Things You Should Know About Living In Xalapa, Veracruz
The People:
The people in Mexico are incredibly friendly!!! Many people (complete strangers) will invite you over for dinner…or offer you a beer…etc…. It is wise to always accept this offer! With most of the younger Mexican people, it will not be seen as an insult. However it occasionally can be, and often is, with your elders or people with whom you are not familiar.
Be ready to try new things, because there are plenty of these in Mexico. If you get the chance to travel, do it!!! Most of your teachers will even encourage this by trying to schedule classes so that you can travel on the weekends. And, sometimes, your teachers will even go with you!!! You’ll find that pretty much everything is “laid back” in Mexico as compared to the United States, so be expecting it. Mexicans are not as concerned with exact times and deadlines as people in the United States, and they tend to be late on a pretty regular basis. Most people still take part in a daily siesta if they can…which is usually a couple of hours after lunch of sleeping.
Mexico In General:
The more of Mexico that you see, the less you will see it like most movies portray it today. It is an absolutely beautiful country, and if you go there with an open mind and are not afraid of something new, you will see that very quickly. I was a little reserved about going (because of the image that I had of Mexico). However, by the time that I left, I was very sad to leave. Not just the scenery, but also the people will cause this to happen to you. After a few times out with some of your Mexican friends, they will make you feel like you are nothing short of family--even putting “Southern Hospitality” to shame. Many of the cities have their own special characteristics that you will want to experience (ex: festivals, parties, etc…). Many of the smaller towns are known for their scenery, and you can find more modern surroundings in some of the larger cities. Life in Mexico seems to be very laid back for everyone. Mexicans are generally not as worried about time as Americans, and they seem to put more emphasis on enjoying life than working all the time (like the Americans have been criticized of doing).
The City Of Xalapa: Xalapa is a great city for many reasons!!! Here are just a few…
#1. EVERYTHING IS CHEAP!!!! This is not an exaggeration!!! Food in general is very cheap. For example: We (the group of students from the Exchange School and our Mexican friends) went out to eat very frequently and to have a full meal (including a few drinks and dessert) generally costs about $6-$8US.
Bus Trips: The buses in Mexico are very nice and very cheap. You can travel first class (which I highly recommend) for a very low price. For example, to travel to the city of Veracruz from Xalapa costs about $6US for the 2 hour bus trip. Now, with your student ID you will be able to get some of the local bus trips (including Veracruz) for half price.
#2. Xalapa is called the “City of Flowers.” In other words, most of the city is very attractive to look at. Parque Juarez is the central park of Xalapa and it is a very nice place to visit, amongst many others.
#3. Xalapa is centrally located. Xalapa is 2 hours from the coast (Veracruz city). 15 minutes from Xico (home to a huge waterfall which is in the movie Romancing the Stone, and also home to the running of the bulls (if you go in the summer)).
Waterfall At Xico (Near Xalapa)
The waterfall at Xico doesn’t look very big from the picture, but it is amazing to see in person.If you have a chance at all to go there, GO!!!! It is a beautiful place.
30 minutes from Naolinco (a mountaintop city that has a breathtaking view). 3-4 hours from Puebla (my favorite city in Mexico (very nice city a very large artist community)). Etc………
View of Valley From Naolinco
(Naolinco is actually the city on top of the mountain)
#4. Xalapa is considered a middle class city in Mexico. By this, I mean you most likely won’t see any slums or “run down” areas within the city like you might in other place like Mexico City.
Getting Around In Xalapa:
Taxis are very cheap (don’t let them charge you anything more than 25-30 pesos for anywhere in the city). The city buses are even cheaper (4.5 pesos) but take a little bit more knowledge of the city. When going home at night (ladies), NEVER go home alone. Have a guy take you home and let him be the last to get dropped off….this was never a problem for us but it is a good precaution to take.
