Papalote Musuem in Cuernavaca Mexico is Worth TWO Visits June 12
Cuernavaca’s “Papalote” Museum: A Family Experience that’s Fun for Children of all Ages (and their Parents)
By Patricia Patton © Patricia Patton 2009
I took my three boys to Papalote Cuernavaca, the new children’s museum, the other day, and it was amazing. The staff was so friendly and helpful, and the exhibits were able to captivate a preschooler, an eight year old, and an 11 year old (as well as their mother!) There was an impressive range of activities, from a climbing room filled with tires suspended from the ceiling and spiderweb-like cords criss-crossing every which way to a giant iPod you can climb inside to quiet and inviting corners filled with good books. There was an ongoing game that had my boys traveling back and forth throughout the museum, treasure-hunt style, and a traveling exhibit featuring amazing puppets as well as a workshop where you could make your own puppet. One of my boys’ favorite rooms was focused on architecture, with enormous images of famous buildings, ancient and modern, projected on the wall, and more legos than any child could hope for available to construct amazing structures. They also loved the giant piano you could play with your feet, an enormous Simon game built into a wall, and a real bed of nails that the older two were able to lie down on (with lots of supervision by museum staff and helpers, of course).
The whole place, inside and out, is decorated with fun murals and art, some of which is obviously professional and some of which was created by kids. Even the bathrooms have cute pictures painted on the walls (as well as child-friendly stools to help my four year old reach the sinks). There are special workshops and activities daily (some of which are listed on the website), although we didn’t have a chance to participate in any of those.
The museum has a self-service baggage check with lockers to stash your bags. The lockers are free; you only have to present some form of ID at the welcome desk to get a key. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day of the week except Mondays. Admission is only $35 pesos (currently about $3 American) per person. Babies under 6 months get in for free, but everyone else needs a paid ticket. We spent about two and a half hours there, which seemed just about perfect. It was enough time to see almost everything, linger over our favorites, and still leave before my preschooler got over-tired and had a meltdown. The museum is located in the former Muros modern art museum building, right across the parking lot from Costco and Mega. As the museum is still new, our taxi driver hadn’t heard of it, but once I gave him those landmarks, he took us there without a problem.
We’re here in Cuernavaca for another few weeks, and I am positive we will be making a return trip before we leave town.
A Few Additional Notes from the Author of Mexico: The Trick is Living Here
“Papalote” is Spanish for “Kite”
Parking or Getting There by Bus
Don’t worry about parking, because there is plenty available. To get to the museum, enter the parking lot from any of the three Mega Commercial/Costco entrances. The museum is to the left of the California restaurant as you face it from the parking lot. There are a plethora of buses that will get you to the three entrances including any routes that say Plaza (for Plaza Cuernavaca, the mall almost directly across the street from one of the parking lot entrances) on them, as well as the 2 and 7 that say Tunel (enter near the grocery store named “Mega”), and the 18 (enter near the hospital).
Some History: How Community Activists Helped Create this Musuem
Before it was taken over by Papalote, this musuem was called Muros (or “Walls” in Spanish). The musuem was a community success story because it was first conceived as a kind of olive branch. It is situated to one side of a large grocery store/parking lot complex developed on the site of what had previously been the Casino de la Selva. Casino de la Selva (Jungle Casino) was a distinctive entertainment location at the heart of today’s Cuernavaca since the 1930s. It was surrounded by tall walls and had fallen into severe disrepair over the years since its closing. For many years, only trespassers saw the grounds inside the walls, but the thick tree canopy on the property was obvious to all who passed by. When construction began on the property, many Cuernavacan’s were outraged that two huge grocery stores, a restaurant, and extensive parking lot would replace the Casino and its trees. Long, intense protests were staged to try to stop the development and suggestions were made that the property would better serve the community as a park. In the end, the grocery store chain was allowed to develop the site, but the idea of the community center was generated as a way to try to respond to the community outcry.
