Tuesday, April 2, 2019

A Day Off = Adventures!

After a few months of hectic work, we have a little break over the next few weeks. No house guests until my sister-in-law and her husband arrive, no AirBnB guests, no tours scheduled (we all know that can change in a minute!) and yes, likely lots of other work but nothing that couldn't wait for a day. A while back a taxi driver told me about this place that was "better" than Hierve el Agua. A place called La Salina, in San Baltazar Guelavia. Today, with water, not enough snacks and our bathing suits, we headed out!

For folks who have not yet traveled with me, Ralph will tell you that I am famous for wanting to follow tiny litle signs with arrows along the side of the road, or for reading in some book that is 10 years old that you can pick up a guide at the "miscelanea" and hike 6 kilometers uphill to a ruin no one knows about.
A cropped version... it's the blue sign on the building in the photo below

Today was one of those days, and it was magical. Ten years ago when we first lived in Oaxaca, our weekends were filled with these adventures. We missed our turn today, and laughed when headed back towards Matatlan, there was a perfectly well indicated sign to San Baltazar. I guess no one wants to go there if they are traveling from the other direction. (For other travelers, when you see kilometer marker 58, be prepared for the upcoming left hand turn bu the roadside Mezcal producer. If you get to the intersection for the righhand turn to Ocotlan, San Dionosis and other towns, you have gone too far, U-turn and head back, and, well, you'll see the sign...)

The obvious sign.

We head up through the town and when passing the municipal building, a little man with a machete and a young man with a shoulder bag wave us down. I smile and tell them we're here to go to "Las Salinas". Yup! We will come to a fork in the road and from there we follow the arrows. Passing through the town costs us a fee of $15 pesos each, and I am promised that we'll pay our entrance into La Salina when we get there.


So, we followed the arrows, and around a bend is a view of Hierve el Agua. (See that white smudge in the mountains in the picture above? Yup!) We laughed and realized we were driving on those roads we are frequently asked about when we are at Hierve el Agua, looking off into the distance. At the end of this road is a little palapa hut and Raul is waiting for us. He charges us our $50 pesos (maybe for the car? maybe $25 pesos per person?) and then proceeds to show us this incredible canyon which is a mixture of fresh and salt water. We scramble down ladders and through the water (next time: water shoes!) to this gorgeous pool with a little waterfall, petrified but still active cascade on one side, limestone cliffs on the other. Although Raul had suggested we change, I was not convinced I would swim, but as soon as I saw the cascade and the clear pool below it sort of enclosed in rock like a cenote, I was in my suit in seconds. What a swim! Clear cool water and the formations on the walls were breathtaking.



After we finished putting in the pool, we walked gingerly (did I mention the water shoes??) through the canyon and then into a 3 meter deep pool of slightly saline water, it has that blue grey color and I could have stayed and played there all day.



We climbed out and sat by the side of the river and ate plums and chatted with Raul. He told us two tour companies go there, Coyote and Zapotrek, and we were happy for them. He asked how old Ralph was and how old I am, and told me I looked older because of my grey hair. He also asked if I had kids and I explained that no, I didn't, and he informed me that he had 4 daughters, one studying at university, and that in the village of you are married but don't have kids you would divorce. I smiled. I was used to this discussion. At least he didn't suggest I visit the local medicine woman to be "cured".

You can evidently hike from Hierve el Agua to La Salina, which is what the two companies I mentioned above do, and I am happy they bring people here. It was a magical spot but one Ralph and I think we will save for visiting family, friends and maybe a few return Go Well guests. 

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