Part 2 – Coscomatepec to Queretaro
December 6, 2022- Coatepec – Xalapa – Martinez de la Torre
The drive to Coatepec takes us through coffee plantations. This region in the foothills of the Sierra Madre has been growing coffee in the cloud forest since the 1700’s. We stop in town and get a nice coffee, not the weak version you normally get in Mexico !
Further along we pass through Xalapa (also spelled Jalapa) which gave its name to the jalapeno chili pepper!
Too far to reach El Tajin today so we settle for another Pemex station at Martinez de la Torre. The attendant readily agrees to let us camp but asks for a bottle of coke for the favour, He also says that there are showers we can use! Paul gives him a beer and he is happy! This is a huge station and we park away from the forecourt, next to a “doble remolque”( an extra long articulated lorry with 2 trailers attached). We are soon surrounded and it works in our favour as we cannot be seen and we feel ok to cook dinner on our gas cooker.
December 7, 2022 – Papantla – El Tajin Ruins
To our surprise, the showers at the station were clean and HOT! a real luxury…
We get to the ruins of El Tajin.
El Tajin was a Prehispanic City. The site has great significance for Mesoamerican archaeology because it is one of the best preserved and most thoroughly excavated examples of a pre-Hispanic town from the time between the fall of Teotihuacan and the rise of the Aztec empire.
El Tajín flourished from 800 to 1200 CE and during this time numerous temples, palaces, ballcourts and pyramids were built. From the time the city fell, in 1230, to 1785, no European seems to have known of its existence, until a government inspector chanced upon the Pyramid of the Niches. The pyramid is so called because of the unique use of decorative niches and cement in forms unknown in the rest of Mesoamerica.
[click on the picture to open the gallery]
Unfortunately due to damage done to some buildings after recent heavy rain and flooding, part of the site is closed and we do not get to see one of the highlights : some well preserved paintings ( “Las pinturas”) on the wall of one of the ball courts. The museum is closed too!
We stop for the night at Huauchinango…. at a PEMEX station. This is becoming a habit !! Very noisy at night as usual but convenient and free!
December 8, 2022 – Queretaro
Early start as woken up by the trucks going in and out of the station. We leave after breakfast for Queretaro, over 300km away. We get stuck in traffic jam near Tulancingo and decide to go on the tollroad.
We have booked an AirbnB in Queretaro for 3 nights and get there after 3 pm. We are looking forward to some peaceful nights and home comforts !
December 9, 2022 – Queretaro
We spend the day in the beautiful colonial town which has a wealth of outstanding buildings, notably from the 17th and 18th centuries.
[click on the picture to open the gallery]
December 10, 2022 – Queretaro
We stay at the flat: England is playing in the quarter-final vs France at 9 am mexican time! I try to catch up on the blog!!