Parque Acuático El Rollo (pronounced “ROW-yo”) in Morelos Mexico combines extreme fun with relaxing. It particularly stands out for groups or couples, with many rides that can be enjoyed hand in hand. If you love sun, water, and adrenaline rushes - or if you have teenagers who do, plan a day or two at El Rollo. If you have younger 
children or just want to swim and sun without the extreme adventure, El Rollo is still for you. Variety is the word.
for tiny and young children, some on dry land, and most with water slides, water falls, and even water guns; freefall water slides; many water rides that you can enjoy in small groups, in boats, on inner tubes, etc; a large boat that dips from side to side like an extreme skateboard ramp; a log ride in the dark; water tubes with and 
without inner tubes; a surfable tidal wave; a huge wave river; a slow moving children’s river; a jacuzzi; and beach sand for digging. All of this is surrounded by immaculate gardens, palms and shade trees. Could it get any better?
just behind the surfing wave. A huge mass of water is released down a wide chute and everyone in its path is swept off of his or her feet and deposited downstream into the “wave river.” I was able to relive my water rafting days without the fear of submerged boulders and cataracts.
El Rollo stands out in a couple of ways. Probably the least obvious - but most important - are the many attractions that allow for pairs or small groups to enjoy them together. It’s perfect for an exotic family reunion. You can enjoy the wave river by yourself or with the entire family. Three more examples are the Mamut, which allows four to six people to sit together in a giant inner tube, El Péndulo, which swings two to three people at a time, and Toborruedas, which takes two people through its twisting turns. If you’d rather not get wet, you can watch the free falling bathers at Kamikaze and Stuka from the observation bleachers, lounge on the beach chairs near the wave pool, dip your feet in a wading pool, play on 
the dry-land children’s interactive areas, watch a concert (if there is one playing that day), or even play video games. Of course everyone will enjoy the Mexican sun, the sparkling colors, and the exotic flowers that bloom year around.
There are bathrooms and changing areas available throughout the park, though they vary in size and convenience. One of the best is just to your right as you enter the Las Olas section of the park. There are several restaurants throughout the park. Picnic tables with charcoal grills in the shade are available in the La Cascada section. Remember to pack your items in plastic, leaving all glass containers, alcoholic beverages, pets, and personal barbecues at home. If you need a picnic table on a weekend or holiday, arrive early because Mexican families take full advantage of their weekends to play and eat together.
The author visited the park on a Sunday during exam week at school, so it was a very busy day at the park. But if you like things less crowded, don’t be daunted by all those people in the photographs. Just plan your visit for midweek. Even on busy days, don’t worry. When we visited, only a few attractions had lines and these moved quickly. The waiting areas are shaded by awnings. Occasionally some attractions are closed for maintenance, and the La Cascada section is sometimes closed during the week, so you might want to call the park prior to visiting to ask about the availability of specific attractions. Their phone numbers are on the web site.
Ticket to Freedom
Dress for Fun
That Catchy Name
The name is catchy because in Mexican Spanish, el rollo means more than “the roll,” though this shape nicely conjures up an image of a rolling wave. It is often used to refer to something heavy, long, or problematic and is used in a variety of informal slang phrases. Advertisements for El Rollo play down the bothersome connotation and emphasize its uniqueness by saying: “El Rollo es otro rollo,” which means “El Rollo is a whole other thing,” as in “this park is special.”
El Rollo is located near Jojutla in the “hot lands” of Morelos. It is easily accessed by car or bus from Cuernavaca or even Mexico City, Puebla, and Toluca. Taking the bus is a relaxing and cost effective way to get to the park. On weekends and holidays, direct buses leave from Cuernavaca every half hour until noon, and at 8:00 a.m. from the Taxqueña bus station in Mexico City. Package deals that include transportation, entrance fees, and even food are available at a savings. If you wish to take the bus on weekdays, you can take a regular buses to Jojutla and ask how to get from the station to the water park.
If you are driving from Cuernavaca, head south to Alpuyeca. If you take the toll road, at the first pay toll booth exit and pay 40 pesos (as of April 2008) then follow signs to Los Balnearios (the water parks). After this, follow signs to Jojulta and, once you pass through this small town, El Rollo is located near the next town, Tlaquiltenango. There is ample parking, and the music at the entrance will set the tone for a fun day after the drive in the Morelos heat.
