I'm doing it, I'm in Mexico, I crossed the border and I'm moving from here to there on bus at first and now on bike. I did have some doubts that I'd make it down here whilst in Texas, but I was able to break the TV-McDonalds-WalMart chains that can weight Americans down.
My very understanding parents drove me down to McAllen, treated me to a wonderful Lobster & Shrimp pasta at Red Lobster then handed me off to the Taxi driver. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous, the pessemistic taxi driver didn't help things either, she swears I can't do it, then I ask if she has ever been outside of Reynosa, she admits she hasn't, I life out the border of US and Mexico will give one a horrible image of our southern neighbors. As soon as I was at the terminal I was off to Tampico, of course everyone who saw the bike asked questions about the trip, then told me I was crazy, and then wished me good luck. The chofer did say he sees bicyclist ever other week doing the same as me, so I'm not alone after all, he even told me about how they'll camp on the side of the road (I will atleast camp out of site of a road).
TAMPICO
This is a cool place, to pass the day. It's a lot like most Mexican cities with its plazas and skinny streets full of people, radios blaring Intocable, people selling you their shirts and taxis honking for your business. I LOVED IT. I think I just missed Mexico en general and Tampico was the receiver of my affection. I met up with Veronica here, we passed the first 3 days of my adventure together, she helped me a ton getting my Spanish back into shape and keeping away the home-sickness that immediatly follows big leaps. Tampico is close to beach Miramar, we went there, it bordered by by a Pemex refinery, it gives the beach a glow as it burns off oil desechuits 24/7. The beach is a lot like the Corpus beach, but a little dirtier, a city right on it's heals, and the refinery, OK so it´s nothing like Corpus. The place isn't that bad, I did have my first taste of Victoria beer since my return, that sweet amber lager that Mexico refuses to export, it's just so good when it hits the lips.
We then bused (Veronica doesn´t have a bike) to Tecolutla
This is what I'm talking about, this place is close to being a virgin beach, it's at the mouth of river full of mangroves (protected), and a precious plaza full of people day and night. We passed a couple of nights here in a resort type hotel, this was a mistake, booking a place in latin america is tough and is best done when you are there, we paid 800 ($70) pesos a night for reservations (Real de Mar), when a place on the beach (Punta de Arena) with the same facilities cost 300 ($26), but they are not on the internet and the resort was.
We spent one day touring the ruins of El Tajin, amongst the backdrop of a giant weeklong festival down the road, and then later into the truly magical pueblo of Papantla, home of the voladores de Papantla (flyers of Papantla).
El Tajin has carvings that relate a story of how the world was created. There was a younger God who was left alone to watch the Earth while the older Gods were away in the universe, the younger God took the powers of the older Gods and created life on Earth while trying out his new powers, the older Gods come back, upset with what was done, took away his powers and sent him to live with us. Sounds like a Disney rip off to me.
Veronica left back to Queretaro yesterday, and I stayed on in Tecolutla one more day, to avoid the traffic from the national holiday that was today. I spent this day talking to fishermen at the docks, the hotel owner Sylvia and her helpers Pancho and Micaela, I also took a tour in the mangroves. It was a really nice day in the pueblo, hopefully the first of many to come.
While getting Veronica to the bus station, my camera was stolen, I had left it on a table near the hammock I was laying in, got up to help Veronica with her bag, turned around and it was gone. What I didn´t know was that people at the hotel saw the woman who stole it, and followed her back to where she was staying. They then found me and brought me to the police station where she was in custody. She denied stealing it, the next step would of been holding her in custody till Tuesday to arraign her, I didn´t want to take this step, so she was left to walk. We were pretty sure that the camera was not going to be found even if she was taken in, she was alone in her hotel an hour before they could get her and her accomplice brother out, the brother then ran on the way to the police station.
SOO, I don´t have a camera, atleast not till Veracruz, I should be there in a week or 2, I'll be reporting in, but no pictures, I'll do what I can to super descriptive in the future.
