Friday, Jan. 10, 2014--Cordoba to Veracruz
My stuffy nose, irritated ear, and runny eye problem has progressed.. I'm not sure if it is the same thing that Wes had when we departed (We've been very careful trying not to spread his germs to me and I never had a sore throat or fever like he had), whether it is a bug I picked up along the way, whether it is allergies, or whether it is the beginning of the return of a sinus infection that I have gotten 3 times previously at about 7-year intervals. Anyway, it is good it began at the end of our trip. I am tolerating the symptoms well enough.
Because we were already familiar with Veracruz, we didn't schedule our bus to depart until 10:30. That gave us time to go back to the zocalo in Cordoba and enjoy the morning sunshine while watching people. Then we walked to the bus station with our luggage. It is a short 2-hour trip between the two cities, but there is some nice scenery in the mountains.
We had reserved a room at the Hotel Nu behind the bus station before leaving Veracruz, so we only had to walk around the block when we arrived. It is the best hotel (but not the most expensive) where we have stayed on this trip. It is modern, quiet, has excellent bedding, has a flat panel TV with lots of international channels, has a swimming pool, etc.
After checking in, we walked to Costco, and I bought two 1-liter bottles of tequila--one that is a Kirkland brand and one that is a Herradura brand. The Kirkland brand is probably the best, since is it an anejo tequila. But both bottles cost about $17 each including taxes. The bottles have a deposit, so each would be a little cheaper for those who live there and return the empties. We ate lunch while at Costco.
We rested a while after returning to the hotel. Then we walked to the center of town for a last night in Veracruz. We checked on the small square where there had been an orchestra and dancing before. The tables were set up as if it would happen, but there was no band. When we got to the zocalo, however, the bandstand in the center of the square had a large band on it, and people were arriving to sit in chairs that had been set up around a large dance area. They weren't ready yet, so we walked to the malacon, the seaside promenade and walked watching the people there.
Back at the zocalo, the band was playing and people were dancing. There were two couples who were especially good. The younger one had a woman in a short skirt, super-high heals, and wearing a fedora on her head dancing with her partner. Their moves were well-practiced and precise while also being a bit quicker than those of the older couples. The other good couple was an older one. The woman wore a floor-length, lacy, blue dress and the man wore a double-breasted suit. Their movements were slower and more graceful looking. With both couples, their feet were in perfect position between partners at all times.
Being hungry and knowing that we had to be up early tomorrow, we headed back toward the hotel looking for a place to eat. On the way, however, we came across another stage in the center of the wide median on our street where entertainment was about to start. There was a TV camera with projection onto a large screen. A couple of radio (or maybe TV) personalities were serving as masters of ceremony for it. The performers were all students (from very young children to quite old adults) of a dance studio there in town. They performed dances of various kinds--rumbas in Cuban-style costumes, tangos in black and red outfits, Mexican folk dances in fluffy ribboned dresses for the women and mariachi-style costumes for the men, Hawaiian dances in grass skirts, etc. We were hoping to see the Aztec dance. The men had body paintings and wore short, beaded skirts over white underwear (with one having a feathered headdress), and the women wore similar skimpy wear with black under the hanging beads. Unfortunately, by 21:00, they still were not performing, so we left.
We just stopped at a street stall and ate a quick torta for dinner. Wes got a chicken one, and my filling was called red enchilada. They were okay, but the quality wasn't the best.
Back at the room, we rushed to get packed and ready for bed. We had scheduled a taxi to pick us up at 4:30.
Saturday, Jan. 11, 2014--Veracruz to San Antonio
We had already bathed and shaved the night before. When the alarm went off at 4:00, we just rushed getting dressed and closing our suitcases. However, the phone rang at 4:05 saying the taxi was already there. We really went into overdrive at that point. It got us to the airport before the counter was open, and we were so tired from lack of sleep. Wes commented that it is too bad our best hotel had been on the last night when we couldn't sleep late and enjoy it. It had been quiet, and the beds had felt so good!
Getting on the plane, there were already two people in our assigned seats, and they had boarding passes with the same seat numbers. The plane was only about 1/2 full, so I called the attendant. She told us to take two other seats. Then people came on with one of those seats as their assignment. The attendant found out that it was a sold-out flight and went into overdrive at that point. Wes and I were surprised to hear that it was sold out, because we had commented as late as just before boarding how few people were at the gate and how they would probably lose money on the flight. Apparently, many people had arrived to check in with only 30-45 minutes left before the flight. The attendant handled the situation well. She started talking on the radio to the gate and told them to hold all passengers until she got a seat count. Then she only let them board the number of people that could fit in the empty seats. My guess is that they bumped the passengers who checked in late (which I think is the appropriate procedure considering that we were supposed to all be there to check in 1 1/2 hours ahead of departure). Wes and I were relieved that they were't following the alternative procedure of kicking us off because we got onto the plane after the others who had the same assigned seats. (That would have been especially inappropriate since United assigns numbers for when you can board based on inward to outward seating--window seats boarding first, middle seats boarding next, and aisle seats boarding last. Because I always choose an aisle seat, Wes had hung back to board with me.)
It was very cloudy most of the way to Houston as we followed the coast. I did see the Mansfield cut in a break of the clouds. And just for a few moments, I saw Corpus Christi (the university, Flour Bluff with the Naval Air Station, and Padre Island). There was a nice rainbow that formed on the top of the solid clouds for a while. It started as a hyperbola just at the edge of the clouds after a clearing. Then it became a complete circle for a few minutes before disappearing.
We had a long 5-hour wait at the airport in Houston, probably because that gave us the cheapest tickets when we made our reservations. Traveling to Mexico becomes much more expensive during the Christmas season. Three other planes left for San Antonio before ours. We ate lunch at Subway, explored the various terminals (Terminal D is now almost completely dead and Terminal A, which for many years has been for non-United (non-Continental) flights has very little traffic and now has some United flights. We found The Fruitaria, a new restaurant by a San Antonio chef which is located in Terminal B. And eventually, it was time to board our flight--another completely full one.
In San Antonio, our luggage had already arrived. They called our names and we picked the bags up and caught the shuttle to the Employee's Parking lot to drive back home.
It was a good trip. We liked where we went. We felt that the timing per place was just right. The food was delicious with plenty of variety. The outdoor activities and performances were very numerous and entertaining. The sun was out every day. The temperatures outside were in the 70s (lower 20s celsius) most days and in the upper 60s (upper teens celsius) on the rest. We only suffered in relation to hotel room temperatures; often they were cold day and night.
Spening Update: We spent a total of $702.10 over 10 days (not including our airfares). That's $70.21 per day for the both us and $35.11 per day each.
Sunday, January 12, 2014
Thursday, January 09, 2014
Cordoba
Thursday, Jan. 9, 2014—Puebla
to Cordoba
Neither Wes nor I slept well last
night. He had drainage which resulted in
coughing. I had a stuffy nose. I’m wondering if both problems are
related to allergies. I have been
sneezing a lot. I have not been taking
my allergy medicine that I normally take at home. I took a pill this morning and will take
another this evening. I hope that’s all
it is. I don’t want to get sick.
We got up earlier than expected because of
our problems sleeping, so we walked to the bus station getting there about 1
hr. 15 min. before our bus was scheduled to depart. I tried to change our tickets to the bus at
8:30 (rather than the scheduled one at 9:30), but they refused;
We arrived in Cordoba
From there, we walked to an ecological park
recommended by the guidebook and looked at it.
