Travelling with Spirit in Mexico!

Greetings from a very old computer in a very small town in the desert in San Louis Potosi, Mexico!!

In another entry I will recount the adventures I had on my way here from Toronto and during the past month of my visit, but for now let me tell you of my trip from Estacion de Catorce to Real de Catorce today. What an adventure for me traveling up the side of the Sierra in a 30 year old Jeep, but for the people who live here this is their every day way of life and in fact for many, their only means of transportation.

I grew up in Jamaica and i have seen and travelled on very narrow, bumpy curvy mountain roads and recall being only felt mildly afraid as the drivers went careening around the windy corners at high speeds.

Well today I can say I was travelling with Spirit especially on the way down the mountain. I was reciting all the protection mantras I knew and repeating psalm 23 at the steepest spots, even though the Jeep could not have been going more than 10 kn per hour!

I went to Real de Catorce. I needed to get to a bank machine and the two closest towns do not have the luxury of having either banks or bank machines, something that I take for granted in Canada.

Real de Catorce is a touristy town, high in the Sierras, where the film The Mexican, with that hunky Brad Pitt, was filmed. The town has two entrances, one requires driving through the mountain for over a kilometer through an old mine shaft, Which is the way I have usually gone to Real . The other is via a very narrow road up the side of the mountain. I invited Cessi, the daughter of the caretaker of the healing centre where the Spirit has led me, to accompany me to go up the mountain road to Real. The outing cost 60 pesos per person, about $6 Cdn, for Cessi it was a rare treat that her family could not often afford.

We left this morning at 7:30am. Standing by the side of the recently paved though still very narrow highway near the healing centre, we caught an old bus to the nearest town, Catorce. It is a 9 km ride and costs 5 pesos -- about $0.50Cdn. As we got off in the plaza in Catorce Cessi pointed to the open back of an old Jeep and indicated that we were to jump in. I followed her lead. There were 2 passengers on board already. These old Jeeps are used to go in to the desert and up the mountains. The drivers usually wait until they are full or almost full before they leave.

A woman with a young child, then later a man climbed on board. The driver, an older man with the typical Mexican hat and sporting lots of warm clothes -- it is very very cold in the desert in the mornings-- climbed aboard. I asked Cessi if they were going to close the hatch at the back, she said `no`. i would find out why later!

We picked up 2 other passengers before leaving town and headed off on a relatively well paved road, for about 10 km then the fun began. The last passenger we picked up did not climb inside, but rode standing on the open hatch holding on to the ladder at the back of the Jeep!

I was told that this road was first made many many years ago by the Spanish to access the mines near Real. It is narrow and more windy than the old roads in Jamaica. In many places the road is cobblestone and in others it is just rock and dirt. Half way up the mountain, in an area where I could see nothing but cactuses, rocks, and a few large trees, there was an old woman waiting by the side of the road with her shopping bag. The Jeep stopped. She also jumped on to the hatch and held on! The women here are nothing if not strong!

We bumped and jarred our way to Real with the side of the cliff often no more than 1 foot from the path of the Jeep. Part way the 2 outside passengers jumped off and paid the driver for their ride. The driver charged them`lo que puede`` ie whatever you can afford. We arrived in Real, thè adventures there I will also recount another time. On the way back I wanted to be able to take some photos which was difficult from inside the Jeep so Cessi suggested we ride back on the roof of the Jeep. She assured me that the Jeep did not go any faster than it did when it was coming up. It sounded like a great idea not only because of the photos, but to avoid the horrible smell of diesel, which I know to be a known carcinogen, which was so strogn on the way up that at times we rode with our shirts covering our noses. I had opened the window beside me despite the strong breeze.

Well, so much for good ideas! I had my heart in my mouth almost all of the way down and have not said as many prayers since the first time I decided to go parachuting and jumped out of a plane! The Jeep was twice as full going down as going up. Before we left Real there were 4 men hanging off the back and one riding on the roof with us. I had to keep reminding myeself that these drivers make this trip every day and do it safely but when we were going down the steep inclines bumping along with the side of the cliff beside me, all I could do was pray!

Half way down, a pregnant women, and the 6 children who were travelling with her, joined us on the roof of the Jeep and another woman climbed on the back, hanging on with the 4 men. The maximum load for this Jeeps was 11 people and counting the kids there were at least twice as many! But as you can tell, since I am alive and well and recounting this story we made it back down the mountain. I have some wonderful photos to show for my adventure and a pain in the side from hanging on so tightly as we bumped around the curves and frim squishing myself in between kids, spare tires and bags of cargo!

Well, that`s my adventure for today.

Lessons learned: 1) Be thankful for everything and never take anything for granted -- especially not well paved roads, environmental controls on well maintained vehicles and nearby bank machines! 2) What to one may be an adventure travelling in the hand of the Spirit is for others an every day means of transportation; 3) Never slack off on those sit ups even though I am not training as regularly as before otherwise my muscles will not be in shape for the bumpy rides on steep mountain roads!

Stay tuned for more travels with Spirit... Staywell and travel with Spirit in Beauty and Truth, Spirit Traveler.