We left in the morning from the old train station in Dolores Hidalgo - but we hopped on our bikes rather than a train - to head to the thermal pools near San Miguel de Allende, 23 miles away. The journey began with an odd proposition - a swim in hot water on a 90 degree day? So we were laughing at ourselves from the start, and I'm sure we provided an entertaining spectacle to the people we encountered along the way.
We rode through farmland on dirt roads and paths, asking for directions and backtracking frequently. Many of the fields are green and thick with young corn and alfalfa now. We passed a man who had just harvested a section of alfalfa with a scythe, and now he was carting it in a wagon pulled by a burro. We passed goats and chickens roaming freely and giant pigs tethered in the shade of trees.
While we cautiously rode our brakes down a gravelly hill, all of us sporting helmets and gloves, a boy on a too-small bike came ripping down the hill and flew by us - no helmet, no brakes - with a wild and rebellious smirk on his face. A moment later at an intersection, we asked directions from a man who had a load of six bricks balanced on each shoulder. He patiently stood there holding the bricks while we debated which way to go.
After riding for two hours and changing two flat tires (both Mark's), we flagged down a produce truck to buy some bananas and mangos and take a break in the shade.
But the pools, "Aguas Claras," did not disappoint. The natural springs are on a slight hill overlooking the wide valley, and some of the pools are cool, not hot. We floated in the refreshing water and looked out at the blue sky, then we enjoyed a barbecue of huge slabs of grilled carne de res (beef) and salchichas (sausage) with grilled onions, fresh avocado, and saltines - all with our bare hands since we had brought no utensils. We couldn't stop laughing.
The trip was superbien.
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