Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
my calculations proved to be wrong, for I had just finished accommodating the horses when
motor-cars arrived to take me back to Puebla, and in spite of my trying every excuse to avoid
going,myargumentswereofnoavail.Apolicemanwasputinchargeofthehorses,andIwas
packedintoacaranddrivenbacktoPuebla,whereIpretendedtobeenjoyingmyselfallnight,
and at eight o'clock in the morning I was back with the horses and made ready to start.
We followed an excellent road which winds over the mountains, connecting Puebla with
Mexico City, and when I had energy enough I admired the wonderful panorama around me.
Beautiful forests cover the mountains, and high above and quite near tower the two snow-
capped volcanoes, the Ixtaccihuatl and the Popocatepetl. (Both these names are of ancient
Aztec origin,theformermeaning'SleepingWoman'andthelatter 'SmokyMountain.')Many
cars passed during the day, and I had to dismount every now and again to speak to people
who had come to greet me, and I am certain that I should have fallen asleep had it not been
for these distractions. In the evening I heard the droning of many motors, and after a while
a long line of motor-cycle police from the capital came speeding along. To my surprise they
stoppedwhentheyreachedme,andoneofthemintroducedhimselfasthechiefoftheMexico
City Traffic Department. He embraced me in typical Mexican fashion, and from that moment
he has been one of the countless friends I made during my long and unforgettable stay in that
beautiful city.
My new friend told me that a reception had been arranged in my honour and asked me to
push ahead until I came to a place where stood the remains of what had at one time been a
wealthy
hacienda
(estate).
I had covered some thirty-five miles when I unsaddled, and as there was no fodder for the
horses nor good food for myself, the city police arrived in cars some two hours later, bringing
me all and more than I required. I was so tired that I could hardly sleep, and I was glad when
my small alarm-clock advised me that daylight was not far off.
A woman in a hut prepared me a cup of coffee, and whilst I was sipping it I heard voices
outside.Acinemaoperatorandsomephotographershadrunmetoearth,andsoonIwasbeing
'shot' at all angles. One of the newspaper men who had also arrived let me into a secret that
made me forget everything else. He told me that among the many surprises waiting for me,
myoldcompanionGatowasonhiswayouttogreetme,togetherwithacrowdof
charros
and
other riders. He added that the horse had entirely recovered and was full of life. This piece of
news filled me with such joy that I started off at a fast trot, paying scant attention to an aero-
plane that circled overhead, giving me a welcome, and I hardly noticed the cars that passed
me, the occupants shouting loud
vivas
in our direction. I kept on trotting fast, and although
Mancha was perspiring freely I made him go at this pace, for I was in a hurry to see Gato, and
I wondered if he would recognise Mancha and myself and how he would act.
Far ahead I could see a crowd moving towards me, and judging by the cloud of dust they
raised I rightly guessed that this was the vanguard of the
charros
who had left the city before
