XALAPA VERACRUZ Mexico (INCREDIBLE CITY)

Hola! Bienvenidos! Welcome to beautiful Xalapa! Buenos dias. Good morning Country Collectors and welcome to Xalapa, the capital of Veracruz! This city is full of culture, art, beautiful green spaces and cafes to keep that energy up while you're exploring! We can't wait to show you around before we get started make sure to hit that subscribe button and ring the bell so you don't miss out on any of our future adventures. And please leave us a comment we love to hear from you. Let's start with how we got here. From Catemaco we purchased bus tickets on the ADO bus line heading to Xalapa for 492 pesos each. The 270 kilometer journey took six hours. Once at the bus station we found a secure taxi to our place in El Centro for 50 pesos. We found this spot on air Airbnb for $23 USD dollars a night. It features a spacious living room/ dining room with a TV, fridge, microwave, sink and table. The bedroom has a double bed and twin up top and the space is also equipped with two bathrooms. It's quiet and centrally located. You can't really beat it. Well who's ready to start with some breakfast? If you haven't had yours yet we recommend pausing the video and grabbing some as we don't want to eat without you! We walked past the spot the other day and it was packed so let's head inside and fill up this belly. No wonder this place was packed the other day look at the surroundings here. It's called La Estancia de los Tecajates and I believe the park next door goes by the same name. We're definitely gonna head there after to walk off this breakfast. But their menu has so many great options. It took like 10 minutes to order I swear. And they also have packets that include fruit, orange juice, and coffee with your breakfast. Looks like a wonderful place to come I can't wait for our food! Our food just arrived and not only does it look incredible but it smells amazing! I went with a vegetarian omelette. It is stuffed with rajas, elotes, well as requeson which is like that ricotta cheese. And then it smothered with salsa poblana. Let's taste it out. And along with our meals we got these handmade tortillas. When we walked in we saw this beautiful lady crafting them up front. All right let's see how this is it looks so good! That's definitely the flavor I was looking for. I love the mix of that cheese and the peppers and the corn. It's like sweet but also very earthy. It's definitely a winner. And Adam got... The sapitos. I actually asked the waiter what he recommended you said that this was the most typical dish that they served here. It's gorditas that are bathed in a bean salsa and then topped with cheese, crema and chorizo. Let's jump in! Mmm wow! The chorizo to start is nice and salty. The cheese mellows it out. That bean salsa that's on there just kind of pulls it all together and the gorditas are perfection! What a wonderful way to start this day. Great food the service was phenomenal and this atmosphere come on! Well let's head down to this park right here, it's kind of teasing us right now, and like I said earlier walk off this breakfast! One of the first things we noticed about this city was just how many green spaces it had so we thought it would be fun to do a little park crawl today hopping from one to the other while making stops along the way. How does that sound to you? Sounds good to me! I know it sounds good to you I'm asking them. Oh! We are starting this green adventure today here in Parque Los Tecajetes. It's an absolute oasis right here in the middle of the city. This is definitely one of the most beautiful parks we've been to here in Mexico. The closed canopy makes you feel like you've been transported to the middle of a jungle! And in the park here they have multiple water features such as these ponds behind me here that are filled with koi fish and turtles. Check this little guy out! So cute. There's also a sports complex and playgrounds for children hidden all over the place. Right now it's super peaceful. We came on the weekend and this place was going off! Families were everywhere, the kids were having a great time painting, eating, feeding the fish and the turtles. It's definitely a place to come down with your family or by yourself just to enjoy this beautiful nature. Another wonderful thing about this this park are these seating areas. You can just take in the natural surroundings. And one of the best parts they didn't just plop some benches down they actually created them in harmony with the nature like these stone benches you'll find everywhere and even some culture as well. The city is known for it and their parks are no exception. We've also noticed this park is extremely well maintained. And it also has ramps which makes it wheelchair and stroller accessible. Which is just great! And I just love how every inch seems to be covered by this beautiful greenery. There's trees, flowers, plants, moss. The birds are chirping. The butterflies are flit, flit, flitting around. Seems like the perfect place for a kiss! Thank you. Wow this park is incredible and my favorite part is the fountain you pass on your way in. It is absolutely beautiful. There's a sculpture right in the middle. The water is cascading down. The landscaping is perfection. And there's even some koi fish and cute little turtles in there. It's definitely worth making the time to come down and check out this park. Now let's keep this day moving. And I know you're probably thinking, why are they leaving such a beautiful place? But there is so much more to see. So get ready for a park-tastic day! Oh my gosh. Right now we are walking on Avenida Manuel Avila Camacho and this is going to take us down to Parque Juarez so come along! And on the way to the park, guess what? Another park! Here is Bicentennial Park. They actually have a skate park down at the bottom that's pretty cool. And while we're here I thought I might just mention that Xalapa is actually the birthplace of the jalapeño! Which translates literally to "from Xalapa". And guess what the people from here are called... jalapeños! That is correct! I wonder