ISitting here in bliss on a warm sunny (!) midday, because we are back in one of our very favorite small cities ever in Mexico, Orizaba, and we still like it! Even though Lonely Planet told us we wouldn't.
Orizaba is beautiful, lots of parks lots of colonial and French-era architecture. ,
And, now as I start thinking/writing about our last days adventure spanning these two towns, We are enjoying crepes with "rajas" (strips of chile poblano) and mushrooms, with really good coffee -- local and also Kenyan and Haitian, at the Gran Cafe Orizaba on the terrace of the fabulous steel city hall by Gustavo Eiffel (yes, that Eiffel).
And we are enjoying the great contrast from yesterday, which we spent in the small, self sufficient, can-do but touristically limited town of Cosco, a very pleasant ranching/farming town
that just happens to sit under the most picturesque volcano in the New World, Orizaba. Orizaba is as beautiful as Mt. Fuji, it is that beautiful, when you can see it that is, which is practically never. Thus time of year, Tropical rain, tropical mist, snowstorms,whatever, constantly hide El Pico de Orizaba.
Orizaba just might be in this next picture! Definitely some mountain is! But you'd never know?
Even though we liked Cosco... Why are we slightly laughing/marveling at Lonely Planet? Well, we like untouristed places, and Cosco was our dream to visit because of ia gushing Lonely Planet review. LP seemed sure Cosco was tourist Mecca, AND Lonely Planet disses Orizaba. Honestly, what drugs was that writer on? Ha! According to lonely planet, the ok Hotel Emperador that we stayed in last night in Cosco, is'possibly the best hotel in the state' in an enchanting town, Cosco, which is rife with opportunities to mountain bike, rock climb, do some spa time, and zip line at a moments notice.
We certainly enjoyed Cosco! Here are some scenes, excellent little place!
But... compared to the towns we've just been in, Coatepec and Xico, Cosco is, well, quite the backwater. Terrific but like the girl next door! Cosco is enchanting kinda the way Kansas and Oklhoma are charming. People are busy with their own lives and the town is busy boosting Cosco as the happening place to be. People don't eat out so there's not a lot of places for a visitor to sit and relax... The main industry is creating and then beautifully tooling saddles for the showy Mexucan Rodeo riders -- charros if male, escaramuzas if a lady. Which were very cool to see made:
Otherwise, it's A sleepy just us folks no tourism town, with a very pretty location when not obscured by the elements. They do have great goat cheese and grass fed steaks!
Here are some pretty pictures of this 'the simple life for me' town
But--- Orizaba. What a fabulous town. Has everything... Tranquility, beauty, sophistication, history. And buildings made in Belgium and shipped over here! And the sun has finally come out, strongly.
Just a SLIVER or Orizaba above. Here is one of our favorite parks
And the strolls along the river where you can see animals too... Ostriches, spider monkeys, deer, crocodiles just to name a few. Though these pictures might look a little grubby, it's great.
It's very romantic!
We enjoyed Orizaba as well; nice place.
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