"Plata en Taxco" a Taxco el Viejo Travel Page by kcrismier

I met a man there who owns three dogs, Zulu, Blackie, and Fidel (photo)! Turns out he owned an apartment building, and two friends and I rented an apartment from him for the night for $10 (for all 3 of us)!

Plata means silver in Spanish. This city is one of the biggest silver producers in the world. Taxco is one of those precious places that you happen upon, and it's like a breath of fresh air. Most Mexican cities can be characterized by their colorful natures. Everything is blue, yellow, orange, and loud. I like color, but when I arrived in Taxco, it was white and terracotta, and I felt like I had been transported to a different country. The Spanish had a heavy hand here because of the silver mining, and they molded this city into their vision of new-Espana, I suppose. When it's put that way, it doesn't seem so romantic, but it is a romantic city. Th zocalo (city plaza) and main district (including cathedral) are located in a small hollow between the steep surrounding hills. The city flows in an organic way up the hills, to the top. The streets are narrow and cobblestone, winding their way up the hills. Every year, there's a festival in Taxco where the statue of Jesus is carried through a different route each year. Before the festival, the entire route is relayed with new cobblestone with a beautiful inlayed pattern. So as you're walking around, each street bears the remnants of previous years' festivals.

Check out the Cathedral in Taxco, which is an impressive display of Spanish architecture. Then if you're ever in L.A., check out the St. Vincent's cathedral -- it's modeled after the one in Taxco! As with most cathedrals in Mexico, it's not nice to take photos inside (although usually non-flash is permitted). I always feel extra touristy in a place of worship, since usually there's at least one person in there, worshipping...

This is a great kite-flying town, and the local kids know it. We found a bunch of kids making paper kites that they fly over the city, so we stopped and asked them to make us one.