to visa or not to visa?

I am here in Tuxpan.

Today I had to decide whether or not to get legal in Mexico. To make my visa `valid´ I needed to go to the bank and pay 237 P. Normally its a no brainer because I need that piece of paper to leave the country. Normally because when you leave at the US border the rules are different. There is a `buffer´ zone more or less in Mexico (I think for 50 km) where the visa is not needed. So when you enter its different than entering Guatemala. I was sorely tempted (I mean why should I pay about $24 when I can get away with not paying it) but then I thought about all the bs that one has to go thru just to ask for a visa to come to the US. Last year Yesi payed 100 Q for a card which was good for one call to the embasy to make the appointment (thats about $13). Then she traveled to Guate by bus (both ways 120 Q) and she had to stay in a hotel for the night (I think it was around 100Q for the hotel). We are now up to about $60. She then had to take a taxi to the embasy, lay down $100 cash and then 10 minutes later her request came back (w/o an explanation) `denied´. All in all with taxis, food, etc $200 just to ask to visit the US. I decided it was just plain dumb to even think about not paying when I am allowed to visit Mexico when I ever I want.

I went to the bank today and paid my 237 P.

side note - Yesi applied a 2nd time and was granted a 15 day visa - what a bunch of bastards - they can´t stop the problem of illiegals so they do the next best thing - stop honest tourists from visiting - of course the illiegals keep on a truckin´.

Leaving Veracruz

This is going to be disjointed.

I spent 2 nights (1 full day) in Veracruz. My buss leaves at 10:18 this morning for Tuxpan. As normal I am here waay too early. I got here at 8:30. Its not enough that I have to sit on a bus for 6 hours I also have to sit in the terminal for almost 2 hours.

Had breakfast in the Zocalo right in front of a hotel and was able to get on line (great connection). I first went to the place I had breakfast yesterday and they were open (7 am) but not serving breakfast for another 20 minutes. Apparently they were just finishing up last night. There was 2 or 3 tables of guys still (I assume 'still' is appropriate) drinking from last night. Are bars and restaraunts able to serve here 24 - 7?

Had shrimp for lunch and dinner. Very expensive but I am here, and it seems not to have shrimp when I am by the sea shore. Actually paid 115 P for dinner (plus beer) and 95 P (I think) for lunch (plus beer).

This terminal is kind of crazy. Seems like a bus is leaving every 5 minutes or even faster. Hope I don't miss my bus.

note: I didn´t miss the bus but it was impossible to know when to leave the waiting area. Normally there is a person at the door and if I´m not sure he/she will look at my ticket and then tell me. Today there wasn´t and the place is big. I went out and asked the gal (security) and the guy next to her said (to the gal), ¨tell him to wait here and then you can can tell him when the bus is here¨ (not a bad idea). It worked. The problem (besides not understanding the loud speaker) is that my bus was a `paseo´, which means it came in from somewhere else and just picked up a few people. It makes it harder that way than if it originates in the town.

I entered Mexico on a shuttle with 2 English speaking gals (one from England and one from Quebec (french speaking)) and since I have not heard one tourist speaking English and I am almost thru mexico. Now I have seen other tourists that I haven't heard, but I also haven't seen many tourists since Palenque( of course I have only been in 2 towns since Palenque).

Yesterday I resisted the temptation to buy Cuban Cigars (small box for 100 P complete with stamp) I am now regretting my decision. I still can't believe our stand (USA) after all these years re: Cuba. Well maybe in Tuxpan at the museum there will be something from Cuba that I can buy - maybe a t-shirt to cross the border in.

more later.

