Part of the hot spring at Pica
Yayy I can check another thing off of my list- I got to go to Pica this weekend! I freaked out for a minute because we were supposed to leave at 10 and noone was awake at 11, but I tried to remember my own advice about Latino time and sure enough we left the house by 1:00! We stopped at Santa Laura on the way where there was an abandoned mining town. The way things were run was just the way our coal mines were run in West Virginia with everyone living in the town run by the mine owner. Everyone who lived there worked in the mines and got paid with token kinda things so they could buy food from the store on the property. I think the salt mine stopped production when the Germans figured out how to produce it synthetically. Anyways, it was interesting to see.
Then we went on to Pica, an oasis town. We drove and drove and drove and saw nothing on either side but desert for a long time, and then all of a sudden there was a tree, and then another, and then a whole little town full of fruit trees and flowers! The thing I wanted to do the most was go to the hot spring. The water was nice and warm but not really hot, and it was beautiful- little caves and everything. I just wish there weren’t so many people. There were a ton of kids splashing around, and I really just wanted to relax. Haha I sound so old! Camilo put the “medicinal mud” all over my face. I might just be imagining it, but I think my red nose really was better after!
I also had the best juice EVER! Well in the morning for breakfast I had fresh squeezed orange juice, and I intend to never buy orange from a carton ever again. Then before we left Pica I had fresh mango juice. Ahhh sooo good. Mango is my favorite fruit and I love that I can have it here whenever I want and it’s not even expensive! I’m beginning to realize that it will be a very rude awakening when I step off of the plane in Pittsburgh in a few weeks with my sweater and boots and no mangos haha. I’ve also recently become obsessed with avocado. They eat it with everything here. I think I’ll be changing my normal menu when I get home because of this trip!
Me and Camilo (Juanca and Elba's son) at Santa Laura. Yes, I know my sunglasses take over my face.
Mmm I had mango con leche (milk) and they had natural mango juice- both were amazing! I wish I could have this everyday!
I wasn't able to fully capture the beauty of the desert sunset
