If reading ‘The Joshua Files’ has made you curious about Mexico and its rich diversity of attractions; ancient ruins in the jungle, old colonial towns, turquoise beaches, then here’s the perfect trip for you, exclusively researched by me!
Josh Garcia’s Mexico
Photo on left shows the sleepy old town of Tlacotalpan on the River Papaloapan, in Veracruz state.
Trip 1 – Veracruz State: Port of Veracruz, Tlacotalpan, Catemaco
It was here that Cortes and the Spanish Conquistadors first arrived in 1519.As a native of central Mexico – the capital, Mexico City, I hadn’t visited Veracruz until 2001. During the summer of that year, urged by my late aunt Josefina, I took the family to see this unique part of the republic.
It was the state’s Caribbean heritage that my aunt thought would attract me. She was right. El Puerto de Veracruz (Port of Veracruz) has a strong hint of Cuba’s capital, Havana, although on a less grandiose scale. Tropical rhythms mingle in the main city square, dancers and singers rub shoulders with street vendors. It’s not unlike the Havana you’ll see in the opening section of the 1958 film of Graham Greene’s novel, “Our Man in Havana”.
“You must also visit the witches of Catemaco,” my aunt insisted. “And Tlacotalpan! It’s like going into the past.”
Mystic witches, watery towns that seem to be locked in a forgotten past, plus some of the most spectacular scenery you’ll see anywhere in the world – snow-capped volcanos, impossibly green terrain ripe with coffee, vanilla and banana plantations, the vertiginous surroundings of the Orizaba mountain range, spectacular ancient ruins: Veracruz is one of the most rewarding and unspoilt regions in the republic of Mexico.
One reply on “A Joshua Files Mexico Trip: Part 1 – Veracruz state”
It has also become interactive, not only with the Joshua Files website, but also the fact that the Mayan prophesies really do exist and concern a time that is fast approaching us. A well-written, fast-paced read that will appeal to anyone with an interest in history.