"John, are six in the morning, go to sleep another moment" was all he could say when they hear the alarm clock. "OK" reply, I think.
The plan was to leave at eight o'clock in the hotel, move two or three hours and find some breakfast. At 6:30
Juan was already showered and ready to go. I will be a long wait, but I got up, showered and at 0700 we played in the girls room, they slept, except Isa was almost ready. Yes, yes, Isabel and Juan Manuel are brothers, how did you guess?
I went to the restaurant, my Kindle in hand, asking the other leg coffee ... "In 10 minutes younger," we went there at 8:15 and never got my coffee. Have I mentioned that in Queretaro the service is generally lllllleeeeennnnntttttooooo?
payments, invoices and left. First stop: gas station at the exit of Querétaro, coffee shop self-service gas ... the little machine, never mind. I think I looked pretty bad, because the store clerk told me - do you want coffee? - If, how do you notice? - Better go to the other side of the gas station, there is an Itallian Coffee - Well, thanks. Latte
large triple and carrot cake for me, "prontowwwWWW" ... I learned that I do not even asked others. Five minutes later and full of happiness (coffee and cake), we got to Cheyenne, and we launched into the adventure.
hospitality in Pinal de Amoles
Before reaching Jalpan and after a few hours of very rough curves in the road, we Pinal de Amoles and we wanted breakfast, as we entered the village, visit (as usual) the church which is cute, but nothing special ... find a photo exhibition mounted in the medium throughout the area and asked where to eat. We went to the restaurant "La Guera", where after the classic exchange: - Good morning, ¿está abierto? -- Si, pásenle muchachos, ¿qué van a querer? -- ¿Pues qué tiene? -- ¿Pues qué quieren? Tengo carne, cecina y costilla o huevitos y café.
Perfecto.
Para mi: cecina con frijoles, jugo de naranja, café (de olla) y un pan. Para los demás, cosas similares. Yo avisé que había que comer, pues quien sabe a qué hora lo podríamos hacer nuevamente. Medio en broma, pero como diría mi madre: tuve boca de profeta.
Después de salir de con “La Güera”, donde la Doña que atendía, nos encantó: amable, simpática y bien derecha. A la hora de pagar la cuenta, llegó con una pen offered Fer, saying: "I left my $ 365, but I'm not sure" and proceeded to tell the prices of the things that we had eaten. The amount of Fer was $ 313 and the Doña Güera joked that since we wanted to steal and we pay the 313 + 50 bucks for a tip. With his blessing and a box of gum sent us to visit rivers and natural beauty of the area, refusing to stay with Juan Manuel and his assistant (not going to give the said width).
Escanela River Bridge and the waterfall of God
After a failed attempt took us 30 minutes to walk round part of a road / highway incorrect because "it" appropriate ad on the roads at this point is not "their thing", we for the river diversion Escanela. An unpromising land entry was us in slowly and inexorably to the mountain, winding and down all the time, the humidity rising.
was clear that was the right way, right?
If it turned out that if it was, but more than once, the first as 30 minutes of jumping and suffering from the horrible winding road full of stones and desolation, we wonder whether it would be correct, is it possible that the previous road, it was not going anywhere, were paved and in better condition than this one that takes you to one of the state's natural beauty, announced in every possible tourist guide? Of course it is possible, this is Mexico and so do things wrong. That
way or the other crops are narcos, that surely is more profitable than the tourists who come to the River.
After about 45 minutes we reached a collection of cars piled up on both sides of the road which, incidentally, was two-way but could only be a reality. It was too much to not find anyone in the opposite direction over an hour away at -25 km per hour (yes, it says "twenty-five"), so when that happened had to push the another, or return one to one of the few, very few points (in the corners mainly) and fit two cars to pass or allow the passage of another.
Stress.
When we finally arrived, looking for a place to park hoping he would not fall into the ravine the truck because he was in the bank and that "others" were clever enough to pass into the small space left behind. Chilango such as stationary, as many scholars in the parking lots of UC to get anywhere, and on sidewalks, in the corners and anywhere else that is not allowed, but where "ability" are allowed. Clear that here with the mitigating that there was no other: imagine a dirt road 4 m wide (this was the widest part) of a cliff side, the other wall of the hill: in battery or parallel? Parallel sounds better, I know, but there was no room so I was half in and half battery in parallel.
"There he is! "Is all I heard and Juan Manuel after that, and was running toward the river, and about 10 feet below. The truth is not seen as much, the width of the river at this point was about five meters deep and about five too, but inches!
This can not be everything, I told my same, so I walked to where there were more people who seemed local. Immediately a man named Guadalupe told me - will want to phone? - I suppose so, but why listen? - Ahh pus pa'ver Bridge god.
Fiu, there is more to see!
Yep, I deal with the señorcito and told to wait five minutes in what we would find Juan Manuel who had fallen into the river . :-P
Already, we have a plan, Nuri was changed in the van because she decided that shorts and sandals were not appropriate. And pants and sneakers, looking back to Guadeloupe. We intercepted a
Young also had phone badge and asked us if we wanted a guide, I told him I had bespoken the Don and I see that, on the other side of the road: "This, this is going beyond that is our guide," while pointing proud to señorcito concerned. Young took me from my error saying: "Oh no, it's about leading the group ...".
Seriously that's why I like dogs: they if they are faithful, not like these traitors.
Okay, "you take us?" I asked, still with tears in his eyes for the betrayal. "No, I am the leader of guides, but it leads," he said while pulling the sleeve of the shirt at an even younger, about fifteen years. Negotiate the price and follow the guide.
