Photos from Veracruz, Alvarado, Tlacotalpan, Lerdo de Tejada

La familia hospedándome ahorita en Lerdo de Tejada, Estado de Veracruz. The family I am hanging out with today in Lerdo de Tejada, state of Veracruz, Mexico.

Entrada a Tlacotalpan, patrimonio de la humanidad. At the entrance to Tlacotalpan, patron city of humanity.

Una calle en Tlacotalpan, donde sueltan seis toros en el primero de febrero en la fiesta de la calendaria. A street in Tlacotalpan, where they set loose six bulls in the festival of the Virgin of the Calendar, February first.

Zócalo/plaza principal en Tlacotalpan. Main plaza in Tlacotalpan.

El palacio en Tlacotalpan.

Kiosko en Tlacotalpan.

Calle en Tlacotalpan. Street in Tlacotalpan.

Welcome sign to Tlacotalpan.

The welcome sign to Alvarado, Veracruz, Mexico. On the way to Coatzacoalcos. Stayed here for a day, hung out with some nice folks at a smoothie shop. Conocí a buena gente de un jugoría.

La carretera cerca de Veracruz en la salida a Coazacoalcos/Córdoba. The highway near Veracruz as it heads towards Coazacoalcos/Córdoba.

Cabeza olmeca en la carretera en Veracruz. An olmec head on the highway in Veracruz.

El dolfin-hombre en la playa en Veracruz. The dolphin man on the beach in Veracruz.

Monumento a valores en la playa en Veracruz. A monument to values of love, work, truth and honor on the beach in Veracruz.

El papa en la playa de Veracruz con una isla en el fondo. The pope on the beach in Veracruz with an island in the background.

Monumento en Veracruz sobre la revolución. Monument in Veracruz commemorating the revolution freeing Mexico from Spain.

Estadio de los Tiburones Rojos de Veracruz. The soccer stadium of the Red Sharks of Veracruz.

Estudiantes quienes encontré antes de salir de Veracruz. Platicamos sobre medio ambiente y calentamiento de la tierra. Students I met before heading out of Veracruz. We talked about the environment and global warming.

Fuente afuera del parque ecológico, Veracruz. Fountain outside the ecological park, Veracruz.

El palacio municipal en Veracruz (Plaza de las Armas). The municipal palace in the Plaza de las Armas (main zócalo) in Veracruz.

El zócalo en Veracruz. The main plaza in Veracruz.

Fútbolistas en la playa de Veracruz después de ganar. Soccer players on the beach in Veracruz after we won.

Jugadores de fútbol en la playa de Veracruz. Football (soccer) players on the beach of Veracruz.

Trabajadores del carretera con su trabajo, yo con me trabajo de carretera. (Rail)road workers with their work, me with my road work.

Uno de los busos, en el puerto de Veracruz. A platform worker, port of Veracruz.

En el puerto de Veracruz, estatua de trabajadores del puerto. In the port of Veracruz, a statue of workers of the port.

En el puerto de Veracruz. In the port of Veracruz.

El perro con quien juguéi fútbol en Tampico. The dog I played soccer with in Tampico.

Donde Estoy Ahorita, Where I am now

Porto de Alvarado, Veracruz, Mexico.

Today, I will head out towards Coatzacoalcos, further South along the Gulf Coast.

A lime on a lime tree :)

Model of the Papantla town square, as it was in its glory days.

Entrance sign to Papantla.

Yesterday, some nice folks at the La Revolución Restaurant and Bar on the zócalo in Veracruz helped me out. Thank you Marina and José.

A boat ride across a river where there was no road, Tecolutla, state of Veracruz. This guy was taking his bike across, too.

Me and the mariachis, zócalo, Veracruz.

Marimberos (Xylophonists) en el zócalo en Veracruz.

Zócalo in Veracruz.

The goal of the ball game the Totonacos played. They could only use their shoulders, hips, or knees to propel the ball through this hole, which was placed high on a slanted wall. Back then, the winner was deemed holy/chosen because it was not humanly possible to achieve a goal. The winner was given the honor of being sacrificed to the god of Death. The game is played still today in the states of Chihuahua and Sonora, but the winner is no longer sacrificed. Whew!

Alter to the moon god. The Totonacos were a peaceful group who inhabited the Mexican Gulf Coast. They were polytheistic, with five gods: the Sun, the Moon, the Air, Death, and the Earth/Land.

King for a moment, on the throne of the Totonacos--a majorly obese king ruled over the animal sacrifices from this throne in Cempoala, near Veracruz.

