Real
de Catorce
It may be isolated, but Real de Catorce is now on the well-worn tourist map. This hamlet o f 350 people was once totally abandoned, and ghost towns of former villages are located nearby. It’s still remote—you have to take a bus through a one-lane tunnel within a mountain—but Real is now thriving, featuring dream catcher venders, Italian restaurants, and wild horseback riding tours.
Real still has a sleepy, small time vibe. There’s a lot of people
sitting around and watching life go by, and after dark it’s totally
dead. This wasn’t quite the romantic rural experience we were hoping
for, but we definitely had some memorable adventures here.
Observing the Pemex scene on our drive there.
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Big open dessert.
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Some of the local residents.
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The meat of a tuna fruit unveiled after some quick knife work.
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A sleepy little mountain town [other than the tourists in flux].
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The modest church; a view from our balcony.
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There was plenty to look at in this cantina.
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The proprietors of the local horseback-riding trade.
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The wild ride out into the dessert begins, as does the muscle ache.
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Abandoned buildings along the ride.
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We all take a well-deserved rest.
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A procession of people returning to town were companied by drums and symbols.
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Stocking up on gorditas and gummy osos [bears] before we leave.
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