These guides need a course in good manners, like half way, we wondered if it was dumb. "No, what do you think? I think if you talk, "but has not said a word all the way" and so was the discussion, until we heard him say, "wait" and then to pass the group coming back, we did a sign to continue.
Mystery solved, our guide is not dumb. Just a little painful and will not talk to us.
did not speak, but looked damn goat jump here, jump there and made it look easy to move down the road and on rocks or any of the seven bridges that had to cross from one side to another river. Bridges call them for not being derogatory, because in reality there were two overlapping trunks between rocks with crooked planks nailed by way of stairs.
can see in the picture one of the "bridges" to our feet in the center, Fer and his servant and friend posing, yet happy because this was the first bridge and had hitherto been quite a journey simple. In the background, on the left can "feel" it was hot (Juan Manuel and was undressing) right and above you can see a "platform" with railing installed to cross a hundred feet of river complex.
Nuri was about, just about, to surrender, to throw in the towel. "So I can not" repeated, "I do not cuerdita step, not worth it, should tell us" and complained about the platforms, because half of them lacked the rope made of hand rails. I must admit that both the rope did not help, but the psychological impact was significant. After a couple of pushes and offer help, continue. A Fer touched her hand and my backpack.
I was supposed Nuri would help in the steps "difficult." Vil speculation.
More than once was she, Nuria, who stopped and prevented me which hit res, destroying, irretrievably probably one of the most beautiful bodies that humanity has ever seen. :-P
The road along the river proved complex and difficult: many twists and turns from side to advance along the river to the bridge of god. We took about an hour to get there, but we did.
is beautiful and highly recommend them. In the pictures below, the bridge of god, waterfalls falling for a "tube" natives into the bush, Fer, John and Jon Doe (in red shorts).
Lindo Cute but. It is sad that there are always buts, but ... Should pay attention to those of the Ministry of Tourism and give good recommendations: distance, type of clothing, what to expect, who they can and who should not attempt to travel, etc. In these places you will find every thing whales carrying a cooler full of beers and throwing it about nailed panzazo, girls posing in bikini on the rocks (this was not so bad, but surely some will be offended), people in flip-flops ( seriously the way was to boot, but less tennis), lots of clothes, few clothes, a guy that was not seen as in poor condition, safe, enduring the road, but they were so great that just happened by a pair of narrow holes on the course and that was what little we had seen. About 45 minutes
the way back, we said goodbye to the guide or "goodbye" said Nuria expect to be changed because it ended with his pants a "little bit" dirty. An hour back to the road by a dirt road. An hour and a half of winding road as we enter 1700 hours Jalpan.
But we did not stop ... said, go to the hotel, which is "Just outside," Jalpan: a bath and decided what to do.
Well, come on.
hospitality in Jalpan
Hotel Spa Ayutla: rude, harmful, useless and it does not comply with anything they promise on their website: the pool is dirty and water, the rooms are falling apart ("termites?), Air conditioners are ceiling fans that make noisy and, at least in the town that gave us, it only works one of two. More light than in the open, were not even to put a few sheets by way of curtains. No hot water. There was a TV cabinet and put some electrical contacts, but there was no Sky TV and their website promised.
"We are just minutes outside Jalpan ... "They said, implying that they were close: they were about 30 minutes to 100 km per hour. Of course, with the curves and the limitless ability of locals and visitors to drive on the road, were about 45 to 60 minutes.
(I had promised not to complain a lot in these stories, but I can not: What a bad deal in Queretaro! If my father were alive and had been there, it would have been shouting: "At least he sticks his tongue idiot." )
We were hungry, so after a few minutes complaining about the state of the hotel and the town, we picked the hotel's restaurant, one of those restaurants with bullfighting theme, with stuffed bulls' heads hanging wall was as much as possible, not was nice (tables and plastic chairs), but Nor was wrong: a comparison of the town looked clean, was in relatively good condition, also found a letter saying it was cheap. The main problem is that, how do you explain? It was empty! No chefs, no waiters, no cash, no!
After trying to ask who could handle us and got no response, we climbed again and returned to Cheyenne to Jalpan.
ate at a place Jalpan, La Carreta, which was good, although the service, not to vary, somewhat slow. Kindly allowed us to leave Cheyenne at its parking lot while we visited the center of town and the Mission of Santiago de Jalpan.
Party use it at night to find a new hotel. We walked around the first table, we ate ice cream in one of several Michoacan (the vanilla was bue.ní.si.mo) and then a double latte for the road, they had to give me the 28Km back to the hotel ... "Horrible hotel Ayutla, which is its full name: NEVER stay there, really, ever, trash hotel.
By the way, find another hotel for the next night, Friday: Maria del Carmen hotel, in downtown Jalpan, but before we had to deal with (were, was the brainchild of the girls and they were in charge) with the idiot in the reception, repeat after twenty times that we wanted to stay one day.
The mission of Santiago de Jalpan night
We were there so I decided to visit the mission of Santiago de Jalpan, one of the five Franciscan missions declared Cultural Patrimony of Humanity by UNESCO in 2003 . Yisus were watching to much of the more than 4.500 inhabitants Jalpan as fifty. But either way we go inside and saw all the pictures of saints covered (because they are in mourning, until Sunday 'resurrection')... no big deal, really. However, the facade of the mission and, in part, its external architecture is very impressive: bright colors different from most typical churches and missions in the region.
Indeed, in this mission, replaced an image of Santiago, a clock is right twice a day at 2:47 am and pm.
back to the hotel, the hotel Ayutla horrible, with bad service, but with a weariness that was tolerable to sleep there. Certainly, days later, John discovered that the hotel room that no longer exists and is on sale.
