Holiday Inn Orizaba Veracruz

... group is almost entirely Australian. There is just one other 'Pom' who I can discuss the X Factor with. At dinner I was surrounded by Aussies. We had the old favourite travellers conversations -<br><br>1. What is the most ill you have been on holiday? An Aussie couple beat everyone else with their graphic details. Nice topic for the dinner table.<br>2. How heavy is your backpack? I won - yes!!<br>3. Which anti malarial tablets are you taking and what are the horrific side effects?<br ...

... vestiti in modo macabro tipo Halloween, i bambini ci provano con "dolcetto o scherzetto", ci sono venditori di cibarie in ogni dove.<br>Ho visto una mostra interessante sulla storia dell'inquisizione, allestita all'interno del vero palazzo che fu dell'inquisizione, attuale facoltà di medicina-radiodiagnostica. Anche se in spagnolo ho compreso quasi tutta la narrazione dell'audioguida; la chiesa ce l'ha sempre avuta la mania del controllo e dell'annichilimento del pensiero ...

... it was a completely different story!<br><br>Wow. Could they ever dance! And their smiles and their eyes were all the thanks that we needed. It was hot, we were all sweating, and it hurt to move as many of us were still sunburnt from our day at the beach. We didn't care. It felt so wonderful that, in spite of their current physical states, they wanted to dance and move like they probably hadn't in a long time. <br><br>And when we were done and about to leave, many of them stood up and ...

... from Phoenix, AZ to Mexico City. I'm not going to sugar-coat it as it was a very uncomfortable flight. Oh well! That's why I have a stack of electronics to keep me occupied!<br><br>We arrived in Mexico City around 9:30 p.m. and were greeted by local media (we all looked awesome after flying in a hot plane all day), alumni with a "Viva la Gente" sign (that means Up With People in Spanish) and food! Wonderful croissant sandwiches, fruit, chocolate and juice boxes :)<br><br>Then I ...

... to the gates of a big stadium and bought a ticket to the evening Running of the Bulls. I had missed it in the streets, but I would see it in the arena. For three grueling, exciting, and uncomfortable hours I heard the cheers and jeers of the crowd as they shouted for the Toros (bulls) and the Toreros (the men killing the bulls). My circumstance began to make perfect sense. After all there was no running of the bulls in the streets in Hemingway's ...

Flying into Mexico City, hang on I've just realised I could not have actually flown into a city, if I had I would either be the first person ever to fly independent of any mechanism or machine or I would have very large bruises because clearly if you fly into a city this big it's going to hurt. So I'll begin again Looking out of the aeroplane window at the vast expanse of Mexico City. (It lacks poetry doesn't it) I was conscious on only one thing ...

... We walked along the market street and tried some Mexican style hot dogs with mustard, mayo, jalapeno and sauce - yum! We walked along another street and stopped off to have some cake and hot chocolate (yum), before proceeding to the Museum of Fine Arts (another amazing building) and walking down past a big garden to the Plaza de la Revolucion and the monument. The avenue of Independence leading here was closed off with lots of tents and there ...

So I had to stay in Veracruz an extra day and Im happy I did...Its a sweet town that reminds me alot of Baltimore...right on the water, a port industry city that nobody gives a **** about until the money stops rolling in. They are definetly more layed back on the gulf....There is this old fort you can see aswell..its like veracruz is ...

...no, I don´t mean actual tiborones (sharks), just the hottest thing east of Mexico City: Los Tiborones Rojos, the national soccer team of Veracruz. And yes, we went to a game. And yes, the tickets were free, front row, straight from the hands of the goalie, and free. Mexican futbol fans are just as wild as expected, adorned with sharky gear and litros de Sol. Kudos to Dan and family for the connections (that´s right, we even have connections in Mexico.) Dan´s cousin Jorge is the ...

Hola from Mexico, My final flight for a while, went better than expected. I left San Francisco at 3am, the boys I´d been out with the night before were just getting in!!! My flight to Dallas went probably to quickly for me, I can´t even remember taking off. The other flight left two hours later to Mexico City. This was interesting as we flew though a thunder storm. Just after first class were served their drinks we hit an air pocket and drinks went everywhere, also lighting coming to ...