My very understanding parents drove me down to McAllen, treated me to a wonderful Lobster & Shrimp pasta at Red Lobster then handed me off to the Taxi driver. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous, the pessemistic taxi driver didn't help things either, she swears I can't do it, then I ask if she has ever been outside of Reynosa, she admits she hasn't, I life out the border of US and Mexico will give one a horrible image of our southern neighbors. As soon as I was at the terminal I was off to Tampico, of course everyone who saw the bike asked questions about the trip, then told me I was crazy, and then wished me good luck. The chofer did say he sees bicyclist ever other week doing the same as me, so I'm not alone after all, he even told me about how they'll camp on the side of the road (I will atleast camp out of site of a road).
TAMPICO
 |
| Tampico Gallery |
This is a cool place, to pass the day. It's a lot like most Mexican cities with its plazas and skinny streets full of people, radios blaring Intocable, people selling you their shirts and taxis honking for your business. I LOVED IT. I think I just missed Mexico en general and Tampico was the receiver of my affection. I met up with Veronica here, we passed the first 3 days of my adventure together, she helped me a ton getting my Spanish back into shape and keeping away the home-sickness that immediatly follows big leaps. Tampico is close to beach Miramar, we went there, it bordered by by a Pemex refinery, it gives the beach a glow as it burns off oil desechuits 24/7. The beach is a lot like the Corpus beach, but a little dirtier, a city right on it's heals, and the refinery, OK so it´s nothing like Corpus. The place isn't that bad, I did have my first taste of Victoria beer since my return, that sweet amber lager that Mexico refuses to export, it's just so good when it hits the lips.
We then bused (Veronica doesn´t have a bike) to Tecolutla
 |
| Tecolutla |
This is what I'm talking about, this place is close to being a virgin beach, it's at the mouth of river full of mangroves (protected), and a precious plaza full of people day and night. We passed a couple of nights here in a resort type hotel, this was a mistake, booking a place in latin america is tough and is best done when you are there, we paid 800 ($70) pesos a night for reservations (Real de Mar), when a place on the beach (Punta de Arena) with the same facilities cost 300 ($26), but they are not on the internet and the resort was.
We spent one day touring the ruins of El Tajin, amongst the backdrop of a giant weeklong festival down the road, and then later into the truly magical pueblo of Papantla, home of the voladores de Papantla (flyers of Papantla).
 |
| El Tajin |
El Tajin has carvings that relate a story of how the world was created. There was a younger God who was left alone to watch the Earth while the older Gods were away in the universe, the younger God took the powers of the older Gods and created life on Earth while trying out his new powers, the older Gods come back, upset with what was done, took away his powers and sent him to live with us. Sounds like a Disney rip off to me.
 |
| Papantla |
Veronica left back to Queretaro yesterday, and I stayed on in Tecolutla one more day, to avoid the traffic from the national holiday that was today. I spent this day talking to fishermen at the docks, the hotel owner Sylvia and her helpers Pancho and Micaela, I also took a tour in the mangroves. It was a really nice day in the pueblo, hopefully the first of many to come.
While getting Veronica to the bus station, my camera was stolen, I had left it on a table near the hammock I was laying in, got up to help Veronica with her bag, turned around and it was gone. What I didn´t know was that people at the hotel saw the woman who stole it, and followed her back to where she was staying. They then found me and brought me to the police station where she was in custody. She denied stealing it, the next step would of been holding her in custody till Tuesday to arraign her, I didn´t want to take this step, so she was left to walk. We were pretty sure that the camera was not going to be found even if she was taken in, she was alone in her hotel an hour before they could get her and her accomplice brother out, the brother then ran on the way to the police station.
SOO, I don´t have a camera, atleast not till Veracruz, I should be there in a week or 2, I'll be reporting in, but no pictures, I'll do what I can to super descriptive in the future.
3 comments:
Cameras seem to fly away from you son. Better go with the "hang around your neck" style.
ok.. I'm hooked on the novella!! "Like sands through the hourglass these are the days of your life". Maybe the spy type camera in a pen would work for you. Oh, maybe not. That would draw even more attention on trains and the like. mucho cuidido, muuuuuwa
Kyle, when and from where did Veronica enter the picture?
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