Iztaccihuatl and Popócatepetl- Sabrina Das

In the land of Tenochtitlan, the capital city of the ancient civilization of the Aztecs, there lived a princess, Xochiquetzal. Her name was Nahuatl for "Beautiful Flower", for indeed the fame of her beauty was known throughout the land. Xochiquetzal was in love with a handsome young man named Popócatepetl. Popócatepetl had the dark eyes and strong hands which made Xochiquetzal's legs melt like butter, and of course Popócatepetl held the heart which she gave him as close and as precious to him as his very own heart.

The two lovers approached the father of Xochiquetzal for his approval in their marriage, but the King had already planned Xochiquetzal's marriage to another. His plans for her marriage to Tlaxcalteca, the powerful prince, would unite their kingdoms and strengthen his land. The King did not tell his daughter this, but instead insisted that Popócatepetl prove himself first by fighting for the Aztecs in a battle with the Zapotecs.

And so it was that Popócatepetl left Tenochtitlan for the lands of the south. The beautiful yet strong princess Xochiquetzal said goodbye to her lover. Though the journey was long and dangerous, she knew that his strength and honour would carry him through until he could finally return to her arms.

For two lunar cycles she heard no word nor sound from her beloved. Her father then broke the news to her, that Popócatepetl had died in battle. One army had returned to Tenochtitlan, utterly defeated, eyes to the ground with grief and shame. They had brought the news of Popócatepetl's death. Xochiquetzal felt as if she had died, herself, and eventually agreed to her father's wishes - that she be married to the prince Tlaxcalteca.

One week later, a second army returned to Tenochtitlan. Xochiquetzal watched another defeated group of soldiers enter the city, backs hunched over dragging their weapons behind them. There was, however, one soldier who stood tall above the rest. His eyes remained calm and arrogant in the knowledge that his sword was soaked in the blood of his enemies, and that he had fought hard and brave with the strength and will that only true love could provide. Xochiquetzal gave a wail of astonishment, as she recognised the man she had pledged eternal love to before she married another. Her anger at her father's trickery soon turned into grief, as she realised she could never know true love ever in this lifetime, and shame, for her betrayal of her pledge of eternal love and fidelity to Popócatepetl.

She drowned herself in the lake, and as her body floated to the shores Popócatepetl was waiting. He carried her into his arms and cried with all his soul. He lay her marblesque body down on the soft earth and covered her in the sweet smelling petals of Xoxocotzin flowers. He made a crown for her with Yolochochitl flowers, the "Flowers of the Heart", and sang a sweet sad song for her whilst kneeling by her side. His song was carried by birds and sung four hundred times until it was heard by the gods in the heavens, who looked down upon the lovers and turned them into two volcanoes. In this way, Popócatepetl, the "Smoking Mountain", is able to stand guard by the side of his beloved "White Woman", now called Iztaccihuatl, forever.

Popócatepetl is the second highest mountain in Mexico, at 5452 metres, and Iztaccihuatl is the third highest at 5286 metres. They lie where the ancient city of Tenochtitlan used to be, about 70 kilometres southwest of present-day Mexico City. On a good day, the silhouette of a sleeping woman and her warrior standing sentinel with a smoking torch can be seen from Mexico City. Till this day, the two volcanoes inspire awe in both Mexicans and the numerous visitors to Mexico, especially when the romantic legend of the two lovers is retold.

Popócatepetl has been displaying more volcanic activity recently and has been closed to climbers for this reason since 1997. In fact, it continues to emit smoke and the Mexican Army and geologists are on constant alert lest it suddenly becomes necessary to evacuate the numerous villages in the areas surrounding the volcanoes. In fact, about 30 million people live in this area, including the city of Puebla, the second largest city in Mexico.

Iztaccihuatl, however, remains a popular climbing destination amongst both international and Mexican alpinists. It is commonly undertaken as a weekend's endeavour by local climbers from Mexico City, though this is not recommended unless you are already well acclimatised to altitude. The approach to the summit on the usual route (from the "feet" to the "breast") involves crossing a small glacier. If your head is not too sore and your mind is not too delirious from the lack of oxygen, you will notice the view on both sides is truly amazing, with Mexico City to the left and Puebla to the right, Pico de Orizaba (North America's third highest peak at 5610 metres) in the distance, and the warrior Popócatepetl to your back, watching over as always.