For Further Reading
If you are planning a trip to the state of Morelos in central Mexico you’ll probably want to enjoy a fun day of shopping in the small colonia of 3 de Mayo. (Yes, they spell it with a real number “Three.”) Spending some of your time and money on any of the distinctive products for sale in 3 de Mayo’s little locally owned shops will allow you to both support the local economy as well as find some unique treasures to enjoy in your home or garden. In fact, you may even want to bring your next holiday gift list with you when you come. 3 de Mayo is just 30 minutes from downtown Cuernavaca and makes an easy and rewarding day trip.
slipping easily in and out of the shops that catch your eye. The first things you will probably notice are all of the ceramics, which was the original specialty in 3 de Mayo.
but you’ll have to plan how to get it home (See below)! There are all sorts of finished ceramics, including 
punched tin, pewter, blown glass, wooden toys, and cut metal wall hangings - all of high quality that would make worthy gifts. If you want to display a lovely piece of Mexico in your home - such as yard ornaments, kitchen ware, or gorgeous mirrors - 3 de Mayo is the place to visit.
onstruction on the church site began twenty years later, in 1986 with funds donated by community members. Additional financial help was received from Adveniat, Germany in 1993.
with FedEx somewhere before delivery in the U.S.) in the Cuernavaca area. These companies are professional and well organized, and will be able to assist you in filling out your NAFTA-required paperwork. They may have bubble wrap and other protective packaging to sell to you. If they don’t, ask the employee for a recommendation on a 
nearby place to purchase such things. You can wrap your items yourself, but don’t close the box up until the courier company attendant tells you to.
wrapped items in the meager supplies they had lying around the store. A jagged glue-line across a fine handmade platter tends to muffle the bold, home décor statement it might have otherwise made.
trip home. Packing supplies are expensive or hard to come by, and are not included in the cost of the items sold. To be helpful, store attendants might use a small amount of newspaper or dusty, half-spent bubble wrap to try to protect your purchase. From their perspective, they are doing us a favor and going the extra mile to help us out. But be careful - cultural differences can cause hurt feelings. Tourists from up north can be shocked at the seemingly slipshod way shop people may wrap things. Since we tend to show the surprise on our faces, or even tell the 
other person that we don’t like how they are doing it, we can really hurt their feelings. Please, just graciously accept the items as wrapped and fix the packaging on your own later, if need be!
brings two nesting suitcases when she travels. She limits her personal items to the smaller bag and nests them. On the way down, she has one bag, on the way up, two. Remember to measure the available inside volume of your suitcase before you head out to 3 de Mayo - or bring it with you. Wouldn’t you look like the fanatical shopper, rolling your suitcase around behind you?
and you can catch it behind the Palacio de Cortez. As the buses approach, scan the words on the large cards hung in the window for “3 de Mayo” and get on that bus. Taking the bus is a safe and easy way to experience the areas around Cuernavaca the way many residents do. Taxis are faster and make it easier to carry purchases. Fares downtown Cuernavaca are approximately 50 to 80 pesos as long as you don’t forget to agree on a price prior to getting into the taxi.
As if the water park weren’t enough, the buildings of the hacienda still stand and have been converted into lovely gardens, providing an elegant area that can be rented for a mere 84,000 pesos (approximately 8,000 USD). If the area isn’t being used on the day you visit you shouldn’t miss the opportunity to give yourself a tour, breathe in the 
quiet beauty, and take some pictures. Ex-haciendas have a feeling of elegance that you can experience only in Mexico. The hacienda has been renovated for parties and has lovely gardens and captivating swimming pools that might be even more fun to photograph than to swim in.
people. Sometimes the owners, who had to face the angry people, turned to the colonial authorities and the Spanish Inquisition for defense. One bright spot in the hacienda’s history occurred in the late 1700s, when the then owner of the hacienda freed 200 black slaves owned by the hacienda. For that reason, during the War of 
Independence in 1810, the black people of the region took the side of the government and the hacienda was a focal point of the royal resistance.
