Is a quaint little pueblo designated as a Pueblo Magico in 2012. It lies in Central Mexico at an elevation of 1,880 m. It is warm during the day and cool at night. There are two seasons in this part of Mexico, the dry and wet. The largest city near Tequis is Queretaro which is about an hour away by bus.
This pueblo is know for it's handmade crafts like hand woven baskets. It is a pueblo that is part of the wine producing region of Queretaro. During the week, the pueblo is a peaceful, quiet place to be. The locals are friendly and helpful. The local market is always hopping with local foods being served for lunch. On the weekends, the town is overflowing with tourists from as far as Mexico City. The small pueblo depends on this tourism.
Within an hour's drive you can be in the Sierra Gordo mountains with some of the most beautiful nature. I took a trip to the Sierra Gordo mountains to watch the sunrise and hike through some beautiful waterfalls.
I admit that I was content to just hang out in the pueblo without going sightseeing much. I was so happy to have met some great people in Tequis and spent most of my time doing things with this group. I settle into a nice routine of meeting up for breakfast, going to the market, exploring the neighborhoods etc. We went blueberry picking and celebrated one of the friend's birthday in a lovely spot outside of town. I enjoy this type of travel so much more then going to touristy places just to say I've been.
eI enjoyed multiple cultural events during my time in Tequis, as the locals like to call it. It seems every weekend there was something happening in the main plaza. I was lucky enough to witness the very first Alebrije Festival. As you may recall from my blog on Oaxaca, I had visited the atelier of the woman sculpturer who made wooden Alebrijes. Well, i I was quickly schooled by my Airbnb hostess, Gina, that Oaxacan wooden sculptures are NOT Alebrijes. Alebrijes are made with paper Mache and not wood. Gina is a paper Mache artist. Oaxaca apparently has taken the name and marketed well in Southern Mexico. I was fascinated by the Alebrijes here in Tequis and the festival was amazing! I joined in a parade that was held the last night of the festival, with a carnival like atmosphere.
I spent Easter soaking in the religious rituals around this holiday. Palm Sunday was the biggest day of this celebration. With indigenous vendors lining the main plaza selling handmade trinkets made from palms.
I made a quick trip to Mexico City with Gina. I hadn't been to Mexico City in close to 20 years. It is a fascinating city. We met up with some friends of Gina's and toured some awesome museums and ate some good food. I notice that big cities seem to suck the energy right out of me. I prefer sleepy little pueblos.
Time past quickly and before I knew it , it was time to leave Mexico. I didn't get to see everything I wanted to but I will be back to explore the rest of Mexico. For those of you who have only been to the Yucatan, there is so much more to Mexico then just the beach. Interior Mexico is so diverse in culture, food and scenery.
Tequis will always hold a special place in my heart for the magical place it is and the friends I made there.
After leaving Mexico I made a quick trip back to the States for Porter's 6th birthday and onto Ecuador!
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