Veracruz, Mexico Part 6 (Veracruz)

Our last few days in the port were spent shopping, buying last minute souvenirs and saying our goodbyes to all our Mexican friends that were heading home. We all gathered at the Villa Rica restaurant in Boca del Rio, where we first started our amazing stay in Veracruz, toasting our newly-weds one last time, promising to meet again next year. One more chance to wet my feet in the Gulf of Mexico with Amy and then an early 4 am morning taxi cab ride through the dark streets of Veracruz to the airport. It had been a great week and a half and another memorable visit to a new place for us both. So would we go back? If you like cities that are a bit grimy, culturally all mixed up and hot, with strange boxy architecture mixed in with the odd and beautiful colonial building, but friendly, full of traditional restaurants serving delicious food and a carefree spirit that we found in the
zócalo I would say ...si! gws

breakfast at the Hotel Gran Diligencias

Centro de Veracruz

dress shopping

too hot to swim! our pool in mid afternoon



district tourista

Veracruz from our hotel

Amy

Marie and Amy

little devil William and Fernanda

Phil, Cesar, Fernando and Minerva

Cesar and Pili, farewell luncheon

Amy, beach Boca del Rio





William and Mom, Villa Rica restaurant

Rosalie waving hasta luego

waiting to fly back to Montreal

back in Texas, waiting, waiting...

Veracruz, Mexico Part 5 (the wedding)

Phil, William & César

Cesar and Rosalia

Phil and Fernanda

Fernando and Mayte

 Pili and her father

" with this ring...yada yada yada "

wahoooo!

first time alone...time for some quick texting

my unofficial wedding portrait

Mr and Mrs

Marie showing some fancy foot moves

 

Hola !

2am and that's a wrap!

Veracruz, Mexico Part 4 (the Zócalo)

 When we returned from Coatepec a "night before the wedding" party was held at the pool in our hotel and we met Pili, the bride, and her mother and many of the guests that would be attending the wedding the next day. Our hotel, the Gran Hotel Diligencias is located in the Zócalo, overlooking the main square of the old centre of Veracruz, well known for the "Danzon" with its wandering musicians playing the marimbas, the mariachis and guitar players singing tropical tunes as well as the colourful, ubiquitous craft stalls set up in the evenings. We heard the singing till the wee hours of the morning as our room faced the square! The main cathedral built across from the square in the 18th century, where the wedding would be held, also surrounds some of the oldest hotels in the New World. Let's not forget Veracruz is mostly known for the place Cortez first landed in 1519. Veracruz is the principal Mexican port of entry on the Gulf and considered the oldest of New Spain. The capital of Mexico used to be here, under the government of Benito Juarez, whose statue and face seemed to be everywhere. We wandered around the Zócalo and down to the naval port, shopping for a new pair of shoes and a dress for Marie, trying our darndest not too look like Americanos. There are very few American or Canadian tourists here so we stood out from the crowd, though nobody tried to take advantage of us or made us feel unwelcome. On the contrary we found the local Veracruzanos friendly and always helpful.

at the Plaza de la Republica



fellow sailors

sculpture by Javier Marin

  

Amy, Veracruz

only crazy gringos from Quebec sit in the sun!

  

Maria del Rayo, Gustavo & Fernanda

 



Phil and Amy, pool Hotel Gran Diligencias

 

After a day exploring the city it was time to dress, then head across the road to the Cathedral of Veracruz for the wedding. It would turn out to be a grand evening of pomp and ceremony, dancing  and drink, food and companionship and yet another long night in the true Mexican tradition! gws