Real-ity

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Feb 22/09: This is really an odd little town. Noisyest place place I've been per capita. Early this morning I hiked up to the old mine, a couple of miles up a switchback road accompanied by sounds from the town: roosters crowing, hens clucking (virtually indistinguishable from the people talking), bells tolling, dogs barking, donkeys braying, radios and stereos blaring. And that was around 8:30! Even before that, when I was still in bed, before 6:00, it started; a cheesy synthesized bell-like sound playing what sounded like a weird version of "Red River Valley" along with frenzied ringing of the church bell.

Noise aside, it was a lovely hike in the cold, clear morning air. The air is so clear here that sound carries beautifully which might account partially for my perception of the noise. The mine ruins are kind of interesting, crumbling walls, many arches and a big central shaft going straight down who knows how far. Good camera stuff. Clouds began to funnel up from below and swirled around the mountains providing a dramatic panorama. From the mine, I followed a ridge high up over the town. If I walked in the lee of the ridge, I was out of the biting wind but into the sounds from below and if I walked on the windy side, all was quiet but quite cold. I opted for wind and continued along the ridge for a couple of hours, stopped for a snack and around noon, arrived back in town.

Another pecularity I've noticed here is that the homes and businesses are built amidst and on top of the ruins of the old town, sort of a reversal of history where the Spaniards built with and on top of the homes of the indigenous people. Maybe it's history coming full circle. In any case, it's hard to tell where the ruins end and the newer building begin.

I wonder how many of the people here are native to Real de Catorce. I get the feeling that most of them have moved here recently to service the tourists which seems to be the only game in town. Unusual for a Mexican town where people live for generations.

Later........... Wow, a big people's computer. This feels really neat. Found a new internet place. No coffee or dessert but real computers.

The longer I'm here, the less I like this town. It would have probably been better to have left it to decay. It really has no character, just tourists (mostly Mexican) and those who exist off the tourists. A broken place. Residents jaded from their parasitic sort of livlihood. And it's such gorgeous landscape. I feel bad for the Huichols who hold deep reverence for this land and whose lifestyle has been coopted by international new-age hippy kids who compete with them to sell handicrafts on the streets. I think the best way to experience it would be camping off away from town.

Tomorrow my goal is to have as little to do with the town as possilbe, just head off into the hills early.

Those are my impressions from this afternoon. Sorry they aren't more positive.

Tomorrow is a new day.