The Hospitality of Torreón

Awhile back, in A Note on Safety I cited the goodness of the world in the list of things intended to reassure folks of our safety and security during this trek. There are, to be certain, folks who intend harm upon others. However, I think they are greatly outnumbered by those who are either apathetic toward strangers and those who seek to assist.

In the short time we've been here, Torreón has demonstrated itself to contain very hospitable folk.

A bit after we first rolled into the city, we decided it would be good to pull over and consult the map. The bikes were feeling the heat -- and so were we -- so we both wanted a bit of curbside shade. Nick's curbside shade happened to be in front of Enrique's house. At this point, of course, we had never met (or heard of) Enrique; he happened to come home, though, as Nick and I were consulting the GPS. Wanting to make sure Nick's bike wasn't blocking his garage, we greeted him. Not only was he not worried about the motorcycle, he inquired about our trip. Hearing we had just rolled into town and hadn't yet found a hotel, he pointed us toward a quaint part of town and recommended a lovely hotel. He then extended his hospitality further by recommending an excellent eatery. I gave him a contact card and we parted ways.

Who knew? Don Quixote and Sancho Panza -- two of my favorite characters -- sally forth just a block away from Taco Taco.

Unfortunately, the hotel was fully booked, but there were several others in that part of town, and Nick and I were quickly situated in adequate accommodations. As soon as I logged into the wifi, I found that Enrique had already sent a couple messages via WhatsApp, checking in, offering assistance should we need it, and sending links to the hotel and restaurant he'd recommended. Later, when Nick and I headed to Taco Taco, per Enrique's suggestion, we were discovered by Enrique and his family who has decided to dine there that evening as well. He also ended up recommending a walk down Matamoros street on our way back to the hotel. It was all quite lovely.

The full moon rising over a sculpture in the plaza on Matamoros Street.

When we finally arrived back at the hotel and were preparing to lock the bikes together for the night, the neighbor from across the street came over to chat. I've unfortunately already forgotten his name, but he offered his gated garage for the security of our bikes overnight. We were inclined to take his offer, but after a bit more discussion it seemed more suitable to move them to the sidewalk in the entryway of the hotel. We continued chatting, though, and learned that he was quite a well-traveled fellow: with voyages all over the Americas and Europe. A really friendly and interesting guy!

Más seguro que la calle!

And although I'm highlighting Torreón in this post, I should also mention the clerk at Hotel El Camino Real. When she saw we were from Kansas City, she happily pointed out that she used to live in Salina and Hutchinson. Small world! It was fun to connect about life in the Midwest.