Never Been There, Never Done That: El Charco

This week one of my assignments was to take an extended Artist's Date. This is to be a planned time alone to do something new or fun - just to experience the activity rather than have the focus solely on creating. Since my entire time in San Miguel feels like one extended artist's date, I was having trouble coming up with an idea. I felt I had walked through every market, spent time wandering through the Parque Juarez and hanging out in the Jardin. I had gone to a couple of dance classes. I had taken myself for lunch and sketched.

I set out downtown alone with my camera yesterday morning with no agenda. The day was already warm under a cloudless sky and I made my way down to the Jardin where the city was just waking up. I walked aimlessly around and then out of the blue, hopped into a cab and off we went to El Charco - the botanical gardens WAAAAY up the hill. Up up up we wound our way through side streets I had yet to explore. We approached the top on the narrowest street yet, only to find a stalled truck at the top with, of course, no way to navigate around. So back back back we went at a snail-pace in reverse. It took a good five minutes of retracing our journey until we could find a way to get turned around and then we had to take an even steeper detour to get to our destination. I smiled to myself as I got to use my new vocabulary and impress the driver.... ¡Híjole! Que lástima! (what a shame) He agreed.

I got to El Charco by noon and spent two hours walking, sitting, and photographing the incredible botanical conservation preserve. In the middle of the desert, it is truly a magical oasis. Miles of stone-lined pathways through a cactus forest on either side of La Presa - a large reservoir that is home to waterfowl and birds. Even our Gimli white pelicans take their winter vacation here. Hundreds of birds were here but unfortunately took flight as soon as I approached the water's edge.

The path wound down to the reservoir and followed it up to the damn. Not a soul in sight. It was so peaceful away from the sounds of the city... only birdsong and the approaching sound of trickling water. I remembered the video of last week when the damn looked like Niagara Falls and was surprised when I arrived to discover such a tame flow of water. By the way, these cactus "trees" are giant. The other deciduous trees are covered with bromeliads. I wonder if they bloom with orchid-like blossoms later in the spring.

I ventured out to the centre of the damn along a narrow concrete walkway. As close as I'll ever come to walking on water. It was surreal, feeling suspended there at the top of the dam. Somehow I don't think the two wire fence was built to safety code.

It felt WAY more impressive than it looks from this vantage point. My stomach was in my throat as I held on to the wire.

my little dam walkway

I proceeded along the canyon past the "high risk area" sign determined to find the secret ladder that Joanne and I had discovered three years ago. Evidentally there had been a Pancho Villa movie shot here years ago and to get the film crew down into the canyon, they built two steel ladders which have remained there, obviously unadvertised. (If you don't believe me, here it is from 2006 secret ladder)

I found the place where I think the ladder was, but being alone, the "Peligroso" sign scared me off. I had great plans of a solo descent, but I totally chickened out. You have to climb down some rocks to get to the ladder and I just wasn't ready to be a hero alone. I'll bring Brendan back with me and see if he'll be my canyon buddy. Now that I've revisited this place....Joanne, I don't know how we did it with our music and recorders. We were determined... and crazy.

I walked away from the canyon, through more cactus forest and found the gate that let me back into civilization. It was a half hour walk downhill through a very weathly exPat neighbourhood with high walls and elaborate keep out gates. I turned a corner down a narrow path and immediately felt more at home with narrower streets offering friendly passersby and photo ops.