A LESSON IN TACO ZENby Autumn RheaThere�s nothing quite like sitting in an Exxon parking lot, chomping sunflower seeds, waiting for the road trip coordinator to return from retrieving his passport that he accidentally left at home - so that the Mexico adventure could begin. The stage had been set. What was it going to be � a fiasco or a fiesta? The passport was retrieved and the race to Cuatro Cienegas, Mexico�s desert aquarium, was on. Visions of cheap food and drinks, local entertainment, snorkeling activities, and of course, the search for the perfect taco, were the topics of conversation. But first we had to get there. After parking our cars in Eagle Pass, Texas, at the bus station, it was a trek to prove our American citizenship and to be awarded a ticket into Cuihula, Mexico. The customs agent quizzed our group of nine on our trip intentions, including where we were born, and a quick translation of our occupations. My passport had been through an adventure of its own in Europe and was the source of discussion with the customs agent. My story was accepted and the trip continued. The only catch was that the next bus to Piedras Negras left at 5 a.m. The schedule change allowed us some good old-fashioned bus station people watching time.
After a five-hour ride, we arrived in Piedras Negras, for a final transfer. Our mode of transportation was a poorly disguised school bus, with invisible shocks and a faint resemblance to the bus in �Romancing The Stone.� We jostled and bounced and were a captive audience for a few vendors selling their wares, including leather belts and plastic religious ornaments. Finally, the brakes squealed, the dust whirled and we has arrived.
A massive ring of mountains circled the town and in clear view, was the outline of a man in a reclined position (revealing a dead man�s profile.) The group was hungry and ready to see some of Cuatro Cienegas� sites. We dined at on glorious guacamole as well as homemade refried beans and other local specialties. Our tourist look attracted the locals� curios gazes. It seems this desert hideaway isn�t on the top ten lists to visit.
The one curious fact I didn�t get to really investigate was the traditional local rule that women were not allowed in the cantinas. The clubs were filled with older men and appeared uninviting to the passer byers. When I asked our waiter what he thought, he simply said, �That�s just the custom.� Maybe next year I�ll return for a follow-up story. Cuatro Cienegas is its own oasis where endangered species live peacefully, the mountains encircle the town, a bicycle can get you anywhere fast and you can find the perfect taco, if you just have the time to stop and taste the tortillas. FOR MORE INFORMATIONhttp://www2.planeta.com/mader/ecotravel/border/cienegas.html http://www.potrerochico.com/cuatro.htm http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Canopy/2310/snorkeling.htm |
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TM
Bus stations have always been headquarters for the homeless, as well as the bored and the searching. This bus station was no different. The metal chairs were decorated with sleeping bodies. After our entrance, my blonde hair drew the patron�s attention. I stopped at the Catholic shrine, decorated with flaming candles and prayed that the bus arrived on time. Sleep attacked me and I resorted to camping out on the floor. I�ll refrain from describing the science project that was growing on the linoleum that night. The bus screeched into the station and we were jarred from our confused bus station dream. 
The motel rooms were sparse, but efficient and well worth the $20 fee for a two-night stay. Our hosts spoke immaculate Spanish and directed us to the hotel�s amenities and guidelines. We checked in and breathed in the quiet Mexican air. A wind enveloped us and we decided to climb onto the hotel�s roof to view the well-known Montana Muerte. 
After gobbling the local cuisine, we finagled a ride to the beach. It was an interesting tailgate trip to a hidden paradise. In the middle of the Chihuahuan desert, we found four spring-fed pools. (Cuatro Cienegas means �four marshes.�) We saw various forms of life, including long-stemmed lilies, pupfish, and turtles. There are 60 species of living organisms in these lakes, (lagunas) ranging from snails to reptiles. By mid-afternoon, the pool�s floor was stirred and made snorkeling difficult. When I swam further, I found a passage where I could clearly see underwater and experience the isolated beauty. Now I understood why Cuatro Cienegas was decreed a natural refuge in 1994. 
While I admired the town�s shops and natural aesthetics, the guys in the group continued their challenge to find the perfect taco. They sampled different varieties sold by the street vendors, with barbacoa, egg, steak, chicken, habanera chilies, beans, and more. They initiated the research by each morning and were dedicated to the cause throughout the day. Samples of hot sauce were added to measure against the taco scale and it was all taken very seriously. The perfect taco, after all, could be the secret to life. 
We attended a musical festival and watched dancers stomp to the Mexican beat and the colorful costumes twirl on the historical building�s stages. The local citizens cheered and carelessly danced in the streets. They were uninhibited and unaware of the outside buzzing world. I bought a chattering group of young boys some ice cream and made instant amigos. We exchanged simple Spanish conversation, about ages and names and they chased each other around in their proud soccer uniforms.