Hidalgo Mexico

Huejutla de Reyes
Ixmiquilpan
Pachuca
Progreso De Obregon Hidalgo
Tepeji de Ocampo
Tizayuca
Tulancingo

Huejutla de Reyes
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Ixmiquilpan
Ixmiquilpan lies in the Mezquital Valley in the Mexican state of Hidalgo. It is considered the heart of the Mezquital Valley of Mexico. Located 158 km. from Mexico City by the federal highway 85 in the State of Hidalgo, Mexico, it has been an important commercial strategic spot even before the Spanish conquest. Its population is mainly Otomi, regionally called Ñhañhu. The main church Agustinian Convent of San Miguel Arcangel, which is also know as the St. Nicholas Actopan, has important paintings that represent the wars of conquest. These painting depict Aztec jaguar and eagle warriors. The original piece of the sculpture called Diana Cazadora was placed in Ixmiquilpan around 1960 by General Alfonso Corona del Rosal who was born in Ixmiquilpan and at that time was the Head of the Department of the Federal District. (Information provided by Wikipedia. Click on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ixmiquilpan for additional information.)

Among the interesting places you can visit in this town are:
►The Agustinian Convent of San Miguel Arcangel, which is famous because of its murals
►The Del Carmen Curch
►The Otra Banda Bridge
►Ixmiquilpan is also famous in Mexico because of its districts of artisans such as:
►La Cruz Blanca
►Orizabita, where pottery is produced
►El Nith, whose artisans make wooden miniatures encrusted with shells
►San Nicolas, which is famous for its embroideries
►Progreso, cradle of the famous fire-works of Hidalgo

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Pachuca
The name Pachuca probably comes from the Nahuatl word Pachoaca or Pachoacan, meaning "place of the rulers" or "narrow place"; it may also come from the word Patlachiuhacan, which means "place of silver and gold." The official name of the city is Pachuca de Soto in honor of Deputy Manuel Fernando Soto, who was one of founders of the state.

The area has been inhabited by various indigenous groups, most notably the Aztecs, who ruled the region from 1438. In 1528 Spanish conquistadors invaded the area. The first Spaniards to settle in the region were Francisco Téllez and Gonzalo Rodríguez, who built the first modern houses in the area. They named the place "Real de Minas de Pachuca." During the Mexican Revolution, the city was captured by followers of Francisco Madero on 16 May 1911. Until 1923, Pachuca was one of the few cities in the state with air mail service to the capital. Pachuca is reputed to be the cradle of Mexican soccer. Workers from Cornwall, United Kingdom, who came to work Pachuca's silver mines brought the game with them. Many examples of Cornish architecture, vestiges of the Cornish influence, still exist. Pachuca is famous for its pastes, which are pastries filled with meat, potatoes, or fruits, which are vestiges of the Cornish pasty culinary influence. (Information provided by Wikipedia. Click on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pachuca for additional information.)

Things to See and Do
►The Reloj Monumental (Monumental Clock) is the central clock tower, built in 1904 in the city centre. The bell which chimes in this clock was made by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, the same company that made the original Liberty Bell, and London's famous Big Ben. A souvenir shop is located in the first floor of the tower, where it is possible to buy tickets to either take a tour of the city aboard a special bus or to experience an underground tour of Pachuca's old mines.
►The Hidalgo Cultural Centre. Housed in an old monastery, the center contains museums, a theatre, a library, a gallery, the city's Arts School and a garden of remarkable beauty. Pachuca is also home to the Museo Nacional de la Fotografía, the National Museum of Mexican Photography.
►The El Chico National Park can be found very close to Pachuca. It is a forest located high up in the mountains, lying at elevations ranging from 2600 to 3050 meters (8530 to 10000 ft). The park, also known as Raven Forest, has huge rocks to climb, campsites and a little lake to go fishing.
►Pachuca and Real del Monte. The twin silver mining settlements are called 'Mexico's Little Cornwall' by the Mexican Embassy in London in 2007. They represent the first attempt by the Spanish speaking part of the Cornish diaspora to establish formal links with Cornwall.

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Progreso De Obregon Hidalgo
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Tepeji de Ocampo
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Tizayuca
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Tulancingo

Tulancingo (officially Tulancingo de Bravo) is the second-largest city in the Mexican state of Hidalgo. It is located in the southeastern part of the state and is municipal seat of the Tulancingo municipality and of the Archdiocese of Tulancingo. The city had a 2005 census population of 96,538, while Tulancingo de Bravo municipality had a population of 129,935. The municipality's area is 290.4 km² (112.12 sq mi). The name Tulancingo can refer to the city, the municipality, the valley or the river. The name Tulancingo comes from the word tollan-tzinco in Nahuatl, which may mean "the small tule", "the small Tollán", "behind the tules", or "in the tule field". The word Bravo was added to the name in honor of Mexican President Nicolás Bravo.

The city of Tulancingo is situated in the Valle de Tulancingo or Tulancingo valley in the southeastern part of the state. The Tulancingo River runs through the city. The municipality of Tulancingo borders on the north with Metepec, on the east with Acaxochitlán and Cuautepec de Hinojosa on the south with Santiago Tualantepec de Lugo Guerrero and on the west with Acatlán and Singuilucan. The climate in Tulancingo is temperate, with rainy summers and dry winters. Snowfall is a rare occurrence; Tulancingo received a light dusting of snow in January, 2008, and before that the last occurrence of snow was in 1980.

Things to See and Do

►The Tepehua Otomí mountains and the town of Acaxochitlán dates to the Jurassic period. The central area where the modern city of Tulancingo currently stands is made of solidified lava, which is also mined to extract sand and tezontle, which is used for building.
►In Santiago Tulantepec, a small town to the south of Tulancingo, remains of wooly mammoths have been found, which are dated to about 6,000 years ago.
►There is also a small pyramid located in the archeological zone of Huapalcalco a few minutes to the north of the city. The pyramid is dated to the 6th century.

►Tulancingo is a haven for writers, painters, sculptors, musicians and other artists, and different cultural festivals and expos are held at different times of the year for their benefit.

►The main cathedral in Tulancingo is an example of colonial religious architecture. Its construction was started in 1528 by the Franciscan order. With stone walls almost a meter thick, it is an imposing building looking over the central park/plaza, La Floresta, in Tulancingo. The building was restored in 1788 by the architect José Damián Ortiz de Castro, who was also part of planning and building the main cathedral in Mexico City. The building now has a neoclassical, triangular facade. The baptismal is an impressive work made of carved stone.

If you have anything you believe should be added to this section of Getting Away, please send it to Jim at Getting Away. mailto: jimbruner@gettingaway.com