and performances. You might like to follow the website about him:

http://charliesdigs.blogspot.com/2013/04/john-spencer-wouldnt-like-this.html

Eric also took us to see the unusual bell tower Spencer designed for a local church. and “Spencer’s Walls,” surrounding the churchyard. John designed the gates for this 17th century church then the walls to hold them.

One charming characteristic of Cuernavaca is that if there is a large tree on the property architects will design the house around the tree or its branches. (The property just beneath our casita has a large tree stump sticking up from the middle of the house with a wall constructed around it.) Any tree branches in the way of Spencer’s wall were given adequate holes to continue to grow through. Artistically it makes it an  interesting fusion.

According to Bob, our landlord, who knew Spencer he was a wonderfully friendly and passionate man who spoke Spanish with a heavy accent and was not expecting to outlive his wife and was devastated when she died. Establishing Casa Spencer was his legacy to her memory.

Marney here…

Ah Aquachil!  I have always liked octopus but this was exceptional.  It was barbecued to perfection and melted in your mouth.  The mixed fish cerviche was also perfect.  Of course we always started with a Margarita and Guacamole and chips and finished with a wonderful pastry.

  Note:  Not only did Alan want to take photos of the bodyguards outside but to chat to them.  I kindly reminded him that the large guns they toted were to be taken seriously.  Alejandro said that was a good suggestion on my part.

I really enjoyed the Cortez Hacienda.  Except for being turned into a hotel and event space it was exactly like I had dreamed about how a hacienda would have looked.  We were planning on going back for dinner but time got away from us.

I’m sorry the Cortez Palace is closed for renovations.  We heard it something to do with the earthquake we had but then someone else said it had been closed for awhile.  It was magnificent – even from the street.

I was fascinated by Spencer’s courtyard and the outdoor chapel he created for the indigenous population so they would feel more at home.  It has an altar which reminded me of what you see in photos of Aztec sacrificial altars and beautifully carved.  It was so peaceful.

It was also different than the type of church I knew growing up which was more like the indoor chapel full of gold, Spanish artifacts and paintings.

As with all tourist attractions, there were vendors on the street outside which made you want to buy all they had but once again I had to think about my limited baggage. On the way home, Eric bought us a couple of marzipan treats from a lady in the street to complete a lovely day!