The Ruins at El Tajin

My very first set of ruins....if you think being in one of the Cathedrals (see past blogs with pics is a powerful experience, it does not begin to hold a candle to this...ancient and powerful, what it took to uncover these ruins from the jungle...what it took to build this city.

Shot of the Pyramid of Niches, just a guess, but they are supposed to represent the cave that are entrances to the underworld. This pyramid was bright read with the insides of the nicehes gloss black...Hard to imagine, but these and all pyramids were covered with plaster and then colored in bright pigments.

This is what the city looked like back in the 12th century, over 150 buildings found but only 20 excavated so far.

Sacrificing Greg to Tlaloc, I thought it might be a good idea to do this...Greg didn´t.

Tuxpan Musings

So we made it to Tuxpan, arrived at 2:45 am and walked to our hotel...well once we found one...had to wake the poor guy up, but he was still pretty amicable once we told him we were Canadian...nice card to play when travelling by the way.

We walked around town a bit...nice place, but a working town and not much on tourism...tourism for us north americans anyway. The place has not been touched by the ex-patriot fanatacism that has been sweeping the country, especially places like San Miguel. Spoke with the locals...mine and Gregs Spanish is getting pretty good, we even try to speak Spanish with each other, results are not too bad. Need another month here and we would fit right in with the locals.

Most noteworthy, this towns claim to fame is that it was the location Fidel Castro chose to plan his take over of Fenucido Batista in Cuba, as it was the most direct route for hm to travel to his home. In fact he rented a house here to do all the planning...must of been pretty cool...Fidel, Raoul and Che all hanging out in Mexico planning the revloucion de libertad in Cuba.

Hit the beach and walked...probably 5 clicks..like I said, this is not a tourist town...for the locals it is...the beach is covered with beach front palapas,restaurants and bars...mostly closed..but there are crews running all over the place cleaning the beach...must have been one hell of a weekend...too bad we missed it. Greg went for another walk and I sat and watched the water and as usual got taken away by it.

AS usual when being hypnotized by the water, I lost all track of time and did not realize I was BELOW the high water mark...and yep as ka would have it the tide came in...made it just in the nick of time.

This country is one of extreme contrast...abject poverty to the powerfully rich....world class arts, literature to corruption at the lowest levels...world class technological advances and construction practices that would make the leaky condo owners in BC blush with embarrasment at their whinning and complaining. Yeah I like this place.

Greg Wittals WILD KINGDOM

As the sun was setting in San Miguel de Allende, we were observing wildlife at a local watering hole, suddenly my sixth sense started tingling, I then caught out the corner of my eye the fleeting shadow of what could only be a predator. Colin as he was consuming water was blissfully unaware of the danger around him.


A chill ran down my spine as I recognised the harbinger of his impending doom, not to be confused with the much feared North American Cougar, the Mexican Jaguar pound for pound is the worlds most dangerous cat. Not only does she hunt for survival, she also kills for pleasure. I was faced with a most critical decision do I RUN AWAY and save myself?, or do I risk my own life attempting to save my amigo? Thinking how hard it would be to explain his sensless death to his children and equally driven by guilt I made a snap decision and said " my throat is getting sore, lets call it a night and head back to the hotel." We then then left and Colin was still innocent and unaware how close the shadow of death had passed. I just saved a life....

On our way to Tuxpan

In Pachuca at the moment waiting for the bus....another 6 hour ride to contemplate all we have done and seen.....hey I did revceive some info that there are those who would like to leave a comment but do not know how...just scroll tot the end of the blog entry and click on the orange comments line...you can read what others have sent and then leave your own mark for us to read. Ok lets see what we got for todays entry....oh by the way everyody...I just got word that my oldest son Darien recieved an award for football last night and then was named onto the ALLSTAR team...WAY TO GO Darien!!

