Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DAY 22
Coatzacoalcos
I was weary when the ADO bus pulled into Coatzacoalcos. I had traded an intermittent,
light drizzle in Córdoba for a tropical downpour in Coatzacoalcos.
I had lingered, walking and sightseeing in Córdoba. Christmas decorations caught my at-
tention. Córdoba was wrapped in red, the plaza lined with poinsettias. Municipal employees
in red uniform jackets milled around the plaza, chatting in small groups. In their red dress,
the employees seemed to be human imitations of the poinsettias in the park.
My leisurely visit cost me. When I went to the bus station and looked at the departure sched-
ule I said, out loud to myself in English, "Bad luck". The clerk smiled. I forgot to check the
departure schedule for Coatzacoalcos when I arrived, and I missed a bus by five minutes.
Most routes offer frequent service, and rarely am I concerned about departure times, but
today five minutes caused me a two-hour wait. I told the clerk I'd take the next bus. She
checked the schedule and said, "I'd recommend that you take the 2:40 p.m. ADO bus. It
leaves a half hour later, but it's nearly direct, only one stop, and you'll arrive an hour earli-
er."
