Most of the tourists don't even speak English – this doesn't seem like a very popular destination for your typical American or Canadian... Last night I met a family from Spain – they were at the table next to me - where we were all eating local fish. There is a pure mountain river flowing behind the town where the fisherman bring their daily catch into the town from. The fish was incredible - SO pure and fresh.
Today I was invited on a tour of the surrounding country side by a lady I met on the bus from Mexico City – we spent the day together – WOW! Carmena is from Mexico City, and she has invited me back to spend time with her there. She lives with her three children – all professionals – and one of them speaks English.... She, however, didn't speak one word – so it was an interesting day for both of us… Hard work - and we were both exhausted at the end of the day. As hard as it is for me to speak Spanish for a whole day, I realize now it is nearly as hard for a Spanish speaker to try to navigate my Spanish for a whole day.
This land is literally unlike anything or anywhere I have been before .... We were taken to the mountain where the water flows from: locals are everywhere, walking up and down the road with their bottles of "pure water" – can you say HEAVEN? Our driver told me he would take me back there any time that I wanted to fill a "garrafon" with water – for 40 pesos – about $3. I think I have found my new home.... Where the water flows, a traditional mountain man guards the water - it is free, but he makes sure that the area is treated with respect, honor, and consideration. There is a small shrine there with the Virgin Mary, and a few crosses.
Our "tour" driver was actually a local cab driver – we met him last night when Carmena and I shared a cab from the bus station to "el centro" of Taxco. We toured with a car that had no front seat, and with the doors opening and closing with a kind of a rope pully-system, that he pulled and pushed at various times of the trip to either try to keep us safe when rounding corners, or to open for us when he was going to let us out. OK – I am so welcoming of adventure – but this was even a little much for me... Literally, up in the mountains, one-way roads, cars flying all over the place – and here we are in a car that I had zero confidence even had working brakes... Surely an adventure. I will do it again though!
Eduardo, the cab driver, is someone now that I can call anytime I need anything - a ride anywhere, a delivery, some help with something - these are the friends that I need to make in order to feel safe. He is going to take me to the farmers market up in the mountains this Sunday – he charges $5 for a round trip – but not only will I be getting local handmade artisan food, but the prices will about a quarter the price of the commercial supermarket. $5 very well spent each Sunday. I have his number, and he is happy to arrive whenever there is somewhere that is too far away for me to walk to.
We saw caves, glorious waterfalls, pools of crystal blue water for swimming, temples set into the sides of mountains, all kinds of trees that I didn't understand the names of – this land is surely holy, I know that already.
We were gone 4 hours, and we made some friends at a local small shop at the base of one of the huge crosses that are built into the side of the mountains – they served us homemade liqueurs! They called them holy as well, and said they were for sleeping, eating, dancing, resting, walking – apparently there was nothing they were not the cure for. We were served all the liqueurs that we wanted – very strong! I had just a few sips, to be polite – but it was very wonderful. We had homemade soup with handmade tortillas – the taxi driver drank 3 beers – and the bill was 200 pesos for everything – about $14. I certainly know where to take friends when they come to visit...
The woman that served us the liqueurs – she offers a traditional plate of spanish eggs and homemade tortillas on Sundays – all day. All with a view over the entire mountain range. But these are not "businesses" like you may be thinking – they are literally peoples homes that they convert into a small business a few days or one day of the week. They charge just a few pesos, and it is how they make their meager living. We gave them a 30 peso tip today - $2 in our currency – barely one half of a one-way Edmonton bus fare – and she was so confused, she didn't want to take it... I don't think they get too many tourists at their cafe – our cab driver took us there because they were his personal friends. I have pictures of it all to post – I will do that soon.
The weather here is ideal – last night it was 13 degress during the night – a little chilly, but manageable. No heaters here, not even the stationary ones. Lots of Mexican blankets in the closets to cover up with though. During the day it got to 22 degrees – and they told me that this is around normal. Sometimes a little warmer during the day, and sometimes a little colder during the night – but this is average.
The swimming/cave pools that we went to today are flowing straight from the mountains – so pretty chilly. Some people were swimming, but I think I would pick a hotter day, and head out on one of those afternoons to cool off.
A miraculous day! I know I am in the right spot – just like I knew it when I planned it all... But getting here? What a test. I told Jennifer today that I thought it was as close to birthing a baby as I had ever gotten: the hardest thing you've ever done, but then when the birth is over, you are in heaven, and all of the pain is miraculously forgotten. You know you are where you are supposed to be.
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