We need to start heading towards Veracruz but will see some off the beaten track little places on the way. We want to go to El Tajin and Papantla where we have heard about beautiful ruins and flying men.
We stop en route for food and try fried dorado fish which is yummy and try “tostado pata pollo” which is something new we think but is actually pickled cows foot and seriously grim!
We pass through a high area with goat herders and bonsai alley where bonsai trees line the shops in crazy thick cloud as we are in cloud forest here. We arrive at papantla and drive through the teeny tiny streets and find a cool overlanding spot just outside town which is a vanilla farm where we meet luis , his dogs and donkey after a bumpy road. We see and hear beautiful ibis and have fresh papaya and bananas from the garden. The garden as well as wild and cultivated vanilla has hibiscus and other stunning plants. The best vanilla in the world comes from this area. We chill and drink some of our puntual tequila before bed.
We are awoken by a donkey and machetes chopping cow food and the dogs come to say hello. We see amazing giant blue black edge butterflies and more ibis with the funnny call as well as scalloped edged Incan doves and great tailed grackles which make a huge noise. We drive to el tajin and park up and enjoy pottering around the pyramids and seeing ancient ball courts ( some debate about if the winning or losing team captain had their head cut off and were sacrificed to the gods). The pyramids here are different to teotihuacan especially the main pyramid which has 365 niches or little cubby holes where statues and offerings were placed.
The place is peaceful with hardly anyone here and lots of butterflies. After lunch we find the flying men or "voladores". They wear elaborate costumes and climb a huge pole and then intricately weave rope around the pole accompanied by a whistle before they fly off the top of the pole and slowly unwind to the ground its spectacular!
After the crazy flying dudes we try to explore papantla town but fail to find a parking spot and decide to carry on to huaxitlan in the coast. We find an expensive spot to camp and wander down the road where local cowboys are having tacos and swinging in hammocks. After cócteles Cameron and tacos dorados we head to the van.
We’re up and out to La Mancha beach to see the lagoon and watch crabs scuttling in and out of holes on the beach. There are people kayaking on the lagoon which is a cool place to see the Caribbean Sea for the first time.
We have a quick stop at quiahuitzlan site on the hill which is a fab place looking out to sea with lots of rose belly lizards, malachite and monarch butterflies which are our first few and lots of other butterflies and cottonwood borer beetles.
As we head on to cempoala we pass some aggressive blokes demanding money on a tope we quickly pass and we're soon in cempoala. We have a wander around the park and (underwhelming) ruins we stopped at as it is a famous place for the history of South America and there was a battle here between Cortes and the locals (which Cortes won).
We have some tasty mariscos and prawns. As we drive it’s mostly tropical jungle since we came over the mountains from Puebla and is hot and humid.
Our next stop is coatepec in the cloud forest and we struggle after a few stops to find a place to camp. We find a crazy little side road and stumble on a gem “la calera” which is an old lime factory which has been turned into a funky industrial space housing a a cool collleciton of eateries and craft beers. We have some pizzas and beer and chat to lovely Paula who helps liaise with manager to let us camp and they kindly Let us stay for the night.
We get a taxi to coatepec to see last day of the day if the dead festival and it so so busy and rainy (cloud forest!) so we only have an hour or so pottering the little bustling zocalo with a very strong smell of aromatic coffee the area is known for and we come back to the camper.
The Taxi driver on the way home regales us with stories of how he was kicked out of America for drink driving which is somewhat ironic whilst he’s driving us! There’s a Party in la calera til 1 am - the Mexicans know how to party and there’s very little peace and quiet anywhere really in Mexico. There are even loudspeakers on the sides of pharmacys. We eventually conk and need a bit of a lie in the folllowing morning!
Emma
Comments