Real de Catorce
Trip Start
Jan 07, 2008
1
6
13
Trip End
Ongoing
Real de Catorce,
Mexico
Monday, January 28, 2008
To get to the actual town, all of us had to load up onto the back of a pick-up truck. We drove through the tunnel, which is about two miles long and goes right through a mountain. It was almost like a roller coaster ride. When we arrived in Real, we checked into our hotel. It was very old, but in a good way. After that, we rode horses up a mountain. It was a lot of fun, and we got to see a ghost town area as well as a great view of the town from above.
The shops and restaurants at Real were very interesting
Exit gate
. Everything was pretty good and cheap. We ate dinner at one of the restaurants, which took a long time (there were about 50 of us). After dinner, things became very interesting. The guides told us that they had two "surprises" for us. These surprises were completely unpredictable: A cockfight and a wedding. In Real, there is a really old amphitheater used for cock fighting. We watched two roosters fight, but their claws were covered, so they didn't hurt each other (I would have felt badly otherwise). After the fight, we headed to the wedding. Weddings in Real are open to everyone in town, so we went. If you ever want to feel completely awkward, crash a Mexican wedding with about 40 other gringos. I actually felt bad about it. Everyone was looking at us instead of the bride and groom. The guides told me that our being there wasn't disrespectful, so I just tried to take in all that I could. There was a lot, and I mean a lot, of free beer. There was also a bunch of dancing. I have never seen so many really happy people all in one place. We actually participated in one of the rituals. All the men went out onto the dance floor. The bride and groom stood on chairs. The bride's veil was used like a limbo bar. It was crazy and a lot of fun. I would have never thought that I would be able to participate in a Mexican wedding festivities. I tripled my knowledge of Mexican culture in an hour.
After the wedding, me and a few guys went to a cantina. Cantinas are only for men, so I wasn't sure what to expect
one-eyed dog
. It was just like a saloon from an old western movie. We stayed there for about half an hour. Most of the guys in there were really rough looking, so we thought we would leave before wearing out our welcome. It was another great experience.In the morning, we ate breakfast at a little restaurant. I had the huevos rancheros. It was probably the best breakfast I've ever eaten. After breakfast, a member of one of the indigenous population taught us about his people's traditions, on of which is chewing a special cactus that has hallucinative properties. It was all very interesting.
Once we had learned about the indigenous traditions, we checked out the markets. The people sell just about anything you can imagine. The vendors don't speak English, but it shouldn't have mattered, "no" is the same in English and Spanish. They would not take leave us alone. One lady followed us for about two blocks (She really thought we needed to buy here gorditas). We eventually slipped into a restaurant for lunch. Once again, the food was delicious.
We headed home shortly after lunch. The bus ride back wasn't bad at all. The whole trip was great. I am really glad I decided to go. A cock fight, wedding, and cantina: I'm not sure what else we could have done to learn about Mexican tradition.
