It was a cool and bright morning in Durango after a night of rain and thunder. I ignored the thick red line on my map and headed north west towards Santiago Papasquiaro. A nice two lane road through the hills. Corn fields and ranches. Interesting rock formations and roadside caves converted to shrines. I heard that the road would eventually lead me back to highway 45, my map showed nothing. North of Tepehuanes is a sign pointing to "Santa Maria Del Oro", and there an amazing road begins. It is bright and pristine, smooth and shining, poured-in-place concrete. It passes through beautiful valleys, with one small village of decaying adobe houses, log cabins and a few corn fields. It wraps up and around rocky cliffs and rugged mountains. Further north there are a few ranches. There are very few cars, no big trucks, no busses, a beat pick-up here and there. This must be one of the best roads in Mexico. It dissapears as suddenly and mysteriously as it appeared. When it reaches Santa Maria Del Oro, a typical town of concrete buildings selling ranch supplies and truck parts, it turnes to crummy broken up pavers, and then to asphalt infested with rim bending spoke breaking pot holes.
Why is this most perfect, almost irridescent, road here? Whete did it come from?
Back on the thick red line that is Highway 45 the asphalt was dark and depressing, construction zones were ever-present and inescapable. Fortunaly it wasn't raining, dust clouds are better than slick mud.
Arrived at the Hotel Moreira in Parral with it's big windows and good restaurant.
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| Parral |
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