4 p.m. We're traveling the route around Saltillo. Augustus counted 37 cars on the train we passed over. At the intersection of 57 to Matehuala and 40 to Saltillo there were several large industrial operations. There were dozens of long, low buildings, maybe chicken pens. We passed a convoy of about 30 camouflaged vehicles packed with camoed soldiers. A big mining operation is taking apart the mountain to the east. Toll booth was only 31 pesos. It's a good divided highway - we don't mind paying for it. Every little bridge is named - Rojas, Carbonera, Chorro, etc.
The clouds were strange over the mountains. They looked mostly cumulus, but with haze that we suspect was pollution. Dad explained how the original Saltillo tile was made by firing the kilns with old tires. Now they have a cleaner method to simulate the same finish. Our ears popped as we wound up the mountain. The road cuts ranged from black to white to yellow, and the mountain was topped with shrine-filled grottoes. The kids were envious to see that traffic in the other direction got to go through a tunnel. The fence along the highway has for many miles been sturdy white cement fence posts. We came to a pinon area. There were huge Joshua tree kind of plants - taller than telephone poles. Grandpa said they should be called Moses trees. Augustus pointed out a cowboy - vaquero - on a horse herding his cows. There were fences made of lush prickly pear cactus. An apple orchard covered by tents. Many large fields, the kind that are worked with tractors. We came over another mountain to a whole valley of huge greenhouses. Rain to the east.
Another toll booth - 50 pesos. Entering state of Nuevo Leon. Raindrops. Rain. Regular T posts. Glimpsed fascinating display fo wood statues, maybe made from Joshua trees. Heavy rain.
San Rafael - lots of trucks. Ubiquitous Oxxo corner market, kind of like Circle K. Occasional signs for "ejidos," - socialistic farms for poor people that we don't know too much about. Signs "No tire basure," and they don't. The highways are very clean. Cholla and chaparral.
- Naomi
5 p.m.
Elena, Caleb, and I are playing a game. There are lots of Joshua trees, and mountains in the background. It's rather frustrating because there are no mile markers to tell where we are on the map.
- Ginger
Well, we stopped to buy gas finally. Naturally the girls made a potty break. The boys looked at the food in the convenience store - except Caleb, who stayed in the car. I was the first in the bathroom - a free bathroom with no toilet paper. A lady noticed me looking in each stall and asked if I needed paper, pulling tissue out of her purse. I told her I had some in the car, spacibo. . . uh, gracias. She laughed. People here are friendly and smile back instead of giving you a stgrange look.
Mom went shopping hungry to get some Coahuila sweets, Tejate with nuts. Have to experience the trip with all 5 senses. Yup, Mom as a list/description of the cuisine of the area - yucca flowers, tejate, and something about chicken with pinon nuts. And now we can see why! In Texas there were yucca plants, spiky and strange-looking. As we get farther down they get bigger, as if each time someone cuts one head off 2 more grow in its place. Now they are 1 - 30 headed monster Joshua trees. We suspect that's where the yucca flowers come from. Awhile later we saw pinon trees, chicken houses, apple orchards, and corn. Strangely, there were century plants growing in rows as if cultivated. Can't imagine why.
I love the mountains, the different shades of the layers, the smooth points, the shadows of the rigged parts, and most especially the cloudy haze over and around them. They look so tall and mighty, something that only happens in a fantasy movie like LOTR. It has been raining, and now we reap the benefits: a short rainbow appeared in front of the mountain, landing in some lucky guy's backyard desert. It is beautiful with the green trees, Dr. Seusy Joshua trees, colorful rainbow, green textured mountains, blue textured mountains, darker blue fluffy clouds with even a big of blue sky peeping through. It is amazing, but it's real, something that only happens in a calendar.
- Angela
We went to a hotel with three hard but OK beds. The tile was fun to slide on. There was a nice big window. To get into the parking lot we went in through a hallway and popped out in the parking lot.
After putting all of our belongings in the room we went out to dinner. The restaurant was just around the corner. They gave us a free sample of what we were going to eat. First they served the grownup table I was at the grown up table. While we were eating the others were looking at us. I was wondering if they were going to feed the others. On the plates there was rice, lettuce, beef, avocado, and an onion. We also got a bowl of beans. That was kind of hot for me. I ate the beans, then I took a bite of tortilla, then I took a sip of lemonade.
- Elena
We drove to San Luis Potosi over good toll roads The roadsides are all clean, lots of traffic; everywhere we look it looks prosperous just like California in the '40s. Mexico is a tremendously rich country in natural wealth; maybe they are going to use it. Mostly creosote bush and yucca.
-Grandpa
Motel in San Luis Potosi
Restaurant in San Luis Potosi
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