Santa Maria del Rio was an hour from San Luis Potosi. There you could buy the world famous hand woven scarves which came in every imaginable color and were silky smooth to the touch. They had the most fresh and mouthwatering food at the markets. Every Sunday people gather from the surrounding towns and villages to sell their produce and hand-made goods.
On several occasions people passing by pointed and said, "Gringos!" Not in a derogatory manner, but mater-of-fact, with a hint of surprise. It was here that I finally found the necessary head gear (straw hat) which I tried all the previous day to find in Guadalajara, but to no avail. Just tear off the Corona label in front and I was good to go...to the small ranch of El Fuerte. In the van as we left, I sat in the back hanging out the window to feel the wind in my face and get some parting shots. Unfortunately for me, the people did not like the fresh cool air and started closing it for me while I was still outside up to my elbows. It's ok, I just took pictures of them instead. And they were a lovely candid bunch all squished against each other to avoid me like stale queso,so I had ample room to stretch out.
