We drove thousands of miles in New Mexico and had some wonderful meals, but as it turns out, our favorite place was the tiny outdoor Taco stand tucked into one end of a parking lot in Espanola, the nearest town to our inn.

The stand was very small, you order through a tiny window and have to bend down to be heard.

There were three picnic tables outside, and when or number was called, we took the food to one of the tables to eat.

The food was just perfect, we loved the chicken tacos.. The mean cost about $9. We often ended up having lunch there on our way from various treks beyond our town, even on chilly days.

This scraggly, skinny and worn out couple kept finding us there. I could smell the alcohol on his breath from a mile away. He said he needed $5 for a burrito for him and his girl friend, I have little doubt they were users, drugs and alcohol, waiting for some tourists with a fancy camera to come by.

I could also tell they were very hungry, the eyes don’t lie about that. I didn’t want to sit and eat there while they were so hungry – she was sweet and genuine, but desperate. I have them $ 5 a burrito, and I watched them order it and eat. They were definitely hungry.

They were at the taco stand every time we were there, and each time, I gave them money for a burrito. The last time, I slipped her $20 while he was ordering his food. I suspected she would never see the money – it would go straight to alcohol – unless I gave it to her, and this was confirmed by the secretive way she hid it from him, slipping  it into her pocket.

We both loved the stand, we felt at home there. I got to like this couple, we talked about the weather and food and life back in upstate New York, where they had never been.

Maria just loved the food and we liked the feel of the place.

I took this photo of her with my I phone and loved it so much I made it the Home Page photo.Sometimes you get a photo that just captures the spirit of someone you love, and this was it.

We miss New Mexico, it got into our heads and souls.