Balneario: El Saltre

I make it through yet another night in México! Unmolested, unbothered, unattacted. And I’m sure everyone in the area, all 60 people, sin (without) internet and cell phones, knows of my existence here, even the negative energy estadounidense guy with the black sunglasses.

After a sunrise soak and a quick jog around the park, I am deciding to spend the day in bed today! Or at the very least, to ‘sleep in’. There doesn’t seem to be another human being here.

I have come to a beautiful little hot spring snuggled between mountains (that look like those around palm springs but the valley is not as deep) about 5 miles off the main road, I’m guessing. It seemed to take a long time to get here last night, but then I was trying to enjoy the amazing sunset and rushing to make sure I landed before total dark.

Someone has cleared a large grassy area, or maybe it’s a natural meadow, with scattered large shade trees. The tables and fireplaces are certainly manmade and placed beneath the trees.

There is a simple white fence with 2 railings and posts every 6 feet around the property, marking the boundaries, maybe keeping out cattle.

When you first enter through the gates, there are a couple of grey cement buildings on the left up against a mountain side; one is pretty large and could be a home, it’s hard to tell.

The next building is the small store with bottles and bottles of drinks, and maybe some nasty snacks and candies, I don’t know. I was too busy when I first got here, trying to understand the grumpy old man and get him to understand me, so I could park securely and in the correct place.

At the end, a little further down, are bathrooms, with the womyn’s side unlocked – yeah! – and a swimming playland that I’ve been seeing in places all over México. They must be built exclusively for the children, and not for swimming laps or any distances.

For it is not a pool per se, although there are several small pool areas where flying bodies are deposited, as they slip and slither down the many slides and water toy structures.

Opposite the pool area, outside the white fence, and down a small hill is the agua caliente. It is almost rectangular in shape, sectioned off from the rest of the water with a low stone wall, and appears to be at the edge of the same stream/river I had to drive over to get here.

The desert sun is shining so brightly, the wind blowing on occasion fiercely, and now I hear the sound of a cow bellowing, and then an engine starting. Birds cawing but that is it. I hope it is as tranquil here as it seems to be.

I use the bathroom with flushing toilets and hope it is not going into the river, bush my teeth, make coffee, and write. Maybe I’ll really take the day off and read today instead of studying Spanish!

When I warm up, I will go exploring.