Hola. Bienvenidos! Welcome to beautiful Puebla! Buenos dias! Good morning Country Collectors. We
are so excited because we have made it to our 16th state here in Mexico! That's right, we're in Puebla
baby! And today we are going to be taking around exploring its largest and capital city that goes
by the same name. Puebla, Puebla it was so nice they named it twice! But before we get started make sure
to hit that subscribe button and ring the bell so you don't miss out on any of our future adventures.
And stick around to the end when we share some more of our recommendations. All right let's start
with how we got here. Instead of taking a long bus ride from Zihuatanejo we hopped on a quick one-hour
plane ride to Mexico City. Staying in the airport we went upstairs and over to the international
terminal where we found door 7 and the area for outward buses. There we purchased our ADO bus
tickets to Puebla for 362 pesos each. It was very expensive especially because the ride was only
130 kilometers and took about two and a half hours. But I guess you're paying for convenience. But
if you're already in Mexico City and want to go to Puebla you can head to the TAPO bus station.
I saw tickets there for about 200 pesos each. Now that we're here let's check out our place. We
found this apartment on Airbnb for $40 USD a night. It's a nice big space equipped with a comfortable bed,
couch, small kitchen, balcony, washer dryer combo and a big bathroom. But the best part and the main
reason we booked this was for its rooftop! There's a nice hangout room fit with a couch and
tables plus a small gym area and a patio with some incredible views of the surrounding city, mountains
and volcanoes. That's right she said volcanoes! Puebla is located in the Valley of Puebla which
is flanked on all sides by volcanoes and mountains that are part of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt.
And in case you didn't know we LAVA you a lot! This one behind me is called Popocatepetl. I
probably butchered the name but for short they call it Popo. And it looks like it is a little
shy this morning hiding behind the clouds. But this is one of Mexico's most active
volcanoes and its second highest. It even has a snow-covered peak! Pretty cool right? Well
who's ready to go hit those streets? Let's do this! When we arrive in a new city one of the
first things we like to do is check out the zocalo, or main square in town. And let me tell you
Pueblas does not disappoint. It has towering trees, sculptures, this amazing fountain right here and
so much more! It's a great place to come down sit in the shade, read the newspaper, hang out with
your dog. Just enjoy yourself out in this nature right in the center of the city. We came here on
Sunday and it was going off! People were everywhere. They had professional dancers over here
doing the la la la la bamba dance. It was so cool. Definitely come down and check it out!
The zocalo is a great base as many of the city's attractions are located nearby. And this is where
you're gonna find the Puebla letters. As you know it's a great place to snap a photo! On the eastern
end of the zocalo you will find the hop-on hop-off tour buses as well as trolleys. They do tours
around the city and show you the highlights. I just spoke with the driver here on the green bus
he said that for 80 pesos they do a 30-minute tour and they offer it in four languages. So that's something that you might want to check out. Surrounding the zocalo you're going to
find many colonial homes, restaurants and notable buildings such as the Municipal Palace, Casa de los
Munecos and the Puebla Cathedral. Construction on the cathedral started in 1575 and took over a
hundred years to complete. we read that the bell towers stand under just 70 meters making them the
tallest in all of Mexico and the cathedral the second largest! Let me tell you there is nothing
blah about Puebla! This historical center right here was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to
its historic significance as well as its mixture of architectures like classic, renaissance and my
personal favorite baroque. Because you know what they say, if it ain't baroque don't fix it! It's
absolutely stunning you've got to check it out! Let's keep going. And right next to the cathedral
you will find the Casa de la Cultura and inside there is something absolutely spellbinding! Welcome
to Biblioteca Palafoxiana. This amazing library was built in 1646 and has been recognized by
UNESCO as being the oldest library in the Americas. It contains over 42,000 books and 5,000
manuscripts. It's an absolute treasure. It costs 42 pesos to enter but is free on Sundays. It's
some place we absolutely recommend popping in when you're in Puebla. And if you're into art you
can stop by Museo Amparo. It is considered to be one of the most important cultural and exhibition
centers in Mexico due to its large collection of pre-hispanic, colonial, modern and contemporary
art. At the end of your tour make sure to come up to the roof and check out this terrace. The
view is absolutely gorgeous! We've heard that Puebla is actually a destination for food and you
know we're hungry so let's go try and find some! We have found ourselves here at Antojitos Tomi
and we got ourselves some delicious Poblano treats starting with a molote. We got it stuffed
with tinga de pollo which is shredded chicken and tomato and then it was fried. It is absolutely
delicious we definitely recommend it. And the second item we got are chalupas and I know
what you're thinking, "Heidi I've been to Taco Bell. Those do not look like chalupas!" Well Taco
Bell has been lying to you! These are traditional chalupas from Puebla. They are corn tortillas that
are fried in lard or oil and then topped with red or green sauce, some onions and some shredded meat.
