Moving North

The trip from Durango to Parral took us from high plateau into a wide, lush river valley. We passed through a small, tree-lined village bordering the river bank in rich farm land. There is a sense of contentment here . . . needs satisfied; a good life.We encountered two gringo "bicyclistas" peddling along the highway. Now, THEIR Moms have reason to worry! There is little or no shoulder, so when these brave, foolhardy adventurers encounter passing trucks, the experience is, to say the least, risky. We've both been dealing with colds, so the drive seemed long, and tired us out. Larry was in no mood to maneuver through narrow city streets, so we stayed on the edge of the town in a motel with rooms facing out onto a pleasant courtyard. He napped while I enjoyed some quiet reading time on a bench outside.After a good night's sleep and a relaxed breakfast, we departed Parral and headed North. The easy drive brought us to a town west ofChihuahua called Cuauhtemoc and into a Mennonite-owned RV Park. This area has a large population of Mennonites. The buildings and developments reflect their presence. Though the guide books told us that the Mennonites do not speak Spanish and continue to converse in their native German dialect, the lady at the office door greeted us in Spanish and was unable to understand English.