Copper Canyon, or Barranca del Cobre in Spanish, is a system of canyons in northwestern Mexico that are deeper and longer than the celebrated Grand Canyon across the border in Arizona.

I'm getting the Grand Canyon comparison out-of-the-way right at the beginning because, let's face it, if we're talking about canyons in North America, that's the one that's going to come up.

The truth is, I've been to both Copper Canyon and the Grand Canyon, and the one in Arizona is a fabulous photo opportunity. Still, Copper Canyon is a visit to another planet.

It's an adventure into some of the most startling landscapes you've ever seen, and there's far more to do than look at them.

You can hike into the canyon, zipline over it, mountain bike through it, ATV next to the edge of it, repel down it, or go for a run through it with the famous Tarahumara.

The Tarahumara recently had their own Nike barefoot running shoe modeled after them.

This is, after all, is where the Tarahumara Indians started ultra-marathoning, a people so bad-ass they started running sixty miles through the canyons in flip-flops for fun.

Copper Canyon is about eleven hours from El Paso, and it's still only about as far south as Corpus Christi, Texas.

It's in the southwest corner of the border state of Chihuahua and is not that far a trip from the Southwestern U.S., including Los Angeles.

If you want to take pictures of a large hole in the ground, head to Arizona with the other retirees.

If you want to play hard in one of the most beautiful and treacherous landscapes on the planet, and do so without fighting crowds, head to Copper Canyon.

1. Copper Canyon Railway Engineering Marvel

The best way to reach Copper Canyon is by train. Yes, there are other ways to get there, but the Chihuahua al Pacifico Railroad, also known as "El Chepe"  is the best, most scenic, and the most fun.

You can get on the train as far north as the city of Chihuahua, the state capital, and ride it to the ocean side city of Los Mochis.

But the train's selling point is the middle, where it cuts through the canyon and provides some of the most astonishing vistas you'll ever see.

There's a dining car, and the train makes a few stops at small canyon villages where locals sell you Mexican street food, handmade baskets, and pottery. This is not the imported stuff from China, folks.

Coming south from Chihuahua, watching the landscape turn from flat farmland to hilly pine forests and finally to mountains before entering the canyon itself was remarkable.

The scenery turns more beautiful by the minute.

Don't shoot too many pictures early in the trip, although I know it's tempting. The good stuff is at the end as you inch closer and closer to Copper Canyon.

Cost: $265 - 1,400 Mexican pesos ($20 - $107) per person depending on the class and city of departure

2. Second Longest Zipline Course In The World

Near the El Divisadero station is the Copper Canyon Adventure Park.

The facility sits on the edge of the canyon and extends over it. There's a restaurant with a glass floor that lets you look down into the canyon while floating above it.

There are a few different activities here. The first one I did was ziplining.

The facility has a set of seven ziplines and two suspension bridges totaling a 4,100 meters route as high as 450 meters above the ground.

With the longest zipline at over one 1,000 meters, you will soar over 80 miles per hour.

The concept of ziplining is simple, but such an intense zip line system required the most precise calculations.

I've been on a lot of ziplines in my life. Generally, they are all the same. This one was not.

I flew, at first clutching the straps and venturing a peek down every few seconds.

Everything was up to code, and the staff was very vigilant in making sure all safety procedures were being followed.

So after I got comfortable with the idea of cable-based flight, I was soaring like a gringo eagle, arms wide, and eyes alternating between the canyon floor thousands of feet below and the spectacular skyline.

There are some long ziplines on this course.

There were a few times when I had to ask for clarification to see where it was that I was supposed to be landing. Other times, I preferred not to know.

Interestingly enough, the local Tarahumara were instrumental in hauling the heavy materials across the rugged Copper Canyon terrain to build the zipline circuit and all facilities along path zip.

These days, the Tarahumara are also working as guides and maintaining the route.

While this trip did not focus on getting to know the Tarahumara people, you will want to contact a local tour operator, Dave Hensleigh of Authentic Copper Canyon, who has a great relationship with them.

Hours:  9 AM or 1 PM, daily
Cost: $600 Mexican pesos ($45 USD) per person
Time: 2.5 hours

3. Rappelling, Tarzan Swinging, and High Ropes Course

Another attraction at the Adventure Park was the High Ropes Course.

On the zipline, I had lived out my childhood fantasy of flying; I was Superman in a hard hat.