if they're more spicy than other people in Mexico? I would presume so! Now let's keep going. Uh is that what I think it is? It sure is! Hug bug baby! Hug bug! We always have a hug for you don't worry! Welcome to Parque Juarez. It was inaugurated in 1892 and named after... you guessed it, Benito Juarez! It's a great place to take a stroll and relax in the shade of the tall trees. And here you can find many monuments as well as a fountain. Last Sunday we were able to experience a cultural show full of traditional dances. It was absolutely beautiful to watch and see so many people and their families enjoying it together. This is also where you can find the Xalapa letters which as you know is a great place to snap a photo! And down here they have a bunch of vendors selling things like churros and hot cakes that smell so delicious and right in front of us here one of the best views in town! Xalapa sits at an elevation of 1,400 meters and is in a cloud forest as you can see right here in the Sierra Madre Oriental range. Every afternoon the clouds seem to kind of come down and nestle in so the blue skies tend to go away. But it's okay because it creates this beautiful climate which is so nice since being at the Port of Veracruz where it was so hot and muggy. Here you can feel... oh look at that breeze! It's a lot more cool. There is still some humidity because it is that tropical climate. But yeah it's wonderful! And if you happen to visit between June and October that is the rainy season so make sure to pack a rain jacket as we have been experiencing afternoon showers daily. And right after I said that, guess what? It started raining. Well drizzling. The sky, it's funny. It's like cloudy, but blue. But right above us is this big dark cloud so yeah, this will probably just last for a little bit. Surrounding the park you will find the Municipal Palace as well as the State Government Palace both of which have outdoor markets in front of them as well as host art exhibitions. This is also where you'll find Xalapa's main cathedral with its eye drawing yellow facade and the inside's pretty nice too! Just east of the cathedral you'll find this tourist information booth. They have brochures and you can ask them about things to do around the city. This is also the stop for the trolley El Piojito. It costs 70 pesos and it'll take you around the city showing you the most important attractions. All right who's ready for park number three? Let's go! While you're walking around the city you may notice something following you. But don't be alarmed, as it is a welcome stalker. It's the aroma of freshly ground and brewed coffee that you can find on almost every corner. In case you didn't know, Veracruz is one of Mexico's main coffee producing regions so if you're a coffee lover this is the place to fill your cup! There is no shortage of cafes here in Xalapa and the other day we stumbled upon this one here Flor Catroce and let me just say this is not your average coffee shop. Along with serving up delicious coffee and food they have also created such a unique atmosphere. Inside is so thoughtfully designed and inviting with many different seating areas. They have art on display and also a stage where you can catch some live music almost daily. Just around the corner you will see Bola de Oro. It's a popular coffee chain here in Mexico. We're actually going to their finca in our next video to explore more in depth the beautiful coffee culture they have here. So stay tuned for that one. Just down the hill you will find Parque de los Lagos which consists of three lakes. Running along the lake here is this walkway called Paseo de los Lagos. It's a nice place to come and take a stroll and take in the surrounding nature. As you can see behind me here you can rent a bike and cycle the lake. They also have some vendors if you're looking for a snack. But if you're looking for a more lively time come down here on the weekend because it is the place to be. This entire walkway is lined with vendors selling food as well as souvenirs. They also have playgrounds and a small water park. It is just going off and so much fun. And while we're out here enjoying this beautiful day on these gorgeous lakes we would love to give a shout out to our new patrons: Denise, Kim, Lupita and Alfredo! You are awesome! Thank you so much for becoming a part of our Patreon Community! It's because of you that we are out here exploring all these beautiful places in Mexico that we get to share with all of you at home. Yeah so this video is dedicated to you. Thank you so much again for your support. If you would like to join this community we will put the link in the description below. All right let's keep going! Oh and before we forget, we wanted to mention to make sure to wear bug spray and long pants. The other day we got eaten up by no see ums and it's no joke! It is so unpleasant. I mean I have at least 50 bites on my body and they will not stop itching. Yes. I'm itching right now just so you know. Yeah so just a little tip for you. Um I've never seen this before. It says Pepino Loco or the crazy cucumber. I gotta try one of these! This reminds me of the Dorilocos I'm kind of nervous. Hola. Hola. Buenas tardes. Buenas tardes. Cuanto Cuesta? (how much?) Cuarenta. Cuarenta, okay. Uno. Wow so she mixes it all up before. It looks like she's got some carrots in there, hot sauce, those peanuts that are covered and gomitas. Yeah she put some gummy bears in there! And look at that she's stuffing it right now with all the ingredients inside. Yeah this is definitely a first. You haven't lived till you've had a Pepino Loco! It's another Mexican ingenuity right here, right? Absolutely. They come up with everything! It's like a volcano of flavor coming out of this cucumber. You look so regal with that like it's your staff. I love it with the eagle behind me I feel like I'm truly free as I'm about to embark on my journey with this Pepino Loco. It's definitely reminiscent of the Doriloco. But more healthy because there's no Doritos. It's just a giant cucumber. Yeah it looks really