Date: 8/6/01 8:52:05 AM Central Daylight Time
Subject: 7 Gary and Gail, Karina, Mesa San Jose
Gary & Gail, Karina, Mesa San Jose
Hi Mom
One afternoon as I was sitting on the third floor patio at Juanitas enjoying
the rooftop version of plaza life I heard voices that I knew were not
Mexican. I lazily leaned over the rail and peered into the hotel courtyard.
Three obviously non-Mexicans were down there talking. By now I was used
to being the only guest at Juanitas. I quickly made my way down to the
courtyard to persuade these interlopers to stay elsewhere. I arrived too
late. They were already unpacked. Despite my annoyance with them staying
at my hotel I cordially introduced myself. I met Gary and Gail a middle
aged couple from New Zealand. The other person was Karina from Orlando/
Nashville and on her way to Portland. For those of you wondering yes she
was young and beautiful. Soon the four of us were eating supper at
Claritas. Claritas was my favorite restaurant in Batopilas. Not only did
Clarita seem to enjoy having customers, but hers was the only restaurant
that always had chicken in the kitchen. To my carnivorous disappointment
the chickens were always alive and running free, but at least they were
there. Clarita treated me right and served us some really good food.
Understand there was no menu, and your best option was to just ask Clarita
to give you whatever she wanted. That's what we did. Over dinner I
discovered that Gail (an experienced traveler) was terrified of the bus ride
from Creel to Batopilas. She had some complaints about the driver taking
the one hand he had on the wheel off to shift gears or just scratch himself.
It seems the other hand was busy just hanging out the window. I suppose
you could say that his other hand was enjoying plaza life. Gary and Gail
would be in Batopilas for four days (one day longer than planned) and spend
three days looking for another ride out. They finally rode out in a Dodge
pickup the morning of their fourth day.
Karina and I teamed up the next day and took a look at the mission church
in Satevo. After the church tour we looked around the remains of the mining
hacienda at Batopilas. When the guy who lived there approached us about
paying the 10 peso ($1 US) entry fee just like it said on the gates we
walked through I played dumb and poor. First I had to stop Karina from
talking with him. Unlike me she actually spoke Spanish. I looked at her
with a "look" and said "You don't have any money and you don't know
Spanish." I then made the guy explain over and over that we had to pay the
10-peso entry fee to walk around these fallen walls. He would explain and I
would give Karina a look of confusion and repeat what I thought he said, in
English of course. I did this until he was getting exasperated. Then I
pulled my front pocket inside out and 13 pesos fell into my hand. That day
was discount day at the hacienda. Thirteen was close enough to twenty so he
took the money and left. I think he liked us. Karina and I walked on to
see the ruins with the rest of my money in my other pocket. Karina was a
little suprise to learn that there actually was a sign on the gate stating
the 10-peso fee. She said she would have paid full price. I said he didn't
own the place and could go herd a goat. Later Karinas true colors came
through as we picked all the mangoes we could reach on the hacienda grounds.
Karina felt good because the mangoes tasted good. I felt good because we
picked at least 13 pesos worth of mangoes. After we had eaten several
mangoes I pointed out the mine tailings pile that was close to the tree we
were eating mangoes from. I explained that all those mine tailings were
processed with Mercury and the Mercury in the mangoes is what made them
taste so good. She just rolled her eyes.
We ate dinner together that night and talked about what we were doing the
next day. She said she wanted to hike in the canyon. I said I absolutely
had to write some letters home. I spent the next day hiking in the canyon
with Karina. Did I mention she was pretty?
I was leaving Batopilas the next day and there was still one trail I wanted
to hike. All my driving and hiking around had pointed to a trail that must
exist to the west of Batopilas and cross the mesa to the Rio Urique. If I
could find this trail then I would have the final leg of the circular route
from Batopilas to Urique. I had been searching for this since my first day
in Batopilas. I convinced Karina that I could find the trail and she
believed me. We did find the trail and hiked up towards the crest of the
mesa. After four hours Karina wanted to turn back. Here we were within
striking distance of the crest of the mesa. I had to crest the mesa to
ensure this was the trail I wanted. Additionally the view would be better
from up there. Here was my choice: go up the mesa to determine where the
trail went, a trail I didn't have time to hike, or stay with a pretty girl,
return to Batopilas and have a nice dinner together.
As she turned back towards Batopilas she said she would send out the search
party if I weren't back by 9pm. I replied that she should wait until 6am.
An hour and a half later I crested the mesa alone. Indeed this was the
other half of the trail I had been looking for. I starred down at the Rio
Urique. From where I stood it was equidistant from the Rio Urique to the
Rio Batopilas. To the southwest I could just see into the "U" of mesa's
that formed the Big Valley. Indeed the view up here was worth the sweat. I
ate a can of tuna and hollered "Viva Mexico!" when I was done. The food
wasn't good but the view was great.
At this point the prudent thing to do would be to return to Batopilas. The
storm clouds were building as usual and the sun was well into the western
side of the sky. I didn't have a flashlight and with the cloud cover there
would be no moon. The trail was too treacherous to walk in darkness. With
all these factors weighed in my mind I took off across Mesa San Jose to see
what was there. The mesa was magical and it lured me like the Siren's song
(and me with no wax). I kept going further and further from the trailhead.
When I finally turned back I had covered the entire mesa, but I was
literally running on the way back. I needed a loan of daylight but I had no
credit with the Sun. Forced to economize my daylight I ran. I ran across
the mesa and down the trail where I could. I short cut switchbacks and ran
some more. The clapping of my sandals against my feet cheered me on. Down
the mesa I went and down went the sun. Oh, how I didn't want to spend the
night on the trail. The thunder of the approaching storm sounded like cruel
laughter. I ran faster. Luck was with me. I walked into Batopilas shortly
after they turned the plaza lights on.
I got back to Juanitas and shortly after I heard Karina asking one of the
two Texas dikes that were staying in the room next to mine if I was back.
Karina and I sat in the courtyard and talked awhile longer then said our
goodbyes.
Goodbye for now
