Travel Fever Part 1

Pachuca, Hidalgo

Just a few days after I posted my last entry, one of our dear friends, Teresa, who lives in New York, came all the way to this far-flung place to visit and experience a little of what life is like for me and Jon here. She flew into Mexico City on a Saturday and explored much of what that metropolis has to offer. She then came to Tepatepec by bus on Wednesday. Jon met her at the bus stop and gave her a little tour, and then they came to the University to meet me and join in our Hñahñu language class (the indigenous language of this region). After that, we met my friend Arlo at the best taco place in Tepa. 

Let me just say, Teresa got it right away, and when I say IT, I mean the enchantment of this place. It's crazy how this little, slightly scruffy town gets under your skin so fast. You feel it - and she felt it - the kindness of people, their devotion to the community, and the charm of a slower, yet still vibrant, pace. It drew her right in: the food, the smells, the sounds, the air, very quality of the light. There's no denying the special-ness of it. She even loved our slightly funky house, to which we've added our own touches of art and comfort. 

Tacos with Teresa

The next day, Thursday, we wasted no time but got right to adventuring. We set off at about 9:00 a.m. on the local Combi to the next town over, where we grabbed a bus to the larger town, about an hour away, of Ixmiquilpan. (I dare you to pronounce that!) Our final destination was the Grutas (grottos) de Tolantongo, an hour farther. We were not very confident of how to go and which buses to take, but a lady who just happened to start out with us in Tepa guided us all the way to Ixmiquilpan, and there, negotiated a taxi to take us to the Grutas. She was an angel sent from heaven if there ever was one. 

Desert Vista on the Road to Tolantongo

That drive from Ixmiquilpan to Tolantongo was intense. The road steadily ascends until it finally begins to descend into a deep valley, surrounded by desert-clad hills that jut up into the sky. One steep hair-pin turn after another finally leads you to the valley floor through which an opaque turquoise river rushes. These are the Grutas of Tolantongo, one of only two naturally occurring hot-water rivers in the world. The other is in South Korea. The area has been developed into a kind of spa resort, that is if you like your resorts really rustic. You pay a small fee to enter, then have to buy towels and water shoes if you don't have them, and you are required to store your stuff in a locker if you want to access certain areas of the park. After stashing all but the bathing suits we were wearing and our hats, watershoes, sunglasses, phones (for taking pictures) and towels, we climbed a steep set of stairs to discover that you actually couldn't bring anything into what they call The Cave, except for your bathing suit and water shoes. The towels, hats, sunglasses and phones we left precariously on a fence with everyone else's. Then we waded into a stream of perfectly hot water - probably exactly body temperature - then under a cold waterfall, and into a lake within a soaring cave to bask in the gorgeous blue liquid. Sure, there were plenty of other people there but we didn't care it was such an exquisite experience. We swam and floated in The Cave for a while, then decided to check out The Tunnel up another flight of stairs. That turned out to be a big NO for the claustrophobic afflicted, including me and Teresa, because the pitch black tunnel, with a shallow river that flowed through it, went who knows where. Yeah, I don't think so. 

After more frolicking in The Cave, we were able to retrieve our stuff, and ventured down, down, down, to The River. Hopefully, my photos do it justice though there's no way to describe the beautiful experience of being immersed in that mineralized warm water where you could just float your cares away for hours. Don't get me wrong, the current was strong and so was the sun, but I found a shady pool to relax in, Teresa found a sun-soaked rock to bask against, and Jon secured himself against a sand bar and let the current wash over him like a jacuzzi jet. There were no other people in our section of the river, so we just swam and soaked and felt completely renewed. Finally, it was time to get something to eat, and after that we headed back, first on a bus and then by taxi, to Tepa - about two and a half hours in all. This was one of the best adventures Jon and I have had so far, and as you know, we've had many. And, it was great to get to have it with Teresa. 

Stock photo from web. These are the "Pozos"
at Tolantongo.
They are man-made so we didn't bother.

Friday was a chill-out-in-Tepa day, with a lovely dinner at home. Saturday we went to the archeological site of Tula, which, honestly, we can't get enough of. However, since I've posted about it here twice already, all I'll add is that Teresa's presence brought out the wacky in us all. We agreed, for example, that since the Toltecs were big on adorning their structures with gems, they must have certainly have been among the first bedazzlers (maybe you had to be there to get it). 

That night we celebrated Teresa's 3-month-belated birthday at our favorite (and the only) fine restaurant in Tepa, with the owner joining us for appetizers and drinks. We were sad for Teresa to go the next morning because the visit had been too short. Still, not too short for her to fall in love with this corner of Hidalgo, as we most certainly have. It's inevitable. 

The following weekend we attended the baptism service, and then later the party, of Anna's baby boy. These baptism parties are absolute blowouts. There were 350 people in attendance and more food than any sane person should eat. We sat at a table with a lively family that insisted we eat everything placed on the table, which included, mushroom and spinach quesadillas; chicken mole (moh-lay) with tortillas; Mexican rice; some weird soup with something that looked like veins in it; and carnitas (seasoned and chopped pork) with more tortillas. By that point, we were full beyond imagining. But then Anna's mom came around to ask if we were ready for the barbacoa - the main offering of the evening. Barbacoa, as you might recall, is the roasted sheep they cook in a pit. There's no refusing it because it's the most revered dish in this region. And so along came the barbacoa - with yet more tortillas - and we stuffed it down. I might add there was nary a vegetable in sight if you don't count the spinach in the quesadillas and the peas in the rice. Would it kill someone to throw an avocado our way? Anyway, then the band started up and everybody danced - lots of people drank to excess - and finally, the cake was served and we departed at about 9:00 p.m. As we left, Anna's husband informed us that the party would probably go on until 3:00 a.m. It had started at 3:00 p.m. 

Las Prismas Balsaticas - 
photo by Jon Ellis

I'll end this post with a little about the trip we took this past weekend to another of the Magical Towns, Huasca de Ocampo. It's about 2 hours from Tepa, in the mountains, surrounded by forest. It was one of those original mining towns, made almost entirely from stone - very pretty - and lots of fun. In fact, speaking of parties, I'd say it was definitely a party town, people out on the streets eating and drinking at all hours. We went with Rico, my school coordinator, his wife, and young son, so partying wasn't really our goal. We had "brunch" at one of the outdoor food stands when we first got there, then headed to a kind of national park nearby where we saw the Prismas Balsaticas - amazing rock formations over which waterfalls tumble majestically. 

We climbed and hiked and chilled out there for a while, then went back into town, where Jon and I checked into our hotel, with a plan to stay the night. After a rest, we met Rico and his family and ate again, lounging over beers and chatting amiably, enjoying the outdoor atmosphere. They then went home to Pachuca  - about an hour away - and we wandered the town some more. We left the next morning after an amazing breakfast at one of the many sidewalk cafes. 

Street Scene, Huasca de Ocampo -
Photo by Jon Ellis

Breakfast in Huasca

That catches you up for now. Next weekend we're off to the state of Veracruz so stay tuned!

Here's a slo-mo vid of me walking through a waterfall at the Prismas. I had the umbrella for the sun but it came in handy here.