Olmec Heads and Scottish Weather

La Posado Santiago - our hotel in Xalapa.
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The capital of Veracruz, Xalapa (also spelled Jalapa), is Mexico’s oldest city as well as the namesake of the famous Jalapeno pepper. Denise and I left Poza Rica about 3:20 Saturday and headed that way, hoping for some cooler weather and a change of scenery for Revolution Day weekend. Hwy 180, for much of the way, is lush, hilly jungle on one side and an occasional glimpse of the ocean on the other. But by the time we got to Cempoala, the hills turned to tall cloud-shrouded mountains.

Shortly before Ciudad Veracruz and after Laguna, Verde, Mexico’s only (thank God) nuclear reactor, we turned onto Hwy 180 and the road was a steady climb into the mountains and on to Xalapa. We got into town about 8:00 pm and checked into the Posada Santiago. Tired from the road, we went out for some tacos and strolled around the Parque Juarez (Xalapa’s main plaza), then retired early. We certainly got our wish for cooler weather, as it seemed more like Inverness than Mexico.

Denise Santiago - no relation to the hotel. (Xalapa)
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Sunday we took in a free Diego Rivera and Freda Khalo exhibition just off the plaza. It was the first time I’ve ever seen any of her originals and the first time I’ve seen any of his - other than murals in Mexico City. After that we went to the anthropology museum, which was outstanding. The exhibition slopes down a hill (indoors) and goes in chronological order from the Olmecs to the Aztecs and Totanacs covering several thousand years of pre-Colombian Mexican history.

After the museum we did a lot more walking, checking out the cathedral and the government palace. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but it was a pretty full day. Full enough that supper we had Domino’s delivered the room and the evening’s entertainment was Forrest Gump on cable.

Dia de los Muertos altar for Frida Khalo and Diego Rivera. (Xalapa)
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On Sunday we went back to the plaza for the Revolution Day festivities, which were not unlike an American 4^th of July affair – with marching bands and cheerleaders, clowns and smiling politicians (also clowns I suppose). Then it was back on the bus for the long ride back.