Blogs from Vera Cruz, Veracruz, Mexico, North America

Even when I get up early, things don't quite seem to go as I planned. And these dang nails don't let me type very fast or accurately on this keyboard either, whose great idea was that? Isabel woke us up just before 8am so we could get a move on and try to make it to Puebla in time to catch the 9:30 bus to Veracruz. Although we kept things moving along, we still didn't make it out to the highway to catch a bus until 9am and it's a good 20 minutes into town with little traffic. Today didn't seem to be one of those days though as we didn't make it to Puebla CAPU until closer to 10am. Keep in mind, this is a huge bus station so the tickets sell out as each ... read more

Papantla, Veracruz, a 9 de noviembre del 2009. Saludos a todos. Ahì les van unas fotos del famoso fuerte de San Juan de Ulùa, en el puerto de Veracruz. Como al igual que otras ciudades porturias de la colonia (Campeche, Habana, Panamà, etc.) Veracruz fue saqueada por piratas (le decìan "Lorencillo" al que tomò el puerto), no les quedò de otra màs que construir un fuerte y murallas (ya no quedan) para protegerse. De hecho, este fue el ùltimo foco de resistencia de los españoles despuès de consumada la independencia de Mèxico (1821), y sòlo hasta 1824 los pudieron sacar, gracias a que les pegò una epidemia y todos se enfermaron. A la ciudad de Veracruz le dicen la 4 veces heròica, pero la verdad sòlo ha habido hèroes de puras derrotas. El Fuerte de San ... read more

May 3, Sunday Up early, packed and on the road prior to 8:00 am, the earliest departure so far. We had an easy day's run into Veracruz from here, only about 160 miles, and the road was a lot more twisty than most of the Yucatan penninsula, much more like a relative of Chiapas. We stopped for lunch at Catemaco, in the same restaurant overlooking the beautiful lake as before with Rafa and friends. More good food here, and we watched the baby ducks feed, the little boat taxis run in and out, and finally decided to continue on. The last several miles into Veracruz was bumper to bumper, but we found the hotel I'd been aiming for with only a small amount of backtracking. Hotel Suites Mediteraneo, actually located in Boca del Rio, is just ... read more

Well i haven't updated in a while so here i go! So since last i've spent most of my time in Monterrey chillin, going to class and just living life. I climbed Cerro de la Silla, the symbol of Monterrey. It took the people i climbed with, and myself, a good 5.5 hours to climb up and back down again. We spent a total of about 8 hours on the mountain, counting our midway break, and our break at the very top. After Cerro school was back, and I got some tests back, the first one i got back was in fluids and it was a 76, which is just above failing here. The second, and last test i got back was in my thermodynamics class, I got a grand total of 50% on it. That's ... read more

- Before I begin, (although I already have), I want to apologize in advance for any rigid language or offensive ramblings that may follow - As travels advance, and experiences mature, I am greeted with exactly what I expected; An exciting, yet diverse array of holas and "que el diablo te escupa el culos'". (Rough translation: " That the devil spits in your asshole". - (An abrupt 'fuck you' of sorts)). I mean this in a loose sense. Nobody has actually said this to me, yet, I have shared it with many people. In fact, I learned it from a Colombian named Alfredo, who most eloquently shared with me, (about a year ago), the workings of negative Venezuelan greetings (so he claimed). In reality, my awakening to annoyances with turistas from the locals' perspectives has come ... read more