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Mexico - Off the Beaten Path


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Ok, so I said I would update this thread last summer after our trip down there and I didn't. Apologies. So here is an installment. We went up to Pinal de Amoles coming from the Queretaro side and spent a night. The town itself didn't feel too remarkable as far as beautiful buildings and stuff other than you could feel the potential for lots of cool stuff to explore in the area. Restaurants were spotty and the roads were narrow because it was basically built on the side of the mountains. We still had our big Nissan NV van at the time, and there were a few places where we had to roll down the windows, pull the mirrors in, and cross our fingers just to make it to our Airbnb. The town was up in the clouds, so it was pretty misty the whole time and I couldn't get any pictures that did it justice. The drive up, however, was pretty awesome. You go from dessert all the way through several transitional ecosystems on the way up with great views the whole way. Sucks to be the driver, however, because the roads demand attention unless you pull off and spend a bit of time to take it all in.

Anyhow, we went to this place called Puente de Dios (Queretaro, not San Luis Potosi) nearby. More sketchy roads of course, but nothing you can't handle in a normal vehicle unless you get caught in a situation where you actually have to pass someone going the other way. You have to pay a reasonable amount of Pesos to get a tour guide to take you up the trail, but you are rewarded by a stream flowing through what at times almost feels like a slot canyon. The path is often suspended on the side of the canyon.

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After a decent hike in which is easily accessible for young kids you get to the Peunte de Dios.

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It doesn't look like too much from this view, but what you are basically looking at is a land bridge over the stream with shafts of water flowing into it from giant rock vaginas in the ceiling.

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This is the view from inside, looking the same direction as the previous picture.

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There are also active silver mines on the trail down to the Puente de Dios, and you can buy rocks full of silver ore from the locals along the trail. Also, Pulque. On the drive down into the valley you will see lots of maguey being cultivated on the sides of mountains that are far to steep for any sane person to try and cultivate anything. After you get done with your hike, take a bit of time to enjoy some locally and traditionally made pulque.

Apologies for the sideways pictures, that happens whenever I upload them unless I edit them in some way and ain't nobody got time for that.  

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100% not "off the beaten path" as just about all of Mexico City is here but Huatulco on the Oaxacan coast has been great this week and in the summer I dont believe there are any direct flights to Canada/US so there are hardly any whites here (well besides me).

Really nice people and I've gotten the correct change 100% of the time which is usually not the case in Mexico City or Quintana Roo. My wife also refuses to speak to me in English and she thinks that might be why we haven't been ripped off yet this week. Food is great too if you don't eat at the shitty all-inclusive resort.

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On 1/15/2022 at 7:58 AM, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

Nacho Crazy Uncle Karl’s Margaritaville Mexico Thread.

Want to hear about some hidden gems of Mexico.

Have San Cristobal de Las Casas in Chiapas and Merida in the Yucatán on the books, looking for some more ideas with trip reports, do’s and don’ts,  pics, etc.

Did you get all the way to Palenque?  Lived in Tuxtla for 6 months in the 90's and trekked all over that area but San Cristobal was my absolute favorite.  Always stayed at the Hotel Don Quixote for about $9/night.  Always brought home a big bottle of that homemade hooch from Chamula too. 

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As for Oaxaca, we really love the city, and they used to have flights into Puerto Escondido and Huatulco.  There was a bus to Oaxaca but it was a miserable ride through the mountains. We always stayed in Puerto Angel but our favorite old hotel was destroyed in an earthquate in the 90's. 

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14 hours ago, beer said:

Did you get all the way to Palenque?  Lived in Tuxtla for 6 months in the 90's and trekked all over that area but San Cristobal was my absolute favorite.  Always stayed at the Hotel Don Quixote for about $9/night.  Always brought home a big bottle of that homemade hooch from Chamula too. 

San Cristobal is turning into the new Tulum for douchebags and women. "Homemade hooch" was probably Pox. Lots of Pox stores in San Cristobal now.

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We rented a car, from Cancun, a few weeks back and drove to Chichen Itza.  There is a new toll road, that is now complete, which makes the drive super easy.  We did the Ik Kil cenote right after to end the warm day with a cold dip. 

Ik-Kil Cenote, Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico foto de Stock | Adobe Stock

nmp

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7 hours ago, rage-a-holic said:

San Cristobal is turning into the new Tulum for douchebags and women. "Homemade hooch" was probably Pox. Lots of Pox stores in San Cristobal now.

Pronounced posh, yes. If it had a few bugs it was extra good. It cost $7 to take the really nice gold ADO bus from Tuxtla Gtz. When I was there the city had literally just been retaken from the Zapatistas about 2 weeks before. 

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