269 kilometres.

This Monday is a national holiday in Mexico, so rather than lazing around in San Juan for the weekend we decided to make the most of the extra day off and go exploring. Job hunting this weekend = none. 

On Friday we decided to hire a car and travel the length of the state of Querétaro and head into the state of San Luis Potosí to visit a small pueblo called Xilitla. We wanted to do this because, one, after living in Querétaro for nearly 8 months I had yet to go further than 50km north of the southern border and two, I wanted to see the magical work of the British surrealist architect, Edward James. Yes you did read that correctly, a surrealist Brit and Mexico in the same sentence, bizarre.

Desert : El Semi-desierto Queretano

Querétaro is the 27th smallest state out of 32, however I did not realise how much it actually had to offer. The biodiversity of such a small state is incredible. We took the highway linking San Juan del Río to Xilitla and witnessed some of the most spectacular views I have ever seen. Just 25km north of SJR you hit the desert. This is the first time that I have ever been in the desert and it was just as I imagined, and just as it is depicted in films. Initially the road seemed never-ending, just one straight highway cluttered with cacti here and there and not a soul around for miles. However, this didn't last for long and we were soon climbing and snaking around the mountains, and once we reached the top the vista went on and on. Miles and miles of dry inhabitable desert land that took the same formation as snow moguls. Incredible. After about two hours of rising and falling we were met by a small village called Muelge Verde (Muelge being the cactus used to make the drink Pulce). It was obvious to see why the town had being given this name but nonetheless the green cacti looked very incongruous against the sparse desert mountains. However, it was evident that water had found its way here. Just one more incline and a couple more u-bends and we were soon met by pine forests and temperatures of 15 degrees, a stark contrast from the 33 degrees we'd experienced just 30 minutes before. We were in the Sierra Gorda. It was clear that water was of abundance here and these scenes were ones that I was much more accustomed to. We continued to travel up and then down but the bends became less sharp and less frequent and it wasn't long before the temperature started to rise and the air became thick and humid. Pine tress were soon swapped for tropical canopies and the exotic chirp of the jungle birds could be heard. We dropped down in to Jalpan a town in the north of Querétaro, which would be our home for the night before moving to Xilitla the next day. Jalpan is a pretty town, with a surprisingly touristy feel to it. I get the impression it's a common stop-over for tourists travelling from the north of Mexico to the South, but nevertheless it still maintains a typical Mexican ambiance and is home to a beautiful church known as one of the Jalpan Missions.

Las Pozas

The Doll's House

After an early rise and drive through the mountains (again) we arrived in Xilitla, a village in San Luis Potosí built into the mountain-side and home to Las Pozas, the work of Edward James. The architect built a garden of surrealist forms filled with waterfalls, pools, sculptures and staircases that lead to nowhere. I thought of it as a adults playground. You could climb and explore all of the nooks and crannies and I'm sure that if this had been built in Europe there would be no chance that you would even be able to get within 10 feet of the sculptures; health and safety first of course.The jungle setting added to the overall effect; the swinging vines and plunge pools made you feel like you were straight out of a scene in Tarzan. We decided to finish our jungle adventure by spending the night in our very own doll's house. Located just next to Las Pozas is a small hippy-esque camp filled with small two-story cabanas, Casa Caracol. The camp had a very easy-going, relaxed feel to it and was scattered with hammocks and fairy lights. If it's not luxury you're looking for and you want to an alternative camping experience , these a perfect. And they come with hot water! A rarity in Mexico.

I was definitely pleasantly surprised by our trip through Querétaro this weekend and disappointed that the state isn't mentioned more in the guide books, it has so much to offer. How many places can you think of that can provide you with desert, pine forest and jungle all within a 3 hour drive? The Rough Guide to Mexico merely skims over Querétaro, mainly only to mention the state capital, and whilst the Lonely Planet guide is a little more generous with its description, its website only lists the capital and Tequisquiapan as towns to visit. Perhaps it's a good thing that it's not so overly publicised as it means that many parts remain a mystery to tourists, keeping that special magical feel. However ,on the other hand the locals are always happy for your custom and to hear your stories and I do wonder how the small restaurants and quaint posadas (hotels) exist when so little people know about them.