The Zone of Silence

Everyone enjoys a good mystery and the natural world, despite the best efforts of scientists, still manages to provide a startling number of them. The Bermuda Triangle; the Dragon Triangle; the Brown Mountain lights; the list goes on. Here, in Mexico, there is another, deep within the scorching Chihuahua Desert. The academics call it Mar de Tetys (Sea of Thetys), but the rest of the world know it by another moniker: the Zone of Silence.



Thetys is a Greek goddess, who was seen as the embodiment of water. She was the sister and wife of Oceanus and the mother of the world's rivers. She may seem a bizarre choice to lend her name to a place of punishing heat and arid dryness, such as this part of the Chihuahua desert. However, in antiquity, there was a sea here. It covered most of modern day Mexico and the USA; and its legacy is the millions of fossilized marine creatures, which litter the desert today.



To say that the area has some unusual phenomena is to understate the situation. There are more UFO sightings, strange lights, alien encounters, ghostly figures and spontaneously burning bushes in this isolated part of the desert, than there are in the entire rest of the country. There is also some unusual flora and fauna, including a purple cactus and a sub-species of desert turtle, which aren't found anywhere else on the planet.

Back in the 19th century, local farmers were telling visitors about the 'hot pebbles' that habitually fell upon the wilderness. Modern scientists are still seeing them, but they are calling them tiny meteorites or guijolas.

Studies of the soil have shown high levels of magnetite. As the name suggests, this is the most magnetic of all of the Earth's minerals. This might give you a clue as to what happens to iron in the area.



Amongst the stories is that of a ranch, close to the Zone of Silence, which is regularly visited by two blond man and a blonde woman. To all intents and purposes, they are human and they speak perfect Spanish. What makes them so strange is that they only ever ask for water and, when asked where they come from, they simply answer, 'from above'. They are also wearing raincoats, which isn't common attire in a blazing hot desert.

The family on the ranch aren't alone in meeting them. A scientific researcher became separated from his party and was lost in the Zone. He was just starting to panic, when he spotted three blond haired people, wearing 'raincoats and ball caps'. They directed him back to civilization.



This is similiar to the experience of Josefina and Ernesto Diaz, a couple of fossil hunters, who got stuck after a rainstorm induced flash flood. This was on October 13, 1975, when their truck ended up in a hole, from which they could not simply drive out. As they surveyed the problem, they were approached by tall, blond men, in yellow raincoats, who suggested that the couple get back into their vehicle.

They did so and felt the truck being lifted and pushed back onto solid ground. Thankful and thrilled, the couple left their truck to shake the hands of the men. But they were now alone. The desert stretched for miles in each direction without a sign of their assistants. There were no footprints in the sodden sand.



A TV reporter also spotted them. Luis Ramirez Reyes was travelling with a photographer, in November 1978, with a view to investigating the area for a possible feature in a programme. As the two drove along, he saw three blond men, with raincoats, at the side of the road, watching them. The photographer was driving and, to the reporter's surprise, didn't stop the car.

As Reyes pressed him for a reason why, the photographer replied with incredulity that he hadn't seen then. This alone was enough to spook Reyes, but as they continued driving into a totally different part of the desert, he saw the same three men again, standing watching. As before, the photographer couldn't see them.

Travellers through the area often encounter the ghostly figure of a blond man, who just drifts across the road or is glimpsed walking across the landscape.



However, none of this is explaining why it's called the Zone of Silence. This is because no communication devise works there. Radio waves are randomly deadened. Cellphones have no signal; walkie-talkies just transmit white noise; televisions and transistors receive nothing but static; even compasses can't find north, but spin around on the spot.

This would be a harmless curiosity, but for the fact that it also destroys the equipment of anything flying above it. In fact, publicity for this place first leaked out after a pilot, Francisco Sarabia, crash-landed in the zone during the 1930s. He claimed that his 'plane's radio had stopped working, as he flew across.



Even more dramatic was what happened in 1970, when a US Athena missile left Utah bound on a test flight to New Mexico. However, the missile overshot its landing spot. NASA observers reported that it was as if the missile was suddenly pulled off course. It continued into Mexico and crashed into pieces in the Zone of Silence.