Revolution. Between 1910 and 1917, it was used as a fort and arms warehouse by Zapatistas and federal troops alternately. Its sad uses didn’t end there. In 1942, it was used as a Japanese concentration camp thanks to Mexico’s union with the allied forces during World War II. After World War II, the hacienda was converted into a rice 
mill and processing plant. The hacienda’s function finally became a truly happy one when it became a water park in 1968.
processing the famous Morelos rice. They pointed out some interesting features, such as a chimney that was built during the rice processing days out of red bricks that included rice husks as one of their basic ingredients. We all peered closely at the bricks, but they looked about the same as the standard variety to our untrained eyes. The man also 
pointed out one of the auxiliary parking lots, which was originally the cement pad where the rice was spread out to dry in the sun.
The Ex-Hacienda de Temixco is open seven days a week, but if you go on a weekday, you should pay special attention to the schedule for the rides. On weekends and holidays, all of the rides are on all day from noon to five p.m. On weekdays, each major attraction has a schedule during which it is in operation. The schedule is posted on a sign near the park’s main entrance and on the web site. (See the schedule by holding the mouse pointer over the green button next to the words “Horarios de juegos.”) To avoid missing the fun, you might consider bringing a waterproof watch, or just follow the crowd as they rotate from one fun activity to another.
relaxation and fun of the Ex-Hacienda de Temixco water park. As you walk through the gate of the main entrance you instantly begin to enjoy the exquisite gardens surrounding the immaculately kept swimming pools and other facilities. The entire park is a network of water-related activities, colorful gardens, manicured grass, and shady 
trees, all connected by tidy brick walkways gently sloped to keep water from pooling on them. Flowering vines grace arched architecture, and tile accents decorate the edges of pools and changing areas. Nothing distracts visitors from enjoying their time to the fullest.
children’s area. In the middle of a shallow pool, a jungle fortress sports slides and water falls. The fortress has a natural-looking design as if it were part of a rocky waterfall. Shallow water flows down colorful slides and the stairs, giving the structure a fun feeling, embracing your feet as you climb around. All of the surfaces in the children’s area 
are rubberized to protect bathers from scrapes and bruises and the edge of the pool is covered in green outdoor carpeting to provide a safe way for tiny bathers to enter the water. A staff member is stationed around back of the structure to keep an eye on the areas that parents can’t easily see.
Near the children’s area is an exquisite lap pool with pretty blue and white tiles all around the edge. Another pool has room for tossing a ball, doing handstands, playing tag, or doing whatever kids love to do, as well as some floating pads connected to the bottom of the pool. Overhead bars are mounted above these pads for people to hold as they cross 
the pool without falling in. Of course falling in is as much fun as not falling in.
to-open activity that appeared to the author to be a zip-line. Swimmers will climb up to a platform and shoot out over the pool on a cable which will deposit them into the water at the other side.
blue tiles and let the soothing waves break across their feet, legs, and hips. Others venture deeper and let the waves lift them right off of their feet. Surrounding the wave pool is a river with waves. Swimmers move through the flow of the river on inner tubes and enjoy the waves that they encounter. Warm sun shines on their shoulders and 
cool water bathes their feet and legs.
are going down the slide and you’ll really feel the twists and turns. There is also a tall, long slide that you shoot down on your tummy, holding onto a sled-like mat. One new ride was being constructed in this area and appears to be a ride with a boat or log of some sort, splashed by water.
operation since the late ’60s, is completely modernized, but remnants of the classic features can still be seen. One of these features was a rocky cliff built into the edge of a small pool. The author’s family enjoyed climbing the cliff on the built-in stairs and exploring a cave in the plant-covered pseudo rocks. Wading into the cave, thigh deep in
water, you hear the echoed sounds of the small waves made by your movements. There is a tile bench on which to sit and enjoy the dim, cool interior of the “secret” hideaway. This and other details at the water park make it easy for bathers to break free of the traditional “marco polo” and handstand games usually played in boring
swimming pools.
de Temixco is more about playing and less about walking. No area is left bare and well-kept flowers and shrubs brighten every nook and cranny.
bars and a clean restaurant offer foods at reasonable prices. Nothing interrupts the experience at Ex-Hacienda de Temixco, and even the restrooms are spotless and have plenty of private little individual changing areas and semi private showers, all accented with lovely tile. Lockers are available just outside the bathrooms. 
