Veracruz... me encanta... I didn´t take that many pictures in Veracruz because when someplace feels like home, the last thing on your mind is pulling out your camera.

I arrived in Veracruz from Chetumal after almost 20 hours of riding the bus and found out very quickly that people from Veracruz take that bus all the time because everything in Chetumal is so much cheaper than in Veracruz... which happens to be a very expensive city.

I stayed at a hotel one block from both the Zocalo and the Malecon... the perfect location except for the fact that both the east side and the west side of the building are surrounded by an extremely busy street (the bridge in the background is the only one for about a mile to the west).


This, coupled with the fact that there was a food stand that would set up at night and blast reggaeton until 5 AM in the morning (oh, and yes, reggaeton is the certified new big thing) meant that I didn´t get much sleep.

However, this wasn´t bad. Veracruz has so much to do. While I was there I took a short Spanish language course. No books, no worksheets. Just conversation, which usually ended up being about how much of a pendejo our president is.

After my classes ended I got a chance to look around. Veracruz is a port and harbor right on the Gulf of Mexico. To the south is Boca del Rio, where lots of tourist flock to to jump in the water... you can see it here from across the bay (with the gigantic flag in front).


Also, Veracruz has a world famous aquarium, considered the best in Latin America.





Don´t put your hand in this tank! Those are huge schools of piranhas...


If you bring kids to Veracruz, be sure to bring them to the aquarium. It is a sight not to be missed.

Veracruz is centered on a Zocalo, which holds a 200 year old Cathedral... pretty modern by Mexican standards.



The spot where everyone goes to is the strip of portales restaurants and bars on the north side of the Zocalo.


During the day it is nothing special. But at night it transforms into a huge stage. The early evening is filled with family oriented entertainment- concerts and danzones. At night multiple bands of every type of Mexican music come out to see who can be the loudest. The Norteño and Mariachi bands usually win, because of the trumpets and the drums, as well as the fact that folks usually know the words to the songs and sing along.


It ends up being so interesting when bands join each other. Last night was a perfect combination- a Norteño band like the guys above, and a Jarocho band with men in traditional dress (white guayaberas and white pants) performing a cumbia song together. Ah, la unidad de Mexico...

Most of the tourists in Veracruz are Mexican tourists, so the vibe in town is very different from other spots that cater to foreigners.

Veracruz is an extremely old city- one of the first to be founded by the Spanish. All over town you see historical monuments, including this one, which is a dedication to all the people who were killed during the 4 times that the city was taken over by a foreign power, including the 2 times the United States sent troops here (the Mexican American War and the Mexican Revolution).




While I was here I was able to make some friends. My friend Misael has a great deal of family in the state of Veracruz, and I was able to hang out with his cousin Israel.


Israel and his wife Laura are absolutely the best. We all had so much fun together, in the portales of the Zocalo, and just cruising around town. They really made sure I felt like I was at home, which is exactly what happened.




For all you history buffs, the lighthouse in the background is where the 1917 Mexican Constitution was drafted and signed.

Sunday I will be going to Xalapa, the state capital of the state of Veracruz (Veracruz the city is actually El Puerto de Veracruz), and visiting one of the most beautiful museums focused on pre-Hispanic Native American artifacts. I am really looking forward to the trip.

Hasta pronto,

-el Joel