(ABQ) and Farmington, N.M. (FMN) . Durango/Purgatory is located in the Southwest corner of Colorado, near the intersection of Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico. It's six to seven hours by car from DIA, a 340 mile drive via US-285, and three and a half to four and a half hours and 214 miles from ABQ using NM-44 and US-550.
In addition to its popular use for hangovers, prickly pear remedies have been used traditionally in Mexico for a wide variety of disorders. The heated cactus pads have served as poultices for rheumatism, and the fruit of the plant is consumed as treatment for diarrhea, asthma and gonorrhea.
Cactus leaf may help control blood sugar. Prickly pear cactus, a member of the genus Opuntia, also known as nopal cactus, grows in warm, arid parts of the world. It produces leaves -- actually flattened stems known as pads -- between four to 16 inches long. Prickly pear offers a variety of practical benefits.