Villahermosa is nothing special as a city, it being a provincial centre and at the crossroads of many routes through Mexico. The reason for us to visit though, was to see Parque la Venta, a combined animal and archaeological park. The former houses many of the species indigenous to Mexico, including jaguars. The latter is a development where many of the most important findings of the 'la venta' site (about 100 kilometer to the west of Villahermosa) have been brought to.
La venta was an Olmec place, a truly lost civilisation. Hardly anything of these people is known or understood, who were at the peak of their power around 1000BC. Their sculptures are less detailed than those we had seen before, making them almost abstract in their appearance, but beautiful nonetheless.
On the way out, we ran into a local political event. Apparently the council elections were due and two contenders were wowing the crowds for their votes. Mexico still being a fairly (or very) macho society, this didn't involve any policy statements, but the candidates strutting their stuff to the sounds of a band they had each recruited to accompany them. With the younger of the two inviting his adoring female-supporters to join him, under the ongoing shrieks of excitement from the audience. Encouraging to see that they select their representatives for the right reasons.....
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