I am MAD!!!!! I had this beautiful post all done up and ready to be edited about my weekend trip to Huasteca…and…ITS GONE! Argh. Internet problems, let me tell you. But you don’t want to know what could have been. So let’s start all over. I’m in the process of getting the photos below to be bigger, so patience plz.
A few weekends ago, I was lucky enough to take a short trip to a new place that I had never to with 5 other people. It was a blast to do some exploring, and I didn’t know many of the people we went with, so getting to know them was great too. It was a looong journey to an area called Huasteca, in the state of San Luis Potosi but dayam. It was worth it.
It was north of Queretaro, and the climate is completely different up there. The humidity, and the size of the lush greenery tells you that you are not in Kansas anymore. After our two bus rides, we split into two cabs and moved towards a more rural part then we already were. With windows rolled down, I was sweating. Our taxi driver was fast, and we whizzed past stores on the side of the road selling tacos, dodged a truck carrying a HUGE amount of limes, and stopped crossed the road to make a quick pit stop at a fruit shack. We didn’t get out, but instead the driver asked for mango’s from the car. Nay on the mangoes, but we ended up with two ice cold drinks of fresh star fruit juice. As I went to pass my money out the window, we were off again.
Our hostel was in the middle of a dense forest. I think the people who ran it were hippies! We stayed in concrete teepees, and hung out in the outdoor kitchen, or swayed around in the hammocks that dotted the property. If you wanted to do yoga, they also offered that two times a day.
If you google Xilitla (the ‘town/village’ we were in), the first images that come up are images from a famous outdoor museum/area we went to on our second day. It is a surrealist garden, built by a rich Englishman named Edward James. This place was craazzaay. It’s all concrete. Buildings and platforms built in the middle of this jungle. Stairs that lead to nowhere. I would not take a small child here, as I would be worried about their safety (I’m talking loooong drops). Look below for a few pictures we took.
The other highlight was going to see the guaguas. Sparrows. Hundreds, maybe THOUSANDS of them. Well I’m getting ahead of myself. Would you like to go see the guaguas? Let me tell you the process:
1) Find somebody to take you. This is Mexico, RURAL Mexico, so it isn’t as hard as you think. Just ask around.
2) Negotiate a price. As the drive is about 2 hours, it will help to have a native Mexican speaker with you to negotiate costs. This transportation isn’t official or anything, so prices can really go up or down, depending on who is doing the talking. Lucky for us, we met this really cool guy from Mexico city and he helped us out.
3) Hop into the back of a truck and move out. Laugh, sing, feel free as you zoom around in the warm Mexican evening.
4) Upon arrival, meet with the Indigenous group that runs the area to pay a small entry fee, and walk for another 30 min to the cave. Be ready to be pooped on as your mind is blown both by the size of the cave you encounter, and the fact that thousands of these birds come out every morning and return every evening. This is life Planet Earth shit right here. And this is just one cave of MANY. Look up at the birds and ponder about life. However, as you ponder, make sure to keep your mouth closed as most people, especially international students, get pooped on regularly.
5) Return to entrance following the dark path through the forest in which you came, although this time the way is subtly lighted with fireflies. At the entrance, you are offered hot enchiladas, and agua frescas. Buy local vanilla pods for 60 cents/piece. Eat and listen as the thunder storm starts and rain pelts onto the aluminum shack under which you are eating.
6) Get back into the the back of the truck, and smile about life as you get soaked in the back of the truck and drive back, still with the company of fireflies. The fireflies are nature’s version of those audience photographers at the olympics; they flash from somewhere all over the place; then quickly disappear into the darkness.
And thats it folks. I could go on and on, but I’m just going to show you the pictures instead.
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- On our way! 5 hour busses, two hour taxi.
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- That baby is excited to get there too!
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- Views for dayzzzzz
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- Map of the area
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- Our cab driver stopped for some Starfruit juice
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- Mexican generosity (free!). Haven’t had better juice to date.
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- Welcome to the hostel!
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- Where you will find chairs and stuff in trees….
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- We slept in concrete teepees
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- Oh you want to get to the bar/pool? First go through this labyrinth.
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- The Edward James Garden
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- This dude was rich and friends with Dali. Can you tell?
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- On our way to see some birds!
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- Looks nice now? Way home was SUPER rainstorm, with a show from the fireflies. Amazing.
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- We met a nice Mexican dude.
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- Our transportation to see the birds was the back of a truck.
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- Cave selfie. This picture REALLY doesn’t capture the size of this cave. It’s probably one of the biggest things I’ve ever seen.
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- Thousands of sparrows return home every night to the caves. Like SO MANY
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- Bought local vanilla pods for ~.70 each. Wait what?
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- Near our hostel, some swimming spots.
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- This is the backyard area of our hostel