The plan was to head to the archaeological site at Paquime, which opens at 9:00. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen on Mondays. In a bit of a panic, I went into the offices and learned that the sites director and assistants would be arriving after 1:00 p.m., so we headed down the road to another Mormon settlement to look around and kill some time.
The gleaming white Mormon Temple, surrounded by brilliant green grass and flowering trees stood in distinct contrast to the browns and tans that prevail in the surrounding area.
We strolled about the grounds, admiring the trees, the adjacent fortress McMansions, and the spectacular view from the hillside. A handful of Mexican laborers were working on the grounds.
One of the faithful emerged from the building shoeless, and near the doorway put on his shoes, which had been sitting there. He came over and introduced himself as John Hatch. I had just finished rereading God’s Middle Finger, by Richard Grant, a book that explores the lawless Sierra Madre and surrounding areas. The author had hired John to guide him through the area and his name — and that of his father, Dr. Hatch — figures prominently in the book.
I asked John if he was the John Hatch from God’s Middle Finger and he chuckled, adding that the book included a strong dose of hyperbole. We chatted for about 15 minutes about the many visitors that hire him to explore the region. He noted that European visitors are especially knowledgeable about and interested in Apache history. (After being routed from the Southwest United States, Apache groups migrated south to the Sierra Madre and reportedly lived there into the 1930s.)
Safety. John asked if we felt unsafe in this part of Mexico. Standing in the brilliant sunshine outside under the golden angel Moroni, we felt pretty safe and said that we indeed never felt unsafe thus far.
He encouraged us to head down the road a bit and head to the tiny pueblo of Mata Ortiz, which is famous for its pottery.