Getting from Xilitla to San Luis Potosí was not so difficult, there was only one bus transfer at Ciudad Valles and then continues I did on my merry way, very much unaware of the trouble about to befall me once I arrived at said destination.
San Luis Potosí, to some it is known as the city of plaza, to others [read, me] it is known as the city of hotels that don’t seem to be open or when found are ridiculously expensive in relative Mexican terms. So what happened after I arrived from an uneventful bus ride was annoying at the time, but bemusing now whence I write of it. I got a taxi to the only hostel in town, HI affiliate and all that shemozzle, I was very much looking forward using the kitchen to mastermind a hot meal of Cup of Noodle I had secreted in my pack. But no, I was thwarted in my attempt to get a bed at 10pm, the fucking place was closed, I even asked at the little food stand a couple of houses up, they were also surprised it was closed with wild claims of normally having a phone number you can call.
Taxi number 2 to next destination hotel, not so far away and this one also possessed a kitchen, by this time my stomach was yearning for the Cup of Goodness. Fucked over again, this time it was closed for renovations. Off to find taxi number 3, finally get to another Hotel Principal, $170 for the night with can only be described as the worlds dodgiest plumbing, a leaking sink had been repaired Maguiver style with an elastic band and a plastic bag. One of the upsides of this place was that I got cable TV in the shoebox of a room, although the reception was so bad I couldn’t see anything.
By the end of the night I took 3 taxis, went to 3 hotels and still did not get my Cup of Noodles, I had to make do with a torta, as nothing else was open at 11pm on a Friday night.
After my sever dicking around on the accommodation, I decided I wasn’t going to stay another night, so I awoke early to run around the centre snapping off shots of the various plazas and my illegal photos inside the Museum of Masks. They were trying to make my pay $20 to use the camera, I was having none of that and just took shots when the guard went to tell of another tourist for non-authorized photos.
Just after the hour of lunch I managed to get a bus on my way to the magical and yet very cold Real de Catorce, well not directly. First I had to get a bus to Matehuala, small town of no reall significance except as a transfer point, then wait 3 hours at the bus station for the final bus of the day to get to Real de Catorce.
While at the bus station I made backpack friends, a couple from Italy who happened to be on the same bus as me from SLP to Matehuala. We made small talk about various travel things, where from, what towns before, and how long. It soon eventuated that one of them had been to Mexico 2x before and both times to RdC. After some questioning as to why the mystical cactus was brought up.
Peyote.
Which is found in the deserts surrounding Real.
Once we all got to the mystical town, I with no plan as usual just headed to the same hotel as they were, hoping a cheapish single room could be procured. Which it fortunately could at Real de los Alamos for the princely sum of $150 night, not bad considering the room was 3 times the size of SLP and with very functional plumbing, ie I had hot water.
The next couple of days were spend hiking to the local ghost town, horse rides to see monuments to the sun, drinking a lot of coffee at cafes to utilized free wifi and the heat. And of course sampling the local delicacy of cactus.
As to the experience itself... you’ll just have to wait for the next exciting episode of Alister in Mexico.
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