Part 1: Sal (Spanish for salt, secondary definition): Bad luck or misfortune (Who knew!)
During the long weekend in honor of Revolution Day on November 20th, I went to on a trip in the lower mountains along the Sonoran River with friends from the Intercambio exchange program. Our plan was to go from Hermosillo north to Cananea, stay overnight in Aconchi y visit the towns of Ures and Arizpe along the way. We achieved our goals, more or less, but not at all according to plan.
First of all we had transportation issues. One, we had the departure time wrong for the bus, so we had to wait an extra hour in Hermosillo which would change our plans for the rest of the day. Furthermore, once in route, the buses were overfilled. That meant that we had to either stand or sit on the floor. Two: We didn’t have transportation to the hot springs in Aconchi. We eventually got a ride in the back of a police truck. However, we didn’t have way back. We talked with the owner of the place, who said he’d arrange transportation for us, but that ride never showed up. Three: The following day, the bus that passes through Aconchi at 11:00 for Arizpe didn’t come, so we had to take the 1:00 bus and go directly to Cananea instead of stopping in Arizpe. Four, the following day we though that the return trip from Cananea to Hermosillo was only four hours, when it was actually almost seven hours.
Sitting in the aisle on the bus (Pauline in front, me in back)...ahh the joys!Another problem we had was regarding the activities we hoped to do. In Cananea, we had hoped to go to the Copper Mine, but the workers were on strike. Thankfully we also were planning to go the museum in town. Just kidding, it’s closed on Monday. Another difficulty with the activities was our bus difficulties. We didn’t have enough time in Ures o in Arizpe. In Ures, we did go to the museum, but we only had ten minutes inside. In Arizpe, we only had five minutes to change buses and take a few pictures of the plaza.
Me in front of Museum window which says "Closed, Monday and Tuesday"
I am not imitating a pirate here, I am practicing a gesture which here means more or less: "Seriously? Really? You've got to be kidding!"
We also had housing difficulties in Aconchi. We had called a hotel to make a reservation, but were informed that it wasn’t necessary. However, upon arrival, they informed us that not only were they full (with reservations), but that the other hotels in town wouldn’t have vacancies either because of the town festival. Thankfully, that wasn’t entirely true. We found a hotel with two rooms with two single beds in each room. We took them, even though there were seven of us!
Our trip didn’t go according to plan. We had plenty of bad luck; it was a salty trip, un viaje salado!
Alberto with make due sign that says "Lodging Needed, One Night"Sal (Primary definition): extraordinarily white crystallized substance with its own unique flavor…used to flavor and season food…
The salt we add to our food serves various purposes. Salt, like other spices, adds its own unique flavor to the food. However, unlike other spices, it also accents and brings out the natural pre-existing flavors making the food more flavorful (obviously only with an appropriate amount of salt).
The “saltiness” of how things didn’t go according to plan also served a similar purpose to table salt. For example, our salty events added a distinct flavor to our trip: It made it unforgettable due to all the bad luck we had.
Another similarity to table salt was that accented or brought out the good parts of the trip. We were thankful when things actually went well and according to plan, even back things, like having seats on the bus, having double beds in Cananea to sleep in, when we finally got a return ride from the hot springs, or getting to see the beginning of the parade even though we arrived an hour after it was supposed to start.
Revolution Day Parade in Cananea
Another way it accented the good of the trip was that we took advantage of what we had. For example, we had a lot of time. While we were waiting for the bus, we played the mini slot machine and also learned various card games (Of course, I taught them Tick! Thanks Kathy…I am on the way to making it an international game. Well, at least, known among my friends!) While waiting for a way back to Aconchi from the hot springs, we had hours of relaxation in spa like waters, and when we had finished, we made a campfire to eliminate some of the evening mountain cool air.
In summary, we had a “salty” trip AND we had a great time. I will remember the beauty of the sierra and the joy of being in the mountains again, the millions of bright stars against a black night, the cold temperatures (for real!), the warmth of my hooded sweatshirt and stocking cap as well as several shots of Tequila, the celebratory carnival like atmosphere of the festival in Aconchi, playing cards, running into three people I knew from Hermosillo that weren’t a part of the trip (I definitely know too many people, right Ang?),the many, many times we posed for group pictures, the Revolution Day parade in Cananea, the smiles and laugher of my fellow exchange friends, and the blessing of fellowship.
The Exchange Gang
front center: Pauliune (France)
center row: Allan (Pachuca, Mex.), Zulma and Javier (The Baja, Mex), and Celine (Sweden)
Behind Zulma: Alberto (Hermosillo, Mex)
