We arrived into Benito Juarez and after dropping off our bags in our lodge we headed to the comedor for lunch. Here we met the friendly Emilia and hew son Daniel who was curious but shy and would poke his head around the corner till we spotted him, then squeal and return to the safety of the obscurity. Emilia made us a delicious soup made from something similar to yams and a chicken in a rich dark sauce (a kind of mole for those who know Mexican food).
After lunch we had a self-guided walk to another Mirador. This was not a long walk but the sun was coming out and we took things very slowly, enjoying the calm, the fresh air and the lovely vistas. We walked slowly and gently uphill for about an hour before we arrived at the Mirador where a surprise awaited. Not only was the view superb, they had also built a massive viewing platform (not for the feint-hearted), and a suspension bridge that disappeared mysteriously in the mist. There was also wires for a “tirolesa” (where you traverse ravines in strapped onto a cable; the English translation came out variously as zip-line, flying fox, zip wire, aerial runway, Tyrolean crossing and even Death Slide!). Sadly there was no one there to operate it, and we later heard that because of the heavy rains it was not operational at the moment. Shame!
We wandered back down to Benito Juarez, another tiny village with a restaurant (almost exclusively for tourists), two small shops, and, as in every village in the Sierra Norte, a basketball court. After a shower and getting someone to start our fire we went back to the comedor for chicken soup and quesadillas. Then we played some cards before zonking out again.
This blog is part of an Off-The-Beaten-Track Travel Diary. Click on the links below to navigate through this journey.