Then we headed downstown where we saw the Palacio Municipal which has a nice mural within its stairwell, the outside of the Cathedral which was not
open at the time, the people sitting in the zocalo, and the shops and buildings
surrounding the zocalo.
We were exhausted by then and returned to
the room to rest until evening. When we did return, it was exciting. There was a full band (30-35 members) playing Danzon music, and couples were dancing. We watched for a while. Then we headed to the cathedral and saw the inside of it. After watching a little more dancing, we wandered through the shopping area hearing street musicians. Wes bought some potato chips. Combing back through the zocalo, the band had quit playing, and there was a rock band and a pair of jugglers performing.
Wednesday, January 08, 2014
An Unexpected Surprise
Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2014--Puebla
As we readied to leave our room this morning, we went through the map of Puebla to mark the tourist sites we still wanted to see considering that this is our last day here. We circled about 6 places of interest and headed out for the day--another sunny one.
Our first stop was probably the most famous tourist site in Pueblo--the Biblioteca Palafoxiana, the first public library in the Americas. It is in a room that reflects the architecture of the oldest libraries in the world with ornate carved wooden shelves going to the ceiling. Reading tables are topped with slabs of onyx. It's a beautiful library with an important collection of books which is open to the public.
From the library, we went to the San Pedro Museo de Arte. We checked the banners outside and were unsure whether the shows would be worth seeing. We decided to go inside to see what the admission fee would be. That's when the surprise of the day occurred. I had read that the Puebla Symphony Orchestra sometimes plays concerts there. Well, they weren't playing a concert, but they were there rehearsing for an upcoming one. They were in the large, central courtyard of the building. We listened briefly just inside the area, then we went upstairs to the wrap-around balcony and sat on a bench for an hour listening as they rehearsed four pieces. It was a very enjoyable substitute for a concert, since no concerts are taking place during our visit.
From there, we headed towards an arts area known as the Barrio del Artista. The city has built small exhibit spaces (about 4 m x 4 m in dimension which would be about 150 sq. ft.) which are provided to artists to show their work. Tourists look through the doorways and enter if they see something that interests them. The city providing such spaces is a nice way to encourage arts, I think.
In that same area, we also saw the Mercado de Artesanias known as El Parian, which is a good place for buying souvenirs and has lots of colorful arts and crafts items for sale. Also in the same area, we saw the Teatro Principal which has burned and been rebuilt twice. The present building looks like the original on the outside, but it is completely modern on the inside.
Just outside the historical zone in that area is the Monastery de San Francisco whose grounds are now a park. We walked through it, saw an art exhibit there, saw the beautiful chapel inside the Iglesia Franciscano. Nearby, we tried to see an old market building that now houses small eating establishments, but what a problem it was. They had no business, so about 10 eating stall owners were chasing after us with menus trying to get us to have a seat and order in their restaurant.
It was getting late, so we headed back toward our part of town for a late lunch by going down "Sweets Street," a two-block length of a street that is lined with many stops selling all kinds of sweets. We stopped at a restaurant we had seen yesterday for the usual multi-course lunch--cream of potato soup; spaghetti with olive oil, garlic, and cheese; fried fish filet with salad and refried black beans; rice pudding, and guayaba juice.
In the late afternoon, we went out again for a final exploration of town. We saw an exhibit of old marionette theaters from the Czech Republic at a city cultural institute. We walked through the zocalo and along the area streets just watching people. We returned to the Rosario Chapel which we discovered last night, and it was lighted better because of a mass that was about to start. Eventually, we stopped at a small place near our hotel and ate two arabes--meat tacos with chile sauce and marinated onions and peppers.
As we readied to leave our room this morning, we went through the map of Puebla to mark the tourist sites we still wanted to see considering that this is our last day here. We circled about 6 places of interest and headed out for the day--another sunny one.
Our first stop was probably the most famous tourist site in Pueblo--the Biblioteca Palafoxiana, the first public library in the Americas. It is in a room that reflects the architecture of the oldest libraries in the world with ornate carved wooden shelves going to the ceiling. Reading tables are topped with slabs of onyx. It's a beautiful library with an important collection of books which is open to the public.
From the library, we went to the San Pedro Museo de Arte. We checked the banners outside and were unsure whether the shows would be worth seeing. We decided to go inside to see what the admission fee would be. That's when the surprise of the day occurred. I had read that the Puebla Symphony Orchestra sometimes plays concerts there. Well, they weren't playing a concert, but they were there rehearsing for an upcoming one. They were in the large, central courtyard of the building. We listened briefly just inside the area, then we went upstairs to the wrap-around balcony and sat on a bench for an hour listening as they rehearsed four pieces. It was a very enjoyable substitute for a concert, since no concerts are taking place during our visit.
From there, we headed towards an arts area known as the Barrio del Artista. The city has built small exhibit spaces (about 4 m x 4 m in dimension which would be about 150 sq. ft.) which are provided to artists to show their work. Tourists look through the doorways and enter if they see something that interests them. The city providing such spaces is a nice way to encourage arts, I think.
In that same area, we also saw the Mercado de Artesanias known as El Parian, which is a good place for buying souvenirs and has lots of colorful arts and crafts items for sale. Also in the same area, we saw the Teatro Principal which has burned and been rebuilt twice. The present building looks like the original on the outside, but it is completely modern on the inside.
Just outside the historical zone in that area is the Monastery de San Francisco whose grounds are now a park. We walked through it, saw an art exhibit there, saw the beautiful chapel inside the Iglesia Franciscano. Nearby, we tried to see an old market building that now houses small eating establishments, but what a problem it was. They had no business, so about 10 eating stall owners were chasing after us with menus trying to get us to have a seat and order in their restaurant.
It was getting late, so we headed back toward our part of town for a late lunch by going down "Sweets Street," a two-block length of a street that is lined with many stops selling all kinds of sweets. We stopped at a restaurant we had seen yesterday for the usual multi-course lunch--cream of potato soup; spaghetti with olive oil, garlic, and cheese; fried fish filet with salad and refried black beans; rice pudding, and guayaba juice.
In the late afternoon, we went out again for a final exploration of town. We saw an exhibit of old marionette theaters from the Czech Republic at a city cultural institute. We walked through the zocalo and along the area streets just watching people. We returned to the Rosario Chapel which we discovered last night, and it was lighted better because of a mass that was about to start. Eventually, we stopped at a small place near our hotel and ate two arabes--meat tacos with chile sauce and marinated onions and peppers.
Tuesday, January 07, 2014
World's Largest Pyramid (by Volume)
Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014--Puebla (with Side Trip to Cholula)
Cholula was a separate city at one time, but now it is a part of the Puebla metropolitan area and there is no undeveloped gap between the two. We caught a bus there this morning and spent about 5 hours visiting the town which also has an old colonial center and an archaeological site that includes the world's largest pyramid when measured by volume.
There was a very nice, enthusiastic man at the tourist office who spoke no English. That didn't stop him from telling us about the major sites to see, and we followed his advice. We started with their zocalo which is HUGE and has two sections, a paved section and a landscaped section. Booths were set up on part of the paved section selling 3 Kings Cakes from various bakeries in the area. All bakeries in the area are still selling them, and we see people who are buying them. We have not seen any indications of price discounts on them, though.
