Time-warp street art in Xalapa.

As a foreigner living in Berlin, the question “where are you from?” is within the Top 3 frequently asked questions that I get. My now formulaic reply goes something like “Oh, it’s a small city in Mexico called Xalapa, somewhere in the middle of the country, but near the east coast” (which usually evokes slightly confused looks from my listeners as they try to conjure some blurry image of what my country looks like in their mind). “Actually, do you know jalapeno peppers? That’s where they come from!” – This last little fun fact usually seems to amuse them. 

However, I feel like I am doing a disservice to my hometown by introducing it in such a lackluster way, since Xalapa (pronounced Ha-la-pah) is a city that has so, so much more to offer than just some popular nacho toppings! So I thought it was due to pay a small homage to it, taking the cue from the #introduceyourhometown challenge proposed by @pollux.one, who generously set up a great opportunity for us Steemit rookies to introduce our hometowns and share the love for our cities! So, here it goes:

 The basics   

First of all, this is where Xalapa is located, nice and cozy right in the center of the state of Veracruz, Mexico:   

Xalapa is a small city, with a population of about 500,000 inhabitants. A big proportion of the population of Xalapa consists of students, since the main campus of the State University of Veracruz is located there. So overall, it is a city with a youthful vibe. 

Xalapa, means “spring in the sand” in Náhuatl language. The city get this name because of the numerous natural springs that run around the city, although nowadays most of them are covered or running through pipes. Although the official name is spelled with an “X”, sometimes the alternative spelling “Jalapa” is also used. 

The church of San José, on a clear day with a cloudless blue sky!

People from Xalapa are called Xalapeños, pronounced “halapenios” – very much like the chili peppers. The city was first established around the Macuiltepetl hill, which is an extinct volcano, around the 14th century. Originally, there were four different territories established by four different cultures (Totonac, Toltec, Chichimeca and Teochichimeca), each named after the spring or river that ran through it. Eventually, as these cultures converged, Xalapa became unified into one big village. After Spanish colonization beyond 1521, the population of Xalapa increased and diversified.  

Being a town close to the mountains, the weather of the city is rather mild (no Robert Rodriguez-style dusty town with cacti to be found here), and usually between 22-26 degrees Celsius year-round. The climate is very humid and it can get very misty during the early winter time, a rather charming feature that I enjoy:   

Even though sometimes it makes it look like Silent Hill. 

Also, being near two of the highest mountains in Mexico, the Citlaltepetl (elevation: 5,636 m) and the Nauhcampatépetl (4,282 m), Xalapa is gifted with a beautiful and impressive mountain backdrop. 

The view from Juárez Park, the main park of the city, on a very clear day. Photo by Miguel Angel Gomez, check out his Flickr account for more amazing photos of Xalapa!

Some of my favorite things about Xalapa… and why I think you would love it as well!   

Coffee culture   

As a coffee lover, in Xalapa you would be in great hands, my friend!  In this city, you are never far away from a great cup of coffee, locally produced just a few kilometers away in the neighboring town of Coatepec. The climate and native vegetation around Xalapa makes it an ideal ground to grow great quality coffee, and coffee drinking is part of the lifestyle of any respectable Xalapeño, elevating it to an experience to be enjoyed daily, either by oneself or in company of good friends.  

Walking around the city center you can surely find a nice coffee house to sit down and enjoy, since there is a large choice of places to cater every taste. Some of my personal favorites are: 

• Café Bola de Oro: Excellent coffee quality, besides sitting down to enjoy a fresh cup, you can also purchase different kinds of roasts and blends to take home (this is where I get the coffee to take back with me to enjoy in Berlin!). The place itself is located in a rather loud spot of the main street in the city center, but it is a good spot for people watching. The deserts are also very yummy and they have a very wide selection of drinks.
• Café del Agora: This coffee house is located in a beautiful spot in the main park of the city center: right next to a big art gallery with an alternative cinema. The coffee here is fine, although not spectacular, but the great view of the city from the terrace more than makes up for it! 
• El Cafe-Tal apan: If you are coffee lover who also enjoys immersing into the local culture, this is a must. Located in a traditional colonial house, you can sip your coffee and enjoy a delicious Mexican breakfast while sitting around a beautiful courtyard surrounded by tropical plants and trees.  

A cultural city   

Some born and bred old-school Xalapeños like to repeat the statement that “Xalapa is known as the Athens of Veracruz” (who came up with this pompous comparison, I have no idea!), referring to the fact that Xalapa is a city brimming with culture and art. There are numerous galleries, exhibitions, museums, performances, concerts, film screenings and cultural events to keep one busy week after week. 

Some of my favorite galleries are:  

Galeria del Estado (State Gallery), where you can find marvelous exhibitions of the newest talent produced by the artists of our state of Veracruz. 

Pinacoteca Diego Rivera usually exhibits painting collections from renowned national and international painters  (I saw a very beautiful exhibition of the works of Frida Kahlo here, some years ago). 

Agora de la Ciudad, one of the main public spaces in Xalapa, showing carefully curated collections of paintings and sculptures, along the colonial remains of an old monastery previously found there.   

Not only is Xalapa embellished by diverse sculptures, monuments and historical buildings; moreover, being a youthful city, it also has a wealth of interesting street art and murals, like these ones located just outside the Jauregui market in the city center:   

A city best enjoyed by walking 

Fun fact: Xalapa is the Mexican city with most cars per capita. Which is rather ironic since it is a city where you can pretty much get anywhere within 20-30 minutes by walking! Walking is by far my favorite way of getting around the city. The streets are narrow and often steep, so the traffic is a nightmare anyway. Moreover, there is so much to look at, so much to take in while you walk: vibrant colors, small quirky details, interesting merchandise and street food sold by street vendors and the cheerful Mexican spirit of the people in the street around you. 

