A church in the small town of Acatzingo,which means "in the little reeds", is the starting place for our pilgrimage to the sacrade mountain known as Cerro de La Malinche.
Named after one of the most controversial figures of the conquest of Mexico, Malinche was a native Mexican woman who was given to the conquistador Hernan Cortes as a slave in 1519.
Atop Cerro de La Malinche is the most important pre-hispanic settlement found in the municipality of Tenancingo.
Our hike takes about 45 minutes up steep trails with beautiful trees and flora shading our path.
A Loquat tree or as they are known in Mexico Nispero offers the passerby a refreshing treat.
Half way up La Malinche we find horses grazing on the lush vegetation.
A sign erected by the government offers information about this archaeological site.
Continuing on we come across petroglyphs,
some ancient.....
....others carved more recently.
Few westerners know about this site which had not been studied by archaeologists until 2009.
Our guide, Ricardo Mendoza, looks down on workers clearing paths for hikers.
When the Spanyards conquered the area they imposed Christianity on the indigenous people and the sacred Gods of the Aztec were replaced by the cross.
From this vantage point we can look down on the town of Actazingo......
and in the distance Tenancingo.
Moving on we find Aztec construction carved in the quarry of the hill. We are told that at this site human sacrifices took place.
The views from this point are breathtakingly beautiful.
Soon we arrive at our destination, the petroglyph of the Aztec Goddess Chalchiuhtlicue.
Chalchiuhtlicue, the Aztec deity of water, rivers, seas, storms and baptism, is associated with fertility and is the patroness of childbirth.
Chalchiuhtlicue translates to "jade her skirt" and she was said to bring fertility to crops and was thought to protect women and children. The monument looked in good condition but with some vandalism with spray paint at the base and to the right.
I stood perfectly still looking at the Goddess and for a fleeting instant I felt the presences of the ghosts that roam Cerreo de La Malinche.
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