On the High Ropes Course, I was Spider-Man and even Tarzan at times, a few of my childhood favorites.

The course began as I rappelled down a sheer rock.

The course was intense as I was swinging on cables, which I embarrassingly referred to as a "web" in front of the rest of the tour while in full childhood fantasy fulfillment mode.

It's a little more physically demanding than the zip line course, but it's still okay for beginners.

You feel like an expert, which is a testament to the skill of the instructors and the design of the course.

Hours: Between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM every day
Cost: 450.00 Mexican Pesos per person
Time: 1 ½ hours

4. Advanced Mountain Biking into Tarahumara Territory

It was during mountain biking that I came to appreciate the incredible intensity of the landscape and the jagged challenges every few feet of rock presented.

When you fly above something or climb down it, you don't understand it on a tangible level. It is abstract beauty, nature as aesthetic.

Mountain biking through the canyons and into the fantastic scenery in the vicinity, which included riding through pine forests next to babbling brooks and into sun-melting meadows watched over by cacti, gave me a real appreciation for the simultaneously beautiful and brutal ecosystem of the canyons.

It was more than just a mind-boggling series of ditches.

It's amazing how the environment is alpine at the top and sub-tropical closer to the heat at the bottom of the canyons.

There was a great deal of walking the bikes over steep terrain, which was fine by me.

This trail was challenging, which meant stumbling down it while walking the majority of the way.

5. Ripping Along The Edge of Copper Canyon by ATV

After enjoying the sweaty tranquility of a mountain bike ride, I had earned the noisy and effortless privilege of cutting along the canyon's edge on an ATV.

The ATV trails were broader and less winding than the mountain biking trails, but they kept us on the canyon rim viewing the stunning scenery.

It was also exciting to rip along with an engine between your legs while an insane dropoff lingered just a few feet away. Of course, it was perfectly safe.

But like any good roller coaster, the experience was safe with just enough implied danger to increase your heart rate.

How to Participate:

Parque de Aventuras Barrancas del Cobre
Phone: 01 (635) 589 6805, or contact the Office of Tourism in Chihuahua at [email protected] or by phone in Mexico at 01 800 508 0111 / (614) 429 3596

Parting Thoughts

Copper Canyon is a place to play, pure and simple.

Sure, you could visit a nearby hotel deck and sip margaritas while watching some of the most breathtaking sunsets you've ever seen. I did that too.

But I imagine the satisfaction I felt sipping strong tequila and watching the canyon turn a pinkish glow as the sun descended into the canyon floor would not have been nearly as sweet without first getting some of the canyon under my fingernails.

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My trip to Copper Canyon in the Mexican state of Chihuahua was provided in collaboration with Ah-Chihuahua, Conexion a La Aventura, ATMEX, Hotel Divisadero, Visit Mexico, Mansion Tarahumara Club Resort & Spa, and Chepe Ferrocarril Barrancas del Cobre. All opinions expressed above are my own.

One of my favorite parts of my travels around the world is discovering unappreciated cities or destinations, places people would normally overlook, and discovering the fun and beauty they have to offer.

Juarez, Mexico, is a place most people leave off their itineraries, but with so much to offer in terms of adventure, dining, and natural beauty they're making a mistake.

After only one full-day in Juarez, I can appreciate how much I do not know about the destination. In this case, the sky is, literally, the limit.

Morning: Trepachanga Eco-Adventure Park

I started my day of discovery with one of the most fun things to do in Juarez, flying hundreds of feet above the ground on a zip line at Trepachanga Eco-Adventure park many miles outside of Juarez proper.

(Where to find it: Galerias Tec., Av. Technologico 1770 52D, Ext. Col. Las Fuentes / (656) 286-8365 / [email protected])

Wrapped only in a safety harness, you get to enjoy the view at what feels like a reasonable speed for a few seconds immediately before gravity does its thing and you drop into high-speed forward motion.

This is the closest we will ever get to careening through the air Superman-style, and the wind is a great distraction from the Juarez heat and overwhelming flies.

As soon as I hit the ground after a series of different ziplines, it was time to take to the air again on the high ropes course, scrambling on loose bridges and across tightropes while looking across the Juarez landscape.

Afterward, it was time to relax and grab a bite to eat from the best place in the city to get burritos, Burrito Crisostomo delivered straight to us at the adventure park.

I chose a chicken mole burrito that was tasty and juicy with tortillas so warm and soft.

