Mexico In January 2002 I went to Poza Rica, Mexico, where I taught English for one year. I left that December for Edmonton and spent two months in -20 weather. Nice people, great food, beautiful scenery, and a pro-fun culture. I often wonder why I left.

Tour Veracruz

This'll be the player
El Mundo the newspaper seller, every day in the marketplace.

 


My home in Poza Rica, by chance called Canada Place. We lived on the second floor, under the shoe repair shop. For those who demand the very best. Cazones Beach. The coast is dirty, but there are little boats to take you out to a beautiful sand spit. Nicer swimming than Puerto Vallerta, and 1/4 as expensive. A party my first weekend in Poza Rica. Why are we so festive? Because Petroleum Day is coming, featuring the, uh, dance of the boxes. Tecolutla Beach. It's all you need. Beautiful Tlaxcalatongo falls, near Poza Rica. It doesn't seem to be marked on maps anywhere. Maybe no one wants to try to pronounce the name. Voladore flyers, Papantla. By slowly flying towards the ground, these men attain a spiritual state. Most of us do this with cheap tequila. Cathedral, Puebla. Puebla's not really a party city (try Veracruz). Perhaps the city fathers were too tired from building churches to celebrate. A street market, Poza Rica. Great fruit and vegetables for next to nothing. The meat is a little more, uh, chancy, especially in mid-summer. Volkswagens, Poza Rica. The 'Vochos' are everywhere, and some are in very good shape. Very few have flowers painted on them. Rio Filobobos. Two ocean coastlines, a gulf, and rivers and waterfalls everywhere, and yet most Mexicans I met aren't big swimmers. The world can probably do without seeing our laundry, but this was it. The tank to the right held our house water, which was gravity-fed. Park bench, Juarez park, Poza Rica. Cold, hard marble. Really, it's not such a bad thing when it's 43 degrees! Petroleum Day, March 2002, Poza Rica. You can't cough in Mexico without someone having a parade for it. Jalapa, Veracruz. A bird of paradise from a museum of indigenous art. Some live plants to make people forget they're in a big building full of rocks. Barbecue near Poza Rica. We ate chicken in <i>molé</i>, a kind of chololatey gravy. Mexican food isn't as spicy as people think, but there's chili in <i>everything</i>. Enrique's ranch, near Poza Rica. Of course, whenever you have a barbecue, somebody has to make an ass of themself. Jalapa, Veracruz. Also from the garden in the indigenous art museum. The ancient Olmecs really wanted to get ahead in life. Cathedral bell, downtown Jalapa (<i>Ha-lap-uh</i>). For whom the bell tolls. It tolls <i>loudly</i> and it tolls when I'm trying to sleep. Monkey island, Catemaco. Somehow the monkeys didn't like Mark's goatee andwent, uh, ape on us. El Tajin site (Tuh-heen). A pre-Mayan site where ball games were played to determine human sacrifices. And I thought rugby was rough. View from my hotel, Taxco. Climbing the mountains of Taxco was taxing for me. I wonder if you can major in taxonomy here. Should I stop now? Puerto Vallerta beach. We arrived at Semana Santa (Easter week) and had trouble finding a hotel. For many latecomers the beach <i>was</i> the hotel. Puerto Vallerta before the 2002 hurricane. Plastic mariachis and Burger Worlds.. this is the real Mexico. San Augustin Convent, Queretaro, built for the Jesuits around 1736. With a functioning 18th-century satellite dish on the left side. Dark hallway, San Augustin. There's another San Augustin in Manila. The guy sure got around. Hillsides, Mexico City. Wonderful city where I was attacked on the subway. Maybe by now the smog has killed the thieves anyway. Mural on the cathedral wall, Papantla. "Come to church, or else this is what will be waiting for you someday.." A steep, narrow street in Taxco. A pretty little town based on silver mining. I just wouldn't want to drive there if the roads had snow. Fishermen in Tamihua, northeast of Poza Rica. Nice place for a shrimp cocktail. "Hey, Juan, I think my tacos were in that net." The Deportivo—the gym where we used to work out in the summer.. or swim.. or drink.. or