¿Cómo se dice "burrrsky lurskys"?

Even if my Fulbright friends didn't understand this McSwainism (which I muttered under my breath repeatedly throughout the weekend), I think it's safe to say we were all in agreement about the frío extremo. On our three-stop trip to the northern part of Puebla, we faced some chilly and rainy conditions, but we kept the complaining to a minimum moderate level and carried on with our plans (who am I kidding? we had no concrete plans bc where's the fun in that? *nervous laughter*).

First stop: Huauchinango

After a very close call at the bus station (most of us got there late but the only punctual "Juan" among us snagged the tickets), we were headed to our first destination-- a town we randomly selected from the book of 111 Pueblos Mágicos with a name none of us could pronounce. 

We soon learned that even the town's residents don't think it deserves its title of "Magical." When we asked a taxi driver about his recommendations for our stay he advised that we leave before someone could rob us (of our money and/or organs). Awesome!! Following this little morsel of advice we decided to hang around long enough for a market breakfast (I'll risk my life for gorditas and quesadillas any day) and then move along...

Sup Jesus

The construction workers in the back wanted to be in this photo real bad

Second stop: Zacatlán

The main attraction of our trip, Zacatlán de las Manzanas, is known far and wide for its apple products (and I don't mean iPhones!). Very much unlike Huauchinango, Zacatlán draws a ton of tourists, especially at this time of year. Between the cider festival and the stands selling artesanía and local foods (will I sound totally pretentious if I say it was totally reminiscent of the Prague/Vienna Christmas markets?! oh well too late...), the town had a festive and cozy feel despite the unpleasant weather. Cider, baked apples, and other manzana-themed delicacies abound, as well as the famous pan de queso. Pro tip: if you are consistently eating you almost don't notice the cold! Almost. 

El torito, a tradition in which a guy walks around with fireworks exploding from the contraption on his head #safetyhazard

The clock show, in which regionally themed robots "dance" in turn 

One of the most-recommended activities near Zacatlán are the piedras encimadas, volcanic rock formations that vaguely resemble all sorts of creatures and objects. Instead of impartially offering his own interpretations of the very ambiguous forms, our tour guide took it upon himself to tell us with 100% certainty what each rock represents. Por ejemplo, this random stone mass is, conclusively, a mother kissing her baby. Duh.

Though it might seem like a weird addition to the itinerary, the Zacatlán panteón is a must-see (actually, come to think of it, this is also the case with cemetaries Buenos Aires and Prague... oops there I go again my b ha ha). The fog added a really spooky but cool ambiance to the gravesites and the surrounding murals.

Is this what they mean when they say history repeats itself?

Left: Last weekend             Right: Fall 2014 in the cemetery of Recoleta

(Not sure what this says about me, but pretty sure I don't wanna know.)

Third stop: Chignahuapan

In summary, Christmas-fever and a giant Virgin Mary. No time for deets right now, g2g watch Gilmore Girls.