Boca Del Rio, the Mall, Flycasting for Taxis

Hola again from Veracruz. Busy day today .... being as it is a Sunday, and the weekend, there is no formal class, so we are free to do whatever. For me that means exploring, although I should probably be studying in my room. Hopefully I can do that tonight, though. No TV or anything like that in the house, so it's actually kind of nice -- the choices for evening are study, write letters or whatever on the computer, or go out in search of some night life. Ever since I saw Boca Del Rio on Thursday, my first day here, when you are taken out on a little tour of the area by one of the "charlantes" (who speak little to no English) so that you know your way around during your stay, I have been wanting to get back there. Linda, a woman who is also a student at the school here, said she would go with me, so off we went. There are no meals here either on the weekend, so we decided to wait until we go to Boca del Rio to eat breakfast (about a 20 minute bus ride from Veracruz.) Linda is from Tennessee, so she has an interesting accent. Also here is Kent, an oil man from Texas who has been stationed here and oversees rigs off the coast of Verzcruz, and has finally decided to learn Spanish instead of having a translator. So there is HIS southern drawl as well. Also Kim, a woman from Dublin, CA of all things (small world!) and Steve, who now teaches fly fishing, but is a musician and used to open for Maria Muldaur of "Midnight at the Oasis" fame, if anyone remembers her, and whose cousin is Nils Lofgren, who plays with Bruce Springsteen, and...oh, I don't know what else! He is an interesting character. Also just arrived is Lynn, who is an advanced speaker but she just got in last night and I don't know where she's from. Anyway, the woman I went on the excursion with, Linda, wanted to buy a ballcap like mine as protection against the sun, so that was on our "to-do" list. I'd gotten my cap the first day I was here, which you will see in the pictures. I got it because it is the team cap of the football (soccer) team "America", which seems to be the fave team of people in this area. Although one of the young women/teachers here likes "Puma" from Mexico City. But I digress. We caught the big blue bus at the corner (very nice modern buses, but the drivers are CRAZY!) and off we went. A bit muggy, low 80's, nice day.

I'm finding that pictures load in a weird way on here, so let me post this and then I will continue the story. The next batch of photos will be from Boca del Rio (as are the two above), and then the mall on the way back, "Plaza of the Americas". I wanted to go into the movie theater and see "El Chihuahua of Berverly Hills", but Linda wouldn't let me. Dang! I mean, !Que lastima!