Most of the cities I've been to in Mexico don't actually serve burritos, so I always imagined it to be an American invention.

Turns out, all of Mexico just doesn't want to have to compete with Burrito Crisostomo.

Part 2: Samalayuca Dunes

Next, I headed to the Samalayuca Dunes with Lourdes from Conexion a La Aventura and a bunch of new friends.

I had originally read about from Stay Adventurous, which lies fifty or so kilometers outside of Ciudad de Juarez.

Hanging out at the sand dunes is one of the most least popular but most unique things to do in Juarez.

It's just a tight community of adventurers, mostly local Mexicans, who are able to find a way to the dunes in their jeeps.

Other locals I spoke with have often never had the opportunity or desire to go because they don't know anyone with a jeep.

The dunes are a community event, where dozens of locals park their jeeps and tailgate with their Coronas or Bud Light, and other cheap and terrible American beers, before pulling out their ATVs, souped-up jeeps, and motocross gear to use out on the sands to do some jumps.

Another common sight is watching people sandboarding, which is exactly what it sounds like.

Strapping boards to their feet, these adventurers plow down the side of smooth tan sand dunes, like a snowboarder hurtling down a snow-capped mountain.

I tossed on a board, after a little convincing from my fellow travelers, and launched myself down the biggest dune I could find.

Ordinarily, I would be scared of something like this, but less than two hours ago, I was literally suspended in mid-air.

This seemed like the easy part. For the second time in a day, the hot desert wind blew past my face and I felt an appreciation for all Juarez has to offer rising in me - along with my adrenaline levels.

The Dunes are a local tradition, held deep in the local culture for all ages, and that makes them one of the best places outside Juarez to chill out and have a relaxing day.

Part 3: Drinking The Best Liquor You Would Have Never Heard About

Tired and covered in sand, my crew and opted to carry-on with sand in our pants, inside our ears, and in places you don't want to know about, and finished the evening with one of my favorite fun things to do in Juarez (or in any other city) -- srinking!

Traveling seemingly in the middle of nowhere but close enough to the dunes, we found ourselves at The Sotolera distillery, home of Cinco Tragos sotol.

Although Mexico is best known for tequila and mescal, there are a few lesser-known regional specialties that are distilled from completely different plants, and sotol is the signature of Chihuahua.

Cinco Tragos is the smoothest, highest-quality sotol on the market, and I found myself prendido a private party hosted by Ariana Apraez Leon, the distillery's founder.

Showing off the versatility of her drink, Ariana treated us to a full meal, where everything on the menu had been treated with sotol.

From the guacamole to the marinade on the arrachera (skirt steak), the distinct flavor of Cinco Tragos was everywhere.

I also found myself becoming educated in the proper appreciation of this rare drink when Ariana brought out several styles of sotol and led us in tasting lessons.

The flavor of sotol is complex like wine or whiskey, and I was glad to have an expert teaching me what I was supposed to be detecting.

Ariana is clearly proud of her product, and she should be. She built a school project into an emerging international business, and it's one of the best success stories in the city.

Reflecting on the day with a bit of a sotol buzz, I looked out at my friends around the party and thought about Juarez.

Much like the sotol, Juarez is a well-kept secret, but for those of us daring or lucky enough visit, there's an incredible experience to be had.

I'm certainly glad I got to gain this even just a small understanding of what the city and surrounding area has to offer. And that's not just the Cinco Tragos talking.

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My trip to Juarez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua was provided in collaboration with Ah-Chihuaha,Conexion a La Aventura, and ATMEX. All opinions expressed above are my own.

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We arrived bleary-eyed in San Cristobal de las Casas after the overnight bus ride from Oaxaca. Our G Adventures CEO, Gaby, recommended booking a half-day tour of San Juan Chamula and another Mayan village. 

Specifically, the morning tour would free up our afternoon and the following day to do whatever we wanted.

She warned us that our local guide could be a bit intense, but it was out of a sense of duty to protect the local culture.

I'm sure that also implied keeping the villagers happy because they could quickly end the tours if the problems they created outweighed the revenue being generated.

The cost of the four-hour tour is 200 Mexican pesos ($15), with a portion going to each of the villages visited.

We all agreed, and after breakfast, met with other travelers near San Cristobal's cathedral.

From there, we met our local guide and boarded a minivan for the 10km drive to the first village, San Juan Chamula.

