Post B2bE9mhuughYZArdmi by ILoveAmericaNews@noauthority.social
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(DIR) Post #B2aVKgaXVYmKpwEmUi by ILoveAmericaNews@noauthority.social
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Day 4: Mexico Adventure - Museo de Antropología de Xalapa - bus to PapantlaGood morning, folks.Yesterday was a long day. I hit Teotihuacan in the morning, and then I caught a bus to Xalapa.I am wore out. I am going to take it easy today. Xalapa has the 2nd best archeology museum in Mexico, which is known for their Olmec collection. That's my destination.I catch a bus this afternoon to Papantla to visit the El Tajin ruins tomorrow.Xalapa is the birthplace of the Jalapeño, by the way
(DIR) Post #B2aVKh8ZT206XU9xXU by ILoveAmericaNews@noauthority.social
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I have arrived at the Museo de Antropología de Xalapa! I can see one of the big Olmec head staring at me through the window!Xalapa is a lovely college town in the mountains. It is the capital city of Veracruz, and all of the construction I have seen is relatively modern.It was foggy and cold this morning, and the myst burnt off by 9am revealing a large volcano on the skyline. This area reminds me of Santa Cruz, CA.Here are the top-10 artifacts I am here to see;https://x.com/i/grok/share/8306d2ca64424e7d8aa76bb009b490b4
(DIR) Post #B2aVKhmH5PlAWcjfQO by ILoveAmericaNews@noauthority.social
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The big Olmec heads are a hell of a lot more impressive than I anticipated. I am blown away.My first impression was "holy shit that looks Egyptian. " #PhotosbyRobertREdit: This is Cabeza Colosal 8.
(DIR) Post #B2aVKiLMyvpgHT9h7w by ILoveAmericaNews@noauthority.social
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I found around a dozen elongated skulls.Yeah. I am obsessed with the Olmecs now.I am rewriting the second part of my trip to include the Olmec sites south of Veracruz. I have to see where these people lived. #PhotosbyRobertR
(DIR) Post #B2aVKirH4JLxsQ5ArA by ILoveAmericaNews@noauthority.social
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I bought some sliced watermelon and a candy-covered coconut treat on the way walking back to my hostel from the museum. Watermelon. 25 pesos. $1.50Coconut treat. 15 pesos. $1.
(DIR) Post #B2aVKjKLKEbbKZgOAK by ILoveAmericaNews@noauthority.social
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I have a lot to say about the Olmecs.They are without a doubt the founding civilization for the region. I am waiting at the bus station in Xalapa for my ride to Papantla to see El Tajin. It is 2pm now, and my bus leaves at 3:45pm.I had trouble getting Ubers, and I hate taking taxis in Mexico, so I walked 2 miles to the museum, 2 miles back to my hostel, and 1.5 miles to the ADO bus station. I am beat. I will catch up on journaling on the bus.I have a lot to say about the Olmecs.
(DIR) Post #B2aVKjldgkRKhESBiC by sj_zero@social.fbxl.net
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I agree that the olmecs are one of the world civilizations worth paying close attention to. The Spanish really did humanity an injustice burning all the books, it would have been nice to have archeologists have access to all the Aztec writings too.A non-tourist look at American pre-columbian civilizations is very interesting in part because it shows parallel diverging development, but one that still had constraints and often butted up against them.The constraints that ended the olmecs are warnings to us today not just because we do follow them but because we could follow them and so the experiment has already been run, but most people won't listen.Tourists of course will invoke debunked noble savage models that justify revolutionary erasure of our own traditions, but have little resemblance to the real history.
(DIR) Post #B2bE9e7SqKmzvnkPr6 by ILoveAmericaNews@noauthority.social
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FYI: An ADO bus ticket last minute to Cancun from Xalapa is only $120, and they leave several times a day.I will use this information at some point.
(DIR) Post #B2bE9ejOZJ89pRUhyi by ILoveAmericaNews@noauthority.social
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This model of El Tajin is in the museum I visited today. This is where I am heading tomorrow. I just caught the bus cut of Xalapa to Papantla. It is around a 5 hour ride into the mountains, and then I have to hire a taxi driver for a half day to get there. But it's an impressive complex that no one visits, so here I go.By the way, I have a mask wearing, Mexican soccer Karen sitting next to me on the bus, and she said, Mi Dios" when she saw me.I assume that is a compliment.
(DIR) Post #B2bE9fPa2SsHwHEOjQ by ILoveAmericaNews@noauthority.social
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This my dad's reply to a text I sent him of the model of El Tajin. I love my dad.
(DIR) Post #B2bE9gIsir6uhn6Yvg by ILoveAmericaNews@noauthority.social
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Not for future trips:I should have taken a different route. Mexico City, to Papantla, to Xalapa, to Veracruz is a better route than I am taking. It would have saved me a couple of hours on bises and around $20 if I took that route.
