Interestingly, I just realized why almost all of these colonial cities are inland and not on the coast.  It is only a fairly recent development that we as a specie have had the time to do anything other than apply ourselves exclusively to survival.  The early settlers had no use for the ocean other than for survival fishing or for a seaport . . . the important essential link to and from Europe.  I don't know my Mexican geography that well, but Veracruz is the only old city on the Caribbean that I can think of.  It was, and is, a major seaport, but it is not a terribly interesting town to visit.  I could name 20 inland colonial masterpieces, all located solely for economic reasons, mainly mining.

The early settlers had no time for recreation.  Sandy beaches were of no value.  Suntanning, windsurfing and para sailing were frowned upon.  Margaritas were for sissies.  On the west coast - the Pacific side - the big towns of Acapulco and Puerto Vallarta are quite recent and devoid of the magnificent architecture and structures of the inland masterpieces.  The really recent modern oceanfront towns like Cancun, Nuevo Vallarta and Ixtapa are merely walls of beach front high rise hotels backed by the support infrastructure and staff necessary to handle the tourism on which they depend.  We avoid these horrors like the 'tourista'.

I don't want this to sound snobbish, though it probably is, but we find there is a difference in many of the gringos you meet inland compared to those on the coast.  Here in the interior they are more adventurous, ecologically minded and more interesting characters.  Many are involved in volunteer tourism and culturally engaged. That's not to say the ones who prefer the coast are totally hedonistic and don't get involved in the local community . . .  don't do their share of helping out.  It's just we find it isn't as prevalent.  Interesting.

This morning I took pity on Nancy and rather than let her walk into town in the rain to her art class, I bravely volunteered to drive.  We got confused and ended up in an area of town that took our breath away.  Narrow streets leading up the hills that you wouldn't think a car could climb.  We passed the most amazing collection of walled homes that reeked of money and charm.  So creative that you couldn't imagine them in your wildest fantasies. 

To come back down into town, we were on such a narrow cobblestone lane that we had to pull the mirrors in to avoid hitting the walls on either side.  I'm not exaggerating when I say we had less than two inches on either side and were more than seriously considering a full kilometer of backing up.  Problem was there were two cars behind us. 

Anyway, enough of this.  Hope you enjoy the pictures which are here in a small slideshow.  We have had enough of the rain and are off tomorrow in search of further adventure.

David Harris is the editor and publisher of the Huntsville Online.