As JT and I exited the mountains of Real de Catorce I grabbed on last shot. What a wonderful experience Real was. I’m glad I was able to visit.
Tag Archives: Real de Catorce
The Smelt
After the silver was extracted from the mountain, it needed to be further refined. The process for doing so is called smelting. This is the old smelt at Real de Catorce, long since out of service and now a tourist destination. … Continue reading →
The old way
Prior to building the long tunnel through the mountains, the silver ore was hauled out of Real de Catorce by going over the mountains on an ancient road. The views along the road were marvelous. I highly recommend that you … Continue reading →
First time ever
I’ve been visiting Mexico on my motorcycle for more than 10 years. During all that time I’ve ridden some very rugged, steep, and difficult roads. But this was the first time I’ve ever seen a road labeled for 4-while drive only. … Continue reading →
It just needs a little love and attention
This poor motorcycle, spotted on the streets of Real de Catorce, just needs a little love and attention. Well…maybe a lot of love…and a lot of work if it is ever to run again.
Continue reading →Real at night
Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt filmed a movie called “The Mexican” in 2001 in Real de Catorce. Julia is reported to have stayed in the Hotel Ruinas de Real. If I were her, I would have stayed there too. The … Continue reading →
Eclectic Real
You might expect that the street vendors would sell typical tourist stuff like t-shirts, hats, clothing, and small statues. While there was definitely plenty of those types of items, there were also lots of other street sellers in Real de … Continue reading →
Hot nuts
Real de Catorce is a tourist town these days. After the silver mine was shut down in the 1800s, people moved away and the population quickly shrank from about 60,000 people to less than 1,000 permanent residents. Today, the locals … Continue reading →
The Cross and the Wheel Barrel
Though people seemed to have lived in Real de Catorce prior to 1772, when silver was discovered in that year the village began to grow and was officially founded in 1779. Imagine for a moment what life must have been … Continue reading →
Realbucks
For you coffee drinkers out there, take note that there is not a Starbucks café in Real de Catorce. However, there is a Realbucks. 🙂
Continue reading →Time for a beer
As luck would have it, there was a bar right around the corner from the hotel. Time for a cerveza. Once a beer was secured we stood on the sidewalk outside the door of the bar and watched the traffic. … Continue reading →
Real de Catorce
The ride to Real was uneventful and we soon found ourselves at the start of the 24 kilometer long cobblestone road. I’ve been told that this road was originally built to haul the silver out of the mountains via wagon, … Continue reading →