A vacation from my vacation: Day 1

This post is long overdue, but here it is:  My weekend in the port city of Veracruz.  The bus ride took around 6 hours and the view both going there and returning was beautiful.  Mexico City is surrounded by two volcanoes and mountains that are in the state of Mexico, which surrounds the DF on three sides (the fourth side is Morelos).  After getting through Mexico, we went into Puebla; another worthwhile city to visit (hopefully I have time), and finally, Veracruz.  It was strange how when we boarded the climate was cold and rainy in Mexico City, but when we got off it was HOT and HUMID (caps because there is definitely emphasis on both)!  It was hard to breathe, but we quickly adjusted :)

About to leave Mexico City.  Can you spot the mountains in the background?

First glimpse of the zocalo in Veracruz.  Keep in mind this is 2 in the morning and the city is very much alive!

Our hotel was uber fancy :)

Goes well with the fancy view :)

This is what the city center looks like at the wee hours in the morn.  People dancing, eating, playing music, and relaxing.

There was so much live music that we really couldn't tell them apart...or hear ourselves think.

We walked along the port after taking in as much of the above as we could. 

People actually live on these fishing boats.   I saw some guys turn over a bucket full of silvery flip floppers.

BEST coffee ever is served here.  Okay, maybe not best since I've been spoiled with some really good coffee lately but it was really damn good. 

So that was Day 1 in this city.  My senses were extremely tickled by this time so off to bed in our fancy hotel it was.

Oh, yeah, I almost forgot.  So apparently it's not all fun and games in this laid back beach town.  They have a lot of problems with drug trafficking and so the government has responded by allowing military personnel to monitor the "streets'.  This means that it is totally normal for one to ride a taxi and have a gun pointed in one's face held by a distracted soldier riding in a pickup truck in the next lane and chatting with his buds.  That is how I was welcomed to this city.  At gunpoint...