Barrio San Pedro, Part Two
Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico. Overlook at the end of a trail in Parque Ocelotzin, Barrio San Perdo. Photo by Don Karp
This is the second part of a two-part series on one of my favorite neighborhoods, Barrio San Pedro. This one features a hike on a mountain trail, whereas part one focused on residential areas. Beginning at the center of town (Centro), I hiked to the trail's end and back. The round trip took three hours.
In the map below, I have traced the route of my journey, beginning at the church of the neighboring Barrio Santa Cruz. From Centro it was a ten-minute walk to the church.
The dotted lines signify trails, and the numbers correspond to sections of the trip and of the subdivisions that contain photos below it.
1. Barrio Santa Cruz to Barrio San Pedro
Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico. Above: Santa Cruz Church; Below: a colorful corner across from the church. Photos by Don Karp
From the map, starting at number one, you can see that the route is sinuous before getting to a straighter part. The latter begins paved and continues as a trail.
Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico. Above: paved road from Santa Cruz to San Perdo; Below: this becomes a trail. Photos by Don Karp
Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico. An altar towards the end of the trail section. Photo by Don Karp
2. San Pedro: Road to Parque Ocelotzin
Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico. An altar at the corner where the road from Santa Cruz meets another in San Pedro. Corners and road crossings are considered to be sacred spaces. Photo by Don Karp
Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico. Above: the road to Parque Ocelotzin; Below: gate preceding an as yet empty property. Photos by Don Karp
Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico. Above: a store on the road; Below: a sign listing what's offered. Photos by Don Karp
3. Road to Parque Ocelotzin Trail
Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico. Above: corner, with road on right going to the trail; Below: images of the road. Photos by Don Karp
4. Park Trail to a Spring
Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico. Park trail to a spring. You can see, in upper left, water running down the trail. Photo by Don Karp
Here is my old friend, poison ivy:
When I reached the spring, I found a lady doing her laundry. The water from this spring is potable. I've seen people filling their five-gallon jugs to take home. Below is a video of the spring's container built nearby, with another video below it of the spring itself.
5. Trail From the Spring to the Ridge Trail
Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico. The vegetation is dense at this time of year. Also notice the interesting rock formations. Photo by Don Karp
Here is a video of a little guy I met in the trail.
6. Ridge Trail to the Overlook
Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico. Above: The tryptic shows the trail along the ridge to the overlook point; Below: View from ridge trail of the mountain range across the valley. Photo by Don Karp
7. Overlook Views
Tepoztlán, Morelos, Mexico. Above: A stunning view from the overlook; Bottom: The highway below. Photos by Don Karp
The lead image for this article was taken at the very end of a trail. Here are two more views from the precipice.
And here is a video scanning the panorama from this spot.
I hope you've enjoyed reading this article as much as I enjoyed producing it. Let me know via email or in the comments section below, please.