Suggestion----Talk to your cab drivers!!!!!!! #1) They know pretty much anything about the city that a newcomer would need to know. #2) It is great practice for your Spanish. Most of the cab drivers are very friendly. However, some of them won’t talk unless you start the conversation (I’m assuming that this is because they might assume that you can’t speak Spanish). So, don’t be afraid to talk to them. They are a lot of fun and can help you out with getting around. By the time you leave Xalapa, there’s a pretty good chance that you’ll have the same cab driver more than once, so make friends with them.
You can also walk to most places that you need to go. Both schools (the EEE which is for the summer program, and the University of Veracruz) are fairly centrally located in Xalapa so you will have a lot of stuff within walking distance.
One thing to think about----if you plan on doing a lot of walking, bring some comfortable shoes. There are very few spots in the city that are on flat ground…but for the most part the city is full of small hills.
Downtown Xalapa:
The downtown area has a lot to offer. Most of the shops (department stores) are downtown. Also in the downtown area are a few of the outdoor markets. If you have a chance, go to some of these markets. There is a lot of culture and a lot of things to learn there. The cathedral, Parque Juarez, government buildings, the school, etc… are all located very close to each other. There is a small place just next to the exchange school that has free live jazz every other week. And, Lucha Libre (Mexican Wrestling), also takes place very close to the school as well.
Just outside of the downtown they have a Wal-Mart (which I don’t recommend—because you can go to Wal-Mart in the U.S.!!!---Go somewhere like the outdoor markets to get your essentials,….its more fun and it will make you use more of your Spanish). Xalapa also has a mall, a couple of movie theatres, the state concert hall, and a couple of theatres that have small plays and productions. The Museum of Anthropology is free (if you go with the school tour) and worthwhile to see. It is supposedly the best anthropological museum of its kind in Mexico.
Money:
NO TRAVELER’S CHECKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nobody accepts them!!!!!! Set up a regular bank account here in the United States before you go (if you don’t already have one) that comes with an ATM card. I used ARVEST and had no problems. One thing to watch out for: 2 of the people who went with us used their debit card instead of getting cash at an ATM. Both of them had their accounts almost completely wiped out. Of course, these were probably very rare occurrences, but just something to keep in mind. Remember--nobody can get your bank account number from using regular currency! The fee for taking money out of your account at an ATM was 10 cents per withdrawal for me (I used Banamex ATM’s). There are other banks there too like Scotiabank that have ATM’s with low fees.
Foods In Mexico:
Remember to WATCH WHAT YOU EAT. In general, foods sold on the side of the road might be “sketchy.” I ate lots of this food and didn’t get sick at all the whole time I was there. However, others were not so lucky. Watch out for foods that have been in a lot of water (ex. Salads). Also, if you order a drink that you would like cold (like a coke or something else canned), don’t order ice with it unless it appears to be a fairly upscale restaurant. This is a small sacrifice to make, considering the pain that you will likely go through if you are lucky enough to get Montezuma’s Revenge.
From my American friends that got Montezuma’s while we were in Mexico, you want to avoid it if at all possible. However, go ahead and take some Imodium AD and Pepto Bismol to be safe. The symptoms usually last a week at the longest, and usually the symptoms are gone after a day or two.
Don’t be afraid to try new foods!!!! I tried cow’s tongue (not bad, ….a little bit rough though), lamb (which you’ve probably had in the U.S. before and probably didn’t even know it), cactus, horchata (a sweet drink made with cocoa, milk, sugar, cinnamon, …and a couple of other things that I can’t remember---very, very good stuff), raw squid, etc………I didn’t try a single food in Mexico that I did not like. What you’ve heard about Mexico having great food is no rumor….their food is amazing…so don’t be afraid to try it! Also, you will have a large amount of foods to choose from. If you get to Mexico and don’t like the Mexican food, don’t worry because there are plenty of other types of food (that are very good) to choose from (ex: Thai, Italian, American, etc…)
Fun Stuff:
I hope that you like to dance, because the Mexicans love to. There are several clubs that are fun, and that can appeal to any music preference.
