Cuatro Ciénegas, Mexico (June, 2002)

While You Are There: Everything! Check out the Visit Mexico site for what to do in this appropriately categorized “magical” town. The protected area is the main attraction, but you could easily spend many days here and not get bored.

Why It’s On My List: I lived in Mexico for five months and was lucky enough to be able to travel extensively and see a lot of the country. I adored all of Mexico and am saddened by how dangerous it has become. There’s so much history and beauty and culture. The trip to Cuatro Ciénegas stands out because it was one of the few that almost all of us teachers went on together. I taught second grade at Colegio Ingles and there were about 20 of us foreign teachers altogether. This was near the end of the school year when everyone would be leaving Mexico soon, off to new adventures. Cuatro Ciénegas was only a few hours away, so one weekend we rented three serial killer vans and all drove out there. I remember racing through the desert in those vans like something out of a movie. We rented some cabins and spent a nice weekend hanging out with each other, reminiscing about the fun we had throughout the school year, and enjoying everything the town had to offer.

For this year’s A-Z Blog Challenge, I’ve decided to showcase 26 of my favorite places in the world. I’ve only been to 22 of the 196 countries, so I’ve got some more travelling to do, but these places are well worth a visit.