Change of plan.

As you know I had intended to travel to Veracruz at the beginning of next week. However, there was some more trouble in Boca del Rio last weekend. It would seem that Marines were in pursuit of some gunmen, one of whom threw a grenade outside the Aquarium which killed one person and injured 3 others, including 2 children. There have been violent incidents in Veracruz City/Boca del Rio over the past months which are being blamed on the war between the Los Zetos, Gulf and La Familia Michoacana drug Cartels. Whilst my hotel was right in the centre, on the Zocalo, and I probably would have been safe enough, David advised me to change my booking. I'm now going to travel with Betty and him in the car next Friday night instead and back with them on Sunday night after the Triathlon.
Betty and I had a lovely lunch yesterday at Frank and Ania's new house in Cosco with some very interesting people. There were 8 of us adults and a 4 year old very lively boy. At least 4 languages were being spoken: Polish (Ania and Martha) Spanish (everyone) English (for sure)and possibly Italian - the older gentleman, an anthropologist still lecturing at the age of 85, was born in Florence. His wife was American but they spoke together in Spanish. Their son spoke Spanish and English, his wife is Polish and they were talking to the little boy in 3 languages at the same time (but not the usual bi-lingual thing of each parent speaking in their own native tongue to the child). I get the feeling it was a tad confusing for him - he wasn't as talkative as you would have expected a child of that age to be.
Anyway, Ania had cooked everything from scratch. We had the most delicious hummous and flatbread along with a dry yoghurt dip with sun dried tomatoes and olive oil.
Main course was chicken curry with rice cooked with raisins, a clove and cardoman.
Fab food with good conversation and quite acceptable mexican red wine.
And all of this half-way up another mountain with the most perfect view of El Pico. Frank's hobby is building houses and experimenting with solar power and other engineering type things - he's a fascinating man.
So - I've got the trusty Lonely Planet Guide to Mexico out again checking where else the buses from Cordoba go ...........