Mexico and Veracruz
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| Schoolkids in Veracruz |
February 19, 2008
In past trips, we have avoided driving through Veracruz city because it is large and driving there can be dangerous. The decision this time was easier since we were maneuvering a much smaller motorhome than before – much more comfortable to drive in heavy traffic. So, on this trip, we decided to visit the old fort of Castillo de San Juan Eula. It is so old (building started in 1535) and has played such an important role in the history of Mexico that we decided we could not pass up the opportunity. Among other things, it was here that the American Army landed during the War with Mexico and then marched all the way to Mexico City.
As we entered the city from the north, a sign indicated that the left lane provided access to the Fort. So, we moved into the left lane and kept watching for another sign indicating where we should turn. It never came or we missed it! We soon found that we were in the downtown area in bumper to bumper traffic. We drove slowly around a motorcycle accident and no parking places could be found. But, I could see the waterfront several streets to the left, so we took a chance and turned left. The waterfront was much less busy and we quickly found a parking spot big enough for our motorhome. As we were parking, we noticed a group of high school students lounging and laughing nearby. As I opened the door, they all looked up as if expecting me to say something. So, I decided to oblige them. “This is your chance to practice your English,” I said in English. Suddenly, they were nervous, giggly school kids again. They had all apparently studied some English in school but seemed unsure of entering into a conversation with this old gringo.
Then one of the kids pointed to one of the girls and said, “She speaks English.” At this point, the girl took total command. With all the regal bearing of a queen and all the characteristics that would qualify her for the title of Miss World, she responded by asking me, “What would you like to know?”
“Where is the Castillo?” I asked.
“Right there across the water.” She pointed to an old fort that we could see maybe a half mile across the harbor.
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| Castillo of Veracruz |
“How do we get there?” I asked.
“I have no idea,” she replied – in perfect English.
“OK, thank you and have a good day,” I said.
We waved, they waved and we crossed the street to photograph the old fort.
As I took photos, one of them yelled something like, “Hey, come take our photos.”
Well, nothing could make me happier than such an invitation. I had thought about asking them if I could take their picture because they were handsome kids having a good time. But decided that teenagers can be rather volatile when asked such questions, so decided against the idea. But since it was their idea, they proved to be very willing subjects. They quickly arranged themselves and I took only one photo. So far, it is one of my favorite photos of Mexico.
We have been warned about leaving our motorhome parked in cities, but with those happy kids nearby, we decided it might be safe to walk around downtown a bit. When we returned after maybe 45 minutes, some of the kids were still there and nobody had broken into our motorhome. I said, “Hola.”
They said, “Hola” and smiled a friendly smile. All was well! Codgers and kids can still sometimes communicate without rancor.
By now, we decided it was too late to actually visit the old fort and we had miles of beachfront driving to arrive at our RV park before dark, so we left.
Later, as I transferred the photo to my laptop, I wished that I had obtained an email address from one of the students so I could send them the photo. Oh well!
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