Centrally located convenience stores sell snacks, souvenirs, and swimming suits without dominating the scenery. Plenty of garbage cans help visitors keep the park impeccable. There is obviously a continuous attention to safety and cleanliness at the park as the author observed someone scrubbing a tile patio area with soap and water and observed no tripping hazards. Finally, friendly staff are available to support visitors in any way needed.
there, and an enticing photo gallery.
Our son, when he’s not scouting for vermin, keeps up on our neighbors’ activities. In fact, their joyful attentions have him convinced that he is famous. One of our neighbors is retired and often comes out to water his plants on the other side of our shared chain-link fence. Our son likes to stand nearby and observe him. Our neighbor always asks him to pass his little hand through the fence so that they can shake hands. “Saluda,” [Say hello] he tells him and corrects him if he tries to extend the left hand rather than the right. It was during one of these moments that he taught our son one of his first words, “agua.” Lately, they are practicing their whistles. When our neighbor comes out to water, he lets out a short, high-pitched whistle and my son replies with his own version, “wsht.”
By Julia Taylor © Julia Taylor 2008
All the paths are swept and, if you were to take your shoes off right there, you could comfortably go barefoot all day. But don’t take your shoes off quite yet. The park extends 24 hectares (59 acres or almost 78 American football fields with the end zones included) and is divided into three different sections. You have a lot of exploring to do!
The Bugambilia Zone
There is also a deeper lap-pool, a chest-deep whirlpool that carries swimmers in lazy circles, a curlicue water slide falling into its own pool, an Olympic high dive, and two ankle-deep wading pools with fountains that move and fall in cascades that are fun to touch and explore. There are a number of covered picnic areas with tables, grills, and tile covered preparation areas. These are clearly numbered and are available for the additional cost of 50 pesos, payable at the front gate.
adults will all like the orange zone. The pools and water slides are clustered so that swimmers of all ages and skill levels can find enjoyment within sight of any shady spot that their family might stake out in the surrounding impeccable grassy areas. One of the pools is shin deep with an arch from which falls a curtain of water that children can turn on and off 
by rotating a wheel, as well as a set of large cones that fill up and spill randomly. There are also two different pools with floating pads that are connected to the bottom of the pool. Overhead bars are mounted above these pads for people to hold as they cross the water without falling in. Of course falling in is accompanied by splashing, and peals of laughter. 
The author’s favorite water slide was in this area, too, with a fast corkscrew that dumps you out energized and ready to run back up the stairs for another trip.
yellow inner tubes. There are a variety of places where you can access this slow-flowing river by simply walking down some stairs built into its bank and climbing onto one of the many inner tubes as they go by. The river is shaded and surrounded by trees and plants creating a very relaxed feel. For excitement, on the straight stretches the 
inner tubes are perfect for kicking, splashing races. Crossing a bridge over the river you see an extensive wave pool creating huge waves that will lift you right off your feet with shaded lounge chairs lining the beach. For younger people there is a large colorful play structure in a wading pool with slides, wheels and bridges. Further along the trail there is a long, tummy slide that you go down 
on a sled-like mat. The wind whistled in the author’s earrings as she zipped down that one. Next to this are two steep slides that are almost free-falls, but the author recommends avoiding these because people exiting had huge, red patches on their backs. The blue zone also has two very large water slides with multiple loop-the-loops.
Sunday in January and there were no lines to any of the water slides. Sundays are typically busy days at parks in Mexico, though the slightly cooler days in January might have reduced the number of visitors that day.
in with them the first time they enter). To protect the feet of bathers, no glass containers are allowed and there is no garbage in sight.
Safety at PAO
PAO and another water park, called the Centro Vacacional Oaxtepec*, share an entrance in the town of Oaxtepec marked with huge stone arches. If you drive to Oaxtepec, head in the direction of Cuautla and, before you get there, follow signs to the town of Oaxtepec. Parking costs 24 pesos.