I haven't tasted it yet but let me give it a try. Wow! Great flavor, very soft. Really
good! And last but not least, check this baby out! We've noticed all over
Mexico different regions have different specialty tortas. Here they're called cemitas and
it's because the bread is this special egg rich bread that has sesame seeds on the outside. It's
very crispy but soft on the inside. You can get them with all different things inside but I went
with the traditional. It's fried pork. It has some avocados on here looks like sun-dried tomatoes.
I don't even know what to say! Oaxaca cheese. My mouth won't stop watering so I am going
to jump into this thing! Look at how huge that is half of it is as big as my head. Let's do
this thing! Oh my gosh you can hear the crunch! I can barely fit it in my mouth. The
cheese adds this beautiful saltiness. The pork is fried absolutely perfectly. The
crunch complements the crunch of the bread. Man you have got to try one of these!
Sorry I need to get back to my torta! Mmm mm mm I have to say that Cemita is definitely the
winner here. It is so so good. I feel like this could be like four meals, it's crazy! You
could definitely share it with somebody. But if you're looking for traditional Poblano
food we definitely recommend coming down to Antojitos Tomi, you will not be disappointed.
Well all right let's get back on the road because we have a lot more to do today! While we
were exploring the other day we stumbled upon this alley. It is super colorful and so
so beautiful. It goes by the name Callejon de los Sapos or the Alley of the Frogs. It's
absolutely RIBBITING! And on Sunday there were tons of people around. They were browsing in the
shops. There's a lot of antique shops around too. We definitely recommend coming down here it will
just brighten your spirits. Yeah it seems like down the alleyways they're selling stuff, there's people
playing music. There were violins. I think we saw a cello and a guitar. Yeah and they had like a lot
of little vendors set up as well. And I actually got these earrings there for 40 pesos. They're these
little handmade clay cazuelas. They're just in case I need a little something to put my
mezcal in just for sipping. Here you go babe! You guys all packed up for our next adventure
together? That's cool! I love this. This reminds me of just that old school travel. Like we said
there's a lot of antiques in this area here in this neighborhood. And if you're wondering why it's
called the Alleyway of the Frogs we read that back in the day the river would flood this area, and
guess who showed up? A bunch of toads and frogs! So there you go a little snippet of info for you.
Wow that seems like an unFROGgettable experience. Oh my god! And at the end of the alley you're gonna
run into this traditional cantina by the name of La Pasita and I actually did some research on it
and it was quite interesting. There was a soldier that was down from Veracruz and he was sitting
across the street and noticed the building was for sale that used to be a grocery store so he
purchased it and he started to make some dried fruit liqueurs there along with selling groceries.
But the fruit liquers are way more popular so he stopped selling the groceries and just went with
the liqueurs. Yeah so one of the most traditional drinks is la pasita, it goes by the same name and
it's a raisin liqueur. I guess everything happens for a raisin! Okay this is getting out of hand!
