We’re going on a road trip

Monday, January 19, 2009


The cool box is filled with snacks and drinks, the bags are packed and the maps and tour books ready. We’re going on a road trip.
The initial plan was to continue from here with the RV to different directions, but instead we decided to leave it sit right where it is.
We had hoped to take the PA Van, to allow us for more space and some extra legroom, but we’ll have to take the car for our trip direction Morelia.
As long as the cool box fits in the trunk and there is enough room for a change of clothes it will have to do. Joe comes along as well. Which is great for extra company and it allows us to speak Dutch every now and then.
I sit with Mom in the back and Joe keep Ramiro company in the front.
We start direction Guadalajara via the usual toll road. We turn south at Jojotepec and take the southern shore of Lake Chapala. This is new territory for us. The road runs closely along the entire lake, providing us with a nice view of the north shore of the largest natural lake of Mexico.
We stop a few times to stretch our legs, fill up the gas tank and for lunch it’s a standing reception at the hood of the car.

One we enter the state of Michoacan we turn away from the lake and head south east. The road is pretty good, but only two lanes and narrow shoulders. With the car it’s pretty easy. We seem to have so much more room.
Whenever we drive through a village all eyes are on the road for speedbumps, which are not always painted to draw attention to themfor easier identification. If we miss them we all fly with our head against the roof of the car and yell out loud.

We drive for hours and hours, through mountainous dry land. There is very little agriculture here. Some cattle and dry cornfields is all we see. We wonder what people live off here.
As we get closer to Zamora, we see a lot more agriculture and lots of greenhouses in the valley. Further east, there is even more green and many villages.
This is the land of the indigenous. There are numerous stores selling wood furniture, pottery and crafts. The deeper we get inland, the more everything changes. The houses and the towns look a lot different here than the west.

After seeing three dead horses, one dead cow and numerous dead dogs along the road, we finally reach Patzcuaro. I’m so glad we’re off the road before dark. But now we need to find a place to sleep. We work our way in the dark through the busy traffic. After a few dead end streets we finally find Posada de la Salud. No luxury, but what do you expect for two rooms at 700 Pesos.

A Posada is a very economical form of lodging. They are similar to the Inn of the earlier days. Most of them are only a one or two story gated complex, with a courtyard, around which the individual rooms are situated. The modern Posada have private bathrooms. They are very simple, but clean. To conserve energy they turn the hot water on in the morning. If you plan on leaving early it is best to let the Inn keeper know to ensure the water is hot by the time you want to take your a shower.

We walk around and find a nice place for dinner. There are vendors with baskets of pastry waking everywhere. The bakeries here are something else. We pick up some for breakfast tomorrow.