In Tepotzotlán most of the fun is centered in the Zócalo. In this tree-shaded plaza in front of the cathedral it is a festive, three-day occasion with masses of orange Marigold flowers everywhere clustered along pathways, encircling lighted votive candles and scattered on tree trunks and branches.

There are skeletons at every turn, life-size ones made of terra cotta, grinning bony grins from under large sombreros, playing guitars and drums, doing all the fun things they did as living beings, while other twenty-foot-high giant skeletons made of wire and cloth stand guard over the park entrances. Hanging from tree to tree on strings are brightly colored red, yellow, blue and purple papel picado, those traditional Mexican cutout paper banners. There are memorials for deceased family members and even one for the famous Mexican painter Frieda Khalo.

Booths are set up around the Zócalo chock full of candies, nuts, pottery, clothes (traditional or functional), straw hats for ladies or for vaqueros. There are sellers of balloons in the shape of Spiderman or Superman, pink cotton candy on the verge of melting in the heat, and food, food, food. In the center of the Zócalo is a stage where dancers in costume perform many of the typical Mexican dances to music booming from loud speakers. All in all it is a fitting and happy way to remember the lives of the departed loved ones.

There is another face to El Dia de Los Muertos and it's to be found in nearby Jilotepec. An interpretation of the holiday that normally is not advertised widely to the tourist trade. The Aztec Indians in Mexico celebrated the circle of life and death hundreds of years ago. Each autumn they played their musical instruments made of turtle shells and gourds, lit candles, and left food as an invitation for their relatives to visit them. They dropped zempasuchil or Marigold petals along the path to the graveyard so the dead could find their way. To the Aztecs orange was a sacred color, and Marigolds were flowers of the dead.

In early morning every second day of November, the flower sellers arrive at the cemetery. Thousands of orange Marigolds, purple Cockscombs, white Baby's Breath, and violet Iris line the road to the entrance gate, but the preferred flowers are the bright orange Marigolds that represent the sun. Stalls along the way sell sweet Pan de Muertos--bread of the dead--decorated with flowers or names, men have brought sugar cane wands in from the fields, there are mounds of pecans, almonds, sun flower seeds and walnuts, the pungent aroma of tamales and enchiladas tingle the nostrils and excite the stomach, and there are candy coffins and chocolate skulls for the children.

Inside, the cemetery is bustling with families placing flowers on the graves while others bring water to keep the flowers fresh. Some of the favored food and drink that the returning dead liked are also placed on the grave. You will see family photographs and little dishes of breads, sweets, and perhaps a bottle of Tequila. Also, there could be small jars filled with water and salt that are the essences of life. At night, the graves are prepared and familiar and loving stories of the departed begin as hundreds of candles are lit and the quiet strumming of guitars is heard.

At any time of the year and as an added attraction, every Friday in Jilotepec is market day. The town puts on a major street market where the shopper can find anything and everything--from cowboy boots to ceramic dishes, plastic dishes to finely embroidered blouses.

Located halfway between the rural towns of Jilotepec and Tula off Highway 57 to Queretaro, Rancho Las Cascadas is one of the newest of a small handful of ranches offering equestrian vacations in this colorful southern neighbor of the United States. Non-riders are also welcomed, and there are pleasant activities for all to enjoy. The property is situated in a stunning valley, several miles from the main highway in what can truly be describes as Old Mexico, sparsely populated Big Sky back country with rolling hills and great wild flower-carpeted savannahs, yet accessible to several fascinating towns and the important and spectacular ruins of ancient Tula, seat of the Toltec empire.

Rancho Las Cascadas, owned and operated by Swiss-born Ursula Wipraechtiger, offers riders of all skill levels as well as non-riders the comforts of her small ranch that include all the color and imagination of Mexico's country interiors plus five-star quality service, marvelous cuisine, and a stable of spirited but disciplined horses, all supervised with Swiss efficiency and attention to detail. Las Cascadas can accommodate up to 20 guests, though ten visitors or less make up the average complement, making for an unprecedented amount of personal attention to the interests and wishes of individual guests.

