Sometimes when we are on the road, we just have to trust our hunches. Trusting hunches can work out well, or it can be all wrong. Mineral de Pozos or San Pedro de las Pozos turned out to be a good hunch. We needed a place that was temperate and calm in contrast to the past 4 weeks in the city. This sweet, little, old pueblo turned out to be just that. Plus an interesting twist of mining history and and growing artist community.
We used iOverlander to find a place to park. Posada Valerio was a great choice, as it felt like parking in a friends back yard. It is located just past this leaning, adobe wall and behind this old, iron gate Once inside the yard, we pulled up under a shade tree and settled in for a few nights. We walked into to town for ice cream and enjoyed looking at the old, crumbling adobe walls lining the narrow streets. And we peered through boarded up doors and windows into abandoned buildings. The courtyards and interiors reflected the era long-gone from this town. This town has been abandoned by it residents twice and had two different names. It is now a quiet, attractive little town with cobblestone streets and an interesting history. On these streets the horse was as common as the stray dogs, cars and trucks.
Just outside of town lies an extensive, abandoned mining community. We rode our bikes up the dusty, dirt roads to explore these unique ruins. The walls still stand to tell the tales of a rich and profitable mining industry. The local museum explained that much of the material and money from the mines left the country and went to Europe. The production was fast-paced and efficient. But as suddenly as the mines started, they were abandoned.
While drilling for a new mine shaft, they broke through an underground river and ALL of the mines in the area were flooded. Without equipment to remove the water, the mining operations ceased immediately and the elaborate structures became mere ghosts on the foothills of the city.
We rode our bikes down the dusty roads to town just as storm clouds gathered on the horizon.
Back in town we enjoyed dog walks, ice cream walks, breakfast walks…. you get the idea. On one of our walks we found an abandoned playground and let the dogs have some fun. I captured these cute videos of them chasing after Mike. (yes, this was several weeks ago)
We saw beautiful, red birds near our back door at the posada where we were camped. And the folks that owned it were wonderful. The main features of this community: mining, artists and high-desert terrain reminded us of being in Clarkdale and Jerome. Mineral de Pozos, a gem in the hills of Mexico!
