Returning to Mexico City by way of Jalapa repeats many of the impressions you get on the Cordoba road, but the climb is steadier and you reach pine forests and the plateau sooner. If you become familiar with the history of the Spanish conquest of Mexico, this trip will become much more vivid and significant. The road follows the route of Cortez after he scuttled his ships at Veracruz in 1519 and marched on to the Mexico of Montezuma.
Jalapa is worth more than just a fleeting stop. This quiet state capital has colorful hillside streets and exuberant vegetation, providing the photographer with delightful close ups as well as panoramas. Balconies, wide overhanging eaves, shaped rafter ends, carved wooden doors, and grilled windows will captivate you with their intricate detail when you look up the side streets.
Another town known for its floral personality and profusion of blooms, Jalapa offers a wide variety of tropical flowers and fruits. Built on a sloping hillside, the city is the home of the University of Veracruz. The university has a museum housing a display of archaeological artifacts, notably those of the Totonac and Olmec cultures. The university also has its own symphony and publishing facilities. You'll appreciate the resolute courage of the conquistadors when you cross the 8,000 foot pass beyond the town of Jalapa (near the 14,048 foot peak of the volcano, Cofre de Perote) and see the desolate, windswept highland plains. Maguey and aloe hedgerows define a few Indian fields.
Near the town of Perote you'll see grim Fort San Carlos, built 200 years ago by the Spaniards to accommodate troops protecting Mexico City Veracruz stagecoaches from attack by bandits. During World War II it became a prison for aliens; today it is a rehabilitation center where Mexican inmates produce and sell craft items.
Returning to Mexico City by way of Jalapa repeats many of the impressions you get on the Cordoba road, but the climb is steadier and you reach pine forests and the plateau sooner. If you become familiar with the history of the Spanish conquest of Mexico, this trip will become much more vivid and significant. The road follows the route of Cortez after he scuttled his ships at Veracruz in 1519 and marched on to the Mexico of Montezuma.
Another town known for its floral personality and profusion of blooms, Jalapa offers a wide variety of tropical flowers and fruits. Built on a sloping hillside, the city is the home of the University of Veracruz. The university has a museum housing a display of archaeological artifacts, notably those of the Totonac and Olmec cultures. The university also has its own symphony and publishing facilities. You'll appreciate the resolute courage of the conquistadors when you cross the 8,000 foot pass beyond the town of Jalapa (near the 14,048 foot peak of the volcano, Cofre de Perote) and see the desolate, windswept highland plains. Maguey and aloe hedgerows define a few Indian fields.
