Apizaco

Apizaco is an old railroad town at the top (north) of the Tlaxcala capital region. It was once an important stop, nearly mandatory, on the railroad that ran from Mexico City to Veracruz. Somehow it still feels like a low-slung railroad town that's brimming with short-timers and the locals catering to their every need. It's a marvelous confrontation of color and panapoly against Tlaxcala's always visible landscape, here with exposed rock cliff faces and just the threat of desert beyond. 

The town is named for a much older San Luis Apizaco recorded here in the 16th century. But the settlement we see today really dates from the opening of the railroad by President Benito Juarez in 1869. At that time, it was merely a camp for railroad workers. Some of them must have stayed, because the town continued to grow straight through the mid-20th century. 

Today, it's an important part of the overall capital region, and visitors come for the Apizaco Fair, every march, and for the celebrations of Our Lady of Mercy, on May 12. The great central market is also named for this feast day. And