86 Countries and Still Counting: Veracruz in Photos

If you read the previous post you know I was feeling very grateful to get here. I've only been here a few days but have fallen in love with Veracruz and the surrounding area. Here are some photos:

I checked in to the Gran Hotel Diligencias about 9:30 pm on Thursday, Jan 31 2019. This was the view I woke up to the next morning.

Looking down from my window to the pool.

The hotel lobby was lovely and elegant, just as in the internet photos. The halls and rooms were a bit worn but my room was big and very clean.

Hotel Diligencias was booked for part of my trip so I walked to see where my new hotel was. In the next block.

Many of the sidewalks are mosaic. Generally, they seem to be in somewhat better repair than Guadalajara and happy have cuts for handicapped. Some of the curbs are over a foot high. How the women in high heels do it is beyond me.

Thank goodness, they have McDonalds. And they deliver!

The Emporio is a fancy hotel right on the Malecon (which translates to pier but is basically any walkway near the sea.) Beer is about $1.25 and cocktails are $2.50.

After walking for a couple of hours and enjoying some disappointing shopping at the mercado artisanales (which should more accurately be called the Market of Crap from China) I decided to take a ride on the Hop On/Hop Off Bus. I paid the lower price (about $3.75) for the 1 hour 15 minute tour. Spanish only.

Near the Zocolo (main square) are pedestrian streets filled with restaurants and a few shops. This area is jammed with people every evening, with live music and people dining and strolling. When I got back from my Sunday tour at 9:30 p.m. it was SRO.

This photo was taken about 1:30 pm a quiet time for siestas.

There's a fairly significant police presence. Reassuring rather than menacing.

McDonalds not enough American for you? How about DQ? There's also a Holiday Inn, KFC , Costco and Walmart.

This church tower came in handy when I got turned around trying to find my hotel.

One of the fortresses in the city. Not to be confused with a much larger fort/complex called San Juan de Ulúa which I didn't have a chance to visit. It's on an island overlooking the port city of Veracruz.

These culinary students seemed to enjoy the break in their session, waving and yelling like crazy as our bus drove past. All but one of the people on the bus, btw, were middle-aged women except one guy. Yes, I consider myself middle-aged. I plan to live a very long time.

Who knew they had casinos in Veracruz? I didn't visit.

I would love to describe in detail why the musician pictured in the statue is famous, along with the bar in the background. But we were 45 minutes into a Spanish-only tour and my mind was drifting. Lo siento.

Didn't think there could be a city without a Dominos did you?

This very modern looking building is the school of medicine for the local university..

Boco del Rio (mouth of the river) is like a modern suburb of Veracruz. Only five miles and 45 minutes in horrible traffic, it has a very modern, seaside vibe compared to the historic city center. While this stretch of beach looks deserted there were long stretches packed with people sunning, swimming and dining.

There are a number of ocean front modern hotels. Here comes another one. My guess is, this will be the new Puerto Vallarta. The beaches /water look more like Daytona than Miami (grayer sand and water) but fewer crowds and lower prices.