When Trondheim, Kuala Lumpur and Addis Ababa are sleeping, one of the Dreamers in Xalapa is usually working the news watch shift. Our time off together so far here in Mexico has therefore been limited to the mornings and evenings. When Emma recently had to switch to the early shift, we decided to take the opportunity to explore someplace new beyond the borders of Xalapa!
Pitch-black and unusually quiet outside, Emma was ready to take over the news watch at 6am. A few cups of coffee and a sunrise later, Ragnhild was also awake and by early afternoon we were ready to make the most of the rest of the day. After considering several options, we decided to go to Xico, a so-called Magic Town just beyond Coatepec and home to the beautiful Texolo waterfall. Perfect for a short excursion! Or, so we thought… And so we set off on our little adventure.
We took the bus from Los Sauces, both mesmerized by the view along the way. Suddenly, our bus started backing up along the road, stopping in what seemed to be the middle of nowhere. With nothing but green forest on either side, we correctly assumed that we had not yet reached Xico and were eventually told by other passengers that we had to walk the rest of the way. As we got off the bus, we quickly realized that all the other vehicles in front of us had stopped as well. Surrounded by beautiful mountains, rivers and hundreds of butterflies, we walked down the hill together with all the other passengers and commuters, past all the buses and cars parked along the side of the road. And then we noticed what had caused all of this commotion – a blockade by a group of protesters who were demanding better roads from the villages surrounding Xico.
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| Roadblock no. 1 |
We weren’t exactly surprised since we are both very aware of all the protests
going on all over Mexico at the moment, but what timing! Our first
“solo” trip outside of Xalapa, and we couldn’t even reach our desired
destination. In the end though, it didn’t matter at all. We actually ended up really enjoying our long walk into the town of Las Puentes, and it was interesting to witness some of protests that we have been reading so much about.
We figured we could reach Xico, find somewhere to eat and walk around for a bit before returning home by nightfall. However, by the time we had reached the third roadblock it was raining heavily and we were told Xico was still far away, so we decided to turn and head back to Coatepec instead. Tired and wet, we enjoyed a well-deserved feast of enchiladas rojas and verdes, guacamole, frijoles and a jug of clericot! After dinner, we wandered through a few artisan shops and bought ourselves some Xalapeño indie music, handcrafted souvenirs and coffee marshmallows, as well as a kilo of grounded mezcla de la casa – Coatepec is Mexico’s coffee capital after all.
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| Walking through Las Puentes |
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| A rainy yet lovely evening in Coatepec! |
As the day turned to night, we headed back to Xalapa – exhausted but happy after an adventure where nothing went as planned, yet we still enjoyed every minute of it. You never know what to expect in a day in the life of a Dreamer!
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| Souvenirs from Coatepec! |
