Mexico: In and Around Monterrey

BY ONEIKA RAYMOND

From 2006 to 2007 I spent a year living and working in Monterrey, Mexico. It seems like eons ago. Monterrey is located in the north-east region of Mexico, and is surrounded by the gorgeous Sierra Madre mountain range. I loved living in this town, which was nestled amongst the many impressive peaks of the Sierra Madre. Why, even upon stepping out of my house, I was greeted by this view:

And any drive around town would net you view like the following.

Monterrey often didn’t seem all that “Mexican” to me because of its topography. I was thinking that Monterrey would be “tropical”, a la Cancun and Puerto Vallarta. Boy was I wrong. Nuevo Leon, the state of which Monterrey is the capital, it mostly a semi-desert region, known for its great hiking, national parks, mountains, and natural geological wonders, like the hot springs that are plentiful in this area.

I loved Monterrey for its rugged and breathtaking scenery. Just an hour outside of the city limits are the Grutas de Garcia , a set of caves set deep inside the El Fraile mountain, with the mountain itself located within the Cumbres National Park. The caves, formed between 50 and 60 million years ago, host a plethora of stalagmites and stalactites which are a real feast for the eyes.


I loved the architecture in the city, as it seemed to be a study of contrasts; super modern juxtaposed with colonial juxtaposed with urban sprawl. I thought it was gorgeous.





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