The Cathedral was having mass when we entered, so we just looked inside and left. On an adjacent side of the zocalo, there is an even larger and more elaborate church which was part of an old convent (Convento de San Gabriel) that no longer operates as a convent. We stopped first in its museum and library. The guard working there was very happy to have visitors and spoke some English. He made sure that we saw everything. The library was quite impressive with many volumes from the 1600s and 1700s. One display he showed us was a book inside a fishbowl which was meant to show the damage that bugs can do. He fanned the pages to a particular spot and had us look inside. It was filled with live worms (that looked like grub worms) eating away. The church was large and impressive. We've seen so many churches on this trip, however, that it is hard to recall specifics about any one. Unfortunately, the Royal Chapel within the convent is closed on Tuesdays, so we were unable to see it.
From there, we headed to the archaeological ruins of Tlachihualtepetl about 3 blocks away. The centerpiece is a giant mound which is the largest pyramid by volume that has been found in the world. The Spaniards destroyed it and built a church on top, so the first thing we did was climb to there. The church was nice, but the views of the town and the area were the most interesting. After climbing back down, we bought a ticket to admit us to the ruins. The giant pyramid, when explored in recent times, was found to have 8 km (about 5 miles) of tunnels within it. The visit to the site begins with entering the tunnels and wandering until coming out the other side. These tunnels were built for native people around 100 A.D. They are small! I could stand in them, but there was very little space above my head or beyond my shoulders on either side. At one point, I began to feel claustrophobic. The only way out, once in them, is to go back or to go forward. I was approximately in the middle. There are off-shoot tunnels which are blocked by grilled gates. Fortunately, there was a long, lighted tunnel heading upstairs at about the point I started feeling closed in. I stood there a moment looking up that long passage and started feeling a bit better. I was glad when we exited. Outside the tunnel system, we walked around ruins of outer buildings. Then we went to a small museum which had a nice mural from the ruins and lots of examples of sculptures and pottery.
We explored the streets of the old town looking for a place for a late lunch. Eventually, we entered the market. A young man at Rosita's encouraged us to stop at his stall. We saw the great looking sandwiches he was serving to a family, so we ordered the same. He toasted a bun while making pork milanesa (a thin piece of pork which is battered and deep-fried). On the bun, he spread fresh avocado and then put the milanesa on it. He picked the leaves off a fresh bunch of cilantro that still had its roots with dirt on them (which would have impressed Arne), washed them, and placed them on the meat. Then he put a layer of pickled peppers and onion. Next, he cut slices of a local white cheese and covered the sandwich with a thick layer. Finally, he put more avocado on top of that before placing the top of the bun on it. It was a very big, tasty sandwich, and it was fun seeing how proud he was that we were eating there.
We returned to the xocalo to sit on a bench in the sunshine and watch people while drinking large fruit drinks we had bought in the market--pineapple for Wes and horchata for me. Then we decided we were tired and were ready to head back into town.
As we have been doing every day, we went back out in the evening to watch people and to explore more of the colonial center of Puebla. We discovered an old market that has been transformed into a shopping/eating area with a department store, small shops, and lots of small restaurants. And we also found a very elaborate baroque-style church named Iglesia de Santo Domingo de Guzman with a super ornate chapel (Capila de Rosario). Eventually, we bought another specialty here--freshly made potato chips being sold in a clear plastic bag. I bought the spicy ones and had chile sauce and lime juice sprinkled over them. Wes got a bag of plain chips. He wanted to buy a large cola to keep in the room, so we ate the chips while walking toward the supermarket that is near our hotel. We headed back to the room very tired.
Cholula was a separate city at one time, but now it is a part of the Puebla metropolitan area and there is no undeveloped gap between the two. We caught a bus there this morning and spent about 5 hours visiting the town which also has an old colonial center and an archaeological site that includes the world's largest pyramid when measured by volume.
There was a very nice, enthusiastic man at the tourist office who spoke no English. That didn't stop him from telling us about the major sites to see, and we followed his advice. We started with their zocalo which is HUGE and has two sections, a paved section and a landscaped section. Booths were set up on part of the paved section selling 3 Kings Cakes from various bakeries in the area. All bakeries in the area are still selling them, and we see people who are buying them. We have not seen any indications of price discounts on them, though.
The Cathedral was having mass when we entered, so we just looked inside and left. On an adjacent side of the zocalo, there is an even larger and more elaborate church which was part of an old convent (Convento de San Gabriel) that no longer operates as a convent. We stopped first in its museum and library. The guard working there was very happy to have visitors and spoke some English. He made sure that we saw everything. The library was quite impressive with many volumes from the 1600s and 1700s. One display he showed us was a book inside a fishbowl which was meant to show the damage that bugs can do. He fanned the pages to a particular spot and had us look inside. It was filled with live worms (that looked like grub worms) eating away. The church was large and impressive. We've seen so many churches on this trip, however, that it is hard to recall specifics about any one. Unfortunately, the Royal Chapel within the convent is closed on Tuesdays, so we were unable to see it.
From there, we headed to the archaeological ruins of Tlachihualtepetl about 3 blocks away. The centerpiece is a giant mound which is the largest pyramid by volume that has been found in the world. The Spaniards destroyed it and built a church on top, so the first thing we did was climb to there. The church was nice, but the views of the town and the area were the most interesting. After climbing back down, we bought a ticket to admit us to the ruins. The giant pyramid, when explored in recent times, was found to have 8 km (about 5 miles) of tunnels within it. The visit to the site begins with entering the tunnels and wandering until coming out the other side. These tunnels were built for native people around 100 A.D. They are small! I could stand in them, but there was very little space above my head or beyond my shoulders on either side. At one point, I began to feel claustrophobic. The only way out, once in them, is to go back or to go forward. I was approximately in the middle. There are off-shoot tunnels which are blocked by grilled gates. Fortunately, there was a long, lighted tunnel heading upstairs at about the point I started feeling closed in. I stood there a moment looking up that long passage and started feeling a bit better. I was glad when we exited. Outside the tunnel system, we walked around ruins of outer buildings. Then we went to a small museum which had a nice mural from the ruins and lots of examples of sculptures and pottery.
We explored the streets of the old town looking for a place for a late lunch. Eventually, we entered the market. A young man at Rosita's encouraged us to stop at his stall. We saw the great looking sandwiches he was serving to a family, so we ordered the same. He toasted a bun while making pork milanesa (a thin piece of pork which is battered and deep-fried). On the bun, he spread fresh avocado and then put the milanesa on it. He picked the leaves off a fresh bunch of cilantro that still had its roots with dirt on them (which would have impressed Arne), washed them, and placed them on the meat. Then he put a layer of pickled peppers and onion. Next, he cut slices of a local white cheese and covered the sandwich with a thick layer. Finally, he put more avocado on top of that before placing the top of the bun on it. It was a very big, tasty sandwich, and it was fun seeing how proud he was that we were eating there.
We returned to the xocalo to sit on a bench in the sunshine and watch people while drinking large fruit drinks we had bought in the market--pineapple for Wes and horchata for me. Then we decided we were tired and were ready to head back into town.
As we have been doing every day, we went back out in the evening to watch people and to explore more of the colonial center of Puebla. We discovered an old market that has been transformed into a shopping/eating area with a department store, small shops, and lots of small restaurants. And we also found a very elaborate baroque-style church named Iglesia de Santo Domingo de Guzman with a super ornate chapel (Capila de Rosario). Eventually, we bought another specialty here--freshly made potato chips being sold in a clear plastic bag. I bought the spicy ones and had chile sauce and lime juice sprinkled over them. Wes got a bag of plain chips. He wanted to buy a large cola to keep in the room, so we ate the chips while walking toward the supermarket that is near our hotel. We headed back to the room very tired.
