Monclova Coahuila~the way home in the New Year.


Sadly, not enough time to spend with loved ones & friends back in Texas but we were able to have our New Years Day with family & then began the New Year by returning to Mexico. Always searching for the better route, we decided to cross the border at Piedras Negras, Coahuila rather than worry about the heavy New Year's traffic on the bridges at Laredo/Nuevo Laredo. I have been to the border town of Piedras many times in years past to shop but never to venture very far or go by car through the town itself. The border crossing wait was quite brief & traffic was very light when we drove through. The streets to the highway out of town were much easier to navigate than Nuevo Laredo as well. We had an easy drive till we drove much further south & the much predicted storms were gathering behind us & towards Saltillo. At Monclova we had to drive through narrow winding 2 lane mountain roads which made us rethink our choice of highways. As we slowed going through small towns along the way people approached the car selling everything from fresh baked items to shelled pecans. Since were were stuck behind trucks of livestock & poorly loaded bales of hay we didn't save much time & arrived in Torreon around dusk. Somehow the scenery & pretty landscape broke up the long trip. I was sad at one point however to see a whole pickup truck bed of cute dancing baby goats being sold as fresh Cabrito on the hoof! They were so cute sitting there in the truck while a fire was going with 2 recent amigos cooking on the coals! They seemed to be blissfully unaware of their fate! So much for the shorter way home in Mexico. Is there a shorter way home in Mexico, or at least a path of least resistance? Not sure, also drove through Cuatro Cienegas which does bear visiting again when we have more time. http://www.vivanatura.org/Cienegas.html

Piedras Negras Coahuila~Plaza across the International Bridge from Texas