San Juan Chamula

We stopped short of the town center to visit a graveyard surrounding an abandoned church.

Villagers were attending one of the graves, and our guide took the opportunity to talk to us about photography.

He said it was OK to take photos of them from afar, but not up close.

This first opportunity was an easy call for me. I prefer not to take photos of anyone visiting a gravesite, regardless of the country or culture.

Instead, I focused on the graves themselves, decorated with flower-bearing wooden crosses.

After a brief stop at a villager's souvenir shop, where we learned about various forms of local dress, we walked for about ten minutes to the central plaza.

Located 2,200 meters (7,200 feet) above sea level in the Chiapas Highlands, San Juan Chamula boats a population of about 50,000 people.

One of the most interesting things about the village is its autonomy from the rest of Mexico.

For example, common Mexican laws do not apply here, nor do Mexico's police or army patrol here.

Chamula has its own police force and some eye-opening forms of justice.

Our guide made it a point to show us the jail, whose cell features a "window" out onto the street. Prisoners are kept no more than one day in prison.

That might seem like a light sentence, but justice is also served in a more Draconian fashion.

He explained that a few weeks earlier, three men attempted to steal a car.

One of them was caught and burned alive on the spot to warn others not to steal.

That story caught all of our attention based on the speed and severity of punishment.

Lesson: don't mess with Chamula.

Another interesting facet of village life in Chamula is the mix of Catholic and ancient Mayan religious traditions.

The church of San Juan Chamula looks normal from the outside, with its whitewashed walls, but the interior is unlike anything I'd ever seen.

And I've walked through hundreds of churches and cathedrals in my travels.

Before entering, our guide instructed us that absolutely no photographs were allowed because the indigenous Tzotzil Maya people believe cameras could steal their souls.

Not only could we not take photos, but we also had to make sure our cameras were either in our pockets or for those with DSLRs, that they were in a bag or otherwise covered.

The church is incredibly dark inside, with lighting provided by hundreds of candles.

The floor is covered in pine needles. There are no pews, which makes it one big open space.

Both walls are lined with religious figures in wooden and glass cases.

In front of the various figures are villagers of all ages lighting candles of multiple colors.

Our guide informed us the colors of the candles coincide with the colors of corn: red, black, yellow, and white, plus green (which represents Earth).

Some are there with shamans, or medicine men, who perform elaborate ceremonies to help them or their family members overcome problems, such as illness.

The shaman also uses sodas of various colors.

While it seems odd for Coca-Cola and Fanta to be used in a religious ceremony, our guide suggested it may be the color of the soda they're after and that in the past, they may have used corn-based drinks instead.

The shamans sacrifice chickens in the church. One of the travelers in our group saw such a chicken awaiting its demise.

Upon exiting the church, we were given 15 minutes to walk around the plaza on our own.

Of course, I took this time to buy ice cream and contribute to the local economy.

San Lorenzo Zinacantán

The second Mayan village we visited was Zinacantán, 7km west of San Juan Chamula.

Our first stop was a family home where souvenir textiles were produced.

The invitation to sit in the kitchen was more interesting to me than the textiles-one of the ladies cooked up fresh tortillas.

The tortillas would've been bland by themselves, but they also offered us a mixture of crushed pumpkin seed and salt to spread across them.

Once you rolled up the tortilla and bit into it, the pumpkin seed melted in your mouth, offering plenty of flavors to go along with the tortillas.

It was incredibly simple, yet very tasty, and a combination I'd never been offered before.

Once we'd had our fill of tortillas, we took a brief walk through the Church of Zinacantán, which looked similar on the inside to Western-style churches.

The pews, sunlight, and lack of shamans and sacrificial chickens presented a stark contrast to the religious traditions in nearby Chamula.

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My Mexico Ancient Civilizations tour was in partnership with G Adventures. Any opinions expressed are entirely my own. 

My original inspiration for spending time in Mexico this year was Oaxaca.

Specifically, it was Uncornered Market's Instagram photos from the year before that lead me to want to visit.

My G Adventures tour allowed just two days in this wonderful city, forcing me to prioritize my time.

The first day, while the rest of the group took a full day excursion to visit sites in the surrounding area, including a petrified waterfall and mezcal distillery, I spent the day discovering Oaxaca's historic city center.

Here's what I came up with for the top ten things to do in Oaxaca.

