is located 150 kilometers south of Guadalajara there’s an iron mine,” we had been told “and along the road to that iron mine if only for the fun of rappelling down them and a few minutes later shouting where we had no problem finding the road to the iron mine because alongside it is a very high and impressive teleferico (aerial tramway) transporting 650 containers brimming with iron ore through the air “Do you know el pozo sin fondo [the bottomless pit]?” we queried a local shopkeeper You have heard about our bottomless pit way up there al otro lado [in the United States]?” Bienvenido and drive up the road toward the mine until you come to a place called Fortín and there you will find the now internationally famous pozo.” The pueblito (a town with a population of 10) called Fortín was marked by a little shop selling refrescos (soft drinks) We asked for cold beverages and sat down with the owner What else would people do with a bottomless pit and my wife Susy walked up to the edge of the hole “I can see the bottom from here!” she complained Hoping to find an extensive cave system down below The supposedly non-existent bottom turned out to be 28 meters below the surface I was surprised to find not much garbage in it but this was explained when I proceeded to the lowest part of the room where I found a vertical passage with smooth “a lot of water goes down this hole and — I bet — a lot of garbage too No wonder they thought it was bottomless.” I slid down the lower passage for 16 meters before the tube got too tight to continue The surface of this passage was coated with rippling white flowstone suggesting that below us there must be plenty of karst the kind of limestone you get where caves abound we went back and asked Don Rafael if there were any other caves in the area there’s a big one down by the river.” remember that cave near a river you told us about Think we could find it if you give us some directions?” any chance you could show us where it is?” Since Don Rafael himself had told us that one could easily spend all day wandering inside that cave none of us were ready to give up so easily After another hour of chit-chat with a lunch break in between we finally talked him into “taking us partway.” reachable after a two-hour brisk hike down into a wide lonely canyon said to be the home of animales de uña: pumas Although the heat was stifling and it felt like our brains were frying we fairly flew down the hillside and headed upriver The entrance to Don Rafa’s cave turned out to be small and easy to miss which was a bit of a letdown until we stepped inside … It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a cave in Jalisco anything like this: a smooth borehole four to five meters in diameter that reminded us of a train tunnel Stalactites hung from the ceiling like great drops of hot fudge Because we had taken our guide away from his work (naturally we resisted the temptation to see more of the cave and headed back up the steep hill to tiny Fortín Luis Rojas and I were back in the area with the intention of camping near Chocolate Cave Don Rafa had promised to join us there the following morning for breakfast and a tour of the cave inside of which he had never dared to venture we filled our canteens with fresh spring water and then stored our backpacks inside the cave entrance bloodsucking “kissing bug” that can carry the parasitical Chagas disease we found two ferocious-looking arañas lobo (wolf spiders) whose bite is said to cause painful swelling which led us to several rooms bristling with countless Many of these were within arm’s reach and we were amazed not to find any of them broken we gazed up at a balcony that was obviously home to a good-sized colony of bats The next rooms we came to were either filled with breakdown or great heaps of sand we found deposits of fine black dust that we proved — with the help of a magnet — to be powdered iron probably washed into the cave from the aerial tramway we stood at the opening to a very large room filled with lots of chunky breakdown We both stopped and looked at each other: “Do you hear what I hear?” The sound reaching our ears was so much like the voices of people laughing shouting and playing in a swimming pool that we really expected to find a balneario (water spa) at the other end of the room We actually set out looking for these people but what we found were two streams of water on both sides of the room each heading off in the opposite direction apparently fed by a spring rising up from beneath the breakdown Were our “voices” generated by the gurgling stream on the right or were they real voices floating into the cave above the wider “river” heading off to the left As we hadn’t come prepared for water sports and the hour was late So we decided to pitch our tents here inside by tying them to a couple of conveniently located stalactites on the low ceiling With vampire bats fluttering by at regular intervals (not to mention the other critters we had seen) who had been suffering from insomnia for weeks which was suddenly interrupted in what I thought was the middle of the night … “ANYBODY IN THERE????” came a loud voice booming through the cave We prudently declined to respond and a minute later heard “the voice” again this time right outside our tents: “Here I am for my tour … let’s go!” I reached for my flashlight and looked at my watch smiling at us and opening a big thermos full of hot té de canela (cinnamon tea) Don Rafa regaled us with tales of other caves in the area: La Cueva del Salitre where we could see trout swimming about inside home to tailless whip scorpions (Amblypygi) — huge arachnids with mantis-like claws The writer has lived near Guadalajara, Jalisco, for 31 years and is the author of A Guide to West Mexico’s