Zacatecas

Quite some sand seems to have run
down the hourglass
I am sorry
and I
am
not
.



Because I had a wonderful time and did not spend too much time in internet cafes.
After San Blas ( I had to flee the sand flea and the mosquito in its multipluous form ) I went to the next big beach resort on the way northwards: Mazatlán. It was good to buy some books and very good to compare the bliss of the low touristic site I left with the concrete desert I stumbled into. Soon I had enough. The people in Mazatlán keep very much to themselves and so all I met was a construction worker who was from elsewhere and who spent his free sunday just like me: walking the city and the cliffside. My next station should have been Los Mochis. But as I met a doctor on the bus who had worked in Los Mochis and the little city of El Fuerte close by, she told me to go on, as Los Mochis has apparently nothing to show but expensive hotels. I followed her advice and slept for 50 pesos in El Fuerte. I visited the local fort which gave the name to the city and I visited stone carvings from the first human beings in this area. I lost myself in this dry land full of cacti and could not think of anything better than take even more pictures than usual.



Next morning I took the second class train to Creel. It was a nice ride and I had to get back into contact with other European tourists. At first it was quite a shock, but then there was this lovely Dutch girl and I got accostumed to English and blue eyes again.
Creel is a very little city on the edge of the copper canyon and some others. It looks like a modernized Western city and you wait all the time for the cowboys on horses. Actually I saw some galloping up the mainroad at nighttimes. They were pissed and didn't care for sparkling hoves.
Next day I went with a very nice French couple, Pia and Olivier, with Johnty from the Isle of Man and the already mentioned Dutch girl Willemijn in a rented car down the copper canyon. It was hell for our bones and a paradise for our eyes. Cameras complained about abuse and overusage, and the rocks just stood there solemnly.
We came to Bato Pilas -a very tiny place down the canyon- shortly before night fell. Therefore we could not catch the long dreamed fish, but still, we had a good meal and an excellent fire.
This was the first night I slept on the open. The stars where my roof and the fire my company. It was wonderful.
When we were back in Creel the next day, I felt I had enough rough rides and planned a biking tour for the next day. Something simple. Johnty came with me to the warm springs of Rekowata. Well, nobody told us, that the last 3 kilometers were a rough ride down a rocky street which was that steep, that even a mountaingoat like the alpine author of this blog could ride it back to the top. Still. This was not enough. Whilst my companion was intelligent and went home to the hostel, I kept myself on the bike and went to the Mission of San Ignacio. Nothing spectacular. But from there I went on into the wrong direction and soon found myself in the middle of an indigenous community which did speak very little Spanish. Finally I was down to communication with hands and feet, to an empty water bottle and an increasingly darkening sky. Wonderful. I did my best to get back to Creel, thought a few times about giving up but got safely to the first supermarket where I bought more water and Gatorade than I could carry. How happy the little I was, when its first semireal experience of thirst was coming to its end!!



Next day the two of us took a bus to Chihuahua. Already on the bus I met a very nice and welcoming teacher -Gaby- from that area who went home to her parents for the weekend. She took us to a cheap hotel and wanted to take us to a party that night which was at last not possible because her car did not want to be part of that game. So we saw a first bit of the city and went afterwards to the bar adjacent to the hotel. After drinking a few beers and having a quite interesting discussion Johnty and I were welcomed into a big group of people who sat next to us. This is how we met Idaly, Carlos, Ricardo and so many more good chaps who made our stay in Chihuahua a very special one! They took us to parties and discoteques, to the local mine full of stalagmites and stalactites and other fancy stone formations... basically they organised and animated our whole stay in Chihuahua and we had a great time together. After way too much Mezcal for my poor body, behaviour and brain it was finally time to say good bye. Johnty went northwards to the states of terror and further up to Canada, where by now he is hopefully having a happy time.



Myself put his body on a bus to Zacatecas. It was time for some serious silver and mining business. But no. Silver I saw little till now, even though they are apparently exporting about 10 pecent of the world's silver and the mine was a touristy set up in comparison to the one I saw in Chiahuahua. But. and there comes the big BUT. The city reminds me of Guanajuato, the most lovely sight I had on this journey so far) and it has definitely the best art muesums I have seen outside of DF sofar. Furthermore the Hostal has a perfect terrace with direct view to one of the splendid cathedrals. What more do you want?
A grill party? I had it the first night I came to the hostel?
Nice company? Every day.
So what keeps me from staying?
Travellers' fever...



Cities at first light
waking from a night
that was never there
in streets that might just care
for some light all day
keeping clouds at bay
n rain n season's wind

do you get the hint?
No.
Dough!

But for that
and the sleeping cat
there are street signs
tower high
everywhere when and why

- DO BREATHE -

Thank you and goodbye
or rest in peace


dAn1036160507Zacatecas