Late breakfast, visit to MIX - Museo Interactivo de Xalapa. This was something we all enjoyed, including Adrian's mother and sister. His mother mainly took pictures of everybody else trying the various activities. There were even dinosaurs. We blew bubbles, played volleyball with robots, sent messages through tubes of air and generally had a lot of fun being silly.

The thing that makes us laugh still is pushing each other around in the really old "automobiles." There are two and it is an interactive museum, so Mudge enjoyed giving Amelia and me a ride and then Amelia pushed him. Then one of the museum guides, about 15 years old, came and explained to us that we were not actually supposed to move them. Many things here are like that, they are so different from the US that we end up making mistakes. No sign says, please do not move the cars. They are not blocked from moving or enclosed in walls that wouldn't let them move. No one seemed particularly upset. And now, just looking at the pictures makes me laugh and laugh.

There was also a giant exhibit of animatronic insects, complete with roaring sound effects, which I was told, were the real noises they make, only magnified many times. There was an elephant, an anaconda, a rhinoceros, and more, none particularly lifelike, but clearly very popular. A guide told us about them, in Spanish, of course. Luz Maria and I sat out the aliens.

We went in two cars to a very nice restaurant, where 15 of Molli and Adrian's friends and relatives joined us for a wedding celebration lunch of beef. We had bought wine for the group and they stopped and got a cake. It was too loud for much talking, but was generally very successful.

We were very full, but I had to rush with Adrian and his mother and sister to a travel agency in another part of town. (I have spent so much time sitting in traffic in Xalapa, it feels like home). He had not brought his driver's license and I gave them mine, plus my credit card. I listened to a long, complicated story about which of three Suburbans would be available at 6 the next morning. They filled out the paperwork and I gave my card. $200 for one day! But the best way to get all 6 of us to Veracruz today. And since there are 8 seats, Adrian's mother and sister will join us.

Then we met Molli, Amelia, Ray and Mudge at PopularArte, which is the state-run store that sells authentic local products: baskets, pottery, beautiful ponchos and shawls. We bought a few things, but were pretty moderate.

We were home by 6, but it felt like the middle of the night. Some packing and some hanging around, not knowing what to do with our last night in Xalapa, and early to bed.