Hotel Gobernador Durango

... when you step back and watch is that there really is no difference. The language may be different. The color of one's skin may be different. Even the tools may be different. But the one thing that is not different is that we all have the same basic needs and as those needs arise, the similarities bubble to the surface. For me, the beauty in people comes from watching every day situations unfold and hopefully I am there to capture it with my camera.

Accommodation

Hotel La Siesta, Acuna No. 9, Tel: (01 842) 422-0374. Their current rates were 300 + 400 peso for 1 or 2 persons. The small, en-suite rooms come with cable TV but are a little overpriced for what's on offer.

... comes from Kansas. Sunday is convention. It is amazing how this small home converts into a very fitting convention place. About 50 gather for the three meetings. 7 are workers. Jon speaks in both the morning and evening meetings. Two profess. Torreon is and arid and desert town - but today we enjoy a thunderstorm!! Last year it only rained twice all ...

... for the night. They have three boys and have just presented me with a gift from mexico. Friday has been quite free. Spent a couple hours "touring". Tortilla factories; men renovating houses. Early supper we went to Sra. Moreno's for supper. Her husband does not profess, but she stays faithful. A few of us drove to the park and played soccer till it was dark.

... had some basic English and beckoned me to get on board his camionera ... at which point he promptly proceeded at pace to try and catch up with another larger bus ahead up the road which was already on the move , shouting "I get him to take you". Goodness knows what the other passengers thought as he veered from lane to lane trying to pull level with another large bus (which Iīm pretty sure wasnt going to Chupaderos anyway) to catch the ...

... very basic; a few wooden chairs, tables and a TV in the corner. The Mexicans really do know how to party; lots of hollering, clapping, shouting, stamping feet and swearing (I did quite abit of that myself). At the end of the night I ended up in a club that played some good tunes (one of my faves being 'Gasolina'...top, top tune with a thumping bass and beat). That one got me started for a boogie. Conversation, as I knew too well wasn't going to be easy with my poor (but ...

... sprayed me with slush as I struggled on, gripped by the exhiliration of lunacy, until ten kilometres into the journey, I arrived at the crest of a hill to be greeted by a mass of black cloud which loomed over the mountains to the west. On the hillside below a gang of workmen scraped ice from the road with shovels. In a week in which several indigenous Tarahumara people had died from the effects of cold, to have continued would have been reckless in the extreme. I ...

... envious of the french girl who looked like she was taking lots of great photos without any problem feeling awkward - and she could speak spanish - pah!). The time for the superman bit. The train apparently regularly runs about 2-3 hours late (donīt ask me why they donīt change the timetable?!) and I donīt know the reason? Scenery on the line? Anyway, we pulled into Creel at 5, I literally crossed the tracks (and felt naughty after ...

Well... we left Christoval and headed for the Texmex border on Wednesday. The temperature was well into the 100s so we decided to stay at Lake Amistad in Del Rio, TX before we hit Mexico. Took a swim, ate some quail and guacamole, drank a couple a beers, smoked our stash and watched heat lighting all around us. Slept great- dogs didnt however--loads of fire ants! Next morn we hit the border at 7am...got the green light(no search) and spent almost 3 hours getting ...

... plaza') as opposed to the grassy lawns that we are used to, although they still provide a shady respite from the hustle and bustle of the busy streets. We ended our 'tour' with a look at the old aquaduct which stretches across the south of the city. We both thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Zacatecas - it was such a welcome relief to have a day off from travelling and we agreed that it was the prettiest place we had visited so far in Mexico. Andrea and Dan