Saturday, March 1, 2003
It was necessary to return to Tuxtla to catch a
bus to Villahermosa. We took a taxi this time, to
avoid the hassle of local buses and colectivos with
our backpacks. The taxi ride to the Cristóbal Colón
bus station was over 20 kilometers and cost only 70
pesos ($6.50). The driver put on Michael Jackson's
"Thriller" for our listening pleasure. I think he was
trying to be cool with his American music.
We purchased our bus tickets and went to find an
early lunch. Our best bet looked to be the
Restaurante El Sazon Norteño. The waiter spoke a
little English and highly recommended the parilla
norteño (northern grill) for two, described by the
menu as pork cooked with chile, beef, sausage, smoked
pork, melted cheese, and ham. What a lot of meat!
After we'd eaten all we could, there was enough left
over for another three people. It was very good, but
easily the greasiest meal we have eaten in our lives.
That and two Cokes cost only 86 pesos. I hope they
weren't offended by the amount of food we left. Did
they really expect anyone to eat that much?
No... More... Pork
The route from the highlands to Villahermosa was
along Highway 195, renowned for its spectacular
scenery and hairpin turns. Just when we thought this
alleged dramatic scenery was never going to appear,
there it was, as we descended into the city of Rayón
down a giant ridge. This part of the road is only 11
kilometers on the map, but takes close to an hour to
descend. We stopped in Rayón to unload and pick up
passengers, and to let the driver rest his
nerves.
Out of the highlands and past Teapa is
banana-plantation territory. Bananas everywhere, as
far as the eye can see! We are now back in the state
of Tabasco. The little girl from the seat in front of
us found Tom much more fascinating than the scenery
and stared at him unabashedly for hours.
Tom's little amiga
We finally arrived in Villahermosa at 6:15 p.m., a
seven-hour trip in a dreadfully hot bus with an
extremely ill muchacho sitting across from us ever
since Rayón. I say sitting across from us, but most
of the time he was right behind us in the restroom,
puking up a lung. I hope we don't catch the plague or
something.
At the bus station, you have to insert a coin to
enter the baños. Tom put in the coin but didn't hit
the turnstile just right and it wouldn't open, so he
climbed over. I laughed at him only a little, because
I once had to do the same thing at a train station in
Germany. I did give a young man standing nearby a
"I'm not with him" look, which was silly because we
were the only two gringos in sight.
The line for a taxi was really long, so despite
the sweltering heat, we decided to walk to centro.
They have a taxi shortage around here and stick
multiple fares into one cab, whether you're going the
same direction or not!
After fruitlessly searching for a particular
hotel, a helpful man on the street (who we were sure
was trying to rip us off but didn't turn out to be)
showed us to another. We ended up at the Hotel Palma
de Mallorca, 265 pesos ($24) a night with A/C. One of
the two beds was very comfortable, and it had a TV
with five bad Spanish-language channels.
We ate supper at McDonald's tonight to take a
break from the greasy local cuisine. Now that's bad
when you have to go to McDonald's for a
(comparatively) low-fat Quarter Pounder and fries,
but it's the truth. I think I can hear our arteries
hardening.
A marimba around every corner in
Villahermosa
It's Carnaval in Villahermosa and the city is
hopping. There are bands down every street, gymnasts,
clowns, salsa dancing, rides, and a midway. The Plaza
de Armas looked like our state fair, except everyone
had a full set of teeth.
Party band!
|