Dr. Arroyo - Peace and Tranquility

living.boondockingmexico@yahoo.com

I left yesterday morning on the bus from Santiago to Dr. Arroyo. I hadn't taken the route from Linares to San Roberto since we returned from San Miguel de Allende earlier this year. That was before Hurricane Alex had left destruction in its path. I was surprised the minute we took the turn from Hwy 85 heading west from Linares. The road was still washed out in places although it had been temporarily repaired or spots that were under construction. Many of the curves that follow the river were down to one lane.

Kevin and Ruth were leaving a few hours after me and there was no way I could warn them about the condition of the road. In the end though, they arrived safely to Matehuala yesterday afternoon.

The bus ride was a trip as usual. It is all rural areas that we were passing through so farmers were getting on and off the bus with their bags of groceries, rolls of barbed wire, a bag of cement and just about anything else you could think of. I dozed off a couple of times as the ride overall was pretty smooth. It was the quick stops for the topes that the driver would make that woke me up.

We stopped about 11 a.m. in Ascension, a small town along the highway and a guy got on board and starting to yell, "enchiladas, enchiladas a 10 pesos". I thought, dare I. No, I decided it would not be a good thing to get sick when I have to work. Big mistake. No, I take that back. Huge mistake. He sold several foil wrapped packages and once we were on the road again people began peeling back the foil and the aroma that wafted through that bus was incredible. My big regret for November 2010. I am hoping at 9 a.m. Saturday morning when we pass through there again, he will be selling enchiladas. I'll be buying some.

The bus arrived pretty much on schedule, about 15 minutes late. I walked from the bus station to the town square and to my hotel, Hotel Plaza. Nice place, very nice people and a comfortable room for 350 pesos. This is the most luxurious hotel in town.

The course started at 1 p.m. so I walked the half a block from the hotel to the education department for the key to the building I would be working in. That building was around the corner about another half a block. I think you are getting an idea of how big Dr. Arroyo is. The teachers arrived on time and we had a good time getting acquainted. After the course I had a couple of drinks in the hotel cafeteria and a dinner of huevos rancheros. My room has full cable but the internet wifi doesn't reach the room all the time so I have to do my work in the cafeteria or at a ciber cafe where I am right now. Much faster and 4 pesos for 15 minutes.

This morning I got up and took some pictures before heading off for a walk all the way around town. It took me all of an hour and fifteen minutes. I mean, the streets really end on farm land. The pavement stops and there is barbed wire and cows. I mooed at a few and they turned their heads and looked at me like, "oh god, another tourist".