On Ana’s advice I headed to a small town called Malinalco, famous for a pyramid (temple) on the side of a mountain. This I had to see.
Ana very very kindly drove me to Malinalco and we sadly parted ways. I spent the afternoon wandering through town, discovering that many of the shops only open on weekends when the tourists arrive. Thank goodness the ice-cream shop was still open.
(Getting flowers ready for Day of the Dead)
As well as the incredible church, there is a well preserved convent adjoining the church. Not used as a convent anymore (where have all the nuns gone?) it is still open to walk though and has beautiful paintings adoring the walls of the courtyard. An added bonus is that the is a huge park you can relax in at the same time.
The following morning I got up bright and early to make the trek up 358 steps to see this pyramid. Seems I was too eager, as I had to wait 40 mins till it opened. I then braved the steps only to find another locked door! Seems I had beaten the National Parks lady up the hill, though thankfully she wasn’t far behind me.
I loved it. I think it was a combination of a few things that made it so special – I was the first and only person there, the view was spectacular and it just had a magical feeling. I sat there for almost an hour just admiring it. Stunning.
On the way down I saw a massive group of screaming school kids making their way up. There goes the serenity….