With the permission of the Mexican government, a team of US scientists and military crossed the border to the crash site. They discovered that not even satellite signals worked there. Short waves, radio waves, television waves, you name it, it was silenced.

These are just a few of the strange stories attached to the Zone of Silence. Many theories have been proffered to explain the strangeness of the area. They range from the spectacular to the prosaic, but none have definitely solved the mystery.

The Virtual Chichén Itzá

For many people, Chichén Itzá is Mexico. The ancient Maya pyramid frequently illustrates those books, blogs and editorial, which tell the discerning tourist 100 places they should visit in their lives. It is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and was recently named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.



It has been on the vacation trail since 1843 and, on any given day, thousands flock to the area to gaze at these famous ruins. That figure is about to leap into the millions, but the visitors will be virtual (and maybe even intergalactic).

Saturday saw the launch of a brand new initiative between Google Earth and Mexico's National Anthropology and History Institute (INAH). The launch event, at Chapultepec Castle, Mexico City, highlighted an unprecedented collaboration between the two institutions. Mexico is opening up 180 museums and sites of historical importance to Google's cameras. Amongst them is the legendary Chichén Itzá.

Filming is yet to take place, but when it does, individuals will be able to sit at their home computers and still visit these sites. The Google Earth application allows web-users to navigate their own pathway through many of the world's streets and wilderness terrain. When this extra feature is installed, they will be able to walk through the Maya ruins and browse the exhibitions in Mexico's national museums. No substitute for the real thing, but as close as we can get in the electronic world.


View Larger Map

Currently, the above map is as close as Google users have been able to zoom into the Maya ruins. The new application will eventually see them right in its heart. Google's executivess are naturally ecstatic at their cool new feature. Google Latin America's marketing manager, Miguel Angel Alva, viewed it as 'a unique effort in the Latin American region and its first such project at an international level.'

But what's in it for Mexico? Hopefully, a huge boost to the economy. The endeavour is advertizing. It's marketing. It's showcasing all that Mexico has to offer and doing so on a grand scale. Google Earth has been downloaded 400 million times, so its users are likely to be double or triple that number. It's been translated into 37 languages. All of those people will now have the opportunity to explore Mexico's treasures in cyberspace. How many of them will then wish that they were doing it for real?

Alfonso de Maria y Campos, the director of INAH, explained, "Cultural tourism brings in twice the cash that sun, sea and sand tourism does, which tells us that this tourist segment travels more, has a better image of the country and above all leaves more money in non-traditional places."

Meanwhile, another Google subsidary, You Tube, has been abuzz this week with yet another aerial sighting over Chichén Itzá. Uploaded on January 24th, 2011, and filmed sometime in the preceding weeks, a tourist filmed a purported UFO over the Maya pyramid. Aliens, Google Earth starting its imaging or a weather balloon. You decide!





Chichén Itzá
Various tours, to suit every wallet or time-frame, to the most famous of all the Maya ruins.

UFOs Over Mexico

We could not discuss the solar system, in this blog, without touching upon the subject of UFOs. Mexico, as with every other country, has its sightings. Some are easily dismissed, as natural phenomena, aircraft or weather balloons. The first picture ever taken of a UFO, over Mexico, was in 1885. Upon analysis, it turned out to be high flying geese. However, some sightings have been harder to explain away or have received a lot of coverage over the years.

On July 11th, 1991, the world witnessed a solar eclipse. The view of this was particularly spectacular in Mexico. Thousands of people were filming the sky, waiting for a shadow to pass over the sun. Millions more were simply looking upwards. They were ready to see something awesome, but what many also saw took their breath away.



Did so many people, from Mexico City to Puebla, really see a spacecraft that day? The UFO was described as metallic and undulating. It had a haze behind it, like an energy haze, as it moved in the sky. A bright reflection came from it, as if shining in the sun, while a darker strip underneath seemed suggestive of a shadow. Moreover, it didn't just turn up once. It was seen annually, from 1991-1993, at the Mexico City Airshow, every September 16th.



Sceptics have supplied an explanation. The object certainly did originate from outer space, but it wasn't from an alien world. It was an alien world. The most prevalent explanation is that this particular UFO was the planet Venus.