---La Corte de los Milagros is a salsa bar that I highly recommend. The cover (sometimes there is not one) is very cheap. They have a house Cuban band that has about 8 members. By the time that place gets going (usually pretty late) EVERYONE will be out of their seats dancing! They also have a dance contest that is pretty fun to see because older women (40’s and 50’s) enter it and they usually win!!! (Mexicans are incredible dancers).
----Another place is La Mona Lisa. It is a lot of fun (good for hanging out and watching a soccer game). Its pretty small, so it can get pretty crowded….but most clubs in Mexico do.
----Speaking of crowded, across the street from La Mona Lisa is a club called Boulevard (or “Boule”). If you’re missing America or its music, this is the place to go. It gets extremely crowded and hot, but it can be a lot of fun. The owner is very nice to the exchange students, so don’t be afraid to go talk to him. Don’t go here looking for anything even close to a “cultural experience.” However, it can be a lot of fun, so give it a try.
There are many others, so when you get to Xalapa, ask around to find out where is best. Also, don’t be surprised if you see your teachers out at some of the same places you go to!
Traveling
In Mexico
There are many places worth visiting in Mexico and it is generally very easy to access these places. Two of my favorites (pictured above) are Xico and Naolinco. Both of these cities are within 30 minutes from Xalapa. Other favorites include Puebla, Costa Esmerelda, and La Mancha (which is a beach community).
In general, you can save a great deal of money while traveling if you use your student ID and if you stay away from organized tours. Example: Some of my friends and I went on the same trip that some other exchange students went on and we saved $250US! We saw the exact same things, and stayed the exact same amount of time. So, it is greatly to your advantage to ask around about how it is cheapest to go wherever you want to go.
There are several ruin cites in Mexico. One example is El Tajin.
El Tajin is right outside of a city called Papantla. It is
about a 2 ˝ hour bus ride from Xalapa, and then another 30-minute bus ride from
Papantla to the actual site. In comparison to other ruin cites, El Tajin is
pretty small and not nearly as scenic. However, it is one of the quickest ruin
cites to get to if you are coming from Xalapa, so definitely check it out.
Your
First Night In Mexico:
It is a good idea to have pesos already with you before you arrive in Mexico, no matter where you fly in. I flew into Veracruz, and I stayed in a hotel named Costa Verde. Our room was about 260 pesos (we paid 50 more than the 210 base rate so that we could have a room with an air conditioner). The cab ride to the hotel is a little far (about 20 minutes). You arrange your cab ride (this is the only time that you will do it like this because you’re in an airport and airports are different) inside the airport at one of the cab stations. By cab station, I mean that it is a booth that looks exactly like the booths at American airports where you would rent a car (ex: Hertz). These cabs are generally more expensive because they have a locked in price for pretty much wherever you want to go. So, expect to pay a little more here, but ONLY HERE.
!!!Very Important!!! When they issue your visa to you at the airport, make sure that they put 90 days instead of 30 (if you are there for the summer term). This way, you won’t have to renew your visa (which can be done right down the street from the EEE school). Also, Do Not Let Them Charge You Very Much for cab rides no matter where you go. They will assume that you don’t know your way around and will try to overcharge you—so don’t let them!!! Especially in Xalapa, never let them charge you more than 25 pesos…if they try to, get out and get another cab. The only reason that you should pay more than 25 pesos is if you have multiple stops for all of the people in your cab!
If you decide to live with a host family in Xalapa, have your family’s address written somewhere where you can get to it fairly easily so that you know where to go. If you don’t know who your family is, contact the school (ask for Vicky Mateu or Ninfa Canseco) and they can direct you to where you need to go.
Last But Not Least: Have a good time!!! Mexicans have no problem doing this, so while you’re there, join them!!!
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