Villahermosa to Veracruz

well I am in Villahermosa, a town near the Carribean (maybe an hour which is a wild guess) Its a city of over a half million (think) but the down town is nice. I have seen a total of 5 people that appear to be tourists- which makes it nice. The downtown has quite a few streets that are just pedestrian ways and a nice area for eating/drinking on the river. I am staying at the Hotel Oriente for 220 Pesos. Its nice (I'm on the 4th floor) but not any breeze (87 degrees in my room) but the ceiling fan should suffice (not much choice). The ride from Palenque was bout 2 1/2 hours (100 P). I bought a ticket for tommorow to Veracruz for 342 P that leaves at 10:00. I think its about 7 hours.
I wandered around town quite a bit today - had lunch and 2 beers soon as I got here by the river. The lunch was good (very) and the beer was 15 P for Negra Modela. The waiter tried to sit me in the shade and I wanted to be by the sun - that lasted about 3 minutes and I moved to the shade - suffice to say it was hot. The rest of the day was just walking around. There is a tower (quite high) on the pedestrian bridge over the river that you are supposed to be able to climb. It was closed - I was dissapointed.
Rained like crazy around 7 pm - super loud thunder and bright lightning. Super hard rain but for less than an hour. I had dinner outside (under cover) during the rain. It was across the street at an expensive hotel. The food wasn't bad (not great - just ok) and expensive. The beer was 30 Q for Negra Modelo (ouch).
Generally speaking the beer seems to cost less than in Guatemala and it is a better beer - or at least there are more options. Rooms are more and food not sure...
Not much else to say.buenas noches
good morning
I'm at the bus station, but can't get connected to the internet. For some reason It is hit and miss to connect. There are 2 symbols when I try to create a connection; locked and unlocked. There must be something else to try that I haven't figured out.
Had coffee across the street in the same plae (the sign says free wireless - no signal though). Just had coffee (2 cups) and it was 28 P - yikes.
Yesterday from the station to my hotel 20 P, this morning 15 P. I got here in my usual anal way at 8:25 for my 10:00 bus. I think its a 7 hour more or less ride. Seats more comfortable than greyhound but yesterday I was sitting next to the fatest man in Mexico, thus it was a bit tight (why me? Once from Tapachula to San Pedro Sula I was next to the fatest man in Honduras - must be a world record).
I'm in Veracruz (9:47 pm) can't connect to the internet and didn't see an internet place (well I saw one tiny one that was filled) and I'm wondering why the hell the packers are losing - it will be a fun year (yeah right - they will suck). Monday night basebol was on espn where I ate supper so I knew the 3rd qtr score by the ticker on the bottom.
The bus left on time (10:01) and I was walking off the bus at 7:29 - long day. 30 P taxi to my hotel (forget the name) and 150 P for my room. Last night I was on the "4th" floor and today I am on the "3rd" floor. Why the quotes? well the first floor is really the 2nd, etc. Not bad except that my backback is heavy - shit I forgot. In Coban, much higher elevation, I had to walk up a steep (very) hill and damn near died.
I plan to spend at least 2 nights here. The city (central) is awsome. Probably my second favorite next to Guanajuato. Tomorrow will be busy. Laundry, explore, bus station for my next ticket, and hang out next to the beach.
From here I plan to go to Tuxpan which is the town (famous) for where Che and Castro took off to launch their revolution against Batista in Cuba. There is a museum there (apparently not much else). Its possible that I will go to Xalapa first and then Tuxpan (not exactly sure).
hasta pronto

Palenque

The pictures are from the border crossing.

I bought a ticket in Flores to go to Palenque for 260 Q. Expensive but included the ride to the border, boat ride down the river and ride to Palenque. Sure it was doable without using an agency but it would've been alot of switching of microbuses. Ito took the advanture out of it but its OK.

Left at about 5:30 am, even though it was supposed to leave by 5 (anal me was ready at 4:30). Arrived in Palenque at 1 pm guate time, but because of daylight savings time was 2. The boat ride was at least 1/2 hour but was interesting.

Staying at Hotel Regional for 180 Pesos (near as I figure the exchange rate is about 10 pesos to the dollar - not sure exactly but assuming I bought my Quetzals for 7.45/dollar then I got pesos at the border for 8.88 pesos/dollar by changing 300 Q - not wise but I hated being w/o pesos or small US bills.

Not much else new or exciting.

Flores day 2

Flores day 2
(views from Cool Beans)

today was a day to chill and relax - drank gallons of water lots of coffee and just relaxed. Got up at 6 am and then again at 7 am for good. Went to cool beans and had breakfast and ran into David again and then went back to my hotel to hang out and read.

Finished Sand County Almanac today (thank Don even if took me over a year to read it), I read half of it last year and never finished it so I reread the first half and finished it. I need to reread the whole thing again. I wonder what he (author) would say today...I passed the book on.

Tommorow I head for Palenque - I bought a ticket on a tourist shuttle that leaves at 5 am. The shuttle goes to Bethel (I think - maybe La Tecnica) and then have a launcha (boat with outboard) to cross the river and then (hopefully) there will be a shuttle on the otherside waiting for us. We are supposed to arrive in Palenque at 1 pm which is really noon Guatemala time - assuming that was figured into it when he told me. It would be more fun to have just gone, but for the money (260 Q) it probably pays to take the 'safe' way vs the more adventuresome mode of travel - and it will probably be more comfortable...