Venus, as viewed from the Earth
Venus or UFO. You decide.

Our next story is one that was acknowledged by the Mexican Department of Defense. On March 5th, 2004, an air force Air Force Merlín C26A Bimotor 'plane, belonging to the 501 Aerial Squadron, was flying over Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche. They were searching for the unauthorized aircraft of smugglers. As a result, the crew were recording in both normal and infrared mode, while operating powerful sensors. It was a routine manoeuvre, but what happened next was anything but routine.


Crew of the Merlín C26A
The 'plane was under the command of navigation officer, Mayor Magdaleno Jasso Núñez. When, at 3.400 meters (10,500 feet), an unknown aircraft was picked up on their sensors, Núñez gave the order to investigate it. As they took off in pursuit, their information was being reported to ground control. It was also being recorded, in real time, by FLIR operator, Lt. Mario Adrián Vázquez, and RADAR operator, Lt. German Ramirez.

As they approached the position, their sensors showed that their target had conducted a 'surprising' feat of aerodynamics and then sped off extraordinarily fast. They had reached an altitude of 3,500 meters (11,480 feet). They should also have had visual contact by now, but the skies remained clear to the naked eye. The FLIR and RADAR screens were telling a different story. The readings all confirmed that there was now not just one, but 11 ojects in the sky. Yet outside the window, there was nothing but clouds.



Núñez radioed back to base, requesting instructions, as this was something far beyond the experience of anyone on board. As he did so, the sensors showed that the unseen, unknown objects had encircled their 'plane. The trained military crew on board kept calm, recording every detail and remaining in radio contact with the ground. Meanwhile, fighter jets were scrambled to intercept the objects and, possibly, rescue their colleagues in the Merlin C26A.

However, before they could arrive, the objects simply disappeared off RADAR and FLIR. The crew returned to base, where they shakily admitted to having been a little perturbed up there. Regardless of personal feelings, their meticulous professional had provided a wealth of data about the incident. General Clemente Vega Garcia, the Secretary of Defense, ordered a thorough investigation.

In an unprecedented move, the footage was also made public. Capt. Alejandro Franz pointed out that the Cantarell Oil Refinery was in the vicinity. The lights could well have been flares reflecting off the clouds. Another explanation was that they were car headlights, driving along the Yucatan headland.

Oil flares, headlights or UFO. You decide.

Peña de Bernal: A Mystical Giant Rock

In mass, La Peña de Bernal is beaten only by Ayer's Rock, in Australia. In height, it is the fourth tallest monolith in the world. One of Mexico's geological treasures, it rises 2,000ft (610 meters) from the ground, creating a beautiful backdrop to the 'Magical Town' beneath. Myths and legends about it abound.



Peña de Bernal is a natural phenomenon created from the remains of an ancient volcano, in an otherwise relatively flat landscape. It has been 100 million years ago since this was an active volcano. At that time, it would have been three times bigger than it is now. It blew itself up in the Jurassic period, when the only creatures likely to have been concerned about this were the passing dinosaurs. Unfortunately, no stegosaurus left an eye-witness account, much less photographs, so we will have to use our imagination to picture how this:



once looked like this:



These days the monolith has a much more benign reputation.

The picturesque town of San Sebastián de Bernal (commonly called Bernal) nestles at the base of the monolith. Amongst the tourists and rock-climbers, flooding into the town each year, there are the New Agers. Bernal is Mexico's Glastonbury or Sedona.

Its label, as a 'Magical Town', has a dual meaning here. The official title of 'Pueblo Mágico' was awarded by the Mexican Tourism Department. It's one of 37 so designated, since the program began in 2001. It is awarded to those towns and villages with a special significance, in terms of historical events, outstanding natural beauty or a rich cultural heritage on display. It's a marker for tourists to know where are the best places to visit. Bernal is on the list because of La Peña de Bernal.



For many though, the magic is more than just a stunning view. Energy is said to radiate out from the core of the monolith. Obsidian, amethyst and quartz are the main crystals within it. Even walking the streets of Bernal will render you soaked in this energizing, powerful and theraputic essense. It has not been lost on anyone that the average life expectancy of Bernal residents is 94 years old. The properties of the rock are believed to force relaxation and peace onto troubled minds. A sublime silence awaits those who make the pilgrimage up its very slopes. A keen perception and clarity of thought are the gifts to take away.