Quiahuiztlán.

The view atop Quiahuiztlán, Punta Villa Rica, Veracruz, Mexico.

The ruins of Quiahuiztlán from the peak above! Twas fun to climb this hill and get a great view!

Campsite behind house behind restaurant in Palma Sola, 100km north of Veracruz.

A family I stayed with in Papantla. Una familia con quien me quedé en Papantla.

Tour of Ruins of El Tajín

Papantla

So I am in Papantla now. Awesome. I guess it is one of the more touristic places I have been in Mexico so far, probably the second most touristic place in my whole trip compared to New Orleans, and that is mostly because the ruins of the Totonacos, El Tajin, is just four miles away. But the energy, the spirit here, is wonderful. This medium sized town is quite hilly with narrow, mostly one-way streets, and a constant two-way flow of pedestrians moves outside the internet cafe as I write. Just up the hill is the ¨zocalo¨ or town plaza center--people hang out there on the benches with the palm trees, the large church overlooking with a large wall of Totonaco engraved pictures and symbols. The presidencia, and many stores line the plaza, and last night was a folklore music and dance presentation.

I wandered through the streets last night until I happened upon a little store with friendly looking teenagers hanging out inside, and I told them I needed a place to pitch my tent, along with of course that I am biking from DC to Brazil. The young man suggested asking the lady across the street, but the young lady went down the street to ask her mom if she would allow me to camp out outside the house. She eventually offered to let me sleep in her tortilleria, where she is making corn tortillas this morning. I slept on the floor there last night, and washed my clothes by hand this morning. They are hanging on the line to dry as I write.

I am now in the tropical coastal region of Mexico. Though it is mid-January, I am in t-shirt and shorts, and I slept in just a silk liner last night. The climate is more humid than in the north-eastern state I left last week. As I head south, I expect it to get hotter and more humid until I hit the hills/mountains of Chiapas. Veracruz is supposed to be a beautiful coastal town with nice beaches. Further north in Tampico, the water was a bit to cold for swimming.

In Tampico, I once asked a family if they would let me pitch my tent in their yard, and they said that their mother and sister were heading toward mexico city in a truck, and the back was empty and they could drop me off along the route for no cost. I said why not, and after a breakdown a couple hours into the ride and a morning of the mechanic fixing the truck, they dropped me off in Poza Rica that afternoon where I stayed a night, and then headed to Papantla and El Tajin yesterday morning. Yesterday I explored El Tajin, and then came back to Papantla.

In Poza Rica, the family dropped me off at a gas station, and the woman who maintains the restrooms and charges uses 3 pesos, or 30 cents, to use them, tried to help me out. Her niece actually helped me the most my letting me pitch my tent on her yard a block away. Out of the front of her house, she ran a little ¨puesta¨, or food service joint. I guess she also takes shifts at the bathroom post as well. I talked to one of the bathroom post workers whose main job was at another food joint, and she said she made about 150-250 pesos a day, or $15-25 a day, after working ten hours. And she said she had to pay for healthcare per service.

We talked about siblings, and she asked if my sister would inherit the family house since she is the oldest. I told her no one was really interested in the house; everyone would really rather live somewhere else, and will probably rent apartments until we get older. And we will probably move around a fair amount until we are older. She said she was interested in inheriting her parents house and living there pretty much the rest of her life.

I am having a decent time here in Mexico, and I really enjoy moving forward, getting on my bike and seeing and experiencing new places and people. Andy and Shelagh are around here somewhere, and Pat took a bus to Mexico City. As Papantla is more touristy, I have seen a few more gringos here--a couple from Idaho last night, some more Canadians, a Frenchwoman who moved to Mexico a year and a half ago, and others here and there. Another couple of Canadians on bike I saw at El Tajin--they started in Veracruz (they didn´t start from their doorstep as I did), went north to Papantla, and will go back south to Yucatan and Cancun. They will be on the trip until March.

I have had fun learning the Mexicanisms of Spanish. ¨Que padre!¨--Awesome! ¨Órale¨--Look/Wow. ¨Ándale¨--Right on! You go! ¨Ha poco!¨--Yeah, right! ¨Nada mas que.../Pura...¨--Only.../Nothing more than... ¨Nombre!¨--No!/My goodness! When answering the phone, ¨Bueno!¨--Hello! ¨Este...¨--It´s that.../Like.../Uh...(filler word). I look forward to hearing how the slang and the vernacular changes as I move through Central America.

Thanks for following. All is well.