Chula Cholula: Xalapa and surrounding

Xalapa

During the few days between end of the spring semester, together with my TOEFL exam (Test of English as a Foreign Language) at 23rd of May and the beginning of summer school at the 28th I paid a visit to the capital of the state of Veracruz: Xalapa.

Originally it was planned that I would go with my friend J. from Canada, but guess what - as we are in Mexico of course it didn't work out as expected. She was already travelling before and couldn't find any insulin anywhere. So she understandably preferred not to go to Xalapa, but to return immediately to Puebla in order to get some of her insulin reserves.

Ya, that's Mexico... Since weeks already I try to get a vaccination against yellow fever. But for some reason there is no national provider anymore. So all the hospitals can only tell me that they don't know when there will be a new one and that they don't have the vaccination in stock right now. I mean, for me it is not totally necessary, because finally I probably won't go to Colombia, but only to Peru in July (flights from Peru to Colombia are incredibly expensive). For Peru it is not a prerequisite to have this vaccination, but it is still recommended. Hmm, great...

But back to my trip to Xalapa. Although I didn't have the expected company, I really enjoyed the trip. The state of Veracruz is awesome: As diverse as Chiapas and Oaxaca (the country's most diverse state when it comes to cultures, landscapes, flora and fauna), but much smaller. So, if you want within one day you can go to the beach, the mountains, the city, museums, pyramids, waterfalls... And actually I did all this, but a bit more tranquil, namely in several days.

Xalapa itself boasts a nice climate - not too hot, not too cold (in contrary to the city of Veracruz, where it gets really hot - although I like that as well). It is an incredibly green city, with lots of parks, lakes and even small forests in the middle of the city. Apart, it also has the country's most important anthropology museum. Not only the exposition is well worth seeing, but the building and the park it is located in are also awesome. There are so many gardeners, you feel like in an arboretum. For example, in the musem's numerous patios you'll find beauties like this one:

The exposition was really interesting, thanks to a very informative yet entertaining audio guide. I learned a lot about ancient Mexican and Latin American cultures like the Olmecs, supposedly the "mother culture" of all the others.

Sometimes the descriptions were even funny, for example the one about the "baby face" figures:

"Baby Face" figures

It was also mind-blowing to see this couple on a swing from 1,200 BC. Really a timeless hobby!

And more flowers in the museum's garden...

As I said, Xalapa even boasts forests in the middle of the city. It actually reminded me a bit of Reutlingen, the city I had studied before. Although there the woods are not directly in the center, it is still surrounded by a lot of them.

The small forest is actually an extinct volcano, the Nevado de Toluca. So, when you finally find the way through the labyrinth of narrow and hidden pathways up to the top, you will reach the mausoleum. I just wondered what the hammer and sickle where doing there...

Library Mexican-style

Near the mauseoleum you will also find the Museo de la Fauna. Apparently there are eagles, snakes and other reptiles. As for me, seeing the poor tied birds, I already had enough and didn't enter. Yet, it was still funny that the employees knew some of the names even in German, as one of the guys had a German girlfriend.


Hedwig from Harry Potter?

Xalapa's cathedral is also kind of famous, as it is unfinished - the second tower was only constructed halfway through.

Hacienda El Lencero
All around Xalapa you will find haciendas like El Lencero. Originally built as a resupply camp for the Spanish soldiers, it now offers a worthwhile museum, as well as very nice gardens.

A 500-year-old fig tree!

The Hacienda dates back to 1580!

German piano

Meeting every Mexican cliché...

I actually really had to laugh, as the sweet family was doing its best to get a good shot of me with the chapel.

Very European interior

Flowers and their scent everywhere - together with bird songs

Xico & Coatepec

Two small towns near Xalapa are absolutely worth a visit: Xico and Coatepec. They are not only pueblos mágicos, that is conserving traditional customs, but they are also well known for their awesome gourmet coffee.

The route of Hernán Cortés

Having an awesome breakfast at the side of a river, featuring a local herb called Xonequi

I think, they should refill the salt shaker...

Although already stuffed, I still had to try the dessert: Tamal canario. I saw the advertisement everywhere in Xico and although canario (Canarian) doesn't really sound Mexican, it apparently is a local specialty. I have to say that I'm not a big fan of sweets, but the combination of corn meal dough, filled with a kind of custard was at least interesting. And I just cannot omit local specialties I will not be able to get anywhere else.

Walking around Xico felt like a time travel 50 years back. There are horses everywhere and they are actually still used for work, for example to distribute the fresh milk.

Lovely scene: Returning home with the "Sunday Cake"

Although I felt perfectly save, you definitely could notice that Veracruz is part of the drug trafficking routes. Police and marines everywhere...

Picking a banana while waiting for the bus...

Fighting dengue fever...

You can rent this space to organize fiestas, but actually it looks more like a jail...

Xico also boasts two waterfalls. The way leads you through beautiful coffee plantations, which actually look more like banana fields: The trees are grown to give shade to the coffee beans.

You shouldn't discard trash or dead animals here... Hmm...

As I said, the state of Veracruz is part of the war against drugs and although the situation is much better than a few years ago, it is not rare to see marines. Yet, it was funny to watch them doing some sightseeing, paying a visit to the waterfalls as well...

Left: Heavily armed marines. Right: Tourists. Only in Mexico...

Back to work!

Horses are also utilized in the coffee and banana harvest. The atmosphere in the fields is awesome. The sounds of birds and cicadas everywhere, together with the remarkable sound of cutting something with machetes.

Of course I bought some gourmet coffee - and got a free tour on the plantation and an insight into the process of making this great beverage.

Xico is also famous for its bread. At first sight I happily thought to have found lye pastries. But well, only at first sight... It turned out to be just another white bread filled with sweet quark. Interesting, how every second town in Mexico is famous for its breads, which only resemble once more the well-known combination white flour plus sweet quark cheese...

After Xico I went to Coatepec, which is equally famous for its coffee (or perhaps even more), but also for its orchids. They are everywhere and the orchid museum is really worth a visit! According my guide there a Mexican lily is even featured in an Italian coat of arms. Investigating this, I found out that the "fleur-de-lis", which you will find on many armors actually is a stylized lily. However, I didn't find the prove about orchids in any coat of arms. But anyway, it was really wonderful (except the mosquitos...)

The "fleur-de-lis" is a stylized lily. Source: Wikipedia

Coatepec is probably one of the few places where you can blunder into just any coffee shop and you will always get good coffee. I have to say that the beans I bought here are even better than the ones from Xico.

Also once again an eye-opener was the advertisement at the town's entrance. There's an ad for a restaurant, promoting "Comida Internacional" (International Food) - together with a photo of Sopa Azteca, a tortilla soup. Can you get any more Mexican? In fact, you will find international restaurants from time to time - but closed down. Mexicans want Mexican food. Really missing the variety here...

Zempoala & Chachalacas

One last trip was to the pyramids of Zempoala and the beach of Chachalacas. The archeological site of Zempoala was once the most important center of the Totonac people. Totonaca is a Nahuatl word, meaning "People of Hot Land". And indeed it was unbearably hot - saying me, who feels just fine with everything around 40°C... The vendor I bought my water was actually laughing, because I was sooo exhausted. No wonder I was the only one in the whole complex.

After an incredibly refreshing ice-cold Agua de Coco (something like watery and sweetened coconut milk) in Cardel I headed to the beach of Chachalacas. There is no "real" public transport, but you take a colectivo instead. That is, squeezing in a taxi, together with as many people as possible. The fact that I live in the world's most obese country doesn't make this more convenient...