Papantla, Veracruz Vanilla scent wafts from one shop. The smell of fine cigars wafts from another. And throughout your visit to Papantla, these heady aromas will remind you of the agricultural riches of this region. But the cultural riches are even more sriking than the agricultural. For Papantla is home to the fabulas Voladores, the Totonac Indian fliers who leap from a platform high above the observers and spiral their way to the ground in death-defying flight. Main Index Regional Map Legal Resources Currency   Telephone Calls Transportation Living in Mexico Real Estate Visitors' Comments El Tajín About • Home • Links

Voladores • Flyers

For at least 1500 years, the flyers have celebrated their faith in a breath-taking manner. The practice seems to have originated on the Gulf coast, though a special square was reserved for their ceremonies tn Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capitol. The ceremony is dedicated to Quetzacoatl and is called the Sun Dance. At the beginning, the four flyers and the priest dance around the pole, stopping in the four cardinal positions to ask permission of the gods to complete the ritual. In turn, the dancers ascend a slender, 25 meter (80 foot) pole to a platform supporting an eight inch drum. They are followed by the priest, toting his flute. The priest makes a musical offering on flute while dancing his rythem on the drum. The four flyers make a backward leap off the platform, making thirteen teathered revolutions around the pole as they descend to the earth. Photos courtesy Gene Marck The dancers wait as the priest climbs down the pole, touching the earth just as the setting sun touches the horizon. Did I mention that this was done in regal, elaborate costume? Hotels • Hoteles Budget • Económico Arenas (784) 842-3366. Victoria No. 1. 38 rooms. Moderate • Módico Provincia Express   (784)842-4213. email hotprovi@prodigy.net.mx .TV, laundry, restaurant, room service. Enriquez no. 103. 20 rooms. Tajin (784) 842-0121. Restaurant, bar, meeting rooms, cable TV, laundry, pharmacy.Jose de J Nuñez y Dominguez No. 104.72 rooms. Totonacapan (784) 842-1220. Olivo y 20 de Noviembre s/n.47 rooms. < Help keep this information current. Email john@johnzap.com with updates.   Ayúdenme a mantener ésta información al día. Envía tus actualizaciones por e-mail a john@johnzap.com. Restaurants • Restaurantes Sorrento 842-0067. Av. Enriques No. 105, street level. Seafood & regional specialties. Plaza Pardo. 842-0059. Av. Enriquez No. 105 upstairs. Manolo. 20 Noviembre in the Hotel Totonacapan. Pipoos, Downtown on Av. Enriquez. El Zahuan, Downtown on Piño Suarez. La Hacienda, Upstairs accross from the Municipal palace. Totonaca. 842-0121. Upstairs in the Hotel Tajin downtown. Local and International menu. La Peña de Potro.842-3821. Calle Pípilla No. 207. El Meson del Quijote 842-5344. Aquiles Serdan No. 700. La Choza de Lucy 842-4980. Av. 16 de Septiembre No. 829. Fish and seafood specialists. Oasis 842-1580. 20 de Noviembre No. 200. El Cesteo de las Águilas Carretera Chote - El Tajín by the tollbooth. La Higuera At the entrance to the El Tajín Archeological Zone. Ideal Pizza Two locations. Aquiles Sercan No. 409, 842-1426, and 16 de Septiembre No. 800, 842-2556. Pizza & pasta. Boos Pizza 842-1001. Downtown. Burgers, pizza, pasta. Tortas Monse 842-5251. Francisco Villa esq. Electores. Help keep this information current. Email john@johnzap with updates.   Ayúdenme a mantener ésta información al día. Envía tus actualizaciones por e-mail a john@johnzap.com. Transportation • Transportación The El Tajín airport at Poza Rica is only about 20 km. west of Papantla. Unfortunately, I have been unable to find any reasonably priced flights into that airport. Papantla is located on Highway 180, though, so is accessable by rental car or motorcoach. Bus lines servicing Papantla include ADO. Help keep this information current. Email john@johnzap.com with updates.   Ayúdenme a mantener ésta información al día. Envía tus actualizaciones por e-mail a john@johnzap.com. Miscellaneous • Misceláneo El Tajín is one of the best known Archaeological sites in Mexico. The most obvious artifact in the archaeological zone is the famous Pyramid of the Niches, a seven-level pyramid with 365 niches once filled with images of various gods. But many find the carvings on the walls of the ball courts to be even more significant. The style seems to borrow heavily from the Toltec and Maya cultures, though the original builders are thought to have been either Huasteca ot Nononoca. The development seems to have stretched out from the second century BC to the 13th century AD. rto%20Escondido%20misc.">tom@johnzap.com.

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The Gulf Coast of Mexico www.johnzap.com John Williams:  john@johnzap.com