When Will It Ever Get Warm?
Trip Start
Jan 20, 2004
1
3
165
Trip End
Ongoing
Cuartro Cienegas,
Mexico
Friday, February 13, 2004
A cloudy, cold day at Las Playitas
. Well, not all good things are meant to be duplicated. First of all, we arrived in CuatroCienegas after dark, and the wind was a howling gale. We remembered where the desert track began, so decided to try and find our way, even though the sign at the gate told us the road was in very poor condition. The first six km were great - the road seemed smoother and drier than we remembered. Then we came across the first underground spring that had flooded the road. We tried to gauge the depth, then plowed through at top speed. Piece of cake!! From there the road became progressively worse until we reached a complete washout that was four feet deep. We found a secondary track that seemed to be the answer, but it too ended in a washout that seemed too deep to risk, especially in complete darkness. With regret, we agreed that we'd have to forgo our dream of reaching "Las Playitas", but just as were about to reverse, we noticed headlights coming towards us. Two vehicles coming from the opposite direction took the washout with ease, and they assured us that we could get through (thank goodness our Spanish is gradually coming back). So, back into the van to continue our adventure. An hour to drive 12 kms, but it was worth it to be there once again.
Unfortunately, we only saw the sun one day out of the three that we spent at this desert site, so we had to plan activities other than sunbathing
Our Van braving the winds
. A hike around the lake caught our interest one day, so we bundled up in sweaters and jackets to protect ourselves from the ever howling winds. We expected to be back within a half hour or so, so didn't take any food, water or sunscreen with us. One lake became another, and yet another and then we found ourselves hopping from grass clump to grass clump in a swampy area. Three hours later we were caught out - either head back the way we came and risk losing our way in the approaching darkness, or take off shoes and socks and wade through yet another swamp. We tried not to think of what might be at the bottom of the swamp - animal/insect life or quicksand! Needless to say, we made the right decision and made it back to the van for a gourmet dinner. Another day we headed back into CuatroCienegas for some local cuisine which of course included a plateful of tacos and the inevitable refried beans. We wondered aloud whether they cook their beans with "epazote" - a Mexican herb that reportedly reduces flatulence! On February 12th we had a visit from a couple of park rangers. They warned us to be aware of any rains, as we might find ourselves trapped - the rains very quickly leave the road in an unnavigable state. The rains began that evening as we were having dinner, so we decided to pack up and head back closer to town. In the space of just an hour, with only moderate rains, the road had become a sloppy mud bath. As we plowed through some of the deep ruts, we wondered whether any of our dishes would survive unbroken, but apart from some items being tossed about, all was fine. That night brought little sleep though, as the howling winds continued unabated all night, so loud that we barely heard the coyotes yipping all around us.Well, the weather wasn't great and we didn't get any of the spectacular photos of last year, but we did manage a considerable amount of relaxing and reading - isn't that what retirement is all about? Now we're heading south - again hoping for warmer weather - and hopefully some new, exotic adventures.
