I didn’t think I would have a chance to write for a little while. The place I was staying in Veracruz supposedly had wifi, but it didn’t work. The computer in the lobby worked for a few minutes at a time. So, I was thinking maybe Mexico isn’t as well wired as I anticipated. But even in the capital of Veracruz state? Seemed impossible, but the only internet cafes I saw were grubby and had about five computers with ancient CRT monitors. I figured, oh well…. Now, here in the little town of Tlacotalpan, the wifi in this place works normally. There’s hope!
Veracruz is a pretty gritty port city, for the most part, on the gulf of Mexico. It seemed to get spooky if you walked more than a few blocks away from the waterfront and zocalo (central plaza), which is what passes for a tourist zone. Even around there didn’t look good after about 11 PM. I got in from Puebla around 4 PM, spent two nights, and headed for Tlaco the morning after that. That about does it for Veracruz unless you want to explore the music and club scene, which is said to be pretty good. If you just put some money in your pocket and leave your wallet and cards in your room, what’s the worse that could happen, at least to a guy?
I was done looking at the sights, such as they are, after that first afternoon. Lonely Planet said there was music and life other than cockroaches and working girls at the zocalo starting after sundown. That first night, and for the next couple of weeks, there is a stage program. the first night’s program was really great. The featured band was electric Caribbean. They were so hot, like an amped Buena Vista Social Club. It was night, so my pictures are awful, but I’m going to post them anyway.
As in the other places like this I’ve been to so far, the were musicians and groups of different kinds wandering among the people eating or drinking at the outside tables.
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I stayed late, drinking beer there until the people left, as if on cue, at around 10:30. It was so lively and fun! If you wanted, you could buy your Cuban cigar from any of the the carts, get a Panama hat, and really play the part. A fair number of people were dancing up in front. I decided it was worth it to hang around all the next day, just to do that again. It was then that I wished for internet access. I took a long nap under the fan in my room. It’s about 37 degrees (almost 100 F) during the day, so that’s the plan for a lot of the people. I went to a museum and looked at the few sites. Nothing is really photo-worthy. Here’s a two hundred year old fort. Whoopie.
Unfortunately, the second night was kind of a bust. City digitaries and their frumpy wives (Think, Eulalie Mackechnie Shinn and the girls in The Music Man) reading Oh Veracruz How I Love Thee poems (of a sort) with variations of Guantanamera as background. I had to bail.
At least I was up and at ’em early this morning, got some sugary bread at the panaderia across the street, coffee at the McDonalds on the corner, and got on the bus for Tlacotalpan.
Tlaco is a World Heritage town about 100km southeast of Veracruz, close by the sea. It’s no Luxor, but it is a charming pastel-colored place. Almost everywhere is prettily painted. The nicest photo-ops are around the zocalo. The bulk upload and addition to posts actually works on the new, improved WordPress, so here are all the pictures I took.
I didn’t tell you, I had the greatest shark a la Veracruzano in Veracruz and seafood paella with octopus, crab, and fish pieces here. Oh, if I could afford to eat like that all the time. Sigh.
So, tomorrow I’m off to Catamaco. it’s in the Tuxlas lake region, near the ocean. I’ll tell you what I see there. Until….