Veracruz, I love you

Jalapa is an incredible place, I can only hope the trip keeps bringing unplanned surprise stops like that one. Headed out early the next morning on the super highway (that's what the Mexicans call it) to Veracruz city. All down hill, 50 km in 2:20, cruising at a blinding bike speed of 40mph, and all that was running through my head was, "I'm flying Jack, I'm flying". Out of the mountains and back into the extreme humidity and heat of the coast. Made a stop in Cardel to beat the heat and catch up on my alimentation and then headed to La Antigua. This is the first city in the Americas (Columbus and other Spaniards set up camp on islands), where old Cortez set off to change the world forever. It was abandonded for the wide ports of Veracruz City, but the ghosts of Cortez still remain.
While combing the pueblo looking for a place to camp, I asked one of the neighbors if I could camp in their field, this scared them, and they told me I should talk to the Gente Municipal. I then asked for his address and went searching for the head of the pueblo, I big man, with a large mustache and a pistol at his side, something like Pancho Villa, this is what I imagined. The Gente Municipal was none other than a short Mexican woman with a beautiful smile and a welcoming attitude. She offered me space in her front yard, later the backyard, and even later the patio, then she invited me in for a meal of fried chicken, rice and french fries, it was excellent. After the meal, she lent me one of her kids and we went off to photograph the pueblo. This was fun, I guess since I'm white, with a camera and tripod, they think I'm with the movies. This is understandable, the movie Apocolypta was filmed in the area and they are filming another one with Antonio Banderas about Cortez. It was all I could do to keep the kids from posing in the pictures, I ended up letting one in with the warning that he's going to be famous beyond his wildest imagination.

La Antigua

After the photo shoot and shewing off the kids and women of the pueblo, the Gente Municpal, Amalia, treated me to fruits (they have a rare fruit indigenous to the area called "Zipolite Domingo", its excelletn sort of like cantelope but sweeter), tamales and tamarindo water, I was ready to explode, but then she insisted on some cake and I gave in, you can't say no to Amalia's cooking. After all the eating and talking, she offered me one of the bedrooms in the house and a cold shower, I humbily accepted.
Leaving the next day was tough, especially after the 5 sopes with home made salsa and scrambled eggs, but I did, only after we exchanged contact info.

20 km to Veracruz, that's like 15 miles, no problem for a seasoned bicyclist. Yes it was, 90 degree heat, high humidity, mid-day sun, busy highway, ..... I never thought this was going to be easy, but does it have to be so hard. It was worth it though. After I found out that the hotel I reserved with had closed down (hey its Mexico, this happens), I went walking through the center and founder a better one, for 200 pesos a night, above a restuarant with a Basque chef and a beautiflul staff of Veracuz women. I spent most of the day meandering, this is what most Veracruz City people do, meander the plazas, the boardwalk and the little beaches.

Veracruz City

The next day, I mailed a box full of stuff that I've been buying for family and friends, this was quite the task. I found a good box in the restaurant, found string and tape, and walked the box to the post office. Well, first thing they do is open it, they want to see all the contents. The next thing is tell you to wrap it up on a special paper that someone sells down the block. Next, find tape. A guy, who was wrapping boxes beside me, lent me his tape and scissors. Marclino, he does a lot of selling on ebay and was shipping some newly auctioned items, walked me through the rest of the process, which after all things said, was cheap, a little over 2 pounds and it costed me a total of 6 bucks. My new Veracruz buddy then offered me a ride to the Aquarium, my next destination, I accepted. It just so happens he lived by there growing up and later when recently married, and the kinder of his daughter is by there as well, the same one he went to. We arrived quickly and we ended up eating tacos at the market across the street from the kinder. Really nice guy, told me all about his ebay stories, the good times, the bad times, and the funny times. They let me enter the kinder to pick up his daughter, I think every preschool in the world smells the same, wax and chalk. His little girl was really cool, she is a green belt in Taekwandoo, and with much pride she showed me her forms, and counted to 10 in English and Korean. We exchanged contact info (me and Marclino) and went off to the aquarium from there. It's small but really well done, there are some 5 rooms and all of them are excellent.
Meandered a bit and then hit an internet cafe (this took 4 hours, the conection here moves like molases on Christmas break).
Heading south from here, Alvarado, San Andreas Tuxtla, Catemeco......