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DAY 1 - Leave the border driving through farmlands dedicated to the raising of grain crops before crossing ranch land to Soto La Marina where we pause for lunch. Shortly, tropical vegetation appears as your charter coach approaches the bustling seaport city of Tampico where it seems all the world must meet on the square in front of our hotel. You will have time to visit the cathedral begun in 1823 and completed with funds donated by Edward Doheny, an oil magnate implicated in the Teapot Dome scandal. Or perhaps you may want to visit the local market where tropical fruits and products of the sea abound. Or take a stroll to the nearby restored second plaza where wrought iron balconies remind one of the French influence earning a new name for Tampico - the “New Orleans of Mexico”. Overnight at the Mansion Real in Tampico.

DAY 2 - Cross the Rio Panuco into the tropical state of Veracruz. Take the short cut through Alamo to the ruins of El Tajin, the Pyramid of 365 niches, one of the most extensive ruins in Mexico. If we are lucky the Voladores (the Flying Indians) will perform for us with their age old ritual. After lunch continue along the coast whose sparkling blue waters beckon us on. Our hotel in Veracruz is right in the center of it all. Get in the mood as you sip your favorite beverage at one of the outdoor arcade restaurants. Marimba music will set your feet to tapping. Be sure to join in the “Danzon” a tropical, slow paced dance performed almost nightly on the main square. Overnight at the Hotel Diligencias in Veracruz. CB, L

DAY 3 - Today is the big day for the Carnival with both a daytime and an illuminated parade scheduled. In between, we will visit the local market where you can buy anything from cabbages to kittens and everything in between. Visit the fortress, San Juan Ulua. Time permitting we will venture to Boca del Rio. Seafood restaurants abound. Overnight at the Hotel Diligencias in Veracruz. B

DAY 4 - Included visit to Xalapa, the state capitol. Visit El Lencero, the dream like former hacienda of General Santa Ana, so romantic that it was used for the filming of a Mexican soap opera. Return to Veracruz for your last night in this swinging city. Overnight at the Hotel Diligencias in Veracruz. B

DAY 5 - Alas, it is time to leave and return to Tampico. But not until we stop by the Parroquia restaurant to hear the spoons tapping as more coffee refills are ordered. En route to Tampico we stop by haunting La Antigua where Cortez had his first settlement. Than Stop in Papantla, center of the vanilla growing region. Purchase hearts, scorpions or crosses all twisted into shape from vanilla beans. Free time in the very interesting market that caters to the local people. Lunch may be a little late today, so you may want to purchase a snack before we continue up Tuxpam, a pretty little town on the banks of the Tuxpam River. Continue to Tampico for our last night in Mexico. Overnight at the Mansion Real in Tampico. B

DAY 6 - Drive through flat land farming and ranching areas, lush orange and avocado orchards on our way to Cd. Victoria, commercial center for the state of Tamaulipas. Visit the Guadalupe Church where you have a panoramic view of the area. Return to the Rio Grande Valley of Texas with fond memories of Veracruz, a coastal city that is very, very, very nice. CB