Trippy Mexican souvenirs: these little painted wooden animals are called alebrijes.

Mexican day of the dead little skeletons for sale at the artisan's market in the Callejon del Diamante Alley.

Decorative tiles at the entrance of a house.

Whenever I visit, I like to take long walks around the city center.    

Plenty of green 

Xalapa has numerous parks that fulfill every need:  

• A quiet place where you can enjoy a solitary moment reading your favorite book (Bicentenario Park). 
• A lively spot in the city center where you can people watch while eating seasonal fruit ice cream, catch some spontaneous street performances, live music from local artists or bands (Juarez Park, the main park of the city center).  
• A huge park with lovely, well designed gardens where you can go for a stroll or run, or make an impromptu picnic while looking at the water (USBI Park, next to the University Campus). 
• A park to enjoy with the family having an ice cream on a Sunday, offering plenty of entertainment for the kids either riding a pony, a mini electric car, or getting on the mini-train that drives around the park (Los Berros Park). 

There is one park, however, that is my personal favorite, but I will talk about it in the next section, which is:  

Some of my favorite things in the city  

Xalapa is the city where I spent the first 22 years of my life, so I have a really special connection with it. Every time I go back home, once a year, I go on long walks to reconnect with it, to look at all the familiar landscapes and places deeply rooted in my heart. Whenever I am walking around Xalapa, the lyrics of the Red Hot Chilli Pepper’s “Under the Bridge” always pop in my head:  

I drive on her streets 'cause she's my companion

I walk through her hills 'cause she knows who I am

She sees my good deeds and she kisses me windy

I never worry, Now that is a lie

That’s a feeling I would like to share with you. You can think of this section as the off-kilter guide for those who want an insider’s view! This is the list of places that I would take you to if I were your guide in the city:   

Xallitic Bridge and Park 

This is a bridge located on the upper part of the city center. I like it because of the contrast: the top part is loud and hectic – full of moving cars, street vendors and pedestrians; while the bottom, which you can reach by descending a long stretch of stairs, has a park that is quiet and filled with the sound of singing birds and running water from one of the natural springs that runs there, turned into a fountain.   

The markets 

The central markets are where the core of the “mexicanity” resides. One step inside, and you get swept into a world of aromatic spices, exotic fruits and huge, flavorful fresh vegetables, dozens of different chili varieties, traditional toys, and the odd sorcery and witchcraft store selling amulets, herbs and magic potions (seriously). Also, in the markets you can get some of the most typical foods and plenty of quirky gastronomical findings to explore and keep you occupied perusing and tasting for hours!  

If you could identify 50% of the goodies in the picture above, I would be very impressed!

If you want REAL street food, this is the place to go! San José Market is my favorite, the full market takes place on Thursdays and it’s a sight to behold, full of tasty fresh options, and REAL, deliciously authentic Mexican food like you probably never had before!     

Like pulled pork tacos with avocado-green chili sauce! Mmmmm…

Cinco de Febrero Cemetery   

Every time I walk past it, I take the opportunity to walk in and enjoy a quiet stroll in here. It is the oldest cemetery in the city, and even though it is unkempt and most of the plants are overgrown, it has a serene air that adds some character to it. Some illustrious men and women of the region are buried here, and many tombs are carefully decorated and have interesting sculptures. There are also a few benches where you can sit to have a moment of calm, which is a nice gift after walking on the busy, loud streets just outside the cemetery. It feels like an oasis from the urban stress, and a reminder that all of us have a limited time on this earth, thus we shall make the most out of it. 

 Excuse the filter overload, this was taken in the Myspace days and I used to be semi-emo back then.   

The best place for breakfast – La Casona del Beaterio  

La Casona del Beaterio is a restaurant in the city center, located inside a beautiful colonial building with the typical Xalapa-style design: a central, open courtyard with a fountain and a garden, surrounded by open corridors and spacious rooms where you can enjoy your meals. The food here is as typically Mexican as it gets (no street food, but main dishes), and you will find some local specialties as well.  My favorite meal to have here is breakfast, since along with your order, you get a basket of adorable and delicious mini-versions of the traditional sweet bread you find in Mexican bakeries, to enjoy along with your coffee. The atmosphere here is so delighting and the service is great. 

Mexican sweet bread in a traditional bakery.

Los Tecajetes Park 

By far my favorite park in Xalapa. Firstly, I like it because it’s one of the parks that preserved the original, native vegetation of the region: exuberant ferns, beech trees, Datura flowers, fruit trees and lots of moss and mushrooms.  My favorite feature of this park is the natural spring that emerges there and feeds a fountain with a waterfall and a large pond, as well as many water canals that run through the entire park and give every road a calming sound or running water. The entire park always feels fresh and has a reinvigorating quality, mostly due to the lush foliage and the water present everywhere.  It has many shaded places where one can take shelter on a hot summer day while enjoying a cold beverage and a good chat – or  an engaging book if that is your preference! 

One of the ponds at Los Tecajetes Park, full with koi fish.  

Another of my favorite things in Xalapa, during spring: carpets made of jacaranda flowers that fall in showers from the trees in the middle of spring, in a similar fashion to the Japanese cherry trees. So dreamy!

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I hope you enjoyed this article as much as I enjoyed writing it… and that’s far from all Xalapa has to offer! I could go on and on, but for now, I think this is plenty. Thank you very much for reading, and I hope someday you get to see it with you own eyes and experience it with all your senses!   

Cheers,   

Irime  

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Image source: All photos come from my personal collection, either taken by me or my friends/family over the past several years during the visits I made to my hometown (unless specified otherwise).