|
I spent some time in Tampico and its sister city Ciudad Madera. It’s on the Gulf coast of Mexico, and there’s a beach nearby. How much you would enjoy it would depend somewhat on who goes along with you on vacation. If you have little kids or teenagers, they might not appreciate all the cultural aspects of the experience. Better to go alone or with a very like-minded significant other. Tampico is not a tourist destination like Acapulco or Cancún. It’s a regular city with a beach. It’s a good place to interact with ordinary Mexicans and improve your Spanish, not just in conversation but from reading signs and labels. (Oh, so that’s what they call it here….) One of the first things I learned in Mexico was the name for Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes: Zucaritas.
While in Mexico, I was careful to drink bottled water and eat food that came from a sealed container, because gringos are susceptible to some food-borne bacteria that the locals have immunity to. (Do that for a week, and you really miss regular prepared food. One of the first things I did when back across the border in the U.S. was to head for a fast-food joint.) If you make some friends in Mexico and they offer you a prepared snack or meal, say a little prayer and partake. Better that than to offend.
If it’s not warm enough for beach activities in Tampico, I would suggest taking a bus down the Gulf coast to Veracruz. I haven’t been there myself, but like Tampico, it’s not all that promoted as a tourist destination.
|