According to the National Commission of Protected Areas, the Mexica emperors preserved natural areas throughout their lands. The concept of the preserves was similar to that of today’s botanical gardens and in fact was begun centuries earlier than in Europe. The Mexicas limited hunting and gathering of resources within their gardens and even conquered a place in Oaxaca to get a sacred tree that grew in that area. One of these preserves was located in what is now Oaxtepec, Morelos in the area of the current Centro Vacacional Oaxtepec. When the Spanish arrived, the garden in Oaxtepec was under the control of Moctezuma Xocoyótzin and had been functioning as a protected area for more than 75 years. In 1522, Hernán Cortés wrote that the garden was “the best, most beautiful and fresh ever seen.” He continued to say, that “there are pools, and very fresh gardens, and infinite numbers of diverse fruit trees, and many herbs and aromatic flowers.” A phone call to someone at the Centro Vacacional Oaxtepec seems to confirm that the springs and possibly the oldest trees are the only things left of Moctezuma’s original preserve.
open areas in which display environments can be constructed. The museum gets its name from its 3,600 square meters of wall space. Even more important than the walls are the professional, organized, staff members who are stationed throughout the museum and who support the visitor’s experience. Muros‘ staff provides the real heart of the museum.
The entrance to the museum is wide open and welcoming. As you approach the museum, you first encounter a tourist information table staffed by both museum and Morelos tourist department personnel where you can get information about Muros and other attractions throughout the state. As the author purchased tickets for a second visit to the museum, she was carrying her toddler on her back and the man in charge offered a stroller for the visit. Often there is someone standing at the large, glass doorway to hold the door open and tell you, “Bienvenidos.”
In the courtyard area in front of the museum you is an original tile mosaic credited to Diego Rivera. It was originally built near the swimming pool of a private home and depicts native Mexicans bathing in a stream. A mother is washing her son, a father trying to coax another son to bathe as well, and other people are splashing water on themselves. 
Walk around the other side of the mural and you see… the other side of the scene.
collection of Jacques and Natasha Gelman, which the museum is proud to maintain in Cuernavaca. The collection provides a nice cross section of important Mexican art without being overwhelming. There are pieces by Diego Rivera, Carlos Orozco Romero, David A. Siqueiros, Frida Kahlo, and Rufino Tamayo, among others, and a timeline that provides an overview of the artists in the framework of world events during their lives. Downstairs, there are rotating displays of additional artwork. There is also a large room with restored murals that provides an area for events and temporary expositions. Throughout the museum, art of a wide variety of media and textures - such as metal, tile, hair, cardboard, glass, canvas, and video - are on display. The titles of works are clearly listed in both Spanish and English. There are also comfortable computer consoles, with standing perches that offer additional information on the artist’s lives and works as well as a carpeted reading area with cushioned seats and lots of books about art.
At the time that the author and her family visited, there was an interactive display about the life and work of Diego Rivera, which was specially designed for children. It provided a fun time for all members of the family. The open space had been divided into smaller “rooms,” each with a different theme from Rivera’s life. Most rooms had something for a 1 and a ½ year old. There were tiles you could move around to make a tile mural and hats to wear. But the most fun of all were masks and costumes of characters from one of his murals. We spent a lot of time putting on masks and peering at ourselves in the mirror provided just for that purpose.
Muros is more of a success story than you might guess because it was first conceived as a kind of olive branch to certain members of the Cuernavaca community. It is situated to one side of a large grocery store/parking lot complex developed on the site of what had previously been the Casino de la Selva. Casino de la Selva (Jungle Casino) was a distinctive entertainment location at the heart of today’s Cuernavaca since the 1930s. It was surrounded by tall walls and had fallen into severe disrepair over the years since its closing. For many years, only trespassers saw the grounds inside the walls, but the thick tree canopy on the property was obvious to all who passed by. When construction began on the property, many Cuernavacan’s were outraged that two huge grocery stores, a restaurant, and extensive parking lot would replace the Casino and its trees. Long, intense protests were staged to try to stop the development and suggestions were made that the property would better serve the community as a park. In the end, the grocery store chain was allowed to develop the site, but the idea of the community center was generated as a way to try to respond to the community outcry.
