el crispito

We are staying at the Hotel Colonial (4 Sur 105, 222/246-46-12), which is about a block off the zócalo. This colonial-style hotel is much more in line with the type I described in a previous entry, but it does have a few cool aspects that should be mentioned.

First, the location is top notch, if you want to be in the centro histórico. It also has a rich history (noted on the map of the city that they give you upon check-in), and the oldest (1895) operating elevator in Puebla. There are convenience factors, like the fact that they have a 24-hour coin-op landromat on the top floor, free wireless Internet access in the lobby/restaurant and they will bring an iron and ironing board to your room if you request it. Finally, there's the restaurant, which serves old-school food with perfet execution and boasts a mole poblano that they say is widely regarded as "the best in the world." Between you and me, they may be right about that. It is the best I've ever tasted, and I have tasted it because you can get it on eggs and cheese enchiladas.

I learned from another gringo couple today at breakfast that the owner has put in extensive improvements (following the 1999 earthquake that damaged a lot of buildings in Puebla), many of them structural reinforcements that cannot be seen because they've been sunk into the walls. That's quite a feat in colonial buildings, because they have solid-wall construction.

The city is known historically for its tile production, which is the type that you think of when you think of "Mexican tile." Colorful pieces with animals, plants and other designs on them, known by the name Talavera, a town in Spain. The quality of the tile and pottery of the area was well known even before the arrival of the Spanish though, with the rumor being that Moctezuma would not eat off pottery from anywhere else.

The cathedral bells are also notable, with some from the 17th century. There is even a saying, which goes: para mujeres y campanas, las poblanas. "For women and bells, those of Puebla [are best]."

Yet I know dear readers, and I have said before, that you do not tune in here to read of things you can find in any number of online travel guides. Chances are good that you're either bored or searching for some scoop that our particular insight can give you. What is it about Puebla that one should know as either gringo, gay or vegetarian? What don't you hear in other places that might be that make-or-break difference in your travel plans? What might I relate that could cure boredom for a minute or two while you're awaiting a printout or the arrival of your ride?

Puebla is enchanting. It makes you want to pass a whole afternoon sitting at a little table at one of the many sidewalk cafés bordering the zócalo soaking it all up. However, the biggest down side we've found to Puebla is that if you try to do just that, you're not given the opportunity. You will be hassled for your spare change by beggars or hustled to buy things from walking vendors every few minutes.

On our first night here, we went to a popular Italian café and decided to sit out at a table on the sidewalk, facing the zócalo. The dining experience took an hour, and in that space of time, we were approached by at least 10 different people who were either selling things or begging for change. One person came back and pestered us to buy his stuff again after we had bought something the first time he pitched it to us. Neither the waiters nor the management stopped these people from going around to every table outside and pleading their case, although there seemed to be some unspoken rule that they should not go inside.

Therefore, I would suggest that if you go out to eat in Puebla, even though dining at one of the sidewalk tables might seem like a delightful idea, unless you like to be interrupted every six minutes or so by people wanting your cash, take a table inside the restaurant.

It should be noted that in some areas of Mexico City, we experienced this same problem, although not to the extent that we have in Puebla. I should perhaps also remark that this is over the holiday season, between Christmas and New Years,, and perhaps that's a particularly bad time for it. In general, one should consider being generous to and understanding of people that are supporting themselves by such means, as it's not the nicest of employment scenarios. Yet I want to be honest with you too. At the rate it happens here, it's annoying and really disrupts your ability to enjoy yourself.

On a more pleasant note, those looking for vegetarian food in Puebla can find it at a restaurant called La Zanahoria (5 oriente 20, 222/232-4813) that serves nothing but. We're particularly fond of their Milanesa with Pipián, which is made from breaded seitan. Their soups, which include a tortilla and an onion, both normally made with meat stocks, are also tasty. The bread there, like seemingly all the bread in Puebla, is soft and delicious, unlike the token week-old crap one gets at many places throughout the country (cough, Sanborns, cough).

But perhaps that's because of the last-but-not-least item: the lingering presence of the French. Like many colonial cities that are tourist draws, one can study Spanish at one of the "institutes" of Puebla created to serve foreigners wanting immersion training. Yet I suspect that one could also come here to have immersion training in French, because it is so widely spoken here. In fact, I suspect that the waiters at the restaurant in our hotel are more comfortable speaking French as a second language than English, but that's just a guess. They get HUGE numbers of French tourists here, and we've seen dozens.

The French did occupy this city for several years before being ousted by the Mexicans; maybe that explains why they keep coming back to Puebla. Shawn suggests that Puebla is the most European of Mexican cities, and therefore, Europeans might be most comfortable here. I don't know what the reason is, but whatever brings them here, they show up in droves. You can hear French being spoken all over town, and many signs are printed in Spanish, English and French, trying to make the most of their diverse tourist makeup.

In fact, it's even more diverse than just having French folks. For the past two days, a huge group of Asians has descended on the restaurant in our hotel for lunch. I don't believe that they're staying in the hotel, but they seem to like it. As I mentioned, it does offer a mole poblano that they claim to be the best in the world. Maybe word of it has spread to the East.