Monday, January 06, 2014
Wonderful Puebla
Monday, Jan. 6, 2014--Puebla
It's still a holiday for some, so not all businesses are open and only a few of the tourist sites are open. It's a sunny day, though, so out we went.
On the zocalo, there were trucks set up and a huge crowd. It was a gift give-away. Lines of families approached people with large plastic trash bags full of gifts. For each family, a volunteer would pull out 2-3 gifts, then they would leave and the next family would step forward. I was talking to Wes yesterday as we would see poor families on the streets telling him that it is sad to realize that not all children would be getting gifts for 3 Kings Day. Yet this morning I had a different question: Are the families and children getting these gifts the truly needy ones? There is never an easy solution to a problem.
The cathedral was open, so we went inside. What an impressive structure. It was built in the 1500s and is massive. It is also quite unusual. As we entered, there was what seemed to be a large room built into the back third of the massive interior and taking up lots of space where there would normally be pews. As we walked further into the building, we could see that it housed probably the most massive pipe organ I have ever seen and a large seating area for the choir. The alter was massive, too, and reminded me of the one in St. Peter's Cathedral at the Vatican. There has obviously been a lot of wealth in Puebla over time.
After just wandering a few of the streets of the large colonial center of the town, we went into the tourist office. A lady there gave us suggestions for what to see and do, and she pointed out that the main museum in the city, Museo Amparo, would be free today. We made that our next stop. What a surprise it was. The exterior was a beautiful colonial building covered with tiles. Yet as we entered, the interior was a completely modern, mostly glass structure constructed in 1991. The museum was much bigger than we expected, and it took us quite a while to explore all of the galleries. There is a massive collection of Mexican-designed jewelry which was all high-quality and reminded me of the types of items sold by Marti's, the store that used to be in Nuevo Laredo and is now in San Antonio and which specializes in jewelry, clothing, gifts, and furnishings that are all made by hand by craftsmen. Several of the halls housed a special photographic exhibit by the Mexican Kati Horna who was in Spain during the Civil War, in Paris also in the 1930s, and did lots of photography for Mexican publications. Special pieces from the treasury of The Cathedral were also on display, as well as a small exhibit of art from ancient ruins in the area. The rooftop of the museum provides nice views of the city and a wonderful place to sit in the sun and relax.
We were tired and hungry after leaving the museum, so we went to a restaurant near our hotel and had another multi-course lunch--noodle soup, rice, charcoal-broiled chicken, beans, guacamole, fresh papaya, and a red-colored juice drink. Back at the hotel afterward, we relaxed before going out again.
Apparently the front which has brought cold weather to the U.S. has reached this far. It's not super cold, but when we went back out around 17:30, we could have used jackets instead of pullovers. About 1 1/2 times as high in altitude as Denver, Puebla is high enough in the mountains that most evenings are cool or cold.
People were out, but there were no more celebrations tonight. The lady in the tourist office told us that things will remain quiet for a while when I asked her if there were any concerts that we might attend. Therefore, we just walked the streets, looked in the courtyards of old buildings and in the shops that were open, stepped inside at least 8 churches, and enjoyed the nice Christmas lights that are everywhere.
Before returning to the room, we stopped nearby to try two of the specialties of the city--an arabe taco and a cemita sandwich. Both are made with meat cut from a rotating spit like they use in the Middle East. The meat is then cooked on a griddle with a picante sauce. For the tacos, it was placed in a flour tortilla and rolled. For a cemita, it is served on a firm bun with chopped cilantro and onions on top of the meat.
Interesting observations today:
1. Texting while praying--Wes pointed out a man in the cathedral who was texting on his cell phone while kneeling to pray.
2. Confiscating license plates--We watched a lady traffic cop as she removed the license plates from a car that had been parked too long (or maybe already had an outstanding ticket). That should be a simple way to get the attention of the owner.
3. Face painting--Face painting is popular here during the holidays. Tonight I saw the best one so far--a young boy with his entire face painted as if he were wearing a Mexican wrestling mask.
It's still a holiday for some, so not all businesses are open and only a few of the tourist sites are open. It's a sunny day, though, so out we went.
On the zocalo, there were trucks set up and a huge crowd. It was a gift give-away. Lines of families approached people with large plastic trash bags full of gifts. For each family, a volunteer would pull out 2-3 gifts, then they would leave and the next family would step forward. I was talking to Wes yesterday as we would see poor families on the streets telling him that it is sad to realize that not all children would be getting gifts for 3 Kings Day. Yet this morning I had a different question: Are the families and children getting these gifts the truly needy ones? There is never an easy solution to a problem.
The cathedral was open, so we went inside. What an impressive structure. It was built in the 1500s and is massive. It is also quite unusual. As we entered, there was what seemed to be a large room built into the back third of the massive interior and taking up lots of space where there would normally be pews. As we walked further into the building, we could see that it housed probably the most massive pipe organ I have ever seen and a large seating area for the choir. The alter was massive, too, and reminded me of the one in St. Peter's Cathedral at the Vatican. There has obviously been a lot of wealth in Puebla over time.
After just wandering a few of the streets of the large colonial center of the town, we went into the tourist office. A lady there gave us suggestions for what to see and do, and she pointed out that the main museum in the city, Museo Amparo, would be free today. We made that our next stop. What a surprise it was. The exterior was a beautiful colonial building covered with tiles. Yet as we entered, the interior was a completely modern, mostly glass structure constructed in 1991. The museum was much bigger than we expected, and it took us quite a while to explore all of the galleries. There is a massive collection of Mexican-designed jewelry which was all high-quality and reminded me of the types of items sold by Marti's, the store that used to be in Nuevo Laredo and is now in San Antonio and which specializes in jewelry, clothing, gifts, and furnishings that are all made by hand by craftsmen. Several of the halls housed a special photographic exhibit by the Mexican Kati Horna who was in Spain during the Civil War, in Paris also in the 1930s, and did lots of photography for Mexican publications. Special pieces from the treasury of The Cathedral were also on display, as well as a small exhibit of art from ancient ruins in the area. The rooftop of the museum provides nice views of the city and a wonderful place to sit in the sun and relax.
We were tired and hungry after leaving the museum, so we went to a restaurant near our hotel and had another multi-course lunch--noodle soup, rice, charcoal-broiled chicken, beans, guacamole, fresh papaya, and a red-colored juice drink. Back at the hotel afterward, we relaxed before going out again.
Apparently the front which has brought cold weather to the U.S. has reached this far. It's not super cold, but when we went back out around 17:30, we could have used jackets instead of pullovers. About 1 1/2 times as high in altitude as Denver, Puebla is high enough in the mountains that most evenings are cool or cold.
People were out, but there were no more celebrations tonight. The lady in the tourist office told us that things will remain quiet for a while when I asked her if there were any concerts that we might attend. Therefore, we just walked the streets, looked in the courtyards of old buildings and in the shops that were open, stepped inside at least 8 churches, and enjoyed the nice Christmas lights that are everywhere.
Before returning to the room, we stopped nearby to try two of the specialties of the city--an arabe taco and a cemita sandwich. Both are made with meat cut from a rotating spit like they use in the Middle East. The meat is then cooked on a griddle with a picante sauce. For the tacos, it was placed in a flour tortilla and rolled. For a cemita, it is served on a firm bun with chopped cilantro and onions on top of the meat.
Interesting observations today:
1. Texting while praying--Wes pointed out a man in the cathedral who was texting on his cell phone while kneeling to pray.
