8 Days Later...

After spending a very welcome quiet and restful night in Xalapa Mexico, I got to spend my morning on a conference call (yes I still have a job) while Ruth did some sightseeng in the old part of town. Apparently she had a lot more fun that I did. Good thing about this was that we had a very short day in Old Red (still chugging along), only about an hour and a half behind the windshield. Wound up in Veracruz which is a port city and at first appearance looked pretty dead. Dropped off laundry a few blocks away which reinforced what we thought of the town.

Our hotel is right on the main plaza and being Friday night and all we soon discovered that there is some life here after all. Towards nightfall the vendors and restaurants started setting up in earnest and before you know the place was getting pretty lively. Turns out there was some sort of traditional dance exhibition going on this evening which was absolutely jaw-dropping. See the video for a minor taste of what we experienced. The sound of the tapping shoes was thundering - the video can't capture that. The men so handsome and the girls so pretty, and a powerful and abnormally cool tropical wind a-blowing to keep their sweat down; what a sight, always in memory.

We also were inundated by street vendors seeng as how it must be low season for Gringos down here, but it sure keeps things lively. And of course we were hit up by the cutest 8 year-old girl who was quite the charmer - got some pesos out of me after I learned her accounting abilities. This girl could count and charm and knew when to say no - I think she has a future in the banking industry.

We got gas and the guy washed our windshield. Made a big difference...

Tomorrow we pick up our laundry and head off to San Cristobal de las Casas, which is a long way away so it's good we have a clean windshield. This historical city is in the mountains of Chiapas and looks like a good place to hang out so we are going to really push it and actually stay in a hotel for two nights in a row. Seems only right after doing laundry!

The donations keep coming in, thanks to those who have shared their wallets with those who so need it. You are the ones that keep us inpired and motivated - this has not been easy or exactly fun! Tonight was actually the first time we got to experience something that tourists go to do, and boy was it welcome! So please help keep us motivated, and keep yourself happy be going to www.lampcharity.org/donate and make your contribution now if you haven't so generaously already done so.