Long Bus ride to the heat

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Leaving Tuxatepec I was feeling sad, not wanting to be the only gringa in a place. Also the bus station was absolutely crazy with travellers - had thought of not staying the one night when I arrived but buses were sold out- when I awoke I was thinking of going to the Tuxlas - a low hilly region in the south of Veracruz state on my way back to the yucutan pennisula - but somehow changed my mind and in a panic bought a bus ticket to veracruz city - most popular destination. The bus trip on second class bus on secondary highway was good, but 3 hours - longer than i thought - was hungry and the roadside stands became full of pineapples (my favorite fruit) and coconuts and watermelon. Got to veracruz - was debating spending a night on my way - had decided along the way I would head back to the pennisula (yes went out of my way by about 6 hours and 200 pesos) - and the traffic in veracruz was worse than i remembered and bus station insane but managed to get the last seat on the 5pm bus to Chetumal - a 16 hour first class bus ride - with no food vendors and where you do not stop for food - had time for a quick bite at a taco stand in Veracrus though. One of the drivers (they usually put 2 on the bus) did not seem to know how to get out of the city and the other driver (not driving) had to give instructions- I had seat 1 right behind the driver - you are assigned seats. Though I had the last seat the bus was empty out of veracruz and the route took us on a route I had wished to explore on secondary highway near the water and into the tuxlas (where I loved the green hilly landscape) where the bus filled up in San Andres de Tuxla just as dark had hit. Part of me had wished I had just gone there but is so off the gringa trail.
The bus took us through the night - a 20 minute break in Villahermosa at about 1 am where the bathrooms weren´t working, and a 15 minute break for the military checkpoint sometime later in the night where they take all the bags off the bus to inspect them and got here about 10:30 am - the area where the not great hostel was is out a ways so am staying at another cheap hotel spending more than i should for my one night. (I go to Tulum tommorow). Sad on the pennisula - villages seem nicer - as poor or poorer but the feel is better) but forgot how low the shrubbery was and some is now leafless and how flat it is though some low hills. And how hot, hot, hot - going to tuxtapec a guy on the bus commented to me about the ´¨calor¨ heat there but it was cool - my shoes seem to stick to the sidewalk here. Saw the sea and am off to the Maya museum but may update this later if I need airconditioning.

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