1. Church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán

Built in the Baroque style over the course of 200 years, from the 16th to the 18th century, the Church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán is an imposing structure that can't be missed.

Facing a large open plaza that acts as a gathering point for local events and festivals, the church is located a few blocks from the Zocolo (main plaza) and Cathedral.

The austere facade does little to give away the incredibly ornate interior, much of which is painted with gold.

The 30-foot tall altarpiece can go up against the best of them in Europe.

2. Museum of Oaxacan Cultures

Adjacent to the Church of Santo Domingo is the Museum of Oaxacan Cultures.

This museum is well worth a visit, not only for the interesting artifacts recovered from throughout the region, including the ruins of nearby Monte Alban but also for the architecture of the former Dominican monastery itself and the views of the surrounding Ethnobotanic Garden.

My favorite piece was the turquoise-encrusted skull pictured above. This alone was worth the $4.75 price of admission.

I paid an extra $4 for an English audio guide, but listening to all the available information about the building and galleries quickly overwhelmed me.

3. Zocalo and the Cathedral of Oaxaca

Oaxaca's Zocalo, or main plaza, isn't nearly as impressive as the larger cities of Guadalajara and Mexico City, but it's still worth a visit.

Despite a grand exterior, the Cathedral of Oaxaca's interior can't hold a candle to the Church of Santo Domingo.

It is better to visit the former first, so you can allow yourself to be WOW'd by the latter later.

The Zocalo is the heart of Oaxaca and the location of special events and festivals.

The plaza is actually quite large, with plenty of trees to offer shade from the midday sun.

Lots of bars and restaurants surround it. Based on our guide's suggestion, we had a group dinner at La Casa de la Abuela on our second night.

4. Photograph the Colorful Buildings

Oaxaca's buildings are beautifully preserved, and walking the cobblestone streets, taking photos of the pretty buildings is enough to keep me happy.

The colors reminded me of Cartagena and the pueblos of Colombia.

The best time of day to take photos is in the early morning, around sunrise, and in the late afternoon, just before sunset.

5. Monte Albán

According to UNESCO:

Monte Albán is an outstanding example of a pre-Columbian ceremonial centre in the middle zone of present-day Mexico, which was subjected to influences from the north - first from Teotihuacan, later the Aztecs - and from the south, the Maya.

With its pelota court, magnificent temples, tombs and bas-reliefs with hieroglyphic inscriptions, Monte Albán bears unique testimony to the successive civilizations occupying the region during the pre-Classic and Classic periods.

A short bus ride from downtown Oaxaca, at the cost of just $4 roundtrip, Monte Albán is a must-see complex of ruins built atop a mountain that was artificially leveled.

Pre-dating other popular ruins like Palenque and Chichen Itza, Monte Albán is well-preserved and easy to walk around.

Another traveler, Sergio, and I paid a total of $25 for a two-hour tour from one of the private guides hanging out at the entrance.

While there are signs in both Spanish and English, we both got a lot more out of the experience with our guide versus going it alone.

6. Sample the Moles

Oaxaca is known for food, specifically its moles, those rich, thick, and spicy sauces smothering chicken, pork, and other meats in Mexican dishes.

I knew I was going to go crazy for mole once I arrived in Mexico, and the ones I tried in Oaxaca were by far the best of the best (OK, the one in Puebla was awesome too).

Did you know there were seven varieties? I didn't either until I arrived there and started seeing various colors on the menu.

Black mole (pictured above at Catedral Restaurante) is the standard, featuring a mix of spices, chiles, and dark bitter chocolate. Mmm, chocolate!

I also sampled a green mole with suckling pig at Casa Oaxaca, but the black mole with chicken remains my favorite.

Related: The Best Restaurants in Oaxaca

7. Benito Juarez Market

Market aficionados will enjoy the Benito Juarez Market, located a block or two from the Zocalo.

It's an immense maze of stalls offering everything from cow stomachs to handbags and clothing.

Outside, you'll find lots of food stalls selling local snacks, which was the primary reason for my visit.

8. Eat Fried Grasshoppers

Fried grasshoppers are a popular snack, at least for tourists looking to challenge their palates. I bought a small bag of them for about $1, but I wish I could've bought just one.

I took my bag back to the Zocalo, took a seat, and proceeded to nibble on the little critters.

It wasn't my first time tasting fried bugs, as I'd eaten peanut-stuffed grasshoppers from a food cart in Battambang, Cambodia. Neither experience left me hungry for more.