2. Confiscating license plates--We watched a lady traffic cop as she removed the license plates from a car that had been parked too long (or maybe already had an outstanding ticket). That should be a simple way to get the attention of the owner.
3. Face painting--Face painting is popular here during the holidays. Tonight I saw the best one so far--a young boy with his entire face painted as if he were wearing a Mexican wrestling mask.
Sunday, January 05, 2014
Snow in Puebla
Sunday, Jan. 5, 2014--Xalapa to Puebla
We didn't have to rush this morning. Our bus departure wasn't until 11:00, and the hotel had a free breakfast--thick yogurt with fresh fruit, granola, fresh-squeezed orange juice, and coffee. We did have to contend with the cold room. It's amazing how cold the room always felt even though the air temperature got quite warm in the afternoon.
We climbed as we headed toward Puebla which is further up in the mountains and surrounded by volcanoes. We went through farmland, desert, a mixture of pine trees and desert, etc., during the 2 1/2-hour trip. It was strange. Rather than a gradual change in ecology, you could see the line forming the edge of the desert and the beginning of the farmland.
The bus station in Puebla is HUGE compared to where we have been. We managed to find the ticket counters and buy our outgoing tickets for Thursday. Then we left the terminal to walk to the center of town. It's a rather simple route, so we decided last night we might as well walk. At first, however, we headed the wrong direction. Fortunately, I realized it within 3-4 blocks and we turned around. Most of the trip was through business and warehouse areas that were closed because of the holiday. Many people were along the route, however, waiting for buses or out walking. We checked 2-3 times to confirm that we were going the right way. Finally, after an hour, we entered the historical (colonial) part of the city and easily found our hotel.
We are staying at El Hotelito which is in a historical building. The ceiling in our room is probably 20 ft (about 6 m) high and consists of very large, old cross beams topped by wooden planks. About 12 feet up, the wall has a painted frieze in a native-looking pattern. We have a balcony with two doors that open to it. We also have a kitchenette with a sink, cabinets, refrigerator and microwave oven. It's old, but clean. Both the beds feel good.
Since it was 15:30, we hadn't eaten since breakfast, and we weren't sure of what would be open tonight, we asked the hotel manager for directions to some restaurants. We found a very nice place just a block away which was almost full. They had a set menu. We had a bowl of cream of squash soup, a plate of rice cooked in chicken broth and mixed with vegetables. We had a bowl that held a chicken leg and lots of dark poblano mole sauce. (The mole was super rich and flavorful.) For dessert, they served us rice pudding. And for drinking, it included a pitcher of lemonade. It was incredibly cheap at $3.07 per person.
From the restaurant, we walked to the main square to see what was happening. Boy, were things happening there and on the nearby shopping streets! Tonight is the night that children get their Christmas gifts. The shopping streets were filled with crowds. People coming out of stores were carrying multiple bags filled with boxes holding toys, electronics, etc. On the zocalo, there were lots of activities. In one area, couples were dancing to the traditional music of Danzon. In another area, clowns were performing. Around the square there were people holding unbelievably huge bundles of balloons for sale. People were sitting at cafes having cakes and coffee. Others were buying ice cream cones. It was very festive. It reminded me of what Christmas Eve used to be like at home before stores started closing early.
We returned to the hotel to rest and get our pullovers. It was obvious that things would remain festive through the evening. Wes wanted to buy a cola, so we walked to a supermarket 7 blocks away. As we returned, people were arriving in cars and parking in the area around our hotel to head downtown (7 blocks away) for the events.
Around 19:45, we returned to downtown. The crowds were still out. Those who had been shopping and had big bags of purchases were coming toward us as they left the area for their cars and homes. The zocalo, however, was full of people there for the entertainment. And the streets and buildings in the area were alight with decorations--more than I have seen anywhere else in years. It was so beautiful and helped make it exciting to be there.
On a stage built around the fountain in the center of the square, there were acts performing. When we arrived a group of human-sized puppets were performing a skit. Included were the 3 kings, the devil, Father Christmas, a donkey, a goat, and other animals. Following that, an acrobatic group from Magic City performed tricks such as cheerleaders do today. Then came a group of clowns from Magic City who did different acts. The crowd grew and grew during all of this and moved closer and closer together. I had a tall man holding a child in his arms in front of me that made it hard to see, so I squeezed into a small space to his right to be able to enjoy the show. Finally, dignitaries, including the young mayor who seemed very professional, were presented. They thanked everyone and then led the crowd in a countdown to the big event. Snow blowing machines had been placed all around the plaza and started shutting out flakes of foam. The crowd was mesmerized. "Snow" accumulated on heads, clothing, lampposts, etc. Then all the entertainers marched in a parade around the square to end the evening.
We were so lucky to be here today. I had no idea that Puebla had such extravagant decorations and celebrations for Christmas. It was so much more exciting than the quiet evening we have at home, and it kept the children's minds occupied so that they weren't anxiously asking how long it would be before the 3 Kings deliver their presents.
We didn't have to rush this morning. Our bus departure wasn't until 11:00, and the hotel had a free breakfast--thick yogurt with fresh fruit, granola, fresh-squeezed orange juice, and coffee. We did have to contend with the cold room. It's amazing how cold the room always felt even though the air temperature got quite warm in the afternoon.
We climbed as we headed toward Puebla which is further up in the mountains and surrounded by volcanoes. We went through farmland, desert, a mixture of pine trees and desert, etc., during the 2 1/2-hour trip. It was strange. Rather than a gradual change in ecology, you could see the line forming the edge of the desert and the beginning of the farmland.
The bus station in Puebla is HUGE compared to where we have been. We managed to find the ticket counters and buy our outgoing tickets for Thursday. Then we left the terminal to walk to the center of town. It's a rather simple route, so we decided last night we might as well walk. At first, however, we headed the wrong direction. Fortunately, I realized it within 3-4 blocks and we turned around. Most of the trip was through business and warehouse areas that were closed because of the holiday. Many people were along the route, however, waiting for buses or out walking. We checked 2-3 times to confirm that we were going the right way. Finally, after an hour, we entered the historical (colonial) part of the city and easily found our hotel.
We are staying at El Hotelito which is in a historical building. The ceiling in our room is probably 20 ft (about 6 m) high and consists of very large, old cross beams topped by wooden planks. About 12 feet up, the wall has a painted frieze in a native-looking pattern. We have a balcony with two doors that open to it. We also have a kitchenette with a sink, cabinets, refrigerator and microwave oven. It's old, but clean. Both the beds feel good.
Since it was 15:30, we hadn't eaten since breakfast, and we weren't sure of what would be open tonight, we asked the hotel manager for directions to some restaurants. We found a very nice place just a block away which was almost full. They had a set menu. We had a bowl of cream of squash soup, a plate of rice cooked in chicken broth and mixed with vegetables. We had a bowl that held a chicken leg and lots of dark poblano mole sauce. (The mole was super rich and flavorful.) For dessert, they served us rice pudding. And for drinking, it included a pitcher of lemonade. It was incredibly cheap at $3.07 per person.
From the restaurant, we walked to the main square to see what was happening. Boy, were things happening there and on the nearby shopping streets! Tonight is the night that children get their Christmas gifts. The shopping streets were filled with crowds. People coming out of stores were carrying multiple bags filled with boxes holding toys, electronics, etc. On the zocalo, there were lots of activities. In one area, couples were dancing to the traditional music of Danzon. In another area, clowns were performing. Around the square there were people holding unbelievably huge bundles of balloons for sale. People were sitting at cafes having cakes and coffee. Others were buying ice cream cones. It was very festive. It reminded me of what Christmas Eve used to be like at home before stores started closing early.
