Around Jocotepec

Monday February 23

No we spend a little bit more time at the RV park we are getting to know our fellow campers better.
We have already met Dave and Sonia from western British Columbia who were our neighbours but moved to a shady spot. Now our only neighbours are Louise and Jerome from Quebec, who joined us to the Rotary meeting last week.

And then there is Kevin who came with his little A-Frame trailer pulled by his truck in which he carries his dirt bike. He has things set up pretty neat. His outdoor shower is hooked up to the water line and with a suction cup the shower head is attached to the window on the back of his camper. Over some ropes attached to the trees he hung a plastic curtain around his shower where he also hides a porta potty. A pretty neat invention. Kevin is by himself and enjoys meeting other people.

The couple that impress me the most, are Irwin and Isabel. This young couple is from Switzerland. In September of 2007 they shipped their 4 wheel drive by container to Buenos Aires, Argentina and have since traveled through all of south America, they are working their way up to United States Canada and hopefully Alaska. I say hopefully, because they explain, that once you leave the US as a traveler for such a lengthy time, you may not re enter. I am not familiar with the details, but they could be right. Their Landrover has a sleeping compartment on the top, which they unfold and can only enter from the outside. Everything is pretty compact and they have less to worry about then when we are traveling with our big rig. But I like the fact that I have my bathroom nearby and know that I can take a shower every day. And if it rains, well, Then we just watch TV or movies inside.

Dave and Sonia have organized another potluck supper, a chance to meet the people on the other side of the RV park.
We always wondered about the only other Albertans who have been here for quite some time. This week we finally get to meet them. They introduce themselves as Gayle and Jim, from Spring Lake, Alberta.................You’ve got to be kidding. We travelled all the way to Mexico to meet our own neighbours?

From the eight Canadian couples, four are currently working on their permanent residency status. I can understand why. Once you have lived here for a few months, you never want to go back to the snow. We all enjoy the gentle climate, the friendly people, the beautiful scenery, the relaxed lifestyle and the low cost of living. Having permanent residency simplifies things for the people who like to spend more time here.

We spend some time in town as well, and one day after lunch decide to walk to the centre of Jocotepec. It takes us half an hour and is a good way to see more of the city. We are getting familiar with the many stores and the street names and know where to buy what and where not.
Ramiro had noticed a goodwill store where he saw two bicycles, but perhaps it would be better to buy an old car he can fix up.

On our way back we stop at the farm where we buy some fresh artichokes and a case of 8, one pound boxes of strawberries for 100 Pesos. We have no problem selling some of the boxes to our neighbours.
I like the idea of never knowing what we come home with. If only strawberries are available then that’s what we buy. If the pork looks good today we buy pork.
Perhaps the pastries is fresh, and we take some home for breakfast.
Every day is different, every day is sunny, every day is wonderful.






Tuesday, February 24
We join the All American Rotary meeting in Ajijic once more and I assist with the hanging of the new acquired banners.
We decide to enter Jocotepec from a different direction and turn north at the beginning of town rather than continuing west. We seem to end up in the poor end of town and are amazed with what we see.
It is not easy to take pictures of this scene and difficult to describe, but let me try: The cars parked along the road are not half as modern as the once we have seen in town, and even those are often not the best. Many here are beaten up and without lights, some have the opening where once was a window covered with a large garbage bag. The guys are working on their cars with parts spread out on the street. There is grease everywhere.
Where there is home construction or renovation, which usually involves cement, we see a pile of sand and a second pile of cement on the sidewalk. Water is added right on the spot and used as they need it.

Every third house in this street has some form of tarp or old piece of cloth stretched from the house over the sidewalk and attached to an old truck or a pole. This is used as protection from the sun. Under the tarp is a table with a display of whatever they may have growing in their backyard. Some tables have a hand full of lemons, other some cucumbers, or Guayabas ( a fruit shaped like a prune, but coloured like a prea and also tastes a bit like a pear, but not quite as soft). Some sell home made cake or Nieve - a fruit flavored crushed ice. (Known as slush in Canada). Others have small jars of candy or even car parts.
It’s amazing what people will do just to make some money. If social assistance is not available, people become more creative. I like that idea. Not that I would like to see people in Edmonton display good for sale on the sidewalk, but they could be a bit more creative and not always expect helps from others.
Who ever is not selling from their house, has pulled up a chair and keeps the vendors company. The women wear an apron all day long, they wear it sweeping the street, going to the store or playing with the kids outside.

We often chuckle when we walk by an empty lot full with garbage, from old mattresses to fruit peels, or empty bottles or car tires. In front is a large sign. “NO TIRE BASURA” (do not dump garbage). I think they can not live without a mess around them and yet many are so particlar when it comes to grooming themselves, dressing up when they go out or how they tend to their gardens or sweep their sidewalk five times a day. Every girl knows how to use a broom. It seems to be the first thing they learn.
The front of a restaurant, business or house may not have a sidewalk, but just dirt. But that dirt is always free of any leaves or garbage. The debris is sweeped to the side and often burned. If it is not burned it is piled up on the side of the property. Often other garbage is added and the pile gets higher and higher. Maybe one day someone will remove it?
Things are definitely different here. Our first impression is often: “What a mess”, but when you see the beauty of the country and the friendliness of the people, you learn to get used to it.