Real de Catorce is unique from the first moment you arrive, or try to arrive. There are only two roads into town. The main road rises some 4000 feet in only about 10 miles. The road ends in a tunnel through the mountain that surrounds the town. The tunnel is almost a mile and half long and only one car wide. If you take a bus to Real de Catorce you will have to get off you normal size bus and board a mini bus for the last leg of the journey into town. The ride in the mini bus into town is a never to forget experience. The driver will go hurling through the curved tunnel at break neck speed. This is especially memorable due to the fact that the mini bus only clears the walls and roof of the tunnel by inches.

The town of Real de Catorce has some of the most amazing views in Mexico. You can see for miles out over the surrounding desert and mountains from many areas in town. The town is towered over by Parroquia de San Francisco. Each October between 50,000 and 100,000 pilgrims enter Real de Catorce for the weeklong festival of San Francisco. The church is not one of the more impressive ones in Mexico. What is worth visiting in the church is a room off the main sanctuary that displays the thousands of small amateur religious paintings called “retablos” that pilgrims leave as thanks for answered prayers.

Real de Catorce tends to attract an unusually diverse bunch of people. There are wealthy foreigners and Mexican that have constructed large mansions in and around the town. There are pilgrims in town to pray at the church. There are also always a number of people in town for a different type of trip. Real de Catorce is in the center of the area where the peyote cactus grows wild. This cactus is a hallucinogen. Many people looking for an alternative experience to the norm make the pilgrimage to Real de Catorce in search of this cactus.

Real de Catorce is located in the Northern section of the San Luis Potosi state. It can be reached by bus from the town of Matehuala ($2.50 for the 1 ½ hour bus ride). If you are planning on driving to Real de Catorce please note that large vehicles such as campers cannot enter the town. ]]> http://www.travelertour.com/reviews/real-de-catorce.html/feed 0 http://www.travelertour.com/reviews/pop-cafeteria-merida-mexico.html http://www.travelertour.com/reviews/pop-cafeteria-merida-mexico.html#comments Tue, 24 Mar 2009 22:54:46 +0000 admin http://www.travelertour.com/?p=387

Title	Pop Cafeteria – A nice cool Place to eat
Category	Eating
Date	15 Sep 2000
Description	Pop Cafeteria is just two blocks off the main plaza in Merida. When its 105º F in Merida its wonderful to walk into this air conditioned restaurant.
Address	Pop Cafeteria Calle 57 between calle 60 and 62 Merida, Mexico
Phone	(99)28-61-63
Email
Price Range	$2.50-$6
Text
Pop Cafeteria is named after “pop” the fist month in the Mayan calendar not some mysterious Pop character. The restaurant is just two blocks from the main plaza in Merida. Merida regularly gets over 100º F and overly air-conditioned Pop is the perfect place to go when the heat gets to you. You can sit and drink their wonderful cool drinks served by a serious man in a white guayabera. Pop has an average main course menu of enchiladas, burgers, spaghetti and chicken for $3-$6. Pop is more popular for breakfast with good coffee, fruit or pastries for $2.50 -$5. The best things about Pop are the drinks and the service. Pop serves two Mexican drinks that are great for the heat, Jamaica and Orchata. Jamaica (HA_MAY_I_CA) is a cool aide type sweet drink made out of hibiscus flowers. Orchata is a white drink that tastes like rice pudding with a bit of almond in it. The service in Pop is appreciated due to the fact that they will let you sit and write a postcard or journal for a long time without bothering you as long as you have ordered something at some time at you table. Perfect for the solo traveler. Pop Cafeteria is located on Calle 57 between calle 60 and 62. It is open daily from 7 AM to Midnight.

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