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DAY 1 Wednesday, January 9 Arrive in Mexico City and transfer to your hotel. Enjoy a welcome cocktail and dinner. D.
DAY 2 Thursday, January 10 Drive to Veracruz via The town of Orizaba. Mexico’s highest mountain, El Pico de Orizaba (18,850 ft.), an extinct volcano, looms in the north. See the Palacio Municipal, an art nouveau iron structure, originally the Belgian Pavilion in the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris, later transported to and reassembled in Orizaba. Lunch is at Restaurant Romancho. Continue to the port city of Veracruz. On a walking tour of Veracruz’s Centro Historico, Visit Museo de la Ciudad for a glimpse of Veracruz history, see the Plaza de Armas with distinctive colonnades, la Catedral; and two beautiful 20th c. buildings: the Estacion de Ferrocariles and the Edificio Gemelo de Telégrafos y Correos. Walk along Paseo de la Malecón. B, L.
DAY 3 Friday, January 11 Drive to Tlacotalpan, declared a United Nations World Herritage town in 1995, and the birth place of Mexico’s legendary musician, poet ,and movie star, Agustin Lara. Stroll through Plaza Zaragoza, Casa de Cabildo and the Municipal Market. Visit three small museums: The Tobias Carbajal Museum exhibiting Agustin Lara memorabilia; Casa de Cultura where local residents learn to make Veracruz crafts; and the Salvador Fernando Museum with interesting paintings, furniture and photos. Lunch is at Posada Doña Lara. Drive back to Veracruz. The rest of the afternoon and evening are free. B, L.
DAY 4 Saturday, January 12 Dr. Jeffrey Wilkerson, a scholar at the Smithsonian Institute, will join us today. Brunch is at Café Parroquia on the plaza. Then visit the best aquarium in Latin America, visited by one million, one hundred thousand people in 2006. Dr. Wilkerson will teach us the incredible history of San Juan de Ulua when we visit this massive limestone fortress built in the 1530s. The fortress stored and shipped more gold and silver than any place in the world, and was invaded by the great Elizabethan pirates, Sir Francis Drake, John Hawkins and Sir Walter Raleigh. Later it became a prison noted for its cruelty and its famous prisoners, among them, Benito Juárez. Also visit Baluarte de Santiago to view an exquisite display of pre-Hispanic gold jewelry recovered by a fisherman at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico in the 1970s. At our happy hour, Dr. Wilkerson will talk to us about the archeology, ecology, history and politics of Veracruz. Brunch, D.
DAY 5 Sunday, January 13 This morning, journey up the coast to La Antigua (late 1520s), where you’ll see the ruins of an architecturally interesting mansion. Then continue driving up the coast to the ancient Totonac ruins of Zempoala, where Hernan Cortes organized his march of conquest. Dr. Wilkerson will share with us insights of his historical studies and horseback tracing of the route of the first Europeans to the Aztec capital. After lunch continue to Quiahuiztlan, an archaeological zone with tombs, unusual rock formations and a breathtaking view of the ocean., Continue on to Tecolutla, check into our hotel, and have dinner in a great restaurant run by Canadian ex-pats. B, L.
DAY 6 Monday, January 14 In Papantla, Mexico’s vanilla capital, see the colorful plaza and visit the workshop of Leandro Espinosa Gutiérrez, a top wood carver. Explore the archeological site of El Tajin, the great ancient Totonac city of the Gulf Coast lowlands. Dr. Wilkerson will teach us about El Tajin’s distinctive sculptures and elaborate architecture. One of the most unique pre-Columbian structures in Mesoamerica is El Tajin’s intriguing Pyramid of the Niches. Learn the rules of the ancient games played in El Tajín’s majestic ball court and catch a performance of the Totonac Sun Dance by the Voladores (flying-dancers), who, dressed as eagles, were emissaries to the gods in ancient times. Enjoy a lunch made especially for us at the field station of the Institute for Cultural Ecology of the Tropics. Dr. Wilkerson will talk to us about remarkable new exploration and research projects. Visit the Institute’s vanilla plantation in its jungle setting and try a freshly-picked coconut/rum cocktail. B, L.
