The city where I'm currently living, Xalapa, the capitol city of the state of Veracruz, is in a mountainous area. Streets are on an incline, some quite steep. Walking up those hills is good exercise, good for the lungs, but oh my goodness, I do get tired of going uphill.
This is the view from a park in the city center. I wonder if this might be the highest elevation in the city, explaining why they chose this location for the official government buildings. My apartment is about six blocks from here, uphill of course.
My camera view gave me nine stairs out of the fourteen in total. It's quite a climb.
Even going to church is an uphill climb. Whew!
I walked up this street today to get to a tailor shop, where I had a new zipper put in a jacket. It may not look so steep from this view, but I promise it's on an incline all the way from the bottom of the street to the top, where I stood to take the picture. Five blocks uphill.
Another crazy incline street. You can tell what I'm talking about by the line of that house.
Can you imagine living down there and having to walk up those stairs every day to get to the main street at the top? I have not gone down there, although I've thought about it, just to see what's at the bottom. But then I'd have to climb back up.
I look forward to exercise when I can get it. For instance, I picked up my wife at the airport last night. I eschewed the escalator and took the stairs.
ReplyDeleteIt's the small things.
Generally, we humans do not move enough. We are designed to conserve energy, even if it kills us.
DeleteThat is a lot of uphill. I would imagine it gets easier the more you do it? I used to live on a hill (Signal Hill), and I made myself get out and walk up the hill. It was hard. I've lost some of that stamina.
ReplyDeleteI've been here 3 months, and my fitness is way better than at first. Walking uphill is not nearly as tortuous as before.
DeleteKaren, I believe you when you say you stay in shape walking in a place like that. Good for you, but I'm guessing once in awhile it is a chore. Does it rain much there? Why did you choose this place to make your home?
ReplyDeleteThere is a rainy season, mostly in late summer and fall, so I have skipped that. I am only here temporarily, 4 months and then I'm going to a few different cities to check them out.
DeleteI'll leave those hills to you - you must be superfit.
ReplyDeleteYou have to be fit, and have good knees, to live there.
ReplyDeleteI bet everyone there has fit calves! @samanthabwriter from
ReplyDeleteBalancing Act
In the New York City neighborhood I grew up in, there were a lot of hills, but nothing like what you are showing. When I worked in downtown Fayetteville, Arkansas years ago, I used to walk up Mount Sequoyah partway to the top. There's a cross at the top of the mount - I never made it that far. I could never begin to do that now.
ReplyDeleteTo all the people who pay money for Stairmaster-type classes, I say, "Find a hill to climb. at least then you will have sweeping views as a reward."
ReplyDelete