We left Guachochi a bit earlier than our usual 9:30 AM because the bike being parked right outside our room made loading everything a total breeze. We stopped at an Oxxo for a quick breakfast and then were on our way to Hidalgo del Parral – our first city since Hermosillo.
The Road to Hidalgo del Parral
The trip was a shorter one than the previous day at around three hours so as soon as we got to our hotel, we unloaded the bike, got changed, and then hit the streets on foot to explore the city. Parral was nicer than expected, considering that it is not often talked about. Even Wikitravel only has an outline and nothing else, which is unfortunate because it seems like a place with a lot of history.
We had lunch at one of the restaurants and then walked around the center and commercial areas. It also dawned upon me that I could quite easily pass for a local because in the stores and restaurants we went to, the employees would look at me when talking, even when Phil was the one responding. Even though I’m sure I looked like a deer in headlights when this happened, it was nice not to be inaccurately called “Bollywood” for a change 🙂
Templo San José
City Center
In case you forget the name of the city 😉
We stayed at the Hotel Adriana, which cost us 470 pesos (~33 CAD). The hotel was quite nice, clean, and centrally-located with underground parking that was great for the bike. The hotel’s restaurant was quite nice too and had more than just Mexican food on the menu, which is always welcome. We love Mexican food, just not every day and for every meal – like anything else.
One little mishap did occur today while we were transporting our load from the bike to our room via the tiny elevator. The visor on Phil’s helmet was open when he entered the elevator with some of the load. The visor bumped into something, causing the side to come loose and send the pieces holding it in place flying across the floor. He retrieved the pieces and made an attempt to fix it, but alas, it’s not Jesus and couldn’t be resurrected.
For now, our favourite biker is riding around with no visor and just his sunglasses to protect his eyes from suicidal flying insects. A new helmet might be in store if the current one cannot be fixed.