We returned to the hotel to rest and get our pullovers. It was obvious that things would remain festive through the evening. Wes wanted to buy a cola, so we walked to a supermarket 7 blocks away. As we returned, people were arriving in cars and parking in the area around our hotel to head downtown (7 blocks away) for the events.
Around 19:45, we returned to downtown. The crowds were still out. Those who had been shopping and had big bags of purchases were coming toward us as they left the area for their cars and homes. The zocalo, however, was full of people there for the entertainment. And the streets and buildings in the area were alight with decorations--more than I have seen anywhere else in years. It was so beautiful and helped make it exciting to be there.
On a stage built around the fountain in the center of the square, there were acts performing. When we arrived a group of human-sized puppets were performing a skit. Included were the 3 kings, the devil, Father Christmas, a donkey, a goat, and other animals. Following that, an acrobatic group from Magic City performed tricks such as cheerleaders do today. Then came a group of clowns from Magic City who did different acts. The crowd grew and grew during all of this and moved closer and closer together. I had a tall man holding a child in his arms in front of me that made it hard to see, so I squeezed into a small space to his right to be able to enjoy the show. Finally, dignitaries, including the young mayor who seemed very professional, were presented. They thanked everyone and then led the crowd in a countdown to the big event. Snow blowing machines had been placed all around the plaza and started shutting out flakes of foam. The crowd was mesmerized. "Snow" accumulated on heads, clothing, lampposts, etc. Then all the entertainers marched in a parade around the square to end the evening.
We were so lucky to be here today. I had no idea that Puebla had such extravagant decorations and celebrations for Christmas. It was so much more exciting than the quiet evening we have at home, and it kept the children's minds occupied so that they weren't anxiously asking how long it would be before the 3 Kings deliver their presents.
Saturday, January 04, 2014
Nearing Three Kings Day
Saturday, Jan. 4, 2014--Veracruz to Xalapa
It was nice to leave our outdated, noisy hotel this morning. We've made a reservation at a different hotel for our last night in Veracruz on the 10th. This morning, we walked to the bus station and used our pre-purchased tickets to head to Xalapa. The trip took a little less than two hours and brought us up from the flat coastal lands into the mountainous hills.
Xalapa is beautiful. I had heard it was a very nice town. I had also heard that it rains a lot, which is the reason it is such a green city. Fortunately, the sun was out today while all the green plants looked luscious everywhere we went.
A taxi brought us from the bus terminal on the outskirts of town to our hotel, Posada del Cafeto, in the center of the city. Fortunately, the hotel is on a quiet side street. And it is a beautiful old complex of buildings around courtyards. Our room is at the back facing a tall wall covered with climbing plants and with tropical plants growing between the sidewalk and the wall. The only disadvantages we have observed are 1) that the room is cooler than it is outside due to the thick walls and the fact that it is shaded from the sun, and 2) when neighbors checked in upstairs, we could hear noises from their room.
We walked to the center of town to explore it and to find something to eat. It is a clean city with nice colonial buildings. It's also lively. Within one block there were three marimba players supported by other musicians entertaining the public. Plaza Juarez, the main square in the city, is a multi-level park with fantastic views from the side of a mountain going out over the southern portion of the city.
Eventually, we settled on a restaurant that served giant sandwiches--about 25 cm which is 10 inches! We should have just ordered one and shared it. But we didn't realize the size until after we had placed our order. Wes ordered a Cubano which was pork, yellow cheese, etc. I got the Lomo Especial which was ham, pork in a spicy sauce, yellow cheese, white Mexican cheese, etc. We shared them so that we each got half of both sandwiches. We were so full that we didn't eat in the evening.
We spent much of the afternoon at the Museo de Anthropologia which is considered to be the second best anthropology museum (after the one in Mexico City) in the country. It is a HUGE museum built cascading down the hillside with about seven large exhibition rooms covering mostly the statues and ceramics of the various ancient cultures of the Gulf of Mexico region. It is truly a wonderful museum and has so many exhibits that is exhausting to try to see them all in one visit.
In the evening, we were back in town to watch the people. Monday will be Three Kings Day, so families are out. The parents are shopping for gifts for the magi to bring to the children tomorrow night. And children are sitting on the laps of the magi to tell them what gifts they would like to receive and to have their photos taken. Three Kings Day here is much like Christmas in the US. Bakeries are selling the special cakes that are eaten (and have a doll of a baby Jesus hidden inside them). People are preparing for the traditional meals of tamales, cake, and chocolate. Everyone seems excited and happy.
We've only had since 11:00 a.m. to explore and enjoy Xalapa, but it has been plenty of time. We can appreciate the atmosphere and the beauty of the city, and we have seen its main tourist sights. We will head tomorrow to Puebla.
It was nice to leave our outdated, noisy hotel this morning. We've made a reservation at a different hotel for our last night in Veracruz on the 10th. This morning, we walked to the bus station and used our pre-purchased tickets to head to Xalapa. The trip took a little less than two hours and brought us up from the flat coastal lands into the mountainous hills.
Xalapa is beautiful. I had heard it was a very nice town. I had also heard that it rains a lot, which is the reason it is such a green city. Fortunately, the sun was out today while all the green plants looked luscious everywhere we went.
A taxi brought us from the bus terminal on the outskirts of town to our hotel, Posada del Cafeto, in the center of the city. Fortunately, the hotel is on a quiet side street. And it is a beautiful old complex of buildings around courtyards. Our room is at the back facing a tall wall covered with climbing plants and with tropical plants growing between the sidewalk and the wall. The only disadvantages we have observed are 1) that the room is cooler than it is outside due to the thick walls and the fact that it is shaded from the sun, and 2) when neighbors checked in upstairs, we could hear noises from their room.
We walked to the center of town to explore it and to find something to eat. It is a clean city with nice colonial buildings. It's also lively. Within one block there were three marimba players supported by other musicians entertaining the public. Plaza Juarez, the main square in the city, is a multi-level park with fantastic views from the side of a mountain going out over the southern portion of the city.
Eventually, we settled on a restaurant that served giant sandwiches--about 25 cm which is 10 inches! We should have just ordered one and shared it. But we didn't realize the size until after we had placed our order. Wes ordered a Cubano which was pork, yellow cheese, etc. I got the Lomo Especial which was ham, pork in a spicy sauce, yellow cheese, white Mexican cheese, etc. We shared them so that we each got half of both sandwiches. We were so full that we didn't eat in the evening.
We spent much of the afternoon at the Museo de Anthropologia which is considered to be the second best anthropology museum (after the one in Mexico City) in the country. It is a HUGE museum built cascading down the hillside with about seven large exhibition rooms covering mostly the statues and ceramics of the various ancient cultures of the Gulf of Mexico region. It is truly a wonderful museum and has so many exhibits that is exhausting to try to see them all in one visit.
In the evening, we were back in town to watch the people. Monday will be Three Kings Day, so families are out. The parents are shopping for gifts for the magi to bring to the children tomorrow night. And children are sitting on the laps of the magi to tell them what gifts they would like to receive and to have their photos taken. Three Kings Day here is much like Christmas in the US. Bakeries are selling the special cakes that are eaten (and have a doll of a baby Jesus hidden inside them). People are preparing for the traditional meals of tamales, cake, and chocolate. Everyone seems excited and happy.
