Remarkable story

In the pursuit of remarkable moments

Ralph is a very interesting man. When I gave him a tour, he was around 75 years old and had traveled all over the world. He comes from a family that made a fortune in the 19th and 20th centuries in New Jersey in the horse saddle tool industry, later as the blacksmith for boat candle rings, and so on. He knew Mexico very well, having had many journeys in various stages of his life. Eventually, he bought a house to retire in Vallarta.

He wrote to me because he was coming to Mexico City, and although he knew the historic center well, he wanted to walk it with me. He wanted to see the offbeat side, away from the touristy spots, the real areas where locals buy spices, the plazas that aren't yet made up, where there are no guides, where we can have coffee in a still-authentic place. I took him up and down the Merced area, around the Aguilita plaza, the fabric-selling zone with Lebanese vendors, the old pulquerias, and the first hospital on the continent. He loved it. After all the walking and good conversations, we became good friends, and he invited me to dinner at Maximo Bistro before it became viral and sought after by the trendsetters.

We had a great time, and the dinner was great. I will never forget his wise gaze and his way of judging meals and experiences. At the end of the dinner, I thanked him for the treat and he said: “The meal was good, but not remarkable.” We finished dinner and made plans to go to Tepoztlán the next day.

At that time, my Tepoztlán tour involved driving in my small car, passing by my client, driving to Tepoztlán, parking, and climbing the natural stepped trail that begins with cobblestones and becomes challenging, full of irregular stones enveloped in the typical heat of Morelos. It was an admirable walk; we walked at his pace, slow but steady. His age and physical condition limited him a lot; he wanted to go faster but asked for breaks to rest. He would ask me, 'How much is left?' Each time, we saw the summit getting closer, but the zigzagging path made it seem endless. I always told him, 'Almost there, a bit more, around the bend, two more bends,' and so on. Until it was clear that we were close, so he decided not to give up.

For hours, we would look up and see this. Photo by Enrique Amaya on Unsplash

We reached the top. At the Tepozteco, at the mountain's summit, there are a couple of pre-Hispanic constructions with an incredible viewpoint that opens up to the towns of Tepoztlán and Amatitlán, as well as, in the far distance, the clouds hinting at the southern part of Morelos. We arrived, he wiped off the sweat, sat down, and recovered. He thanked me. We descended and ate quesadillas with ice-cold Coca-Cola at my favorite spot at the beginning of the trail. We drove back to Mexico City while discussing foreign policy, migration, botany in Mexico, and business ideas like exporting mezcal.

Before heading back to Mexico City we would just buy local icre cream from Tepoznieves and sit at this church's front yard. Photo by Enrique Amaya on Unsplash

When we said goodbye, he shook my hand and said, 'Thank you, Gabriel, for a remarkable experience.' In his review, he greatly appreciated that I managed to get him to the top of Tepozteco. He never imagined doing something like this at his age and in this condition, but here we are, remembering that we accomplished it. And this is what I mean by memorable and remarkable experiences that go beyond good restaurants and monotonous and massive activities that others offer. Here is where I realized more that my tours had that special something, and it wasn't just the tour itself but the person facilitating it.

So I continued with the tours, knowing that we should strive for a remarkable experience for our guests but also for me and our guides. And there's nothing I could be more grateful for than having a job like this.