But let's head inside and go try it. Come along! Buenas tardes! Oooo look at it and that was in 1916! Wow! All right we got
the goods. He gave us some special instructions for this. As you can see there is a raisin as well
as some queso de cabra or goat cheese on it. He said to sip it, eat the cheese, seems
like a very RAISINable way to do it! Oh that is very good! Don't poke
yourself with a toothpick there! Ooo what a unique flavor profile. You can definitely
taste the alcohol but it's got that sweetness of the raisin and the cheese just gives it
something really special. A little saltiness to it? Mmmhmm. You guys got to try one of these. We saved
one right over here. All right, Salud! Here goes nothing. So he just told me you bite the
cheese first then you sip. Oh I did it backwards. That's okay. Interesting. Not my favorite but I think you
just come here for like you know the nostalgia of it. I think if you like rum raisin ice
cream if you're one of those people you would love this. Very unique! Definitely
worth the experience I'd say. And I feel like it's one of those things where
you take a second and a third sip and it grows on you. I'm definitely enjoying it a lot more
now. Sort of like you did with me. It took a while! This is my kind of grandma! She's drinking it in the
backseat of the car. Let's go give her cheers. They've been selling this pasita since 1916
only back then this entire bottle was one peso. As you can see now it's 250 pesos
but it's still a great deal! It's so cool and check out all
the memorabilia in here as well. I love it! So they cost 35 pesos each and you
can see they have a bunch of different flavors as well. I think the rompope would be nice
to try. That's like eggnog! Wow that was so much fun and we met some really cool people.
We did and speaking of cool people we would love to give a very special shout out to
our new patrons, Brian, Emi, Jesus, October, Ken and Tiana. Thank you so much for your
contributions we appreciate you immensely! You are the RAISIN that we are here today. I'm
gonna pretend like I didn't hear that! Wow! No but seriously we appreciate you from the bottom of our
hearts. All this fun is because of you and we can never really say thank you enough. Yeah and as much
as we're inspiring people you are too so thanks so much for being here! If you would like to join our
community we'll put the link in the description below. Alright let's keep going! Just up the street
is El Parian. It's a handicraft market where you can come and pick up some great souvenirs. Let's
go take a look around. As you're browsing the market you are bound to see some beautiful
talavera pottery. This technique was actually brought over by the Spanish and has influences
from the Middle East. It's absolutely beautiful! That's one piece of work if i do say so myself!
Right across from El Parian is Barrio del Artista. Here you can find many artists creating and
selling their works as well as bars, cafes and restaurants. It's a wonderful place to come
and spend some time. Man all this art has been great but I hear something sweet calling our name!
Let's go find out what it is! It was the candy shop! This street we're on right now is affectionately
referred to as Calle de los Dulces or the Street of Sweets! we popped into this place right here
and got a bag full of candy. There's a bunch of dulcerias all around here so you've got your pick.
Let's go find a place to enjoy these. We found our spot and we're starting out with the camote. One of
the cool things about the candies that we're going to be trying today is they are actually a mix of
Indigenous and European flavors and were invented at the Santa Clara Convent not far from here. This
camote has a base of sweet potato and it's wrapped in a wax paper. They come in all different flavors.
We went with the naranja or orange. Let's bust this baby open and give it a try. i've seen these like
all over mexico but we have never tried one. Mmmm It's like, it actually tastes like a sweet
potato with just a hint of orange. It's got that very soft kind of texture to it and
it's just a little bit sweet. It's not like a punching in the mouth like we get sometimes
back home with our candies, but it's really tasty! This one looks like something I would really
enjoy. This is called Tortita de Santa Clara. And it is a cookie that is topped with
pumpkin seed and milk frosting. Let's taste it out! Got a great crunch. I love the pumpkin. Yeah all
around great cookie! I have been waiting to try this one it's called the Limón con Coco. It's
candied lime peel with sweetened coconut stuffed inside. Let's jump into this! That's so
unique! Oop don't eat the paper. Wow! Wow! That is so good. It's like a macaroon but with some lime
mixed in. It's like that song, "you put the lime in the coconut!" But the other way around!
