The Nomads

Left Monte Gordo, Mexico at 9:30 AM

Temp: 34 degrees C

Hazy & Hot

Stopped at army checkpoint, sergeant was really interested in Canada, the snow, and the “Grande Moto”, pretty nice guy, chatty and friendly….

What a great morning cruising down the gulf coast towards veracruz, the ocean surf was in view most of the way. Susie and I are fried crisp and looking for vinegar, no luck yet!

Stopped outside Nautla at a small roadside restaurant for delicious espresso coffee and cheese quesadillas. Best coffee yet!! So good that we bought a half kilo, had it fresh ground there for the next week; and the quesadillas were quite good too.

Heading for Tlacotalpan we had to go through Veracruz, and it was a nightmare of traffic and missing direction signs and highway numbers. It took us over three hours to find our way to the highway to Alvarado via Boca Del Rio on the other side of Veracruz.

I had been talking to some Mexicans along the way who suggested that I visit Tlacotalpan, an old historic Spanish city that is supposed to be quite beautiful. It was quite a ways out of the way but was definitely worth the effort. It is the most beautiful city that we have been in so far and is very friendly and clean. We walked around the Zocallo and old city for at least an hour well out of sight of the bike which we parked on the edge of the old town; all our gear was not even secured and nothing was disturbed when we returned.

The local cop was very friendly and helpful, and at least three people came to personally welcome us to Tlacatalpan!

We had originally planned to tour for an hour or so and then head back for the coast and Catemaco but were so taken with the place that I started looking for a place to stay; found a great old hotel in the Spanish style right on the Zocallo and checked us in for the night.

It so happens that the city celebrates “El Festivo de los Ninos” today and there was a stage set up in the middle of the town square and chairs for the populace set out. What an amazing family affair! Musicians, School children staging plays, magicians entertaining and engaging the kids in the audience which numbered in the hundreds, and a whole cast of Disney characters on stage, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto……What a wondrous commotion of excited kids! A lot of the children were dressed up in fantastic lavish outfits with gold and silver lames, chiffon, feathered hats, long fairy princess dresses, some not, all so cute….

And to top it all off, the children were all given a ticket for attending and at the end of the spectacle they presented the ticket for a bag of free treats and a free toy, which, depending on the luck of the draw ranged from new bikes to soccer balls and dolls.

We headed to the malecon for a cooling walk along the water and in search of a waterside restaurant and bar but spotted a street vender along the way, and when we saw the malecon was closing down, went back to the vendor for pork tacos that were delicious, nine tacos for $3.50, what a deal and sooo good. ( soft tacos grilled and garnished with roast diced pork, fried onions, fresh diced onion and cilantro, pineapple, and fresh squeezed lime, with two salsas, one piquant and one mild)….YUM!

Then, back to the hotel with cold Tecates (a good beer) to kick back.

A day with a great start, a nasty middle and a fantastic end!

Kilometers - Daytrip: 400? total: 6???

Gas: $19.00

Lodging: Hotel Reformo $40

# posted by Richard and Susie @ 1:11 PM