I had two reasons for wanting to venture, seemingly way off of the "gringo trail", to the gulf coast state of Veracruz, the jungle enshrouded ruins of El Tajín and the once mighty fortress of San Juan De Ulúa, but I found so much more than I expected. During the bus ride I watched the scenery change from the parched, desert-like landscape surrounding Mexico City and the pine forests on its fringes to dense tropical vegetation of such a fierce, glowing green that I almost had to shield my eyes from its brilliance - I finally made it to the jungle! The tropical forests of the Veracruz state were a major hardship and obstacle to the early Spanish colonists, bringing with its hot, humid climate, fun diseases like yellow fever and the ever popular malaria. The
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