Hello From Cuernavaca - An Excursion To Las Estacas

After a beautiful breakfast in the garden attime, we plunked ourselves down beside the river
Roxana's place with Helga, the young lab withand unpacked our beautiful picnic bag, she had
shiniest black coat, dancing all around me, I wentmade three different types of sandwiches,
to my private tutoring session at the Idealbrought a wonderful container of refreshing juice
Language School where my teacher Estela and Iand some brownies, and the girls started to talk
talked at length about various dental procedures,and compare notes about growing up in Mexico
funny doctor stories, and stories of unexplainableand Austria respectively. It's amazing how two
events and psychic happenings. We also touchedpeople can come from such different
on the topic of personal security, and that abackgrounds, i.e. Marta Elena grew up in a very
number of years ago there were quite a fewwell to-do family while my family background is
kidnappings and robberies of buses. Additionalmuch more humble, but somehow we had a
security has brought the situation under controlgreat connection. We took a stroll through the
and safety has improved considerably. I alsogrounds and saw the various swimming pools and
asked Estela about some practical safety adviceplaygrounds and also checked out an area
for myself, traveling as a woman alone. She gavecontaining 31 units with 3 bunk beds each which is
me a few basic common-sense pieces of advice:used for children's camps. A fishing pond was right
- don't wear any ostentatious jewellery ornext door. After our nature outing we stopped at
extravagant clothing - never walk by yourself atanother local attraction: a well-known local market
night - never walk in deserted streets - leavefor orchids. Of course, Marta Elena is an avid
your jewellery, valuables and documents at homegardener and I, although equipped with a black
- curry your bag in front of your body - at nightthumb, like to look at flowers, so off we went to
always take a radio taxi that is called from thelook at several greenhouses full of different
restaurant where you are staying. They are muchvarieties of orchids. Marta Elena, being the expert,
more trustworthy than street taxis. Around 11could tell me in Latin which varieties we were
am a local street merchant came by to selldealing with, I on the other hand was fascinated
typically Mexican sweets and I ended up buyingwith the alien expressions on these horticultural
thin sheets of oblates (obleas), stuck togetherbeauties. Apparently these orchids are shipped all
with honey and decorated with pumpkin seeds. Iover the world. The day was immensely hot and
also bought a square of peanuts glued togetherI was melting in the sun, so I sat down under a
with caramel - all very yummy treats. I don'tlovely palapa and I asked the lady working at the
know how the locals can resist all these tastygreenhouses to bring us some popsicles, and
foods that are available everywhere....Then Ithree popsicles later I finally felt that my thirst
headed off onto the public bus again and intowas quenched a little. As a small gesture of
downtown Cuernavaca. I had to change busesappreciation for her time and the lovely lunch, I
and exited one on the Zocalo and hopped on thegot Martha Elena a special yellow variety of
second one below the Palacio Cortes. Theorchids for inviting me on this special outing. With
Cuernavaca public transit system is a breeze forour aesthetic senses appropriately satisfied we
me at this point. A demonstration was in full swingmade our way back through the dry mountains
in front of the Palacio del Gobierno, localsouth of Cuernavaca and rejoined the hustle and
inhabitants of nearby villages were demonstratingbustle of the city. Marta Elena dropped me off
and when I enquired, they told me it was aboutright in front of the cathedral and after a cordial
the fact that the government is developing areashug we decided to definitely link up again before
in their villages which they would rather seemy departure next week. Alberto, my friend
designated as protected nature areas. The mainVanessa's cousin, and a local resident of
issue, they explained, is a shortage of water andCuernavaca had recommended me to visit his
this issue has apparently being going on 70 years.friend Jose Manuel who owns a little café,
The bus took me to Martha Elena's house whoappropriately named El Cafecito, right across from
was already waiting for me and had put togetherthe main entrance to the Cathedral. I plunked
a wonderful picnic basket. Then the two of usmyself down at one of the tables outside the
adventurous mujeres took off in her vehicle andcafé on the sidewalk and watched some of
we went towards Las Estacas, a local riversidethe colourful street life pass by. Several local
resort that she had never been to. I got a chancewomen carrying what seemed like hundreds of
to see the southern parts of Cuernavaca, and thedifferent necklaces approached me, displayed and
traffic exiting the city was the usual chaotic mess,promoted their attractive jewellery items. I caved
but somehow it all works out. It would certainlyin and bought several very decorative necklaces
take me a while to get used to the drivingthat were supposedly made of semi-precious
conditions here. People squeeze in wherever theystones like malachite, tiger's eye, coral, etc.
can, particularly the drivers of the rutas, the smallalthough I have a feeling for about $4 each they
local buses. The bus in front of us squeezed inare probably made more of attractive plastic than
and cut across 3 lanes to make a left turn. Thisreal stone, but you never know..... I found them
guy was certainly not taking any prisoners... Wequite enchanting. After a while Jose Manuel came
drove out of town through a hilly but extremelyand joined me at my table. He mentioned that me
dry area. All the hills were brown, springhas a brother who is working in Toronto. This is
surprisingly is the equivalent of our summer -not surprising, many local Mexican people that I
everything is hot and dry with very little rain. Thehave met have a Canadian connection. He even
rainy season actually begins in late May, earlysaid that he has experienced temperatures of up
June, and summer is cooler than spring. A strangeto - 5 degrees in Arizona once, which was barely
concept to get your head around. After about anbearable for a Mexican who is used to 25 degrees
hour of driving through Mexican country villages+ all the time. Jose Manuel graciously called me a
with horses and donkeys grazing right next to thetaxi, a "Radio Taxi", which is highly recommended
street and men riding in the back of trucks, weafter dark which whisked me up into my beautiful
arrived at Las Estacas. We started our walkresidence at RX Villa in the Rancho Cortez area.
through the grounds, across a hanging bridge overTime for some laundry and for writing up some
a river with extremely clear and blue water. Martastories and resting up my leg for another day of
Elena was explaining to me that the fish that wediscoveries tomorrow...
saw were extremely good for chowder, but notSusanne Pacher is the publisher of a web portal
useable for other dishes since they contain sofor unconventional travel & cross-cultural
many bones. Since it was about 1 pm by thisconnections.