I tried to give away the remainder of my crickets to some of the locals walking by but got no takers and ultimately dropped them in a garbage can.

9. Browse the Art Galleries

Art galleries are everywhere you look in Oaxaca, from the big ones occupying entire buildings to little ones in cafes.

Oaxaca was the only place where I purchased a souvenir in Mexico, two small paintings from a local artist.

One to give as a gift, and the other to wait for the day when I finally settle down.

10. Visit Hierve el Agua

As I mentioned previously, there's a petrified waterfall (right side of the photo above) viewable from hot springs overlooking a verdant valley.

Yea, I didn't go there, but everyone else in my group who did had an amazing time. I kind of wish I did, but then I would've had to rush my time in Oaxaca's historic center.

At least I have a good reason to go back.

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The Historic Center of Oaxaca and Monte Albán became a World Heritage Site in 1987. Click here for the full list of UNESCO sites Dave has visited.

My Mexico Ancient Civilizations tour was in partnership with G Adventures. Any opinions expressed are entirely my own. 

For more photos from Oaxaca, check out the Visual Adventure I contributed to the G Adventures blog. 

Bodies were flying out of the ring left and right. Every time a masked wrestler hit the ground, the crowd cheered louder. Even though the entire match was choreographed for maximum entertainment value, these wrestlers had skills. The average person couldn't walk away from such aerial acrobatics.

Afterward, Gaby joked that the trick to appreciating Lucha Libre was having a few drinks beforehand. She'd been leading trips for G Adventures for several years and attended the Monday wrestling matches in Puebla a dozen times or more. But she said she enjoyed the experience the most with our group. The difference was in the drinks.

Instead of getting there at the official start time of 9 p.m., when the lesser-known wrestlers were in the ring, we were busy drinking and playing Cards Against Humanity at the hotel.

It was everyone but Gaby's first time playing the game, so it was new to us all. I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard for so long. In addition to lubricating our sense of humor for the evening, it was also the night we began bonding as a tour group.

From the hotel, we walked for 10 minutes to the Puebla Arena (13 Oriente 402 in the historic city center), where the Monday night fights are held. Our tickets cost 85 Mexican pesos, or about $6.60.

Because we arrived late, we were initially seated in a second-tier bleacher section, which is what correlated with the cost of our tickets. However, we were soon moved to floor seating behind the ring.

A match of lesser wrestlers was going on as we got situated and waved down the beer guy. A little more lubrication was only going to enhance the experience.

The atmosphere inside the arena was energetic and loud. Mexicans of all ages attended, from kids wearing the masks of their favorite luchadors (wrestlers) to their parents and other adults who seemed equally invested.

This was as authentic a Mexican cultural event as you could hope for. Several models walked down the catwalk to the ring, signaling the new matches. Although unfamiliar with the wrestlers, cheering for the models walking by was an easy way to get engaged.

And our group was VERY engaged, hooting and hollering with every wrestler that smacked down hard against the ring's floor or went airborne over the ropes. In contrast, I occasionally glanced at another group of Western tourists to see them sitting in their section, stone-cold sober.

They probably thought this was a ridiculous, fake show, and "why am I here?" That would've been my reaction without the rum 'n cokes beforehand.

The first full match we watched was between the female wrestlers. It was three-on-three, with Goya Kong and Luna Magica facing Amapola and Princesa Blanca. In the following two matches, the female wrestlers were more comical and exaggerated than the men.

Throughout the event, I noticed better wrestlers were more nuanced and performed more complicated and harrowing acrobatics. Occasionally, one of the female wrestlers was thrown out of the ring, but it was nothing compared to what we'd see in the main event.

It was time for the main event after the lady's match and another group of men. The headliners were Mistico, Mascara Dorada, and El Valiente versus Averno, Mephisto, and Ephesto. These guys were unbelievable. My back hurt just watching them get flung back and forth against the ropes, being thrown up in the air only to smack back down onto the floor.

Overall, the event was a lot of fun. The key to enjoying Lucha Libre is not taking it seriously. It's entertainment and a terrific opportunity to experience a unique slice of Mexican life.

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The Historic Center of Puebla became a World Heritage Site in 1987.

Click here for the complete list of UNESCO sites Dave has visited during his travels.

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My Mexico Ancient Civilizations tour is in partnership with G Adventures; any opinions expressed are entirely my own.