Xalappy times in Xalapa

So as I usually do, I decided to travel away from Puebla this past weekend and of course in true Gabby style it was a last minute spontaneous plan. So I looked at Google maps and saw a place named Xalapa connected to here by a short highway. So I decided, well, I like the people I have met from Veracruz so far, so why not! And so it happened, I jumped on a bus Saturday morning and was on my merry way. And as fate would have it, despite waking up when my bus was supposed to leave and rushing frantically to the bus station, I managed to buy the LAST TICKET on the bus leaving STRAIGHT AWAY! And so even though I was sandwiched between 2 fat guys that smelt like mud (who I'm sure I fell asleep and possibly drooled on at some stage) I was finally after 3 hours in Xalapa.

Ok so it wasn't exactly the bus that I took. But it is an ample description of the bus system in Xalapa. Actually the buses in Xalapa are really good (much better than the trains in Brisbane which often smell like urine), but one can only assume that this abbreviation was created by someone who didn't speak English. But I digress. So as soon as I got there, we headed straight up to a small town in the mountains which were shrouded in mist, to a town famous for its shoes and its leather. For a small and charming town, it was amazing how much leather and shoe stores there were. Surely one town could not wear so many pairs of shoes! But of course my favourite was a pair of yellow leather boots with swans stitched on them! They were the tackiest things I had ever seen and I loved them! The town itself was a very charming small dairy farming/leather making town (made even more mysterious and exciting by the fact that we couldn't see all that far in front of us), with awesome food and a different vibe to other parts of Mexico.

 

And so after checking out the town (and before freezing to death) we headed back to Xalapa city to chill out and relax before heading out for some live music. So we headed out, and of course I had no idea what to expect. Were we going out to see rock music? folk? pop? gospel? salsa? All were possibilities, but I was pleasantly surprised by the live band who played a variety of music known as Veracruzana (like... music from the state of Veracruz... yep). The venue was decked out much like your standard RSL, and our group of 10 or so 20 somethings seemed to be the youngest ones there at first. Sitting there with my beer (Indio) I had no idea what to expect, and when the band stepped onto stage in their traditional matching outfits and I was ready to run. But then they started. And it was AWESOME! Just imagine a folkloric sound, mixed with rock and a headbanging lead singer/guitarist. It had everyone in the crowd enjoying it and I can officially add a new genre of music to my "like" list. 

And who would have guessed, but the song La Bamba is actually from Veracruz! But after the band finished the group dispersed and we headed back to recharge the batteries and escape the cold! And on the way back we were having a gab about the drug traffickers in the taxi (a sneaky conversation that we had in English because as it seems, you never know who you can or can't trust in Mexico... but it would have sucked if the Cabbie WAS a narco who spoke English!). The next day we chilled out all day, eating delicious home made tacos, enjoying (well... laughing at) the Superbowl and the farce that is the half time show (well the farce that is the entire Superbowl!) and listening to some more Mexican music before some more friends arrived for a fiestita. And of course, for the first time in about 4 years I walked a dog! It was great. We walked to the river, around the brightly painted streets while Ringo bounced around like a maniac.

The next day (the public holiday!) we journeyed into the city centre (again), this time to take in and enjoy what a pretty city it was. Xalapa is a city that is full of green spaces, parks and plazas, which make it a very interesting place to adventure to. We started in the main park, and to my utmost pleasure, there was a clown show taking place! But then... not only was there one clown, but 2. And 3. And more! There must have been at least 7 or 8 clowns in the park that day and I did my best to take a few sneaky photos of as many as I could. When I asked Olaf why there are so many clowns in Mexico (not just there! it is not unheard of in Mexico for a clown to sell you a taco), all he could answer is that they enjoy it. Needless to say there is still much more for me to learn about Mexican culture.

This friendly clown saw me trying to take a sneaky photo and instead invited me over to have a photo with him (him?). Afterwards, we continued walking, through the parks, super interesting colonial buildings and through the market alley. Another thing I noticed in Xalapa that I hadn't noticed so much in other parts of Mexico were the stereotypes coming out. Moustaches. Sombreros. All things that back home we expect of Mexicans that I hadn't seen to much of.. until Xalapa

Another thing about Xalapa/Veracruz is that it produces coffee and is famed for having some of the best coffee in the world. So I had to test it for myself. And it did not fail. It was exceptionally good (better than most of the shit that you'll find in Brisbane or Starbucks), and of course the cafes are warm, inviting and everything that one could hope for. So as night drew near and my imminent departure, I was sad to leave such from such a weekend. So I boarded the bus, expecting a very straightforward 3 hour ride home, but instead I experienced:

Whinge whinge, you say. How bad can it have been. Well, for one my 3 hour bus ride took instead 4 and a half hours. Why? Because of a heavy fog for the first part of the journey that rendered it impossible to see more than 2m in front. So when we were sitting in traffic for over an hour wondering why the fuck we weren't moving, we couldn't see anything. When we finally drove past, we saw a burning shell of a pick up truck in the middle of the road (still on fire after many hours) and no other cars (nor fire fighters for that matter). It leaves one to wonder whether: a) there was an idiot on the road that night. b) someone fell asleep with a ciggie whilst driving (there was only one car so it wasn't like a pile up or anything) or c) if drug traffickers had been battling and the burning pick up truck represented somebody who had crossed the Mexican drug lords (ok... so that one was a result of a vivid imagination and the sweet caress of my good friend boredom). But of course to top things off, there was always at any given time at least 2 snorers in my vicinity. Also, the 17 year old sitting next to me didn't have headphones so my favourites were blaring out of his phone while he edged closer (as I edged away) and I tried not to kill myself (or him!). 

And of course, the discovery of the weekend. Xalapa... Xalapeños... Jalapeños! Jalapeños are from Xalapa. And here I was thinking it was just a gorgeous, fun and super cultural city!