So far Muros has delivered to Cuernavacan community of all ages of the. Laura Perez, who is in charge of the program Muros para los Niños de Morelos (Muros for the Children of Morelos) plans many guided visits and workshops for school children. Her goal, she says, is to connect the children’s activities and particular pieces of art with something that they are currently studying in school, usually in the subjects of history, art, or civismo (loosely translates as civics, but with a more sociological focus). When I asked her which was her favorite children’s activity so far, it was hard for her to pick because they have been so varied and unique.
One activity she mentioned was for children learning geometry. They were shown pieces of art that exemplified geometric features and the students were thrilled to find the triangles, circles, etc. that they were learning about in school. Another workshop involved sitting in front of a mirror and doing a self portrait just like Frida Kahlo did. Laura said that she enjoyed seeing how some kids noticed and depicted tiny details, such as wrinkles on their faces while others exaggerated certain features like a large nose.
The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and admission costs 30 pesos; children under six years old and older people with a special card are free. There are teacher and student discounts that reduce the price to 15 pesos with an I.D. Admission is free for everyone on Sundays and Tuesdays. There is a convenient, centrally located elevator just in front of the spotlessly clean restrooms so that wheelchairs can easily access the second floor. Take a look at the museum’s web site.
Don’t worry about parking, because there is plenty available. To get to the museum, enter the parking lot from any of the three Mega Commercial/Costco entrances. The museum is to the left of the California restaurant as you face it from the parking lot. There are a plethora of buses that will get you to the three entrances including any routes that say Plaza (for Plaza Cuernavaca, the mall almost directly across the street from one of the parking lot entrances) on them, as well as the 2 and 7 that say Tunel (enter near the grocery store named “Mega“), and the 18 (enter near the hospital).
I learned many new things on my visits to Muros. I’ll leave you with one of them. Guess how many names Diego Rivera had? Ten. That’s right. His full name was Diego Maria Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Banientos Acosta y Rodríguez.
There are two reasons you might want to go to Zacatepec, Morelos. The first is to warm up your frozen bones after a few months of northern winter – it’s hot in Zacatepec, really hot. The second is to be in a place off of the beaten tourist track, seeing the “real Mexico” as many call it.
It was October and still sweaty in Zacatepec. I was finally visiting this town because I had been invited to give an English as a Foreign Language presentation. After the presentation, a colleague generously took a few hours to give me a whirlwind tour of the zócalo of Zacatepec and to visit a church in nearby Tetelpa. My colleague is from Cuernavaca, and has recently become director of a branch language school in Zacatepec – in “the hot lands” as the southern part of Morelos is commonly called by morelenses. Apparently, he’s had some time to think about the hot lands.
“It’s as hot as Acapulco, but the problem is that it’s without the beach,” he told me, sweat gathering on his forehead as we left a small store where we’d purchased ice-cold pop and bottled water. Later, as he guided a borrowed car toward Tetelpa, he explained the main reason for the differences in the temperatures, “Cuernavaca has an altitude of 1500 meters and Zacatapec only 910.”
The third claim to fame is a large soccer stadium adjoining the zócalo. During the ’50s the team won two titles in the First Division League Championship. The Cañeros (sugar cane growers) of Zacatepec are now Third Division, but it’s still fun to watch a game in the stadium. If you are in town, check for signs indicating upcoming games.
The polluted Apatlaco River supports Zacatepec, allowing for the irrigation of rice, corn, peanut, watermelon, melon, and especially sugarcane fields. Surrounded by sugarcane fields, Zacatepec is accessed by a wide highway leading from the toll Acapulco-Mexico City highway or from nearby Jojutla. All along the highway there are motorcycle-taxis pulling little passenger wagons behind them.
Zacatepec isn’t usually a tourist destination, but my colleague knew of a recently opened museum in Tetelpa that he’d wanted to see since he had missed the opening ceremony due to work obligations. We made the 15 minute drive to the San Esteban church in Tetelpa and parked in the shade on the street. We were greeted by a 
uniformed police officer and young local man, casually guarding the church and museum. The church and museum were closed, they informed us, but the young man would take us to the home of the curator, who lived nearby, to see if he would come and open the museum just for us. A few blocks away, we stood in front of a long driveway and the young man shouted for Edgar. Eventually a young woman came out and told us that Edgar wasn’t home, but that she could send someone for him if we really wanted to see the museum. We told her that we’d better come back some other time and thanked her very much.
