Last year I had such a fine time discovering Veracruz, the coastal state in Mexico that somehow I had avoided. We arrived in Papantla late at night and was met with the overwhelming heat and strange, exotic smell of vanilla in the air.

In the morning it was no less hot but we went exploring. The local church was celebrating the first communion of many locals who seemed used to the heat and particularly lovely in their cotton dresses.

Within an hour by car were the great ruins at El Tajin. Now, I've been to some warm places, even India right before monsoon season, but this was HOT. And fascinating.

A fellow and his friends can only take so much siteseeing so after the ruins we headed down the coast and had some great seafood.

...and beers and music.