Taxco, MX

Postcard Taxco (Pronounced Tahs-ko, not Tax Co. - Yes, I needed help with this at the beginning of the trip).
This is a beautiful town right out of a movie.

It was pretty easy to see James Bond or Jason Borne chasing someone through the narrow, cobblestone streets or shooting down a steep alleyway on a dirt bike. So I've got a pretty warped mind, sue me.

The town of about 100,000 people is nestled on a mountainside in central Mexico, about two and a half hours South by Southwest of Mexico City. The central square is unmistakable: the world-renowned Santa Prisca Cathedral overlooks a gazeebo in a small park, and the area is lined with quaint shops and restaurants.


It's OK to call it a world famous Cathedral because it landed itself on the top 100 list of most endangered monuments in the world by some New York society sponsored in part by American Express.

Incidentally, they weren't going to grant the Cathedral this status, protection and grant money for restoration if they didn't post the plaque from the organization. Some local historians lobbied to have it put on a stand just outside the front door, but they ended up screwing it into one of the outer walls, much to the chagrin of those involved in the restoration process. Go figure. Restoration is scheduled to be completed later in 2009.