Our young companion, Jorge Maldonado Hernandez, who gave me permission to include his name in my article, gave us a personal tour of the church grounds, ending with a spectacular visit to the rooftop where we saw the bells and enjoyed the view of the land surrounding Tetelpa, Zacatepec, and Jojutla.
The view from the churchyard is inviting, since the church is built on top of a small hill. Pedestrian streets lead up to the gated entrances from the four cardinal directions. In addition to our voices, the only sounds in the churchyard were birds chirping in the trees and music from a house adjoining the yard on the other side of the whitewashed wall.
Jorge told us that the church had recently been the victim of vandals (probably the reason for the uniformed guard we had encountered). The wooden door had been broken and this allowed us to peek inside. Jorge knew a bit about the history of the church and told us where priests had been buried in the yard; he also pointed out the stained glass windows on all sides of the lovely little church.
and encouraged us to climb into the small bell tower. Once he had us all safely stationed on the roughly warn stones of the tower, he extracted a small nail clipper from his pocket. He wouldn’t ring the bells for real, he told us, but he would show us the different sounds of the bells. He tapped lightly on each bell so that we could hear the difference in the sounds. 
His favorite is the bell called la campana reina (the queen bell), made of bronze, gold, and silver. Another bell, the largest of the four, had a gaping crack in one side. This one had fallen from its mount about six years before, and luckily nothing had happened to the man who was ringing the bell at the time.
blue-green plants. Someone has planted a field of agave and plans to produce tequila, though the agave hasn’t quite matured yet. To the southeast we could see the aqua colors of the pools at the Iguazu aquatic park and, much further in the distance, the church in the center of Jojutla and, to the north, the swimming pool of a club for rich people who come from Mexico City and other places to spend time relaxing.
and 4:00 to 6:00, daily through Sunday. The cost of the museum is $10 pesos (about 1 dollar) and is a guided visit. For information about the museum write to museosanestebantetelpa at hotmail.com (Replace the word “at” with the @ symbol and remove the spaces when you enter the address). A brochure about the museum that Jorge removed from the locked ticket office outside the entrance to the museum says that the museum consists of five rooms - a traditional kitchen used by the formerly resident vicars, archeological pieces and models of the original inhabitants of Tetelpa, 
information about four centuries of Catholic presence in Tetelpa, historic archives including regional records of births, marriages, censuses, deaths, and even mass deaths caused by cholera, and finally a multiuse room for art and cultural exhibits that are changed monthly.
Plan your visit during one of Tetelpa’s local festivals so that you can enjoy the awe-inspiring hospitality of Morelos’s traditional townspeople. Jorge carefully reviewed with us the important festival dates which are as follows.
Conchita and is celebrated with castillos (fireworks on a temporary tower, a wonderful Mexican invention that you’ve got to see to believe). Comidas (traditional foods, such as mole are prepared in copious amounts and all who come to a family’s house are fed), and danzas (dances - each town will have its own traditional dances) are a part of the festivities.
If you chose to retire to this beautiful part of the world you may become less self centered and get better at living your life in a more holistic way. The discomfort of the initial culture shock soon burns out and left in its wake is a new set of social skills, a new sense of home.
Acapulco, the playground of the stars, is only 4 hours away for quick beach getaways. There are also plenty of opportunities to take classes in dance, exercise, handicrafts, languages, etc. You can also participate in community-oriented activities to broaden your horizon. Cuernavaca has actually been getting more fun over the years and has thrown its arms wide to embrace the new residents.
If you speak Spanish and want to get better at understanding Mexico’s famous “double meaning” humor, ribald clowns crack crass jokes in their smoothly performed routines. Even if you don’t speak Spanish you can enjoy watching the kids sitting in the front row, ready to run out to volunteer to be part of the show. The clowns give them things to do such as wearing rubber masks depicting political figures, or standing perfectly still while they run balloon “snakes” along their cheeks from behind. Like kids everywhere, their enthusiasm and innocence makes them a delight to watch.