tan.. or watch Latina bikini girls.. isn't fitness fun? Guadalajara. Guadalajara is full of old Spanish architecture, andand cafes, complete with Spanish-style wrong orders and indifferent service. Carnaval musicians downtown, Veracruz. Marimbas have such a warm tone. Where do they plug it in? Dan, Abi & Me in Tuxpan. You can take a boat across the river to tour a house where Castro and friends planned the invasion of Cuba. Have a cigar! Pelicans, Tecolutla, during a river ride. Most likely they come here to hide from the street markets. Hotel Limon, Jalapa. A beautiful tiled hotel with wrought iron doorways. They wanted about $9 a night for a room—the expense! A corner of the Palacio de Cortez in Cuernavaca, about an hour southwest of Mexico City. "<i>This </i>ought to keep that dog out." The castle of Edward James, an eccentric English aristocrat, near Xilitla. James decided to build a Roman villa in the jungle.. it didn't work. Display for Day of the Dead (Nov 1). Mexicans place the things that were precious to the deceased on their graves. What if death was your hobby? Turkeys crossing at Cazones beach. When people say animals are free range here, they aren't kidding. They have the right of way. Sculpture, Coyutla. They look too happy to keep the crows away! Catemaco. Legendary home of the <i>brujos</i> (witch doctors). It's hard to get stock out here; they only had love potion #7. Butterfly, El Tajin. They seem attracted to stone buildings. Something big that's not trying to eat them? Spalash! Tecolutla is a fun little beach town, maybe like Cancun was fifty years ago. They already have the cheesy souvenirs. Nanciyaga Preserve, Catemaco, where <i>The Medicine Man </i>was filmed. This is a pool of naturally carbonated water. Now I just need a <i>lot </i>of orange juice. Carnaval in Veracruz in February. One weekend of partying, parades, marching bands, and girls you don't bring home to mother. Fruit sellers on a Poza Rica street. You can buy anything there except those pants; even street vendors have standards. Detail, El Tajin ruins. "Pull my finger!" Or, "You're the next contestant on 'Who will we sacrifice next?'" Most Mexican cities have a square called a zocalo. Guadalajara has about ten. Wear comfortable shoes. Me & Simeon on Tecolutla beach. Every web page needs a beer pose, or two. View of village from beach, Puerto Vallerta. I couldn't go to church much in Mexico, ma, but I took a lot of pictures of them. Queretaro aqueduct. The man wants to photograph it. The boy wants to see a train go across it! Horse ride at sunset, Pie de la Cuesta (foot of the coast), Acapulco. American tourists: "Is the <i>pie</i> apple or pecan?" Modern art, Queretero museum. The Beetles are a kind of art too but they were starting to fade away. Seahorse statue, Puerto Vallerta. What will people think when they dig this up in centuries? "Many aquatic gods..." Sunday brunch restaurant in Puebla. The pastels everywhere were dazzling. Another reason to not show up too hung over. Fortress gate, Veracruz. You still need a fortress in Veracruz. Keep the party animals from escaping! The view from a cave near Xilitla. I don't know what attracted me to get muddy in order to see a giant hole in the ground, other than that I could leave it. Taxco hillside sunset. I don't like travelling alone much, but this was a peaceful evening. Slightly less peaceful when your Mexican cable car is snapping in the wind. Cuernavaca street. Liz nearly had her purse stolen. Nice to see they keep up the trends of nearby Mexico City. Hammocks on the beach, La Pie de Cuesta, near Acapulco. The museums and zocalos are fun, but this is what Mexico was made for. Tecolutla downtown park. I love Tecolutla and, what with the millions of viewers this website has, I almost don't want to give the secret away. Acapulco Bay. Many tourists only swim in the hotel pools, but I found the water fine. Why yes, I <i>have</i> felt a little itchy since. Jalapa (Xalapa), Veracruz. It's a pretty city at night, and up in the mountains it's nice to stop melting for a day or two. View of the cathedral, Taxco. The cathedral has a huge silver