Change of plans

Monday, January 5, 2009


Our original schedule was to continue from Mazatlan to Puerto Vallarta (where we have been more than once), on to Manzanillo and from there inland to Colima.
There is no toll road from Puerto Vallarta to Mazanillo, we were told by a couple from Abbotsford, who spend the winters in Mazatlan. So we decide to drive the 281 km to Tepic instead today and from there to Guadalajara and on to Colima.
The bypass road around Mazatlan is good, busy, but 4 lanes and divided. We also need to go through the town of Union. If we would be traveling by car, we would have loved to stop and shop amongst the locals. The sidewalk is crowded with stand and shops, selling wonderful pastry, camarones (shrimp) , flowers and sweets, Lots of sweets.

The morning starts out with dark clouds hanging over the beach, but as we continue it starting to look beautiful. The sky is clearing up. Ramiro prefers less sun and heat when he is driving and he has the airconditioner going full blast aimed at his face and drink Cola to stay alert. We listen to Mexican music from the radio and I am starting to feel the language getting hold of me. We use phrases containing both English and Spanish and even some Dutch.

The view ahead of us - Mount Yauco as we learn - shows lots of lush green mountains on the east.
Here and there we see workers along the road, cutting grass by hand, or digging up the road with picks and shovels. Back home we take all the fancy, convenient machinery for granted. There’s very little hard labour at home, and we have a tendence to call Mexicans lazy?
Yes, we often see them sitting around doing nothing, but when they do work, they work very hard. Usually the hardest working ones are the poorest.
Shop owner often open from 8 am to 9 pm with no one to take over for them.
Most Mexican appear to be happy, smiling people and we complain about everything and anything. We have it so good and we need to remember that.
I am certainly grateful for having the bathroom with us wherever we go. Traveling long distance is always a challenge for me when it come to this.

The toll booths here in Mexico are contracted to private companies and here the attendants seem to be less greedy on this stretch. Where we paid 25o Pesos ($ 25.00) at one booth, we pay only 122 here. We’re not complaining.
Now we are happy to see the sign Cuota (toll), because on the toll road we’re less likely to be exposes to stretches of scary road with deep drop offs. That’s when I rather not keep my eyes on the road.

We are passing the lagunas, with its many birds. It’s totally flat. Quite a contrast from the mountains on the other side. We cross the state line, leaving Sinaloa and entering Nayarit. We're surprised there have not been any military stops along our stretch of the road. They all seem to be on the northern direction.

We start to get hungry and would really appreciate a rest stop. But there aren’t any. So as flight attendant on duty, I take on the task of serving snack s and drinks while Ramiro keeps driving.

Finally we come to a toll booth where we can pull over. The spot I picked to eat lunch smells like a urinal. There are bathroom guys, why aren’t you using them? You spoiled my appetite.

We are going farther inland and the temperatures rises to 28 degrees. We’re also climbing to 1600 feet, so expect the nights to be a lot cooler.

Hey, do you know why Mexicans eat so many lemons and lime?
It purifies and helps with intestinal discomforts. Add some Tequila to it and you have a perfect disinfectant.

We enter Tepic and are confused about the directions for the RV parks. We stop and ask. We’re being send to a place I am not comfortable with. According to one of the guides this place is at a lake which was formerly a crater and is too deep for us to enter. The other place in the book is now a strip mall. We turn around and stop at a Pemex gas station to inquire. We see a North American couple and ask them about RV parks. There is no RV park here we are told. They are parked at the hotel next door. unfortunately we won’t fit in there so we get permission to park at the Pemex at a cost of 250 pesos per 12 hours. We join the couple for drinks and learn that they are from Westlock, 45 minutes from our home. We’re having a good time and great conversation. They are stranded in Tepic due to Radiator problems on their truck with which they pull a fifth wheel.
We invite them over for coffee after supper and our conversation continues until late in the evening. This is a nice change from our daily evenings.