Long Read

el desierto de oro: my 3am wander through hidden courtyards and questionable churros

@Ethan Hunt3/12/2026blog

i woke up late again because my alarm clock thought i was a sloth. that’s not an exaggeration-it beeped three times slower than usual. anyway, i ended up in this tiny town nobody maps for some reason. maybe it’s intentional. maybe the locals don’t want tourists. either way, i’m here, sweating in a t-shirt that smells like sunscreen and regrets.



someone told me that the local churro shop sells them in fruit syrups you didn’t know existed. i’m 60% sure they’re lying. i’ll keep you updated. it’s either that or i found a cactus with a face in it. both are true.



the weather’s that weird crisp air like a fridge forgot to turn on. not too hot, not too cold. perfect for wandering. or for sweating. i can’t decide. i just checked and it’s…there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. i didn’t bring an umbrella. big mistake.







i met an old bloke who said the town’s name changes every full moon. i don’t know if he’s joking or a poet. either way, he was overly enthusiastic about the ‘wildlife.’ turns out, it’s mostly feral goats. they stole my jacket. i still have the receipt. maybe that’ll help.



i heard that the почталь recommend avoiding the main street at night. sounds like gossip i shouldn’t have ignored. maybe it’s true. maybe the street’s haunted by a guy who used to sell binoculars. who knows? i’m not afraid. i’m a digital nomad. i survive on motivation and strangers.



here’s a thing: if you get bored, the nearby beaches are just a short drive away. not the grand canyon. the actual sandy ones. apparently, there’s a guy who sells cone-shaped ice cream cones shaped like dinosaurs. why? i don’t know. i didn’t ask. i just took a cone shaped like a tyrannosaurus. it was delicious. mostly.



someone told me that the local diner has a secret menu. again, this is hearsay. but if you’re here, dm me. i’ll send you the coordinates. probably. i’m not great with commitments.



i made a photo album. it’s messy. there’s a picture of a goat in a tutu. another of me trying to eat a churro without melting it. another of a street sign that reads ‘do not enter if you’re a debit card.’ i’m 70% sure that’s satire. either way, it’s good signage.



links: check out the town’s Yelp page for reviews. honestly, just google [town name] + ‘ dining’ and you’ll find chaos. [yelp.com]. tripadvisor has a write-up about the ‘best time to visit’ which is probably never. [tripadvisor.com]. for maps, i swear by [openstreetmap.org]. it’s less accurate but more…authentic.



i’ll end here because i forgot to pack water. again. next time, i bring a camel. or a flock of goats. same thing.



p.s. the air smells like wet stone and possibility. also, maybe someone unpacked fish. don’t worry, i checked.


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About the author: Ethan Hunt

Advocate for mindful living in a digital age.

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