A Gorgeous Water Factory
among the Clouds (Real Alto)
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I have made many friends among the tourists that visit us through my tour company, there is a Polish family who used to come down on a charter program from Frankfurt. But now they somehow make their way to Vallarta yearly from Düsseldorf for my birthday and spend a few weeks among us.
Although we communicate in German, as good Polish, uncomplicated people, they like to try all our different Mexican dishes and have fun; in parties they turn into real Cossacks.
This time we decided to return to San Sebastian del Oeste, though this time on a jeep, to be better able to climb to the mountain of La Bufa. (see: San Sebastian intimately )
 We again had lunch at “La Lupita” restaurant and enjoyed the hospitality and delicious specialties of Doña Bertha and her family.
We also again visited Don Cristino’s shop on the main square to get some of what, to our taste, is the best “Raicilla” of the region, that of his nephew Juan Dueñas. We were up for a surprise, the very same Juan Dueñas was there and we were able to talk some about that liquid silver he distills (he celebrated my creativity).
Though the celebration that ensued we were not expecting, after a few beers and “Raicilla” degustation, an 8-piece Mariachi Band arrived, more ice-cold beer that Juan made appear like he was the party magician; we all sang and danced, and I mean WE ALL DID! I remember dancing with girls that came out of everywhere, there were Australian, American, Mexican and of course Polish. All at the main square of San Sebastian del Oeste!
I also remember inquiring if it was Juan’s birthday. It wasn’t. We were celebrating the 15th of September, the Anniversary of our Independence! On the 18? Who cares? They continue to celebrate, the 16th, everybody; the 17th, the young; the 18th, the elders, what a party !
We stayed at the Hotel del Puente, it has a beautiful and quiet inner courtyard and you cannot beat the prices. The next morning we climbed on our rental jeep to the mountain of La Bufa, being now the rainy season it is quite an adventure and the forest scenery is wonderful in any direction; we saw a beautiful panoramic of San Sebastian del Oeste below us and, although this time there were clouds in the horizon, through a clearer sky you can see the Bay of Banderas from the top.
Upon approaching the summit we found a detour: La Bufa, to the right and Real Alto to the left.
Thinking there would be a chapel or sanctuary there, we decided to visit Real Alto first in order to culturally enrich our visit. We were definitely not prepared for the surprise that awaited us. After a couple of minutes and curves we found a town in this hard to reach mountaintop! And of course a church as well, this one dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary.
 To our good fortune we also found Don Alberto Aréchiga, who is in charge of maintaining this church that dates back to the beginning of the XVIII century. This colonial jewel has a beautiful retable (wooden multi-panel carving including paintings and decorations generally placed on the wall behind the altar in many antique Latin-American Catholic churches) that was moved from the main altar to a side wall at the beginning of this century. Don Alberto, works in close coordination with the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH, National Institute of Archaeology and History) to preserve the characteristics of its original construction, mainly for its holiday celebrated on October 7th.
Don Alberto informed me that when the mines were still active, Real Alto had 5,000 inhabitants, now there are only 50 left.
Paradoxically, when we came out of the church we entered the heavens, Our Lady of the Rosary had placed herself upon the clouds. It was a most impressing show as the forest itself transformed into something that seemed part of a dream.
 I recall how on our descent we could see how small brooks of fresh and crystalline water started to form, from the very top of the mountain. A scenery that repeats itself all over our sierras of El Tuito, San Sebastian and the Sierra de Vallejo.
These mountain ranges are full of sceneries, vegetation and wildlife, many of their species are endangered.
I want to invite you all to visit them and help preserve them. They generate beauty and life because they are the factories making the water that makes life possible in the whole planet. Email to a friend
Eduardo Rincón-Gallardo
E-mail: toureps@prodigy.net.mx
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