OCR Text |
Show VERA CRUZ WORTH VISITING Mexican City Has a Number jf Attractions At-tractions That Invite th) Wandering Tourist. Vera Cruz is a city of contrasts. Its Vividly painted houses of red. Hue end' yellow, built close to the narrow streets, have grated windows and heavy, forbidding doors, which give little evidence of the charming interiors inte-riors with -their patios, paliu-shaded, filled with exotic flowers and cooled by fountains. Modern street cars look out o" place In the same streets with burros laden with merchandise, fruits and ege-tables, ege-tables, and cnballeros In their broad sombreiea, vividly colored blankets, enormoui spurs and silver-mounted saddles. Even the tropical climate Is In sharp contrast with the snowcapped, snow-capped, extinct volcano, Orizaba, which towers almost 20.000 feet Into the cold air above. Although this peak is nearly near-ly fifty miles away from the city. It can be plainly seen from there and makes a beautiful picture standing white against the sky or catching all the colors of the sunrise. Another point of Interest Is the ancient an-cient fortress of San Juan d'Ulloa, which is built on an Island, connected to the mainland at the northern end - hy a long sea wall. It has a falr'ex- terinr. being painted a pure and radiant radi-ant white, hut hidden beneath" this innocent in-nocent mantle are dark and noisome dungeons where many political prisoners pris-oners of Mexico have been kept for years. Turning hastily from this unpleasant unpleas-ant scene, gentle render, let us retrace our sleps to the center of the city, which Is marked by the plaza. This is a large and beautiful square filled with palms and (lowers, and wntched over benignly by the ancient and stately cathedral. Every evening during dur-ing the band concert it Is the quaint custom of the youths of Vera Cruz lo promenade around the square on the outside of the walk In one direction, while Hie young girls, carefully watered water-ed over by their duennas, walk In ths opposite direction on the inside. Id this way most Mexican flirtations are begun. |