This thinking appears to pre-date the coming of Christianity to Mexico. Nevertheless, local missionaries were quick to capitalize on the sheer number of people wishing to climb the rock; and, perhaps, wishing a bit of shade along the way.

A capilla (chapel) was built halfway up, to ensure that any worship and meditation going on involved God. It is a tiny capilla, only big enough for one person to enter at a time. Each does so on their knees, before a small altar festooned in the candles and flowers of the faithful.

The energy of the monolith is viewed as particularly strong during Spring Equinox (usually around March 21st). This is the time of year when Bernal heaves with New Agers and spiritual questers. Thousands aim to surround the base of the rock, shoulder to shoulder, soaking up its mystical properties with the dawn. At this event, white dress, with red kerchiefs, is often de rigor amongst those gathering.

For the Christians, the whole town is transformed in a five day festival, in May. The Santa Cruz (Saintly Cross) is celebrated with a lot of fine food, dancing and music, all with a religious theme. Pilgrims pause in their festivities to shuffle forward, on their knees and under the full glare of the sun, into the Santa Cruz church. The celebrations reach their climax on the final day. This is when especially selected residents of the town pass a heavy cross from hand to hand, then anchor it on the summit of the rock.



Legends about La Peña de Bernal are plentiful. Despite geological evidence to the contrary, stories are told about how the monolith is a giant meteor, which fell from the skies and was planted in the ground.

A perennial story is that, in the right light, the shadows on the monolith form a giant arrow pointing towards a cave. Inside the cave is said to be a vast array of treasure, which is, unfortunately, guarded by a giant snake. The treasure isn't worldly. It's the knowledge of the origin and destiny of the human race; but to get to it, you first must slay the snake. It is a tale enjoyed by children, while the adults see past the literal sense to meditate upon the metaphors.

Then there is the mystical origins of a church in the town. Ghosts have often been wandering an area between Bernal and La Peña. Sometimes they are merely candle-like lights seen floating over the landscape. One day a merchant was being pursued by robbers, intent on taking his earnings. He arrived in this space and saw some bushes. He hid in the bushes, hoping that the lost souls would distract the robbers away from him. They did. In gratitude, the merchant founded a chapel on the site. Capilla de las Animas (Chapel of the Lost Souls of Purgatory) sits now right at the base of the rock.



It should also be noted that Peña de Bernal is a hotbed of UFO sightings.



For the less mystically minded, there is still a host of things to see and do in Bernal. Rappaleurs and rock-climbers disdain the hiking path to traverse the sheer sides of the monolith. Those interested in culture might enjoy the town's museum of traditional masks, while shoppers enjoy the quiet charms of Bernal's wares. Though a distinctly tourist town, its customers are more likely to be Mexican than international visitors (give or take a few extra-terrestials). Therefore the items on sale are usually more practical and 'real', than similar offerings in the resorts.

Entertainment does occur in the restaurants, bars and hotels, but an unmissable free display occurs every Friday, Saturday and Sunday (plus holidays) in the town. At 8pm, a dancing fountain is lit up, with music playing. Its colors illuminate the monolith beyond. It only lasts for half an hour, but it is charming and well worth sticking around to see.




A couple more blogs on this town and monolith:

Regions, states and towns are known for their food specialties. Bernal happens to be known for its nopales en penca and gorditas... After we were "gorditos" from eating gorditas we headed out happy and content to have spent the day in one of Mexico's treasure towns. Bernal is definitely a must see for anyone traveling this area of Mexico.
La Peña De Bernal by Abrhil Arvizu

As the evening light dwindled I looked up at the massive rock and gave a start; a glow seemed to emanate from within, outlining the jagged edges in gold... An hour later I departed, filled with the most incredible sense of well-being. I don’t know about extraterrestrials or giant Amethyst crystals, but I can say with certainty that something special is going on in Bernal.
Magical, Mystical Bernal de la Peña, Mexico by Barbara Weibel