Alcohol

If you're in Playa on a Saturday night, The Blue Parrot is the place to go. From about 11pm onwards, this joint is pumping. Dance floor that's literally on the beach (about 10m from the waterline). House music, hip-hop music, and dance music ripping into the air. And if you're fortunate enough to come during the American college spring break, you'll see chicas aplenty.

Steve and Cody took me to a bar in Playa tonight, called "Señor Frog's". For 300 pesos (USD$30), they'll give you anything they've got, totally unlimited, for 3 hours. Considering that a single Margarita (a massive one — app. 700ml) is 190 pesos, this is an awesome deal. But it turns out that getting through more than a few of these jumbo frozen cocktails is quite a challenge.

We had a pretty big "house party" in the hostel tonight. There must have been about 15 people there that were around at one point or another. Dave from NYC provided most of the beer, and the tequila (which technically wasn't allowed in the hostel). Sonya the Bavarian soul singer provided the entertainment. And everyone else provided their drunken presence.

After dinner, Steve and I went out for a stroll, in search of some more good Xalapa bars. Apart from La Chiva, which we already visited last night, we couldn't find anywhere else to hang out and have a beer. And this is Friday night, for heaven's sake! Where are all the bars in Xalapa?

This is a great little bar in the middle of Xalapa, just down the road from Hostal de la Niebla. It offers cheap beers, great music, and regular intense games of chess.

On the way to Teotihuacan, we stopped at a little tourist house, and tried some shots of home-made tequila and mezcal. These drinks aren't nearly as strong as the usual variations that you find in bars, but they taste much better!

These drinks are mixed with almonds and honey, among other things. The result is sensational.