interesting. Should I jump in? I'm jumping in! Yeah and the chamoy is basically I think it's made with dried chilies it's like a syrup. Mmm wow. That is like a plethora of textures in my mouth. The cucumber is crunchy, and then the peanuts even more crunch. Then the gummy bears are gummy. And the carrots and that spice on the outside, wow! It is definitely loco! Do you like it? Honestly. Well I'd rate it like a four out of ten. That's okay that's all right. That's better than the Dorilocos! That was like a two out of ten. It's actually kind of nice because the cucumber mellows out the sweetness and the spice. What a healthy little treat. Well, sort of. The lakes continue down to here under the bridge. There's even a lock tree here. This is a first for me! Never seen one like that. And then over here on the other side is just beautiful. The lake continues down here and look at this view! Just beyond this is the University of Veracruz. That's right! Xalapa is home to the main campus of the University of Veracruz that was established in 1944 and it is one of Mexico's largest public universities with over 70,000 enrolled students. We didn't have a chance to tour the university grounds which could be fun. What we did do was tour the University's anthropology Museum and it was outstanding! Founded in 1957 it houses an impressive collection of artifacts from Mexican Gulf Cultures such as Olmec, Totonac and Huastec. Here you can admire seven out of the 17 known colossal Olmec heads and also marvel at the Totonac sculptures. The descriptions are in Spanish but they do offer an English audio guide for 60 pesos. And make sure to explore the grounds and the gardens as well as they are beautiful! The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday, 9 am - 5 pm and costs 60 pesos to enter. Before we head to the last park of the day I think it is time for some lunch so let's go find a spot! Oh my goodness and look at all the fish down here. There's turtles here as well! I love the feeling of being around the campus. It just takes me right back to those days hanging out in the quad with my beautiful hair. You had hair? Playing rugby, just enjoying that time with friends. It was so great! I know I know I miss it makes you miss it! It's nostalgic for sure! It does I feel like when you're there you're like ready to go, "I can't wait to get out and graduate!" And then now I've graduated 20 something years ago and I'm like man I wish I was back at University. Yeah so what do you, what's the lesson here? Ooo hug bug, ooo hey! We got a double today! I think the lesson is that you need to enjoy what you have when you have it because you can't go back in time. At least not yet. Ao you need to enjoy it because you're never going to get another chance. I think we tend to think that grass is always greener but most the time it isn't. For sure. Man like when I was a little kid I hated naps now I'm like please can I take I think we have hit a homerun here. We are at Cafe Divergente and as you can see it's another green space. Over here is a pond filled with fish. And beyond us over here there are a couple of ducks just in the shade. It's so unique. They have a lot of different seating areas as well I think upstairs here is like a little house with a bunch of tables inside too. It's really special. We're so happy you're here with us! We just got delivered our beverages and what I like is they have quite a selection. Sometimes I'm more excited for the drinks than the food. Can you relate? Well I went with the house tea. This is made with Flor de Bougainvillea which is that beautiful flower we see a lot of places. It's purple or pink or white. It also has some lemon, honey and cinnamon. That's it! Yeah it's it's so refreshing. Definitely recommend this. And I got their seasonal specialty right now. It's pear, pineapple, cinnamon, cardamom, mint as well as some ginger! It's delicious! Oh it looks so refreshing. It's got more ingredients than anything else I've had today. Look at that! Look what just arrived! And look at Adam. Oh my god is this a food dance break coming on? It is a food dance break because this is one of the coolest restaurant settings we've been to in all of Mexico. We got a beautiful little wrap, a baguette sandwich with steak as well as this really good looking salad right here! yeah it all looks so fresh. Let's jump in! Now that we are happy and fully satiated we're gonna head to our last park of the day. We'll see you there! Welcome to Parque los Berros. The sign behind me has a lot of cool facts. It said it was founded in 1886 and has over 43 different species of trees here that capture over seven tons of carbon per year! That's incredible. Right? I think we should all hug a tree today, don't you? Let's do it! Aww! That's a big boy! What a cool park. They have this track that's running around. People are riding their bikes. They have playgrounds for the kids. Right in front of us is the kiosko right in the middle. And it looks like they're doing some sort of an aerobics class or dance class in the middle. Let's go do it! I dare you! I'm just kidding. I'm not really an aerobics/dance class kind of guy. But if you're interested you should definitely come down here and check them out! Unfortunately we have come to the end of the path for today but it means we're just that much closer to next week's adventure. Oh I like that! Thank you so much for being here with us. It would have been nowhere near as much fun if you hadn't been here to share it with us. And I feel like the city surprised us in so many great ways. I mean today we took you to these parks. This is just the surface of the green spaces they have here. There's art, there's culture. We didn't mention it yet but they're actually a bunch of theaters around where you can go and see shows and even the orchestra. Yeah it's it's incredible! We definitely recommend coming here and spending some time. So thanks again! If you enjoyed this video please give us a big thumbs up, comment, subscribe and don't forget to DLING, DLING, DLING, DLING the bell! We'll see you, next time! Adios!