Tequisquiapan to Cholula (near Puebla) via Arco del Norte

9:40 Monday morning we left the balneario, having to continue east a kilometer or so to the Retorno or U-turn lane to cross the highway divider and head west again to the quota.

In the middle of Del Rio we had a fairly long wait as a slow moving train crawled across the highway. Once the train had passed we had a red light to wait for then continued on. The signage to the highway though minimal was clear and soon we were southbound towards Mexico City.

Not that we wanted to go there, but we had to proceed in that direction for about 75 kilometers on the 57D to the new Arco del Norte around the Mexico City area to the east and on to Cholula near Puebla. It is no wonder that it took so many years to complete, much of the terrain was very steep and rugged, the area being volcanic and covered with lush vegetation, which would give way for a short intermission fairly flat land. Unfortunately the cloud cover prevented good viewing of the two famous and legendary volcanos to the south, Iztaccihuatl and Popocatépetl.

Eventually we had successfully bypassed the dreadded Mexico City and approached the end of the Arco del Norte where we paid a toll of 470 pesos. We thought that this freeway would join into the major east-west toll road to and from Mexico City. The Guia Roji certainly indicated that but on leaving the toll booth we found ourselves traveling over 3 or 4 kilometers of absolutely terrible road surface to the 150D to Puebla and points east. 8 minutes later we paid another 135 peso toll and shortly after that we spied our exit for Cholula and easily found our way to Las Americas Trailer Park. We were parked and setup by 2:10 PM.

After lunch Gillian asked the park manager for directions to the cathedral, which had been built on the top of some extensive pyramid ruins and which we had missed on previous visits. She was told 4 blocks straight along the street so she set off on foot. 4 blocks along there was no sign of anything so she asked again, and was told again, 4 blocks down the street. Soon she could see the spires and 4 blocks later she arrived.

She then began looking for the entrance to the tunnel to the pyramid ruins and came across the exit. Again she asked for directions and was told that the exit was the entrance. As she walked in she was faced by a solitary guard who told her that this was the exit only and she had to go around to the enterance. Eventually she found the entrance. She was turned away because the tunel had been closed for two years due to a tunnel collapse!

She made do with what she could see from ground level, took some photos and returned to the motorhome about an hour and a half after setting off. Trekker and Tia were somewhat put out with her taking such a walk without them!

Next morning after a hasty breakfast Art jumped into the jeep and drove the three or four blocks to the supermarket to pick up a few items; orange juice, bread, milk and to visit the ATM to replenish our pesos. He returned without the water! Not desperate yet but will need some tomorrow for sure.