Villahermosa: Beautiful Village

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I stayed only a day in Villahermosa, but it deserved a bit more. I hadn´t expected to like it because my guide book commented that it doesn´t live up to what the name implies, Beautiful Village. I was pleasantly surprised.

The state of Tabasco to the south continues both the flat green geography and the seaside culture of Veracruz. It also continues the heat and humidity but intensified. This region in Mexico receives the highest amount of rainfall annually.

Much more than a village, Villahermosa is a large city of 1/2 million. The downtown area (Zona LUz) is typical of mexican cities: noisy and bustling. But at least several pleasant blocks were blocked off as pedestrian-only with decent cafes and restaurants. Down on the river there I ascended the Cowboy Tower where I got some nice views of the city. I don´t think Villahermosa gets very many tourists because I got more looks here than elsewhere. But Ameca also didn´t have tourists, so maybe that is just because i look funny and smell.

Villahermosa combines the most ancient and the most modern. The modern is exemplified in other parts of town that have developed rapidly as the result of oil wealth pouring in in the last few decades. The most ancient is represented by the remains of the Olmec culture, thought to be the earliest civilization, the so-called mother culture of all other cultures in the region, which it heavily influenced. Not much is known about the Olmecs because we don´t have a written language deciphered so there is a lot of guesswork with regard to beliefs, social arrnagements, etc. But there are a lot of archeological and some hieroglyphic remains. (Note: I have recently been informed that of a recent disovery has been made in Veracruz of ancient Olmec writing, dating to 1st millennium BCE, the earliest known writing in the Western Hemisphere. A simple google search will reveal more.)

Some of these I got to see at the the Parque-Museo de La Venta. I spent the day wandering about here and around the small lakes away from the city center. The Park is a combination outdoor archeological museum with ancient sculptures and a mini-collection of local flora and fauna. In the center is a giant sprawling ceiba tree, apparently sacred to the Olmec. A large airy aviary showcased macaws, pelicans, peacocks, ducks, and other species. Also abundant were turtles/tortugas, crocs, otters, etc. There were also typical poor exhibits of regional mammals like a spider monkeys, a black panther and leopard and tigercats, all endangered. I say poor because I have yet to see anywhere an adequate space (which would only be a large nature preserve, rather than a glass and concrete cage) for such a creatures who are used to roaming freely and widely. For this reason I have been put off of zoos, especially for large mammals like apes, bears, elephants, giraffes, zebras, etc.

The Laguna de las Ilusiones had a series of broad walkways lined with tropical trees and with abundant birds like kingfishers and heron and the ever-present free range coatis. I love these creatures! I was a bit taken aback when I was walking along and all of a sudden this animal came out of the foilage, nose to the ground, rummaging for insects or nuts! They are a sort of like a dog-cat with a long thin raccoon tail. I guess they play the part of squirrels or raccoons in US or monkeys in india, but without the agressive streak and cleverness of the latter. I think they mostly eat insects and fruits and nuts, but are omnivores when allowed the chance by passersby. Their habitat ranges from Argentina to (evidently) Arizona, though I have never seen one uncaged before.

On to Chiapas and into the Jungle. Is it fitting or is it inauspicious that I am reading Joseph Conrad's The Heart Of Darkness and Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth as I do so?

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Photos

Olmeca Head
The Olmecs are famous for these giant stone heads. They are all over the states of Veracruz and Tabasco.

Mother Olmec
This one was called mother and seems to be a woman kneeling with an offering. I think she is offering a bowl of oatmeal.

The Walker
I liked this one called the Walker because of his staff and easy poise. But it´s probably a war axe and he has just beheaded 2,467 enemies represented by symbols below it.

Laguna of Illusions/Dreams From Tower
The city reminds me a bit of Madison, Wisconsin with its twin lakes.

Leafcutter Ants Hard At Work
Previously, had only had seen these on Steve Irwin's shows.

Comments

[Henry]

Oldest Language
They just found some Olmec writing in Lomas de Tecamichapa in Veracruz! Here is the link: http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2006/09/19/a02n1cie.php