It takes about 15 minutes to get from my hotel to the border at Del Rio/Ciudad Acuna. There is almost no one crossing here, at least today, and while the customs guy is intrigued by my tent - I show him a photo which he, in turn, shows to his boss - he lets me through immediately. A drive around a wall to a small parking lot and it's right into the aduana for the payment and stamping of my passport. The next building over is where I get my vehicle stamp and pay for it, as well. The whole process takes less than 40 minutes. This is easily the fastest, friendliest crossing I've done to date. I'm in such a good mood I pay the older gentleman in the parking lot 50 pesos for "watching" my vehicle and off I go...Mexico otra vez!
my first stop
The 215 mile drive south to Cuatro Cienegas is equally uneventful. I went through two road stops, much smaller and less intimidating than any I had in my previous trip. They simply asked where I was coming from and where I was going. They didn't even ask to check any papers. And the sun comes out, to boot. C.C. is a small pueblo magico, towns that usually have some historical importance, are uncommonly attractive or are in a special area. My 12 room hotel was clean, had secure parking and cost 600 pesos (about $36). And no one spoke English. the deep end right away.
at the dunes
the cave entrance
My second day I scheduled a tour with a guide I had read about in Lonely Planet and who spoke English. He showed me some ancient rock paintings and a cave where supposedly Geronimo would hide from time to time. Then off to the gypsum dunes and the pozas (natural pools), both of which make this area a special ecological zone for certain species of plants and small animals. All in all, I really like C.C. and the area. It's pretty, quiet, friendly and a great start to the trip.
November 7-16: Parras to Pinos
view of vineyards
My next stop is another pueblo magico called Parras. Once you leave the main highway across the desert between Torreon and Saltillo the road going south gains elevation and is lined with walnut tree groves and vineyards right into town. Parras is the home of the oldest continuously run winery in all the Americas (I think). I stayed at a grand old hotel called the Hostel el Farol just steps off the plaza. (For my money, if you want to see these old towns, get as close to the plaza as you can. It's worth the extra cash since that's where the action is. And that's where the old, cool historical colonial stuff is).
Sticking with the booze theme, there is an artisanal sotol shop on the plaza where I tasted their product and bought the bottle in the picture. They charged all of 75p. I'm still kicking myself that I didn't buy a dozen of these. The folks I shared it with all thought it was really good. Sotol is northern Mexico's answer to tequila or mescal, another desert plant that happens to make a great drink. I know you can buy sotol in the larger stores in Denver. 75p! that's like $4.50! But, I think I can only get this in that store. Guess where I'm stopping my next time down.
follow the blue line
My next stop was intended to be Real de Catorce, another pueblo magico. This had been on my list for some time. Completely spaced out the exit I needed and drove all the way to Zacatecas, about 300 miles. As long as I go back to Parras I can swing by there, too. The map shows my route from the border to Zacatecas. The black and red were previous trips.
I was going to call this section "A Magical Pueblo Tour" because I next went to Pinos, yet another p.m. This little town had some really narrow one way streets which is where I located my hotel for the night, a short video attached.
street on the Pinos plaza
This hotel is a work in progress, a very old building that has mine shafts you can walk through, hidden corridors, a fully stocked bar tucked away so well I never would have known it existed without a tour of the place by Lourdes, the manager. She makes an appearance in the video. There were also some really nice rooms, nicer than mine, but for 1000p vs. 450p. I'm not sure the parking will ever get much better, though. That courtyard isn't getting any bigger.
