Puebla is fully seventy miles from the City of Mexico and is the
capital of the state of the same name. It is one of the cleanest
and prettiest towns in the Republic, and has at the least 80,000
inhabitants. It is full of interesting historical events. Cortes
located here; General de Zaragoza won a victory over the French here
on the 5th of May, 1862, and General Diaz, now President won a more
brilliant victory and gained greater fame for himself here in the war
five years later, April 2, 1867. Both events are celebrated in fine
style every year. Puebla is not situated on the main line of the Vera
Cruz line, but connects with a narrow gauge which runs to Apizaco,
twenty-nine miles distant. It takes from 4:40 to 6:10 to make the
trip, but one forgets the length of time by looking at the beautiful
valley which surrounds them. When we were out a short distance, by
looking back over the way we traveled, we saw between two large hills,
surrounded by trees, flowers and rocks, the Cascade del Molino de San
Diego, showing just over the top of the falling waters a fine old stone
mill inclosed with a variety of different green trees, all of which
seem to be springing out of the waters whose fall faces us. Next we
pass the pretty little village of Santa Anna, interesting not only
because it is named in honor of the old warrior, but for its people
and the many odd things which they make so deftly and sell to passing
tourists, Mexican drinks and ice cream, called agua a nieve (snow
water), made simply by pouring sweetened and flavored milk over snow
which is brought down from the Volcano Popocatapetl and the White Lady.
Between here and our destination we can see by the door of every little
hut a large clay object shaped somewhat like an urn, taller even than
the houses; they are, translated into English, "Keepers," and hold
the water used by the people; they have no wells, as they carry their
supply from a river many miles away, hemmed in on either side by a
deep bluff. Although water is very scarce in the majority of places in
Mexico, this is the only spot where one finds the keepers. Another town
and we enter the city of Puebla, as it nestles down between a chain of
mountains like a kitten in the sun. With a view from some high tower,
it looks like a flower garden, dotted here and there with picturesque
houses. On the west is Popocatapetl and Ixtaelhuatl, sending down an
ever-cool and invigorating breeze, which plays with their snowy robes,
and then descends into the green valley to salute the hot brows of
mortals there with a kiss of health and happiness.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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