Grutas de Garcia

On Sunday we visited the Grutas de Garcia (Grottoes/caves of Garcia). This involved a drive of 30 or so minutes out of town. It was very easy to find, especially once you left the city traffic behind. In route, we passed many "Tecate 6" stores, which I promise I'll get a good photo of yet. A hint: think of a brew-through shaped like a 6-pack of canned beer. We also passed this interesting advertisement for the local brew. Note the fence posts for perspective.


Did I mention the mountains are gorgeous here? It was a bit hazy, but still impressive.


Once we arrived, I had to get a picture of the entrance to the small valley in which the caves are located. I particularly love the narrow entrance with what are nearly walls on either side.


Within the valley is just about the best little "sugarloaf" mountain I've ever seen. While I'm down here, I'm definitely going to hunt for a topographical map of this area. It's just too tempting to adapt it for a fantasy setting....


The entrance to the caves is more than halfway up a mountain. In the past you had two choices: walk or take the rail car. Apparently the rail car system broke down some years ago and they replaced it with a modern cable life. I was pleasantly surprised at how quiet and smooth the ride was, as good as anything similar I've ridden elsewhere in the world, including the US. Here's looking up at the cave entrance and a shot of one of the cars from above.



Unfortunately we didn't get too many good shots in the caverns, but here are some of the better ones. First the entrance:


Several shots of various spots:



La mano de muerto - the Hand of Death:


Is that daylight?



The platform at the top of the cable run gives an excellent perspective of the valley, and a healthy respect for the slope! It's also the only way to see the entire complex.



Here are several shots looking up-slope from the platform.



Here's a shot of what I assume is the old platform, visible in some other shots, but this is a close-up.


We elected to walk down. I can honestly say it would've been easier with steps! Instead it's a paved path, some brick, some stone, with multiple switchbacks zig-zagging down the slope. It's actually easier to jog or run down portions than it is to walk. Along the way we saw some items of interest. A nice nopal cactus:


A millipede:


A small flower I just had to shoot:



Emily finally gave up and turned around - so she could walk backwards down slope! Savor this, it's rare proof that Emily does indeed show up on film!


And to prove I was there, too, here's a cheesy shot of me.


After we got home from the caves, we had a little time to clean ourselves up, feed the dog, then head out to a BBQ at one of Emily's co-workers house. The husband is a former restaurant owner and an excellent cook. Among other things, he made two types of curry, one yellow and one red. Both filled a need: there's no good Thai, Indian, or Vietnamese food here! We'll continue to look, but so far no one we've talked to has found any. I guess that's something I'll have to look for in Laredo, McAllen, and Brownsville! (Is that ironic? An American driving out of Mexico to get foreign, and spicy, food?)

Thankfully my wife wisely chose not to stay too late, even though Monday was Columbus Day, a Federal holiday. If we had stayed much later, I probably would've ended up with a hangover, given that the tequila shots were flowing and the poker chips had just come out....