Traveling with Raúl has turned out to be great fun but also a bit challenging. He is worse than a quinceaňera when it comes to talking in the cell phone, particularly when he suddenly feels the urge to call someone while driving at high speed. I could feel some of my few remaining dark hairs turning white while I clenched my teeth in panic. But Raúl is a charming man, which means he has lots and lots of friends all over Mexico (hence the need to speak continuously over the phone), and he actually remembers where each one of them is and has their phone number!
Yesterday, then, we were pondering what we could do today, and he got the idea that we could visit the Naica mine. Crazy. The mine has been closed to the public for several years now. “But wait, I have a friend, Roberto Carlos, who might be able to get us in.” I should add that as the Principal of his own company Raúl has hired, trained, and given their big opportunity to many young geologists, and that they are all very grateful to him and ready to repay the favors. So he calls Roberto Carlos, happily chats for a few minutes rekindling the friendship, and then drops the bomb: “Can you get us into Naica?” A few seconds of silence and the young man says “I don’t know Inge, they are really strict about not letting people in … let me see what I can do. I will call you back.” Five minutes later he calls; he had called in some favors and yes, the General Manager of the mine will expect us between 8 and 10 am. Wow!
So we head to the town that has grown around the mine, go through a series of checkpoints, get a physical exam by the mine doctor, and are led in our mine expedition by a young Environmental Engineer clad in bright safety orange, with walkie talkie, lamp, and the whole outfit of a mine safety officer. We drove through lonely mine tunnels 300 m underground (the mine has flooded in its lower levels, so operations are suspended until they figure a way to dewater the lower levels). Finally we stop in front of a bunker door, we descend and our guide pulls out a big bundle of keys, all along explaining that we will only have 15 minutes down there because the temperature and humidity are too high to permit a longer stay. It is a bit anticlimactic once we enter the stark short corridor that leads to a curtain of thick plastic strips like those used in packing plants to keep the temperature constant, and then push through into the Eight Natural Wonder of the World … La Cueva de los Cristales Gigantes (The Cave of the Giant Crystals).
You have probably seen photographs of this cave https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/photos-mexico-cave-of-crystals but nothing compares with the awesome beauty of the giant crystals of selenite (a variety of gypsum) forming a mesh of giant prisms that would be the dream of a futuristic architect. We were speechless. Actually, I was speechless … Raúl was chatting effortlessly with our guide, and so charmed him with his enthusiasm that he opened the plexiglass door that is the unbreachable barrier to the crystals and invited us to step into this Sistine Chapel of nature. Wow. The cave is not very large, maybe 10 m long, 8 m wide, and 4 m high, so to be inside it was like stepping into a geode of sparkling crystals. Never, ever have I been so close to such a priceless treasure.
All good things must come to an end, but we were still on a high as we drove out of the mine, parted with many thanks from our guide, and visited shortly with the General Manager who beamed with pride as he heard our enthusiastic comments. Incidentally, he needs a plan to dewater the mine, and Raúl’s company has been invited to submit a proposal on the strength of that brief meeting.
Pulling out of the mine Raúl accosted the first person we saw and asked if anyone in town had cool crystals for sale. Yes, Leo had minerals. Down there, at the corner. Naturally Leo was not there, but gossip spreads through a small town like fire, so a few minutes later this enormous man drives to the shop and ushers us in. OMG, he had some fantastic specimens. But what about the big crystals? Ah, those he had at home, so leaving us in charge of the shop Leo jumped on his car and went to grab three spectacular specimens. Raúl fell in love with one that must have weighed a good 10 kilograms, and then another that was of a similar weight, plus a couple of little ones, plus the one I chose for myself (adding 2 kilograms to my backpack), and then the master haggler (Raúl) went to work and with many laughs managed to cut the price in half. They are superb specimens, but God only knows how he is going to transport them home.
The rest of the day we spent driving through the watershed of the Rio Conchos, which like the Nile cuts a ribbon of green (pecan orchards) across the dry land. Although Chihuahua is not yet suffering as much as Monterrey there is no question that this is a dry year, the dams are low, and the folks are beginning to feel the lack of water.
Raúl had insisted on driving and I agreed to be the copilot. Knowing that my friend tends to be boisterous in his driving, I tried to give him plenty of forewarning when we approached an intersection, using soothing language like “bear a little bit to the left”. But be it because he is hard of hearing, or because in a busy mind my words sounded like “mumble mumble mumble LEFT” he yanked left on the steering wheel, and all of a sudden we jumped over the lane bumps and found ourselves going against traffic. I thought we were going to die. But Raúl reacted quickly, hurled the car back over the separation bumps, and by a hair’s breath avoided the 18-wheeler that was barreling against us!
I get to drive tomorrow.
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