(DIR) Post #B2bE9gy0Fy0IlKLP1c by ILoveAmericaNews@noauthority.social
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12 minutes. This places is exceptional. My favorite dish when I was living in Puerto Rico was the whole fried red snapper. I read that was a specialty of Xalapa, so I had to try it. #PhotosbyRobertR I don't know how they got the interior of the fish so crispy. They must have a giant deep frier.I could eat in this place once a week for the rest of my life.170 pesos. Around $9.50.
(DIR) Post #B2bE9i3MDXsg8DrC0e by ILoveAmericaNews@noauthority.social
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That seafood place is known for their giant seafood cocktails. They have a shrimp cocktail that looks lik a 32oz margarita.I could not eat another bite, or I would have bought the octopus one. It looked so good.
(DIR) Post #B2bE9innQt1mSFaHOS by ILoveAmericaNews@noauthority.social
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What does Simba eat in The Lion King?Seems like a pretty big plot hole, if you ask me.
(DIR) Post #B2bE9jR94aVGQHzhj6 by ILoveAmericaNews@noauthority.social
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A retelling of The Lion King where Simba is a vampire-like character that keeps eating the members of his party everytime he gets hungry, but he pretends like he has no idea what is happening so he won't scare off his next meal has potential.
(DIR) Post #B2bE9kIJst2P5CsAbo by ILoveAmericaNews@noauthority.social
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I am watching El Rey Leon in Spanish in the bus to Papantla, Mexico right now, by the way.It's the live action version. I am not impressed.
(DIR) Post #B2bE9kvfWaVt3FHawS by ILoveAmericaNews@noauthority.social
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I am heading north east of Mexico City now. Can you see why I should have changed my route? I should have done CDMX, Papantla, Xalapa, and then Veracruz. I am back tracking 2 hours right now because I chose CDMX to Xalapa to Papantla to Veracruz. I will know for next time.It is quite a bit warmer down here along the coast, and the jungle is super lush. The bus route drove along the coast for an hour, and I didn't see the ocean once.
(DIR) Post #B2bE9lw3mcQ8AkTQBs by ILoveAmericaNews@noauthority.social
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I made it Papantla, and I checked in to MY hotel. It is a 5 minute walk from the bus station. I picked wisely this time. Yesterday was almost an hour walk from bus station to hostel..I am going to grab a bite to eat, shower, and go to sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day. I have read El Tajin can take 4 hours to explore, and I don't know the next time I will make it out this way, so I have to see it all tomorrow.My feet are in rough shape. I have been putting too many miles on them.
(DIR) Post #B2bE9mhuughYZArdmi by ILoveAmericaNews@noauthority.social
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This is what the town square of Papantla, Mexico looks like on a Friday night at 9:30pm. #photosbyRobertR It is up on top of a hill overlooking the town. My map app said it is a 5 minute walk from my hotel, but that was deceptive. It is almost straight up hill.Edit: The video I tried to upload with this post failed. I am way out in the boondocks.
(DIR) Post #B2bE9nhbDM2deTitvc by ILoveAmericaNews@noauthority.social
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I am going to splurge and get the T-Bone steak at a kind of fancy place overlooking the town square of Papantla, Mexico. ##PhotosbyRobertR The T-Bone dinner is 270 pesos. $16.
(DIR) Post #B2bE9okpIqDWumEzb6 by ILoveAmericaNews@noauthority.social
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Fantastic view from the balcony of the restaurant. Papantla, Mexico. #PhotosbyRobertR
(DIR) Post #B2bE9pIrGJRIcKAAds by ILoveAmericaNews@noauthority.social
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I chose wisely. Papantla, Mexico. ##PhotosbyRobertRT-Bone steak dinner with soda. 308 pesos. $18.
(DIR) Post #B2bE9qHTcvvdeKWa80 by ILoveAmericaNews@noauthority.social
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The corn was the best bite on the plate, and I had to think for a while before I realized why it was so good. There was vanilla in the corn.I guess this area is known for using vanilla in cooking. Oh my gosh it was good.
(DIR) Post #B2bE9qwFBMXRglb8fg by ILoveAmericaNews@noauthority.social
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The massive old retaining wall that holds up the church in Papantla, Mexico has giant sculptures around 50 meters long on the exterior of it. The carvings stick out around 3 ft. This portion of the mural depicts the main pyramid at El Tajin where I am going tomorrow morning. #PhotosbyRobertR The retaining wall is old world AF, by the way. I am way out in the boondocks. The only White man I've seen in 2 days was looking back at me in the mirror. 🤣I am really excited for tomorrow!
(DIR) Post #B2bKj5uq5Wve0682QC by AlphaKiloPapa@noauthority.social
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@ILoveAmericaNews better than my Friday night
(DIR) Post #B2bKj6OyHV21VYE6O8 by ILoveAmericaNews@noauthority.social
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@AlphaKiloPapa ouch
(DIR) Post #B2bKj6pufKaAr6pcNk by AlphaKiloPapa@noauthority.social
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@ILoveAmericaNews I'm in bed under the covers. I have 4 pair of pants on.