We've only had since 11:00 a.m. to explore and enjoy Xalapa, but it has been plenty of time. We can appreciate the atmosphere and the beauty of the city, and we have seen its main tourist sights. We will head tomorrow to Puebla.
Friday, January 03, 2014
Plans Gone Awry
Friday, Jan. 3, 2014—Veracruz
Things didn’t go as planned today. We hadn’t researched it well and were just
going by what we had copied from a guide on the Internet. We got up thinking we would take a bus to the
ruins of El Tajin. What we had copied
indicated that it would be about a 20-minute bus trip outside of Veracruz
Giving up, we went to the City Museum Veracruz
Wes is still sick, but he’s getting better.
I can tell because he’s started to say
things that HE thinks are funny! My
guess is that he is still probably 3 days away from being mostly normal. He still coughs, he still tires easily, and he
still has a limited appetite.
After resting in the room for about 3 hours
during the late afternoon, we went out to eat and to enjoy the nightlife. We had heard a band in the room, and we
followed the sound. There is a small
square, Plazuela de La Campaña, around the corner from our hotel that was filled with people at sidewalk
tables around the side. A stage at one
end had a large (12-piece?) band performing. In the center of the square couples weredancing. It was the best example of
Danzón that we have found on the trip. The
band was great, and the dancers were ones you could tell had been dancing all
their lives (better than in the video links)..
We left later to eat a torta (a sandwich of ham, avocado,
marinated onions, tomatoes, and green salsa on a toasted bun) at a nearby stand. Then we headed to the Zocolo to see what was
happening there. Many people were out,
but there was no dancing there tonight. Lots of bands were playing to tables at the
sidewalk cafes in front of the fancy hotels. We got a seat on a bench at the side of the
action and just watched the people and enjoyed the music.
Later, when we returned to our hotel area,
we went back to the small square to see if they were still dancing, and the
band members were packing up their instruments.. It had just ended. Therefore, we just came back to the hotel. We have to be up early tomorrow to catch our
bus to Xalapa.
Some observations:
- There are few Anglos here. Even the people who look as if they might be Anglos often are speaking in Spanish to each other when we get close to them. However, there are lots of people of Chinese descent. We’ve seen lots of them all over town.
- We’ve observed little smoking here. Normally, I would expected to be smelling cigarette smoke often. One reason may be the packaging for cigarettes here. Each package has a graphic image of the dangers of smoking on it—a premature baby, a man with a hole in his throat, a woman with a hole in the roof of her mouth, a person with discolored teeth, a women with a missing breast, a man with a skelet
Thursday, January 02, 2014
Terminal de ADO, Boca del Rio, Costco y Danzón
Thursday, Jan. 2, 2014—Veracruz
Thank goodness I brought earplugs with
me. The hotel was rather noisy during
the night. I heard a bit of it, but Wes
says he heard (without earplugs) a LOT of it. We went to bed at 22:30 last night, and I
awoke at 9:30—11 hours of sleep to make up for that short night before.
We walked to the ADO
After taking care of that business, we
decided to go to Boca del Rio . It used to be a small fishing village outside Veracruz Veracruz has
gown along the waterfront all the way to Boca del Rio
and beyond. Taking the bus, we passed
multiple shopping centers, cinema complexes, hotels, etc., and lots of
high-rise apartment buildings. And just
over the river from Boca del Rio
was another large shopping mall and there were new hotels and apartments under
construction.
Boca del Rio
itself still has a bit of the charm of a small village. There are lots of seafood restaurants facing
the water. And the back streets are
filled with the houses and shops of a small town.
On the way to Boca, we had seen a Costco,
so we decided to catch a bus back to there to eat lunch. Unfortunately, the bus turned away from the
seaside route, so we had to get off it. By the time there was a stop, we were quite a
ways away from the waterfront. We walked
that direction and back toward town.
Eventually, we came to the Costco.
Costco here has almost exactly the same
snack bar menu as it does at home, although the prices are slightly higher. We both got a hot dog and drink combo at the
restaurant which has a separate entry instead of being inside the store. Then we walked through the store seeing what
is in stock there. Most of the items are
ones that are sold at home, but a few were local specialties. The cheese section had lots of Mexican cheeses
and few international ones. They had a
much better selection of dried meats (like prosciutto). They were featuring a 3-Kings-Day cake and a
large flan in the dessert section. Wes
was impressed with a 6 kg (12 1/2 pounds) block of chocolate which was being
sold in boxes for bakers to use in making cakes and things. I noticed the tequila prices. A liter of Kirkland
We walked all the way back to town from
Costco seeing the sights along a different route from the one that we followed
by bus. Veracruz Nuevo Laredo Corpus Christi
After resting a couple of hours, we went
out for the evening stopping first for more tacos at our next-door place where
we ate last night. At the recommendation
of the young cook, we each had two tripas (cow stomach) tacos and two bistek
(beef steak) tacos. Across the street is
a bakery which was not open last night.
We stopped there for me to get a VERY moist (often not the case at home) Mexican Concha sweet bread with a
chocolate-flavored sugar mixture on the top.
Although tired, Wes wanted to stop by the
Zocolo to see if there was dancing tonight.
What luck. There was a large band
set up in the square playing the Cuban-inspired tunes that are popular with
Danzón, the local Latin dance that has made Veracruz San Antonio
Wednesday, January 01, 2014
In Mexico with a Sick Wes
Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2014--San Antonio to Veracruz
4:00 a.m. is way too early to have to get up for going to the airport. After only 5 hours of sleep, I was still very tired this morning when the alarm went off. Anyway, we rushed and were in the parking lot of the airport by 4:40. We were checked in and at the gate by 5:05 for our 6:00 a.m. departure. It helped that we got TSA Pre-Check status which allowed us to go into a special line, not have to remove anything (belt, shoes, computer, etc.), and sent us through an old-fashioned metal detector rather than a body scanner. Normally, you have to pay for Pre-Check. My guess is that TSA is allowing it for free for passengers who give their passport information in advance when buying their ticket in hopes that people will become spoiled and will be willing to pay for it later when they are told they have to pay for it to use that lane.
Wes is really too sick to be traveling. He sounds miserable and looks miserable. He had a fever and sweats all night last night. He has equilibrium problems. He sounds very congested. But he was determined not to lose the value of his air ticket. I'm trying to keep him from touching surfaces I have to touch, and I am washing my hands a lot.
The it was 73 degrees F (22 degrees C) when we arrived in Veracruz with clear skies. While landing, we could see several now-topped volcanoes in the distance including the one just outside of Mexico City. The flight from Houston only had about 17 passengers on a plane that would hold about 50. That's the lowest passenger load rate I have encountered in a long time. Going from San Antonio to Houston, every seat in a stretch 737 was full, even though it was 6:00 on New Year's Day.
The airport in Veracruz is smaller than the one in Corpus Christi. It only has 6 gates, and it is built on one level which is somewhat awkward. They can't use jetways, so they have constructed tented walkways (sides and top covered in white canvas and/or netting) which passengers enter as they get to the bottom of the roll-up stairway. Even more awkward was the fact that no other planes could be boarding or letting passengers off as they walked us from one end of the terminal where we landed toward immigration and customs at the other end. It only took a few minutes for one immigration officer to process all of us. In fact, the luggage started arriving on the carousel just as everyone had finished.
The route the taxi took into town reminded me of the southern side of Nuevo Laredo because of the similar businesses, the wide boulevard, etc. But as we got into town, things changed. Veracruz has lots of colonial buildings in the center of town. It was quiet with most businesses closed due to the holiday. But there were some very nice buildings we were passing.
