Cuentepec
Country: Mexico.

Cuentepec is a town that is distinguished for its popular culture, its manifestations are the reflection of the necessities shared by the community. Cuentepec conserves its cultural essence in spite of the time and of the geographical proximity with communities that are in close relationship with the "modernity" (call it technology, communication, etc.). Its culture comes from the prehispanic time and it is conserved until our days. During the Conquest, it suffered changes that caused mystic's diversity represented in rituals dedicated to natural elements (air, stone) and to the dead. A diversity of uniting elements of vital importance also exist; such as the conservation of their native language - náhuatl -; in their way of dressing; the beliefs on the origin of certain illnesses; their domestic technology and their historical process.

The name of the town in nahuatl is: CUEMILTEPETL which means CUEMIL: furrow, TEPETL: Hill. "Hill in the furrow or "Furrow in the Hill". According to the version of the same inhabitants, Cuentepec was born in the hill that takes for name Cuentepetzin (that means: "hill in the furrow" or "furrow in the hill") this hill is located at the other side of the river. In this respect, it exists among the residents a legend that makes reference to the establishment and they say that Cuentepec was not here, it was in Cuentepetzin, it is the small hill that this to the other side of the river.

To arrive at the town of Cuentepec, from Cuernavaca, one goes bound for Miacatlán, taking the deviation that leads to the archaeological area of Xochicalco and after 16 Km. through an asphalted road you'll arrive to Cuentepec. While traveling on the road, you can appreciate the beauty of the walled parcels with stones (tecorrales), surely with the purpose of defining a parcel from another and this way to avoid any conflict with the neighbor. When arriving at the town, from the entrance, one can see the small houses of adobe and palm roof, and others of cane.

Cuentepec belongs to the reduced group of nahua towns that still exist in the state of Morelos among others: Tetelcingo, Hueyapan, Xoxocotla and Coatetelco, which are distinguished for their obvious similar cultures and for the use of the same language nahuatl, that is considered the true language of Mesoamérica.

Culturally the muffler (rebozo) is part of the inheritance of the "old ones", not only as garment of dressing but as the relationship of corporal expressions and its use. During the childbirth and the quarantine the rebozo is used as a belt, which avoids the women to get sick, as well as stopping corporal nuisances as: high temperature, waist pain and inflammation of the stomach. In this case the rebozo is a support instrument, but the corporal expression is through the mother's arms that reflects fondness and protection to the infant.

Ecoturismolatino's Opinion

When I visited Cuentepec, I went accompanying a group of university students from Cuernavaca that support the community in health and education projects. This facilitated my interaction with the inhabitants of the town and I had the fortune to meet artisans of the town that elaborate, with a very old technique, ceramic of clay. If one day you visit Cuentepec asks for Doña Nazaria "la que hace cerámica", so that she presents you the pieces elaborated by a group of women of the community. The simple act of walking through the streets of Cuentepec is a pleasure, seeing the typical houses, the dress, the curious children and, the women and men conversing in náhuatl. To visit Cuentepec can be a first part of a tour that takes advantage of a visit to the archaeological site of Xochicalco.