Each guest interested in riding is matched by Ursula to one of her stable of about ten gelded Mexican quarter horses. This type of animal is called the caballo criollo and characteristically is a disciplined but spirited Mexican horse. A firm admirer of "Horse Whisperer" training for her horses, Ursula has a stable of well-mannered animals that are remarkably responsive, tolerant of beginners, yet spirited enough to satisfy the most experienced rider.

True to its name the Ranch of the Cascades sits on the edges of a ravine crowned by a spectacular waterfall that feeds a secluded swimming hole. The water is often on the cool side for the timid wader as the daytime air temperature in this Mexican Eden averages between the mid 70's to mid 80's year round, rarely uncomfortably warm and frequently requiring a light blanket for comfortable sleeping at night as evening temperatures drop in this Big Sky countryside.

Meals at Las Cascadas require special mention. Supervised by an amazing young chef, Valentín Tolentín Sanchez, three square meals daily are a feast for gourmands. 'Vale', as he is called for short, in close collaboration with Ursula prepares an international cuisine with a definite Mexican accent.

Extraordinary attention is given to protecting guests from Toltec Tummy, and this includes the universal use of bottled water even for the preparation of soups. A typical supper might begin with a delicate cold avocado soup, continue with a savory chicken in chocolate mole sauce and end with a refreshing dessert of lime sorbet in vodka. Complementary wines accompany lunches and dinners.

Vale's artistic talents are not confined to the kitchen. The table setting for each dinner is splendidly appropriate to the menu and to any special feast days that may coincide with a meal. As an example, chicken in chocolate mole sauce is served as the main course on the Day of the Dead (All Hallow's Eve)--a tradition in Mexico since the time of the Aztecs--and Vale decorates the table with colorful traditional offerings of the holiday as well as American-style carved pumpkins, along with the ranch's fine crystal ware and china settings. The same attention is given to other holidays.

After dinner entertainments might include an evening of folk songs and old Mexican ballads sung by talented guitarist, Jesús González Magallanes, a local artist. The evening very likely will include an exhibition of Mexican folk dances performed by Eduardo "Lalo" Gonzalez Corona, general manager of Las Cascadas, master of quality control, right-hand man to Ursula and a former dancer in the internationally acclaimed Ballet Folklórico de México. Lalo will bring along a former partner in the Ballet Folklórico to give guests a sampling of authentic folk dances from different regions of Mexico.

The old Aztec histories claim the Toltecs as their admired ancestors. The analogy comes close to the high regard and admiration the Romans had for the Greeks and their culture. The vast Toltec empire extended from what is now New Mexico in the United States to Costa Rica in Central America. There is a legend that Tula, the Toltec capital, was a city of grand palaces decorated with gemstones of Jade, turquoise, of gold and the brightly colored feathers of the Quetzal bird. Unfortunately, these trappings of empire have disappeared along with the more humble dwellings that dotted the land surrounding the site.

For the visitor today, the first sight of Pyramid B capped with towering columns sculpted in the form of giant warriors silhouetted against the incredible Mexican blue sky is instructive of the sophistication of this ancient culture. Called Atlantes after the atlatl dart thrower weapon they carry, each stone carving depicts a warrior wearing head feathers, a breastplate to resemble a butterfly, and he wears a decorated breechclout covering him to the thigh, with its strings held in back by two discs representing the sun. His right hand carries an atlatl and the left hand the spears or arrows. Other ruins in the complex include two ball courts, the "Burnt Palace", a plaza where religious and military ceremonies took place, and the Coatepantli or serpent wall.

Some color remains on the wall where replicas of snakes are shown eating human skeletons, an indication of how the Toltecs eventually became a brutal military empire. It is tempting to think that these, at least in part, were the inspiration for the dancing skeletons and edible skulls that celebrate El Día de Los Muertos in this hidden but accessible corner of Mexico.