On to Veracruz

We left Tampico in a deep fog in the morning of New Year’s Day, and after eventually finding our way out of town, we were on our way south again along the coastal highway. As we proceeded south, the vegetation became increasingly lush, and sugar cane fields and orange groves came to replace the arid expanse of the north. We stopped at Tuxpan for lunch and then continued on along the coast. The riding was at times heavenly with its winding roads through the greenery, but often turned hellish with the sudden appearance of reductores de velocidad (speed bumps) and vibradores (corrugated pavement that put the rumble into rumble strips). Eventually, we became accustomed to the local method of attaining speed-limit compliance and developed sharp eyes for those nasty obstructions that could launch us over the bars.

We arrived in Veracruz at dusk, which was later than we would have liked, as we were clueless about the city and anxious about finding a hotel on a holiday weekend. Luck prevailed, and after riding around the busy streets, we found a nice new hotel off the beach. Veracruz is an ancient port with an interesting history, but out desire to cross the mountains in the ride to Oaxaca prompted us to leave the possibility of further investigation behind.