As expected, the Hotel Amparo is not very nice. It's passable, but it reminds me of the lowest level of hotels I find to be acceptable. It has cable TV, decent beds, and is clean. The room hasn't been remodeled for decades, though. And it has something else that we didn't expect to find--a couple of mosquitoes flying around.
We ate lunch at a nearby restaurant named Cochinita de Oro that has been in business since 1940 and was full except for one small table by the door. Actually, we both had breakfast. That's what almost everyone else was eating at 13:00 on this holiday. I had chiliquiles (tortilla chips in a tomato salsa with herbs and topped with sliced onions and crumbly white Mexican cheese) and Wes had fried eggs with ranchero sauce (cooked tomatoes, onion, and spices). Both came with coffee, orange juice, black beans, and fresh corn tortillas.
After that, we explored the waterfront seeing the port area, walking along the malecon (promenade), sitting at a waterfront bench watching people, seeing the only part of the old walls of Veracruz still standing, etc. By the time we finished that, it was 15:30 and we were so tired from having gotten up so early. We returned to the hotel where Wes rested due to his illness and I relaxed while trying to stay awake so that I can sleep better this evening.
We went back out around 18:30. Wes wanted to find a supermarket to buy some cola. He was disappointed to find they only had a diet version in a local store brand and not in Pepsi or Coca Cola. But he bought a 3 liter bottle and will be trying to get rid of his disease by flooding his body!
The Xocolo, the main square just a couple of blocks from our hotel, is the center of night life in Veracruz. It is surrounded by hotels with outdoor tables for drinking and/or dining. Hawkers are selling toys and other items. It is also known for its live Cuban-inspired music with accompanied dancing which takes place almost every night. This evening, there were only musicians playing to the people at the tables and no dancing. However, we were still tired and were only out until 20:00. The dancing may be later in the evening.
Next to our hotel is a small taco restaurant. We stopped there to have a light dinner of four tacos each--two cochinito pibil (marinated, roasted pork with marinated onions and peppers with a very tasty sauce) tacos and two mixed asado (pork and beef) tacos. They were delicious, and the woman was so helpful. She took our plates to the side and put the appropriate toppings on the tacos rather than leaving it to us to decide what might fit. As she returned the plates, she said, "Mexicano!" meaning Mexican-style.
One other interesting thing we noticed today was a good idea by a man trying to make money on the malecon. He was renting out small cars for children to ride. However, his gimmick which was making it successful was that he had remote-controlled cars. The dads got to operate the remote control to move the cars while the children got to enjoy the ride. I bet he rents lots of cars that he wouldn't otherwise rent just because the dads want to play with that remote control to make the car move.
4:00 a.m. is way too early to have to get up for going to the airport. After only 5 hours of sleep, I was still very tired this morning when the alarm went off. Anyway, we rushed and were in the parking lot of the airport by 4:40. We were checked in and at the gate by 5:05 for our 6:00 a.m. departure. It helped that we got TSA Pre-Check status which allowed us to go into a special line, not have to remove anything (belt, shoes, computer, etc.), and sent us through an old-fashioned metal detector rather than a body scanner. Normally, you have to pay for Pre-Check. My guess is that TSA is allowing it for free for passengers who give their passport information in advance when buying their ticket in hopes that people will become spoiled and will be willing to pay for it later when they are told they have to pay for it to use that lane.
Wes is really too sick to be traveling. He sounds miserable and looks miserable. He had a fever and sweats all night last night. He has equilibrium problems. He sounds very congested. But he was determined not to lose the value of his air ticket. I'm trying to keep him from touching surfaces I have to touch, and I am washing my hands a lot.
The it was 73 degrees F (22 degrees C) when we arrived in Veracruz with clear skies. While landing, we could see several now-topped volcanoes in the distance including the one just outside of Mexico City. The flight from Houston only had about 17 passengers on a plane that would hold about 50. That's the lowest passenger load rate I have encountered in a long time. Going from San Antonio to Houston, every seat in a stretch 737 was full, even though it was 6:00 on New Year's Day.
The airport in Veracruz is smaller than the one in Corpus Christi. It only has 6 gates, and it is built on one level which is somewhat awkward. They can't use jetways, so they have constructed tented walkways (sides and top covered in white canvas and/or netting) which passengers enter as they get to the bottom of the roll-up stairway. Even more awkward was the fact that no other planes could be boarding or letting passengers off as they walked us from one end of the terminal where we landed toward immigration and customs at the other end. It only took a few minutes for one immigration officer to process all of us. In fact, the luggage started arriving on the carousel just as everyone had finished.
The route the taxi took into town reminded me of the southern side of Nuevo Laredo because of the similar businesses, the wide boulevard, etc. But as we got into town, things changed. Veracruz has lots of colonial buildings in the center of town. It was quiet with most businesses closed due to the holiday. But there were some very nice buildings we were passing.
As expected, the Hotel Amparo is not very nice. It's passable, but it reminds me of the lowest level of hotels I find to be acceptable. It has cable TV, decent beds, and is clean. The room hasn't been remodeled for decades, though. And it has something else that we didn't expect to find--a couple of mosquitoes flying around.
We ate lunch at a nearby restaurant named Cochinita de Oro that has been in business since 1940 and was full except for one small table by the door. Actually, we both had breakfast. That's what almost everyone else was eating at 13:00 on this holiday. I had chiliquiles (tortilla chips in a tomato salsa with herbs and topped with sliced onions and crumbly white Mexican cheese) and Wes had fried eggs with ranchero sauce (cooked tomatoes, onion, and spices). Both came with coffee, orange juice, black beans, and fresh corn tortillas.
After that, we explored the waterfront seeing the port area, walking along the malecon (promenade), sitting at a waterfront bench watching people, seeing the only part of the old walls of Veracruz still standing, etc. By the time we finished that, it was 15:30 and we were so tired from having gotten up so early. We returned to the hotel where Wes rested due to his illness and I relaxed while trying to stay awake so that I can sleep better this evening.
We went back out around 18:30. Wes wanted to find a supermarket to buy some cola. He was disappointed to find they only had a diet version in a local store brand and not in Pepsi or Coca Cola. But he bought a 3 liter bottle and will be trying to get rid of his disease by flooding his body!
The Xocolo, the main square just a couple of blocks from our hotel, is the center of night life in Veracruz. It is surrounded by hotels with outdoor tables for drinking and/or dining. Hawkers are selling toys and other items. It is also known for its live Cuban-inspired music with accompanied dancing which takes place almost every night. This evening, there were only musicians playing to the people at the tables and no dancing. However, we were still tired and were only out until 20:00. The dancing may be later in the evening.
Next to our hotel is a small taco restaurant. We stopped there to have a light dinner of four tacos each--two cochinito pibil (marinated, roasted pork with marinated onions and peppers with a very tasty sauce) tacos and two mixed asado (pork and beef) tacos. They were delicious, and the woman was so helpful. She took our plates to the side and put the appropriate toppings on the tacos rather than leaving it to us to decide what might fit. As she returned the plates, she said, "Mexicano!" meaning Mexican-style.
One other interesting thing we noticed today was a good idea by a man trying to make money on the malecon. He was renting out small cars for children to ride. However, his gimmick which was making it successful was that he had remote-controlled cars. The dads got to operate the remote control to move the cars while the children got to enjoy the ride. I bet he rents lots of cars that he wouldn't otherwise rent just because the dads want to play with that remote control to make the car move.
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