Ojo Caliente

The first European to visit Ojo Caliente was Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, about whom you can see a good eponymous movie.

Retrato de
Álvar Nuñez Cabeza de Vaca

Shipwrecked in 1527 somewhere in Florida, he and his African slave walked (!) to Mexico City. On the way he made a detailed and meticulous reord of what he saw. This included many Indian cultures that would be wiped out by European diseases. Estimates vary, but as many as 60,000,000 may have perished by the middle of the 16^th Century. This was already underway when Cabeza de Vaca came through, and he did note deserted towns. Why on earth he went to the upper Rio Grande I don’t know, but he named the place Ojo Caliente, which I think is a pretty general term for hot springs (it means “hot eye”). Anyway, he described the salutary mud-baths that the Indians loved, which are still available at the big spa.

My reservation was lost, but I was able to stay a half mile away at a cheaper and more commodious B & B, where I was the only guest. They even gave me a discount for letting the breakfast cook have a vacation. And the main spa’s management gave me free use of the facilities for two days, including extras I would not have purchased, which amounted to about $75 worth of free services. On night one, they gave me a private, outdoor, arsenic pool, complete with Kiva fireplace. (For some reason, the arsenic in the water is thought to be good for you – they also have pools heavy in iron and others in sodium.) With the piñon logs crackling, I looked at the stars some more, then went to the hottest pool to finish up. They also have a sauna and steam-room and Swedish wrap, also complimentary, which I accepted the following day. The old hotel where I would have stayed is on the historic treasures list, which may have something to do with its lack of private bathrooms (they figure you can bathe in the pools, and the toilet is down the hall). There is a very creditable restaurant, however, not too pricey and very friendly. The whole thing was built by that congressman guy. Hotel much as it was a hundred years ago, I suppose. The rest of the spa is, of course, much more up-to-date, and getting more so.

Out on the road in Ojo Caliente is a superb little café, the southerly of two, called Café Taquita, as I recall. If you ever find yourself passing through, give it a shot. Real northern New Mexico home cooking. Home-grown chilis and genuine sopapillas (fresh fry-bread),

served by Spanish ladies of winning temperament.

On south through Santa Fe and past Albuquerque to lodging in the quiet and aptly-named town of Socorro. What a lovely state!