altar. This gate.. well, maybe we'll plate it <i>manana</i>. El Tajin ruins near Poza Rica, Veracruz. It's a peaceful area to walk around for an afternoon. Forty pesos is worth it alone for the quiet! Fountain, Guadalajara. Not so impressive after all the beautiful sights in the zocalo. Fill it with Corona.. <i>then</i> I'll be impressed. Street house, Puebla."Maybe we can balance the barbecue on the rail here... whoops, sorry down below." Babes on the beach, Tecolutla. Ten minutes later—the deluge. Those wussy palm branch shelters won't keep the rain off you! Bus to Tuxpan Beach. Why buy expensive letters or plaques for your destination when there's soap? Hotel view, Acapulco. Some parts of the city are gritty but it's scenic. I like a country that's not scared of color. Street view, Puebla. Puebla was strongly French in the 19th century and feels a little different from the rest of Mexico, except for the everpresent Volkswagons. Street musicians on Saturday night in the zocalo, Veracruz. Make the beach cleaner and Veracruz would be pretty close to heaven. I loved it there. Voladore flyers, Papantla cathedral. Mexico's great. In how many cultures is it <i>cool</i> for men to wear flowered silky clothing with tassels? Agave plants on the road on the road to to Guadalajara. The plants are distilled to make tequila. "What happens if we just chew them right now?" Cigar factory, San Andras Tuxtla. My friend Mark (from Kill the Wabbit) proceeded to spend all his money on cigars. Beer is a cheaper vice. Eyipantla Cascadas, near Catemaco. Mark's first act was to wipe out on the rocks. First rule in Mexico: Watch where you're going! Xilitla. This butterly is resting on one of Edward James' pillars. Careful.. we don't know how much weight it was designed for. A party on one of my last nights. Good people. I miss them. I had to drink a lot of tequila... who knows, they may stop making it before I return. Zocalo, Queretaro. The platform was designed by Eiffel, who went on to make some stuff in France or somewhere. Cliff divers of la Quebrada, Acapulco making the twice-daily 45 metre jump. That's not <b>me</b>! Them rocks is pointy! Street marker, Puebla. Because they're artful doesn't mean they're useful. I still got lost, lost, lost. Tuxpan river. Here we see the bird rest stop. No one feels like working Sunday morning. Mark in his military glory at the Veracruz museum. Put two Germans in a gun room and you're asking for trouble. Wide view of Cuernavaca from the museum. You wouldn't see such a clear day in Mexico City (You wouldn't be paying attention—you'd already be robbed). Castillo de Teayo, the "stone turtle", a Toltec pyramid in the village of the same name. Like a real turtle, there isn't a lot of movement. Ship paintings, church in Cuernavaca. The city is landlocked and the sea is somekm away. Everyone wants what they don't have! Winding hilly street, Taxco. Much like St. John's in Newfoundland, sometimes you're better off forgetting the map and just walking downhill. Flowers, Borda garden, Cuernavaca. They looked like little corn cobs to me. Travelling with vegetarians can leave you a little hungry. Grutas (caves) near Taxco. What did gigantic, majestic underground caves do for me? They gave me the <i>willies</i>, man! Tijuana has a pretty seedy reputation, but it's not so bad. It takes too long to drive anywhere to get into any trouble anyway. View of Ensenada from our hotel window. The day is very touristy but at night the locals seemed to come out. I felt more at home again than with the Californians. Sunset from the balcony of our hotel, Mission Santa Isabel, complete with a symbol of what will be waking you up in a few hours.

 

Ensenada & Baja Mexico
I went back to Mexico for a day trip in July 2008. It wasn't the same and I almost regret going. The locals are jaded by the hordes of California tourists and it's expensive by Mexican standards. Otherwise, if you stay away from the border towns, tourists are generally immune from the recent drug violence in the country.



This'll be the player
Petroleum Day Parade, Poza Rica (February 2002) 0:20
Poza Rica Street (March 2002) 0:53