Put the coconut in the lime and you eat it all up! Is that the best one? That was the best
one for sure! I love it! Wow. Alright let's keep going! Next to the sweet store there is a building that
is riddled with bullet holes. We did some research and found out that this used to be the home of a
prominent family that planned an armed uprising against then president Porfirio Diaz. When the
government of Diaz found out about that they stormed this building killing the sons and taking
the women captive. Though the original bullet holes still remain it has been restored into the
Regional Museum of the Mexican Revolution which you can visit for 40 pesos or for free on Sundays.
Right around the corner from the sweet street you will run into Iglesia Santo Domingo and inside
there is something very special. Capilla del Rosario, one of the most beautiful chapels we have ever
seen. For 20 pesos you can head into it and admire the marble work, the tile and the gold leaf. It is
incredible and a sight we definitely recommend! All those sweets got me craving something savory
so we popped into Tacos Arabes Baghdad and got some Tacos Arabes. These tacos are unlike any we
have seen in Mexico thus far and if you remember earlier I mentioned the middle eastern influence
in the pottery will also extends to the food. These tacos can be found all over Puebla and they
were actually brought here by Lebanese immigrants, that influence was in the 19th century. The
original recipe used lamb but because pork was more affordable and the locals preferred it down
came the land and up went the pork on the spit. So now you know where your Tacos al Pastor
came from. And unlike traditional tacos they are made with pita bread. They have a few different
sauces here so let's dress them up and jump in! I did take a little bite already but I'm
gonna do it again let's jump back into this. Oh I love that crunch! Wow the crunch is exactly
dead on. They did something nice and charred the outside of this pita bread so it really gives
it a nice texture. It's very similar to pastor but the flavor is completely different. I found it
to be a little bit more spicy and not quite what I'm looking for but you should definitely give it a
try because it is delicious! I'm gonna have another bite. We really enjoyed those but just one thing
be careful with the salsas because they are really spicy! All right well we have one last stop for
today so we are going to jump in a taxi. We will see you there! Welcome to Puebla's Subway system! I
didn't know Puebla had a subway system! Well then what are these? These are the recently discovered
long thought to be urban legend tunnels that run under the city! Secret tunnels! And as you can
probably see I'm wearing something different. We came here yesterday and it was closed so just so
you know they are open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 am until 4 pm. And it costs 28 pesos to enter. So
let's head inside and see what we can unearth. Oh I like that! Oh my goodness I am absolutely blown
away by this tunnel right here. Like we said outside these were secret until 2016 but they were
actually built in the 1500s. They run under the foundation of Puebla from the historic center
to the Fort of Loreto. If you know anything about Cinco de Mayo- I know back home we celebrate
it like it's just a fun little holiday, but it is actually when the Battle of Puebla happened
here in Puebla where the Mexican Army they used these tunnels to go back and forth all around the
city to defeat the French so they didn't capture, you know take over the city here. I'm just you
know when they're so tall like imagine the calvary riding through here on horseback. They found guns
in here, there's some like antiques over here that we can check out. You just gave me
chills when you said that. Picturing horses walking down here with armed men on the back. Yeah it's
this is incredible so let's keep checking it out! How incredible is this? We definitely recommend
doing a bit of research before you come so you can appreciate it. Yeah I mean they've definitely
turned this in to a tourist attraction but you know what it I'm still getting chills. You can
hear the hooves of horses the the sound of gunfire above you. They're playing the music of the
revolution and you know it really like it feels it hits you deep. And I definitely recommend
coming down here and walking around especially if you can do it when it's quiet. Yes.
Wow what a great way to experience some history here. And it looks like we found a
light at the end of the tunnel. Let's keep going! And then it goes back down right over here. Oh it does? Yeah. Okay. So not only do you come up and get to see some really cool artwork over here they also have another entrance right there. Que es el nombre de barrio aqui? What is the name of the neighborhood here? Xanenentla. Xanenetla. Okay wow! Look at all these murals! This barrio
looks absolutely incredible. Like he said it's called Xanenetla so we're gonna head back
through the tunnels but definitely end here. I think it's a great idea I want to check out this
art a little closer! Yeah so stay tuned for that! Watch that cabeza! Watch your head! Oh! Wow so these ones seem a little shorter. This
seems more like what I was picturing when we said the tunnels. Something that people are gonna
have to be hunched over to get through here. These look way less like they were made like the other
place looks more like a museum. This looks a lot more authentic! So cool the tunnels let us out here
to Los Fuertes Parque. This is where you are gonna find the Fort of Loreto and the Fort of Guadalupe.