Hotel La Canoa
phone:
7867-5222
5553-1465


further note:
at 8:38 its 84 degrees farenheit in my room - with the fan I am more than comfortable - in fact its borderline perfect - would be stuffy w/o the fan, but if the room had more natural ventilation I wouldn't need (or want) the fan -
when I got up at 4:15 am it was 82 in the room, but cool outside.

Coban to Flores

yesterday I left my room at 7:30 am and walked down to casa blanca hostal to have breakfast. Had lunch here the day fefore and it seems like a very friendly place - I will stay here when I come back. I returned at 9 to wait for my shuttle to flores and have a 2nd cup of coffee - my assumption was that a tourist shuttle would stop for piss breaks - it did and a lunch break also. There was 13 people on the bus 2 from israel, 1 swiss, 2 english, 2 from the US and 6 from Italy Quite a collection. I started talking to the other guy from the US before we left and I talked to him durring the breaks - we were the last 2 picked up and he was in the front (lucky) and I was in the back. Haven't checked out his work yet

www.farbelism.com
www.imagecentralamerica.com

he is a painter and photagrapher - interesting guy (49). We hung out last night and had a few beer and dinner in Flores.

The ride was uneventfull except for the ferry to cross the river just before the cutoff for Bethel - unfortunately I won't have the opportunity to take the ferry tommorow as I am headed to Bethel. I will include a few photos below.

I am staying in the same place that I have stayed in the other 2 times I was here. 60Q with private bath. Very simple but pleasant enough. 12Q for a beer. The owner recognized me - she said , ¨You have been here before haven´t you¨. I was somewhat surprised as I haven´t been here in 2 1/2 or 3 1/2 years.








Note the thatched roof over the motor - 40hp outboard powers the ferry






There are 2 outboards but only one is being used. The barrel like things swivel

garbage

Some other thoughts

Yesterday I was thinking how nice the view was - there was (for Guatemala) very little garbage on the road - maybe the equivalent of the US and then out in the middle of nowhere there was (and it was visible for miles) a dump. Its as if someone said we'll dump here down this mountain side - gravity will take most of it away. It was clearly the dump of a small community. My thought was god is that ugly - why would they dump there. and then I started thinking about our garbage. Its not visible so we don't think about it - even when I go to the dump I don't see the garbage - it just goes in huge dumpster and gets hauled away. We are more sophisticated in our garbage disposable, but we generate an obscene amount of garbage. How much waste is generated to buy a SD card? The packaging that we use is ridiculous (I understand that small items have a ton of packaging to stop theft) - who are we to make comments about Guatemalan garbage? and yet gringos constantly are making comments - sure its ugly, but they are generating alot less than us. What can we do? Recycling is a start, but is that just a feel good thing? It makes no sense to throw an aluminum can in the ground - hell people will pay you for the can so it has value not to mention there is not an infinite supply of aluminum oxide (or whatever they mine) but how about my bottle of beer? If I recycle it how much energy is expanded before it becomes part of a product again? Is it better to dump it - is the final cost to earth greater in the recyling or in the dumping - why don't I know these things. And then why now do we not have reusable bottles? Obviously for the beer companies its cheaper to produce disposable bottles but as far as the cost to earth - what is more expensive. In a handful of states you have deposits on the bottles so they are returned to the store, why not reuse them. When i was young I remember (albeit very vaguely) the milk man coming to the house and If I remember milk was delivered in non disposable bottles - those days are gone (and I don't drink milk anyway). I can (and do) buy beer in my growler, but there is only one place in Manitowoc that I can do that at, and they don't always have the beer that I like enough to take home. and back to my SD card (boy am I rambling) why is it that when we buy a product online it comes with the same ridiculous packaging? Online shopping is becoming the future of shopping - why not change the packaging - the online stores deal in such huge bulk that it would make much more sense to due away with the packaging. I'm going to see what I can do to stop generating garbage (as I have a plastic bottle of water in front of me) - no more 'to go' cups of coffee in Styrofoam.

If I want to be more environmentally conscious where do I draw the line? Trying to buy products in less packaging sounds good - even easy, but what takes more energy and makes more waste - buying a can of tomatoes or fresh tomatoes out of season? How much energy is used to can a can of tomatoes and ship them vs shipping from wherever and keeping them 'fresh'. I can't help but think that its more 'environmentally friendly' to buy the canned tomatoes - I guess I am thinking too much.

later