Like I said, we didn´t like San Miguel to much, and in fact as we were leaving there were two couples asking us if we were Canadian...yes was the answer...and when did you get in...I answered last night...and you´re leaving so soon? she asked...yes I said, too many white people here (eep!...remove foot here!) she kind of took offence to that. So as we are travelling today, not alot to tell so here´s some random pics for you to ponder.

To the right...a local delicacy..RATUN FRITO (deep fried rat) quite tastey,,,I had two...so did Greg....mmmmmm...











A typical acroument to many of the hostels we stayed in...it´s a lamp I think, but couldn´t find the switch.

Loading up this weeks supply of Agua especial





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Leticia and family...left to right

Uriel age: 11, Leticia...age: unknown (apparently none of my business haha) and Karin age:15

We´ll be staying at Leticias mother house in Mexico city ariound the 28th...hopefuilly Teotuhicuan and Tula will be a couple of stops.

Time is our enemy

Looks like we're not going to have enough time if we want to do it all...so we're going to cut out of here tomorrow and head for Tuxpan...then Vera Cruz....thats ok...too many white people here anyway...can't swing a dead cat without hitting someone form Edmonton or Vancouver or any other city...looks nice enough but we can get this at West Edmonton Mall if we want.

Leticia and her kids drove us from Guanajuato to San Miguel today...kids love us think were pretty cool...and we are! Leticia invited us to stay at her sisters and or mothers house in Mexico City when we get there and has contacted them to that end. Yazmin (the sister) has demanded that she or her husband take us to the Museum possibly Tula and Teothuican and of course a ride to the airport when we are ready to leave....gotta love this country!

Greg keeps whining how much he is missing Cindy...see ya all tomorrow somewhere on the road.

We apparently have some un-believers out there...

Just in case any of you are wondering...all the statements and facts contained in this BLOG have been verified by the independant firm of: Correlejo, Don Julio and Daniels.

I do not think any one would question their credintials, however should you wish a reference please contact the firm at tequilacorralejo.com.mx
Thank you for your attention in this matter.

Colin and Greg

Mueseo de Los Mommias

So we finally made it...I have always wanted to see this place, and now I know where I want my body to be interred when I die....right here at the museo. A bit of history....the natural minerals and gases in the soil of this area create an unusal mummification process not found antwhere else in Mexico...sooo...when greedy beaurocrats decided to exhume the bodies of family members who did not pay burial fees...this is what they found, well what do you do with 111 mummies? make some money of course! Notice the knife wound in the abdomen of the figure on the extreme left.



After this macbre tour, we found a museum that was bit lighter and full of joi de vivre...follow closly as this place we went to next was more fun then Disneyland.


Yes this is the Mueseo de la Inquisition...a museum of torture...it is absolutly amazing what human beings are capable of doing to one another.


This snazzy device basically puts a 10 inch long spike through the back of you head by turning the corkscrew...answer the questions correctly and they still turn the screw until you become a rag doll...but first you get the pain..and tons of it.

Here is a nice way of being buried alive...after everything else is done and you´re almost dead but not quite...they drop you into this coffin on top of the 12 inch spikes..impale you and then bury you alive while you die in complete and utter agony.

Another version of the first pic..only this oneslowly crushes your skull from the top and the side simultaneously

Here is a portrait of the Chief Inquisitor...the SOB actually had the nerve to call him self Fernando de la Cruces( Fernando of the Cross)...he´d sit at the table asking questions to to or three prisoners at a time...one on a rack, one in an iron maiden and slowly kill them. He had this place built with the walls extra thick so you could not hear the screams from inside...I want this guy at my next party! This tour could not have been done properly without the aid of my new friend Leticia, she did all the translations for us...it was quite exciting as she would actually gasp when the tour guide would tell her what these things all were..she would then translate for us..after this journey we were all hungry and went to a nice Italian dinner. On our way to San Miguel de Allende. oh yeah if you are wondering...this place is totally haunted...and why would it not be?