All good things must come to an end

As with all good things, our week at Potrero Chico passed much too quickly and we are winging from the sunny winter Nuevo León desert to the dark rainy Pacific Northwest. No complaint, just a statement of truth. Lots of things to look forward to though - skiing (snowboarding), ice climbing, snowy winter treks, etc.

After a great morning of climbing on Wednesday, we met Milton and Homero who were the hospitality crew to take us to some natural hot springs. We piled in Homero's white Suburban and as we were on our way out of Hidalgo, the first stop was at a tienda to pick up cerveza for the ride through the hot, dusty desert to the hot springs. Tecate in hand, Homero assured us that our safety was his first concern as it would be suspect if he, or any other Mexican would be observed driving without quaffing cerveza. Our fears assuaged, we settled back for a very interesting ride through the dry, but geologically interesting desert.

Tomcat preparing for the ride through the desert

 We drove on a combination of dirt and paved roads, passing through numerous surprising spots where the unground aquifer unexpectedly breached the surface resulting in life-sustaining green oases, supporting birdlife and flora while providing watering spots for domestic animals. We passed through a few small, tidy pueblas each supporting several drive-through "mini-supers," providing easy access to the purchase of cerveza and other essentials without the nuisance of exiting one's vehicle. During our ride to the hot springs we frequented one of these establishments, though we opted for a full stop to facilitate a complete liquid exchange.

Entrance to Termas de San Joaquin in the middle of the Coahuilan desert

We passed from the state of Nuevo León into the neighboring state of Coahuila, and about an hour and a half after leaving Hidalgo we arrived at the tidy parking lot of Termas de San Joaquin, a hotel/spa/hot springs complex, situated directly in the middle of freaking nowhere! Prior to departing on the afternoon's excursion, Milton had asked us if our preference was to visit the Termas de San Joaquin, where admission was a princely 135 pesos ($10), or another nearby hot springs where the admission was 25 pesos. Milton recommended the former and when we were presented with his objective review of the two establishments which included reports of suspect coliform counts and possible broken glass in the pool-bottoms of the latter, we unanimously accepted his counsel. However, we were not expecting what we experienced at the Termas de San Joaquin after we paid our admission fee and descended through a circular ramp lighted with diffuse natural light filtered through artistic stained glass, to the entrance of the subterranean thermal pools.

On the circular ramp to the subterranean baths

Stained glass portal to the world

When we opened the door at the end of the long, dimly-lit hallway leading to the pool, we were greeted with the warm, humid, sulfur-smelling atmosphere of the most amazing baths any of us had ever experienced! Tomcat and Marty, who are both carpenters and well-experienced in the construction trade, commented on the impressive multiple barrel arching of the roof construction in the baths with meticulous brick and tilework, supported by columns spaced at intervals in the pool. The baths were lit entirely by natural light, again filtering into the cavern through colored glass portals at the apex of the barrel arches and around the perimeter of the room where wooden benches, changing rooms and a shower were located.

Thermal baths at Terma de San Joaquin

Barrel arched ceiling of the baths

 The bath was fed at one end by an influent of thermal water at a temperature of about 40 deg. C, and exited at the other where the water temperature had cooled by perhaps 4 - 7 deg. C. We luxuriated in the meter-deep pools for about an hour, allowing the curative waters to work their magic on our tired muscles, desert-dry skin and limestone-rock-abraded hands. Milton joined us in the baths and at the end of our session entertained and educated us with interesting information about the baths, Mexican history and culture, and the environs surrounding the locale. He informed us that it was important to leave the residual sulfur and other healing minerals of the baths on our bodies for as long as possible to gain maximum benefit of our bath experience, and advised against subsequent bathing too soon. All but Marty, Steve and Ashley heeded his advice, and as today's travel day has progressed we have noted that the bathed-three, as well as other travelers, have afforded us wide berth as we've proceeded on our journey, and Julie, Tomcat, Gregg and I have noted seemingly ever-more-frequent wafts of odorific sulfur emanating from our persons as our natural sweating expels the healing salts!

Homero y Los Andinistas preparing to return to Hidalgo for a cabrito fiesta

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Location:Somewhere in the air between DFW and SeaTac