Guachimontones and Surrounding Area and co-author of Outdoors in Western Mexico. More of his writing can be found on his website ADVERTISE WITH MND COMMUNITY GUIDELINES Subscription FAQ's Privacy Policy Mexico News Daily - Property of Tavana LLC We have the address for the funeral home & the family on file If you're not happy with your card we'll send a replacement or refund your money Blanca Estela Lopez Gonzalez, age 38, went home to be with her Lord on March 30th, 2019. Surrounded by her Family in Ocala. Blanca was born November 15th1980, in Pihuamo, Jalisco MX. Blanca lived a life singing and smiling to the beat of her... View Obituary & Service Information The family of Blanca Estela Lopez Gonzalez created this Life Tributes page to make it easy to share your memories Available by phone 24/7 (352) 537-8111 Copyright © 2025 Roberts of Ocala Funerals and Cremations In an attempt to prevent Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) hitmen from entering their communities and attacking them residents of two municipalities in western Michoacán have taken defensive measures by digging trenches across highways neighboring municipalities that border Jalisco cut road access at La Limonera and La Pinolapa the trenches prevent vehicles from traveling through the two municipalities to Jalisco and the Michoacán coast CJNG gunmen have entered several communities in armored vehicles over the past week and launched attacks directed at their adversaries among which is a group known as Carteles Unidos Residents say that the CJNG – usually considered Mexico’s most powerful and dangerous criminal organization – has taken control of several communities in the Tierra Caliente region of Michoacán The decision to dig the trenches came after members of a CJNG cell set fire to 11 vehicles last weekend in the Coalcóman community of Puerto de las Cruces apparently to stop the entry of security forces from Jalisco after a cartel ambush Residents say the CJNG has been bringing weapons and people into Michoacán via Puerto de las Cruces which adjoins the Jalisco municipality of Pihuamo The weapons and cartel personnel are taken through Coalcóman to a community in the municipality of Aguililla where the CJNG has a base Aguililla was the scene of a cartel ambush just over a year ago that left 14 state police officers dead The attack is believed to have been perpetrated by the CJNG Community authorities told the newspaper El Universal that the cartel was also responsible for an ambush last Friday that wounded three state police The attack occurred on the Tepalcatepec-Coalcomán highway near the community of Los Aguacates As a result of the recent cartel violence in the region about 200 families decided to abandon their homes and seek refuge in safer locations Some are reportedly planning to leave Michoacán to travel to the northern border and seek asylum in the United States Some teenagers have fled their towns out of fear that the CJNG will attempt to recruit them forcibly Authorities have identified a man nicknamed “El Negrito” as well as Miguel Fernández aka “El M2,” as the main instigators of the violence in western Michoacán municipalities on or near the Jalisco border El Negrito is believed to be the leader of a CJNG cell while Fernández is the suspected plaza chief in Aguililla El Universal reported that there is video footage of the former executing presumed members of rival groups in cold blood The newspaper also said that there is footage of CJNG members setting residents on fire as a form of torture to obtain information from them about rival criminal groups Formed about a decade ago, the Jalisco cartel is led by Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, Mexico’s most wanted drug lord. It is notorious for violence and making videos that show off its significant firepower Oseguera hails from a town in Aguililla, and violence in and around the municipality last year was reportedly linked to his desire to move home. The kingpin, rumored to be suffering from kidney disease, is also wanted in the United States, where a US $10-million reward is on offer for information that leads to his arrest Source: Milenio (sp), El Universal (sp)  Municipal police officers in Jalostotitlán and Poncitlán have been disarmed and relieved of their duties due to suspicious behavior state Security Minister Juan Bosco Pacheco announced Friday State officials seized communications equipment computers and files from the offices of both forces as evidence the estimated 300 police officers will be re-evaluated and receive training in human rights and the appropriate use of force and confidence and anti-doping tests the army and the National Guard will take over local policing for an indefinite period Jalisco Governor Enrique Alfaro said investigations are underway into both police forces “We are not going to allow anyone to steal the tranquility of our people those who work to serve and care for the people of Jalisco Any person who walks a crooked path will pay the consequences,” the governor warned As many as 18 municipal police forces in Jalisco have been decommissioned since 2014 Suspicions over officers’ links to organized crime are the most common reason for removing officers from duty Just this year police forces in four municipalities have been relieved of their duties, In February, 160 officers in San Juan de los Lagos were disarmed after they were linked to organized crime. In June, police in Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos were decommissioned after a local man died of a traumatic brain injury after he was allegedly beaten to death by police officers Two officers have been charged with torture in his death and one has been charged with homicide Source: Infobae (sp), Debate (sp)