From El Norte to Real de Catorce (and back)

By Jeffrey Gowing

For all of my adult life, when choosing a vacation destination, I have been drawn to places that are 'off the radar' of most travelers. My recent trip to explore Taxco in the state of Guerrero, Mexico, was a good example. When I've told friends who asked where I'd been, most of them had never heard of that city, and without exception, the next question I was asked was "Were you not scared to travel in Mexico?" My usual reply has been "There are parts of San Antonio that would make me far more nervous, particularly after dark".
Fifteen years ago, if anyone had said to me "In 2013 you will have been living in San Antonio Texas for a decade, and developed a fascination with Mexico, it's people, history, and it's culture.", I would have questioned their sanity. However, life sometimes takes unexpected pathways, and that has been exactly what transpired. My life as a sailor visiting exotic ports around the world has morphed into something quite different and wholly unexpected. On my return to San Antonio, I began searching for my next destination in Mexico. The small mining town of Real de Catorce caught my eye. It sits at 9000 feet above sea level on the side of a mountain.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jeffrey Gowing
• Release date: Aug 21, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301954636

Jeffrey Gowing

The author is a lifelong sailor whose formative years were spent exploring the waters of Buzzards Bay in Massachusetts and cruising the New England coast from Maine to Manhattan. His voyages have taken him from off shore trips to Bermuda, to a stint as a charter and delivery captain based in Miami, the Virgin Islands and the Eastern Caribbean. He now is a resident of San Antonio, Texas and travels to scuba dive in Cozumel, Mexico as often as work and finances permit. Look for his new novel, From El Norte to Real de Catorce, available as of August 2013.

Book preview

From El Norte To Real de Catorce

(and back)

Jeffrey Gowing

Smashwords Edition

From El Norte to Real de Catorce (and back)

Copyright © 2013 Jeffrey Gowing

All rights reserved

Cover design by Laura Shinn

Formatted by Laura Shinn

ISBN: 9781301954636

Smashwords License Notes

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Other Titles by Jeffrey Gowing

Fiction

Bahama Pipeline

Down to the Tropical Sun

Betrayal

Non-Fiction

Dealing With Dementia

From El Norte to Cozumel (and back)

From El Norte to Real de Catorce (and back)

Author's Website:

http://www.jeff-gowing-books.com

Prologue

For all of my adult life, when choosing a vacation destination, I have been drawn to places that are 'off the radar' of most travelers. My recent trip to explore Taxco in the state of Guerrero, Mexico, was a good example. When I've told friends who asked where I'd been, most of them had never heard of that city, and without exception, the next question I was asked was Were you not scared to travel in Mexico? My usual reply has been There are parts of San Antonio that would make me far more nervous, particularly after dark.

Fifteen years ago, if anyone had said to me "In 2013 you will have been living in San Antonio Texas for a decade, and developed a fascination with Mexico, it's