DAY 7 Tuesday, January 15 Drive to Xalapa, the “San Francisco of Mexico”, in the rugged Sierra Madre Oriente mountain range. Visit the stunning Hacienda Lencero, once the home of General Santa Ana, victor in the Battle of the Alamo. After lunch, visit the Museo de Anthropología de Xalapa, one of the top museums in the world. Dr. Wilkerson, a special consultant during its construction, will provide background information on the museum’s magnificent pieces from the three major pre-Columbian cultures of the region: the Huastec; the Totonac; and, most important, the Olmec, including five majestic Olmec stone heads. Cocktails and dinner are in Posada Coatepec. B, D.
DAY 8 Wednesday, January 16 Visit the home and studio of internationally acclaimed Gustavo Perez, Mexico’s best contemporary ceramist. Take the scenic drive to see Cascada de Texolo, a majestic waterfall. Have lunch in Xico, where you can try mole de Xico – the best. After lunch After lunch, drive back to Coatepec for a free afternoon and evening. Coatepec is a lovely town to walk around in with gilt-covered churches, a nice market and orchids in the main plaza. You may take the option of a tour to a coffee plantation this afternoon. B, L.
DAY 9 Thursday, January 17 Spend the day in Xalapa. Around beautiful Parque Juarez, the main plaza see the “crooked cathedral”, the neoclassical Palacio de Gobierno and the neocolonial Palacio Municipal. Visit the plaza’s two art galleries and cultural center. See the contemporary exhibits by regional artists in Galeria de Arte Contemporaneo. After lunch in Bistrót San Jose, visit the workshop of Rogerio Ortega Moreno, an artist who works in obsidian, and tour a beautiful suburb before returning to Coatepec. B, L.
DAY 10 Friday, January 18 En route to Tlaxcala, stop at the archeological site of Cacaxtla to see some of Mexico’s most vividly colored murals, accidentally discovered by a farmer in 1975. We can grab a quick lunch in one of the café’s around Tlaxcala’s Zocalo. We visit Palacio de Gobierno to see murals by Desiderio Hernández Xochitiotzin, depicting the role the Tlaxcalans played in helping Cortez conquer the Aztec Empire, and visit the excellent Museo Regional de Tlaxcala. Tonight we’ll have a happy hour and going away dinner for those not on the Mexico City extension. We spend the night in Tlaxcala. B, D.
DAY 11 Saturday, January 19 Those returning home transfer to the Mexico City airport. Others begin the 3 day extension in Mexico City. B.
Extension in Mexico City
DAY 11 Saturday, January 19 In the Centro Historico have lunch at The House of Tiles; visit the Metropolitan Cathedral; the Zocalo; the Templo Mayor, the National Palace with Diego Rivera murals; Museo Mural Diego Rivera; Palacio de Bella Artes and Museo de Arte Popular, the dazzling new Museum of Mexican Crafts; and the 16 c. Hospital de Jesus with Mexico’s only portrait of Cortés. B, L.
DAY 12 Sunday, January 20 See a panoramic view of Mexico City at Chapultepec Castle, once home to Emperor Maximilian. Visit Museo de Anthropologia, a world-class museum. Dine on Mexican nouvelle cuisine. B, D.
DAY 13 Monday, January 21 Visit the Basilicas of the Virgin of Guadalupe. At Teothuacan, explore the Pyramids of the Sun and the Moon, the Temple of Quetzalcoatl and The Avenue of the Dead. See a demo of how pulque, the Aztec drink of the Gods, is made. The afternoon is free. Meet at the hotel in the evening for our going away cocktail and dinner. B, D.
DAY 14 Tuesday, January 22 Transfer to the Mexico City Airport. B.
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