Leaving the Sacred River

After leaving Piedras Negras (yokib') we cruised on down the Sacred Monkey River to our take out point just up stream from where Rio Bushilha flows into the Usumacinta. Pictured below are the falls at this confluence and the boats as we disembarked. Willie Fonseca in his life jacket is supervising the off loading and the boarding of his four wheel drive Dodge one ton, our method of transport to the settlement of Nueva Esperanza and Rancho Vallescondido. The picture in the lower left of the collage was taken from the back of the truck as we paused while workmen removed the rock debris they had created removing a rock ledge protruding into the bulldozer cut roadway. The road was definitely a project in progress! There were bench seats along each side of the truck bed but the road was too rough to use them so we all stood up and hung on to the top rack.

Pictures were impossible while hanging on! The track led though several fenced pastures and Willie's handyman jumped down from the truck to open and close each Morman Gate as we traveled along the winding hilly two track road. Someone had said that it was eighteen kilometers from the river to Rancho Vallescandido. That may have been true but it seemed a lot longer. The ride was not unpleasant, it was like riding through any ranch setting found in western US. The scenery was very special, lots of trees and grassy bucolic meadows full of grazing cattle. The ranch road intersected a paved road for the last part of this ride, smooth enough for us to use the benches.

As we approached the Ranch Headquarters we turned off onto a two track road where we found our bus parked beside a defunct Russian made tractor. Ranho Vallescondido grounds featured a beautiful pond with a winding stream fed by an artisan water source. Lodging for the night were bungalows scattered along the steam. Ours is pictured lower right.

The dining facility was a thatched roofed structure with open side walls and a gravel floor featuring a long curved bar made of polished tropical hard wood planks a full two inches thick with a stone pedestal. The planks made beautiful marimba like sounds when thumped with your fingers. Dining tables sat outside the bar to make up the perimeter of the dining area. The spotless kitchen is visible over the far end of the bar and had a concrete floor. Barbecued chicken, or fish, with vegetables was the menu, with flan for dessert. Excellent!


The center picture is our bungalow with pictures of the interior following. Stone work made the wall between the bedroom and bath and doubled as a headboard for the bed. Rock work had been produced by a creative and talented craftsman exemplified by the washbasin which was lined with limestone. The water valve is hidden under a ledge of stone. Interior doors were sculptured to fit the stone wall, lower right. Ventilation was provided by five feet tall one foot wide louvred wooden panels with screening the full length of one wall. Inset is the front door made of the same hardwood with panels of textured glass.

Upon finishing the evening meal and a little after dinner conversation we walked back down the roadway across the bridge over the pond to our bungalow. It was a pleasant walk, accompanied by fire flies and a gorgeous night sky. The stars were magnificent no lights to obscure the view, a grand finish to day seven.!