The Cities

CORDOBA

FOUR HUNDRED AND FOUR YEARS AGO AN AFRICAN SLAVE NAMED GASPAR YANGA WAS ONE OF THRE FIRST BLACK LIBERATORS IN THE AMERICAS. HE LED ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL SLAVE REBELLIONS. GASPAR YANGA WAS BORN IN 1545 IN WEST AFRICA AND WAS A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL FAMILY OF AFRICA'S GABON, HE WAS A PRINCE. NOW FORCED TO CHOP CANE ALL DAY FOR NO PAY AND SUFFERING THE WHIP, HE ESCAPED INTO THE MOUNTAINS AND FOUND OTHERS TO JOIN HIM AMONG THE INDIGENOUS WHO WERE ALSO REPRESSED. THEY BEGAN RAISING THE MULE TRAINS OF VALUABLE COMMERCE TRAVELING FOR THE CITY OF VERACRUZ TO ORIZABA. SOON THE WORD SPREAD AS THE HOUSE SLAVES HEARD OF HIS DARING EXPLOITS AND TOLD THE FIELD WORKERS, MORE ESCAPED TO JOIN HIM. A GARRISON WAS PLACED ALONG THE ROAD TO PATROL FOR HIM, SOON FOOD STANDS WERE PLACED THERE BY THE INDIGENOUS AND OTHER SHOPS. THE CITY OF CORDOBA NOW STANDS WHERE THIS GARRISON WAS PLACED.

Edit this text and tell your site visitors who you are. To edit, simply click directly on the text and add your own words. Use this text to go into more detail about your company. Make sure to include information about how your company came to be.

ORIZABA

ORIZABA WAS ALREADY AN IMPORTANT CITY BEFORE THE SPANISH CONQUEST. THE NAME ORIZABA MEANS "THE PLACE OF THE PLEASING WATERS, NO DOUBT FROM THE RIVER COMING FROM THE GLACIER ATOP THE MOUNTAIN LOCATED THERE, THE PICO DO ORIZABA, AN INACTIVE, DORMANT BUT NOT EXTINCT STRATOVOLCANO THAT LAST ERUPTED IN 1846, IT IS THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN IN MEXICO AND THE THIRD HIGHEST IN THE AMERICAS. IT HAS A PLEASANT CLIMATE, IS VERY CLEAN AND HAS A LOT TO DO AND SEE.

THE RIVER WALK GOES SEVERAL MILES THROUGH THE CITY WITH A LARGE ZOO, MONKEY BRIDGES AND FOOD AND DRINKS, IT IS PET FRIENDLY AND IS AN ALL DAY AFFAIRT FOR FAMILIES AS THE PARENTS CAN SIT IN THE SHADE UNDER AN OVERPASS ENJOYING A COLD DRINK AND FOOD WHILE THE CHILDREN EXPLORE THE MANY ANIMALS IN THE ZOO. A CABLE CAR GOES TO THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN WHERE THE FRENCH ARMY WAS ENCAMPED, THINKING THEMSELVES SAFE IN THIS HIGH HAVEN. BUT THE MEXICAN ARMY ATTCKED AND ROUTED THEM, A SMALL MUSEUM WITH RELICS FROM THE BATTLE STANDS THERE TODAY, THE VIEW OF THE CITY FROM THE CABLE CAR AND THE MOUNTIAN TOP IS BREATHTAKING.

A wonderful place in Orizaba to spend a hot day is The Eye of the Water, a natural spring that feeds a great waterpark. There are playgrounds for the children, a pool, a lot of place to eat around the big, clear water pond that is full of cold, a diving platform, clear water gushing from a spring out of the mountain. Paddleboats are available to rent also.

Also in Orizaba is the Iron Palace, designed by Gustave Eiffel who designed the Eiffel Tower and fabricated in Brussells, Belgium then shipped to Orizaba and assembled with over 30,000 bolts to serve as the city hall. The city offices outgrew this historic building so the offices were moved and this place now is a great restaurant to eat, sip coffee or a beer and watch the endless stream of people walk by.

Right across the street is just one of Orizaba's many historic churches.

There are also many beautiful parks to sit in and enjoy the day and a snack.

A few blocks away is the historic religious museum inside of a beautiful church, it is full of large paintings.

COSCOMATEPEC
THIRTY MINUTES NORTH IN THE COOL MOUNTAINS IS THE CITY OF COSCOMATEPEC, THESE PEACEFUL PEOPLE DIDN'T PRACTICE HUMAN SACRIFICE LIKE THE AZTECS BUT INSTEAD BURNED INCENSE AND PRESENTED FLOWERS TO THEIR DIETIES. STILL, THE AZTECS FOUND THEM AND DEMANDED TRIBUTE OF CORN OR BE OUT TO THE SWORD. LATER WHEN THE SPANIARDS DISCOVERED THEM AND LAID SEIGE TO TH CITY, CAPTURING AND TAKING WHAT THEY WANTED. THE MEN PLANNED AT NIGHT AND ON THE MORNING OF OCTOBER 4, 1813 BRIGADIER DON NICHOLAS BRAVO LED 600 INSURGENTS AND BROKE THE 33 DAY SEIGE DEFEATING THE SPANIARDS WITH THEIR ARMOR, SWORDS AND CANNONS USING ONLY MACHETES AND PITCHFORKS, A CAPTURED CANNON STILL STANDS IN THE SQUARE TODAY.

EVERY MONDAY THERE IS A HUGE OPEN AIR MARKET THAT STRETCHS ON FOR BLOCKS SELLING CLOTHES, SHOES, KNIVES AND FRESH PRODUCE FOR PENNIES ON THE DOLLAR. CRAZY CHEAP PRICES LIKE SIX EARS OF FRESH CORN FOR FIFTY CENTS, MOUNTAINS OF STRAWBERRIES, DELICIOUS BLUE CORN TORTILLAS AND FRESH COOKED LOCAL FOOD. YOU CAN GET ABSOLUTELY STUFFED FOR TWO DOLLARS US AND TAKE THE FRESH PRODUCE HOME TO FREEZE. THERE IS A BAKERY THAT HAS BEEN IN THE SAME FAMILY FOR ALMOST ONE HUNDRED YEARS. THEY WILL LET YOU TOUR THE HUGE WOOD FIRED OVEN, ONE OF MY CLIENTS EVEN GOT TO HELP MAKE BREAD. THERE ARE BAGS OF NATURAL HEALING HERBS FOR ALL ILLNESSES TO MAKE A POLTICE OR A TEA AND INSTRUCTIONS OF THEIR USE.

THE SQUARE IS WHERE EVRYONE COGREGATES ON THE WEEKEND ENJOYING THE COOL WEATHER AND GREAT FOOD. WE ASKED ABOUT A CANTINA AND A TAXI TOOK US TO A BAR NAMED "RUSTIC" WHICH WE SOON REALIZED WAS A GAY BAR AS THERE WERE NOTHING BUT MEN. ONE MAN KEPT OFFERING TO TAKE UP TO THE VOLCANO FOR TOUR ON WHICH I PASSED OUT OF FEAR OF BEING ROBBED IN A REMOTE LOCATION. BUT WHEN I CALLED FOR THE TAB, HE HAD PAID IT IN FULL.