Like we said the tunnels connected the historic center to the forts here. It's just amazing. But
you have to remember these were built in the 1500s and the Battle of Puebla wasn't until 1862
so there's still a bunch of mystery. That's like over 300 years we don't really know what happened
down in these tunnels. The legend continues! Right? Very cool. Well we're gonna head back to that very
colorful neighborhood so come along! And if you're looking for another activity to do we've just
walked around a little bit of this park here and it looks really nice. There's a great mirador
of the city below. Like we said they have a bunch of museums, there's some cafes. There's more Puebla
letters right here. Yeah and the teleferico. There's a cable car that I think crosses it as well so
you could spend definitely a nice afternoon here. I like that idea. Well let's head to that barrio!
And by the looks of it we have made it back to Xanenetla. Wow I love this. There is just art
on every wall here. I wonder what the story is behind it. I'm really enjoying this art but first
things first we have some business to take care of! HUG BUG! But check this one out over here. It's a giant
piece of corn, or maiz and each individual kernel has its own personality. Some are happy, some
are sad, some can't wait for you to eat them and some are like please don't eat me! This barrio
is something else! It is so so neat and I just read a little bit about it. This project here is
called Ciudad Mural, which is the city of murals. And I believe it's like a colectivo of
artists that come down and paint murals to not only beautify the neighborhoods but to also
promote like connectivity between art and culture. We definitely recommend coming down here when
you are in Puebla. It's very inspiring! Oh look at that cute little angel! Something that we
learned is that Puebla when it was first founded it was called Puebla de Angeles I believe. The
City of Angels. So that's what it's referred to as now, The City of Angels. So you will see a
lot of angel wings around which is pretty neat! What a wonderful way to end our well two days
here. I know I mean I feel like I loved the contrast we went from war to this beautiful peace
and art and it really just kind of filled me up. Yeah and let us know what you thought of Puebla.
We definitely loved it. I know it was hard to peel ourselves away from the beach but just being
back in a city and among this history is like just kind of fills your cup even more. I mean
stunning architecture, one of my favorite zocalos in all of Mexico, the street art is stunning
and the food is delicious! Yes and I know we told you we were gonna give you some recommendations and
they are food recommendations. We'll start with Brico Pizzeria Restaurant. If you're craving some
Italian food they have wonderful salads, pizzas and pastas. The carbonara was just one of the best
I've ever had in my life! Really good. And then the second one, Don Pastor. It's a taqueria. It's like a
chain around here but delicious and huge portions! A ton of fun inside and they really had the flavors
you're looking for. Yes. And last but not least Maiz Criollo! I mean wow this was like the flavor
train that you need to get on! We started out with bone marrow esquites. Then we switched over
to what you were really enjoying. We got the six hour slow cooked oxtail served over yellow mole!
Thank goodness we didn't have to wait six hours. And then last but not least Adam's favorite.
Crispy pork belly on top of a Poblano Mole, Mole Poblano which is something that this region is known for
and you cannot leave without trying it because it was perfection! Yeah another thing they're known
for here is Chile en Nogada. We had that when we were in Taxco and it is quite a treat too. So yeah
thank you. Just thank you so so much for being here with us. It would have been nowhere near as much
fun if you hadn't been here to share it with. Yeah if you enjoyed this video please give us a thumbs
up, comment, subscribe and don't forget to... DLING, DLING, DLING, DLING THE BELL! And stay tuned because next week we are
heading just I think 20 minutes away to the town known as Cholula. It's a sacred place and we can't
wait to take you there! We'll see you then. Adios!
