Hot hike to Coyoles

Today we went back to Villa Nueva with Luis, Rosario and Roberto to meet Don Jesus for another hike in the countryside. We were half thinking of cancelling for a few reasons: (1) It was absolutely boiling and we are winter hikers (2) Luis' schedule throws us. We aren't used to hiking all day with no food and then eating a big meal after 4pm (3) We had a horrible experience with ticks last time.... Nevertheless, we had arranged this weeks ago and it is a great way to see the real Mexico - when will we next get the chance?

The locals must think we are pretty comical. We get kitted out in hardcore Swiss hiking boots, Montbell hats, Craghoppers wicking shirts, Gelert waterproof backpacks, factor 40 sunblock, insect repellent, water, snacks and so on. Don Jesus sticks on a cowboy hat and grabs his machete and he's ready. What a difference! We were dying from the heat and downing loads of water. Don Jesus claimed he wasn't thirsty. We stopped a couple of times to chat to people we passed (who thought we were mad "city folk out for a walk") and to admire cactus and these little green balls which the town of Coyoles is named after. They are like mini hard coconuts but nowhere near as refreshing.

We reached the village after a 3 hour slog. The first job is for Don Jesus to make contact with the townspeople. It wasn't hard to find them as the town only had one dusty street and all the men (wearing cowboy hats) were congregated on someone's veranda. It was like something out of "The good, the bad and the ugly". Next stop was the church which was painted a beautiful blue and was nice and cool inside. The final stop was to the shop for a round of ice cool cokes. I don't think we would have made it back without the caffeine and sugar kick.

The return trip was quicker, but harder as it was even hotter. We cut some nopales (prickly pear cactus) to grill for lunch. Don Jesus' daughter had also cooked a couple of soups, a pile of tortillas and a huge batch of picadas. I don't think I have ever tasted better home cooking in my life. She is an amazing cook (and has given us an open invitation to return whenever we like!). One of the soups was made with cruceta - the long cactus that Rogrigo had taken home the other night. Before this trip, I didn't even know cactus was food and now I'm becoming an expert!

Here is a picture of the church at Coyoles. Hore pictures here: http://picasaweb.google.com/jomynard/HikeToCoyoles