Wanderings and wonderings in Coscomatepec

On Saturday I ventured out of Córdoba for my first proper adventure since the beginning of this new year. My plans to go and see a waterfall being cancelled at the last minute, I decided it was time I saw somewhere new in the state and hopped on a bus to Coscomatepec. In my guidebook it is described as a picturesque town renowned for it's saddle making... However, I experienced something a bit different (and in fact didn't see a single shop selling horsey goods).

Originally planning to sleep on the bus journey since I'd woken up ridiculously early with intentions of heading off on a hike to see lots of lovely nature, I soon decided I would be majorly missing out if I were to have some shut-eye. For pretty much the whole hour-long journey, I was happy enough to just stare out of the window. Despite travelling on main roads, the views I saw were incredible. At one point it seemed to me like we were taking the bus through the forest, with tropical plants and trees on either side of the bus, and when we weren't cutting through the jungle, we were passing sugar cane plantations, mountains, valleys and remote villages where people kept cows (and yaks!) in their back gardens.

When we eventually arrived in Cosco, I set out in search of food to fill my rumbly tummy. Standard tourist procedure is normally to head to the very centre where there's usually a wide selection of decent restaurants, though often pricey. However, I decided to take that as my starting point, and besides, since I wasn't spending lots of money going away for the weekend I could afford to treat myself. This was not necessary. Upon arrival in the centre I found only a few little antojitos places. I had been craving antojitos for AGES so was chuffed. (Antojitos by the way means snacks and can be anything from empanadas to tostadas or gorditas... basically stuff made from maize dough and usually deep fried and served with salsa - delicious). I had a triangulo - a little triangle of the dough filled with refried beans and deep fried, covered in salsa verde, and a tostada - a crunchy tortilla with refried beans, lettuce, salsa and cheese. All for the equivalent of about 25p. However, the facilities left a lot to be desired, as the toilet door was a shower curtain... not really ideal but I was so delighted about the excellent value for money lunch that it failed to bother me (also a sign as to how much I'm growing up haha, though I did use antibac due to the lack of sink to wash my hands afterwards).

I didn't find much in the centre apart from a few pretty buildings and market stalls so set off on a wander. Something just kept me going and I eventually arrived at a path that appeared to lead off out to the countryside. Aware that I had plenty of time, I ventured down the path for an explore. This is where all the poor people of the town live. There were lots of houses made of wood and corrugated iron, and the road was mainly rubble. However, it looked like the government had been making an effort to improve things for the inhabitants, for they had a seemingly new pavement and each house hosted a tiny little silver plaque: En mi hogar hay piso firme - explaining that there was a solid floor in the house rather than just dirt. It doesn't surprise me that the government seem to be making such an effort, because Veracruz is the second poorest state in Mexico, and there is a special scheme: Adelante which comprises 236 different projects to improve the lives of people living in poverty. I don't really see this side of Mexico living in Córdoba, which is relatively rich, with many wealthy inhabitants of European origin, but on my journey to work every day we pass some of the very poor communities that live out in the countryside, and the university itself has taken part in many events to help in this respect.

The children here were playing in the street and in the adjoined fields amongst the sheep, dogs, chickens and cows. They looked really happy and it reminded me of the days when children used to build dens and appreciate the countryside instead of staying in reliant on games consoles and the internet to keep them amused. But this isn't a rant about western society today (aaargh I'm feeling old), but merely observations of what I saw here. What also struck me about the people here was the amount of children walking along on their own, hand in hand with a younger brother or sister. It was really lovely. People in the smaller towns, from what I've observed here and in Alvarado, seem to be a lot more relaxed about the safety of their children and trust them to be okay on their own. Walking around the town I saw two little boys racing along the road to the tortilla shop and then sprint back down the hill, beaming, with a small packet. As if parents in the UK these days would let their 4-year-old run off to buy milk from the nearest Spar, at least not without keeping an eye on them from afar! It seems to be the norm here, though, consistent with their stereotype of being ridiculously laid back, chilled out people. Maybe it'll rub off on me eventually!

Anyway, enough of the wonderings, this post is long enough! I'll leave you with a few pictures of my stroll... A lot of the landscape actually reminded me a lot of Yorkshire - have a look.