Day 52 Sunday June 16, 2013

I left Puebla the morning of the 13th and headed east to the Gulf of Mexico. I had tired of the highlands and needed a change. Two days of being at sea level was enough. The beach in Mexico is very similar to the Mississippi and Alabama gulf coast...hot and sandy. The fresh sea food was good, but the price of food and lodging was about triple what I have been accustomed to paying. So two days of the beach and I was out of there and headed back to 6,000 feet above sea level where A/C is not needed. I am now in Tepoztlan which is about 55 miles due south of Mexico City.

The town is a popular tourist destination near Mexico City and is famous for the remains of a temple built on top of the nearby Tepozteco mountain, as well as for the exotic ice cream flavors prepared by the townspeople.

I will climb the mountain in the morning and visit the temple...I can see it from my window here in town and I tried the ice cream this evening after my meal.  It was like all Mexican ice cream...very good.

Here are a few photos from the past few days.

The fish market at Walmart in Veracruz.

This is the street where I am staying tonight. I had stopped here and was trying to figure out which way to go to get to the centro when an Italian couple approached me and started a conversation. They had spent the weekend here and were headed back to Mexico City. They informed me that this was a tourist town frequented by people from Mexico City and the hotels here were very expensive. They had stayed at this home where I was parked and recommended I stay here if I liked hostals. They said the lady who owned the place would ask for $500 pesos, but I should offer her $300 and she would take it. She asked for 5 and I offered 3 and she took it. It is very nice...with internet. We fellow travelers love to share our experiences.

This shot is from my bedroom window...and that is the mountain I will climb tomorrow. If you know where to look you can see the temple.