Sunday Times reader Angela Heslop fondly recalls her trip to Mexico We flew into Mexico City at midnight. As we looked down from the plane, lights twinkled and cars snaked along red, silver and gold lines throughout the city with its population of about 20 million.Mexico City dates back to 1345, when the Aztec people migrated there. They came to Lake Texcoco and created the sophisticated and prosperous city of Tenochtitlan on an island in the lake.Later, circa 1517, they were conquered by Spaniards, who were eager to find gold and convert the locals to Christianity. This was the world's largest city at the time. In time, the Spaniards enslaved the conquered people to construct the present-day Mexico City.Our first impressions were coloured by our arrival in Cuernavaca, south of Mexico City.Our guesthouse was owned by an American art entrepreneur and his Mexican wife. Colourful abstract paintings decorated white walls; the garden had a blue triangular pool, surrounded by grand rubber and jacaranda trees.For breakfast we were given tamales, corn dough stuffed with beans, meat and chillies and steamed in wrapped banana leaves, washed down with real orange juice.Refreshed and full of anticipation, we drove to the city to explore Cuernavaca.The guide books recommend a house once owned by American expat Robert Brady, who died in 1986. He had collected paintings and artefacts from all over the world and his house is now a museum. He clearly had a passion for colour, shapes and all things unusual.mini_story_image_vright1He collected fascinating portraits of people and myriad crucifixes. The bathroom is decorated in yellow and turquoise tiles and the kitchen ochre pink. The house glows with colour and vibrancy.Not far from Cuernavaca, the town of Tepoztlán, against towering cliffs, had market day. It was a buzz of gossip, smells and sounds. Fruit and vegetable colours shone, pork crackling in honey textures hung on hooks, spices and chillies titillated senses. Pottery, wood carvings, jewellery and clothes bedecked the tables.We ate in a local restaurant, the walls painted in flamboyant pink, and were served aromatic soups bubbling in earthenware pots.We were alerted by the sound of a brass band and to our surprise found ourselves solemnly observing a funeral procession. The hearse was draped in pale violet. The deceased man's straw sombrero was perched on his coffin. Perhaps this was a celebration of his life.We drove all day via mountainous passes, through valleys with distant volcanoes in an area known as the Land Bridge.We arrived in Oaxaca, a city built in colonial times that has about 15 indigenous groups who still cling to their own languages and traditions. This is apparent in the bustling markets and zócalos (public squares) that pulsate with vendors, shoe-shiners, beggars and tourists. A festive mood prevails.Eating is a great pleasure in Mexico and street stalls are everywhere. There are also many delightful flower-filled courtyards serving traditional cuisine in elegant settings.story_article_left1Green guacamole with lime juice and fragrant coriander is one of the many moles, a quintessential Mexican sauce. This is scooped up with corn tortillas, which double up as both food and utensil.We caught a small aircraft to the Pacific Ocean, the machine's tiny shadow dancing on the patchwork quilt of fields below. The plane flew over high mountains to reach the west coast.Soon we arrived in Huatulco, where the airport has thatched roofs. All day we swam in a warm, tropical sea or had daydreams in our deck chairs.Our last visit was to Taxco, a hilltop town and the silver centre of the world, with quaint, red-roofed, white houses and winding cobblestone streets.The pink-stone Church of Santa Prisca is adorned with carved figures of saints and angels. The interiors are done in a Mexican baroque style with gold leaf and intricate floral motifs, sashes and countless cherubs. In the market square children played as the shoe-shiner polished my shoes .Remembering Mexico fills my head with images of a vibrant and sensual world.• Share your travel experiences with us in 'Readers' World'. Send your photos - at least 500KB - and a story of no more than 800 words. ALL winners receive R1,000. Only winning entrants will be contacted. E-mail travelmag@sundaytimes.co.za ..