Yes, and developed and touristy meant generally a $2 per person charge or less. Very inexpensive and still very laid back compared to the US.
-Denise > Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2010 07:23:18 -0700 > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [Texascavers] Golondrinas update > > I was down there last week. I ignored the kids who clearly wished to sell us > on car watching or guiding or something. The upper entrance to the cave > seemed pretty simple to me. No one mentioned charging for pictures, and > everyone was friendly. It's a little awkward having to enter the cave from > above, but I guess it makes some sense that the village that contains the > cave also contains the entrance (not sure that's exactly what's going on). > > Having to be put on a leashed to peek over the edge seemed a bit strange, > though some non-cavers in the group appreciated the security it provided. I > found it to be inconvenient because only one or two people could peek down at > a time. And the guy who held your leash said at the end that there is no > charge for security steps, which is code for "tips accepted." So we tipped > him. The cave still very much pleases, and the platforms are well-away from > the pit. > > We also visited Micos, Tamul, Tambaque, Cueva Linda, Las Pozas, Xilitla, > Tamtoc (newly opened ruins--thanks for the idea, Walt), and La Pesca. While > there was plenty of new development around most of these since the last time > I was there, all seem to be intact and valued by the developers. > > Seeing change is hard, I know, but I felt pretty okay with the kinds of > changes I saw at these tourist sites. Underneath the superficial > developments, it's the same old Huasteca. > > Dale > > > From: Greg Passmore <[email protected]> > > Subject: [Texascavers] Golondrinas update > > To: [email protected] > > Date: Thursday, March 25, 2010, 9:40 PM > > Went to Golondrinas a couple times > > this week and there is a lot of new commercial > > activity. Three local communities are in a dispute > > about who controls access to the cave. The older, > > lower entrance is now closed and the upper entrance is very > > commercial (think US border crossing). Fees are > > charged for looking in the pit, rappelling, etc. We > > were told our photography would cost us $500 US per person. > > We have visited many caves in the Xilitla area over the last > > two weeks and have had to pay fees for parking, rappelling > > and looking. Nothing necessarily bad about financially > > helping the locals, but all the caution tape, wooden > > platforms and scores of kids asking for money to watch your > > car have dramatically changed the personality of the local > > experience. Just a FYI for anyone coming down here. > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Visit our website: http://texascavers.com > > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] > > For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected] > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > Visit our website: http://texascavers.com > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] > For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected] > _________________________________________________________________ The New Busy is not the old busy. Search, chat and e-mail from your inbox. http://www.windowslive.com/campaign/thenewbusy?ocid=PID27925::T:WLMTAGL:ON:WL:en-US:WM_HMP:032010_3
