Relaxing!

It’s all about relaxing and following a slower pace for the trip home. We left Huatabampito refreshed and ready for the short day ahead to Guaymas. It has been our first experience at leaving the main cuota with it’s convenient but somewhat spartan overnight RV offerings, and jaunting off into the boonies of coastal Mexico. It was well worth the jaunt. Here are some photos of what we saw as we bounced our way back to the cuota yesterday morning. 

Lush irrigated rice fields.

Across the highway from the above photo. Un-irrigated land.

Local Housing

Local Housing

Zuchini field.

Mexican Cemetery.

)…I am particularly fond of the Mexican panteon (cemeteries) and therefore I always make sure to take photos of them. They are highly reminiscent of the sarcophagi of the ancient Romans. At least they remind me of the same sentiment. The panteons are beautiful gardens, planted with trees and flowering and scented shrubs. They frequently have family tombs erected, and shrines to Jesus or to the Virgin Mother. They are gathering spots for the entire family. 

When we got to the Hotel Playa de Cortez, it was 3PM and tea time bordering on supper time. There were only two other rigs in the RV parking area, and after we ate and it got dark several more popped in for the night. Nothing remarkable happened either then or this morning. On one side we have a cute L’il Bigfoot trailer from Oregon (making sure that we weren’t the smallest rig in the RV section.

Lil Bigfoot trailer pulled my a mini-van.

Us!

 and on the other side we have the extreme case of those showoff Albertans with the biggest rig (of course!)  

The Albertan.

  The sun is hot but the breezes keep everything coolish. This afternoon we took a walk around the hotel grounds and found a different aspect to photograph. 

 The swimming pool here at the hotel is way too cold for any attempt to submerge the body, and we will have to wait until home for more lap swimming. Tomorrow we hope to get some decent exercise walking around central Guaymas, and hopefully will have more interesting photos to post.

We are well aware that the cold front has dropped down below the US/Mexican border but hopefully it will shift before we get there in 3 days. However, it seems that at home those weather gremlins have been at work and brought freezing temps and even snow in places!  I have a strong word for my friends in Nanaimo and YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE (right Gerry???)…we fully expect you to do something to fix the cold and frozen bits before we get there, and please keep our swimming lanes free of intruders! If necessary, drowning is not too dramatic a solution for those who try to take up residence in that centre lane. 

In the mean time, we are really enjoying our down time here in historic Guaymas, home to the best shrimp on the west coast!!

 And last but not least, a night photo of the trailer on the beach at Huatabampito the night before we left.

Barbara and Rick

Life in Huatabampitos, Sonora Mexico...

After a fairly uneventful day traveling the cuota northward from Mazatlan, we reached km 128 south of Navajoa which was our turn off for Huatabampitos. Left towards the ocean and off we go again, across 10 miles of flat flat dry rice plantations.

For miles we saw no habitations at all, and then we passed a strip of beautiful labourers' homes, all immaculately laid out with gardens and sandy soil that was raked free of debris, and every little house painted different colours. One had a handpainted icon of the Virgin, about 6 foot high painted on the front wall. Others were draped in vines and flowers of all sorts. Next to them was a teeny tiny masonry building with a basketball court in back...maybe a 15 by 20 foot building. It was the village school. This part of Mexico was drastically different from anything we had ever seen on our annual trek up and down the cuota. I immediately loved it.

Next came the larger village of Huatabampo. It had a Ley's (like a small Walmart Superstore), several Pemex gas stations and Oxxo stores, and seemed very self-sufficient in a sea of agricultural lushness. This wide beach plain was flat as far as the eye could see, huge fields of rice surrounded by drainage ditches, crossed by this bumpy paved road carrying tractors, semi-trailors loaded with fertilizer, trucks carrying fire wood, ordinary vehicles and horse-pulled wagons.

At Huatabampo we turned directly south and continued for another 7 miles until we reached the sand dunes announcing our arrival at the beach. Huatabampito is a much smaller version of Huatabampo ("ito" on the end of a noun makes it a diminutive), a long string of houses on a ridge overlooking the Sea of Cortez (Pacific Ocean) at the head a long wide bay.

The first place we came to was EL Mirador hotel and RV Resort. We never saw the hotel. We presume they have some rooms to rent somewhere! We turned in and were guided through the large gate into the RV compound by the owner...immediately surrounded by helpful RVers who warned us to test the electrical feeds before setting up. There were only perhaps 6 other rigs on this ocean front site, and nothing on either side. It was just us and the big blue ocean, with a restaurant and very friendly hosts. Up behind us on the ridge is the police station and Cruz Roja (Red Cross) so we are well protected!

Today is a designated rest day. We intend to walk the beach, eat in the restaurant next door with the sand floor, sit and gaze at the perfection of sea and sun, and otherwise just do not much of anything...the only thing on our calendar is Juanita, a very nice Mexican lady who came around yesterday afternoon to ask if we would like to place an order for fresh homemade tortillas...she is delivering our tortillas at 9AM to our trailer door, and that is our only scheduled event for the entire day!!


Photos of El Mirador RV Park in Huatabampito, Sonora, Mexico

View down the beach looking east.

Molly having her first beach walk. 

Our little slice of heaven.

The outside eating area at the restaurant next door.

Inside the restaurant. Gift shop, snacks and drinks also for purchase. 

Sunset on the beach.

First light.

The sun makes an appearance in the east.

The RV park in the morning light.

Mazatlan, Mexico

We have arrived in Mazatlan after an uneventful day. We left the house at a little after 7am to go pick up the trailer and after hitching up and stowing the remaining gear, we got away about 8 am. It took us about an hour and a half to get to the toll road on the west side of Guadalajara. From there it was clear sailing to Mazatlan. Here is a photo of the us hitched and ready to leave this morning and another photo setup in the RV park in Mazatlan. Obviously we didn't stop for any photo opportunities. Tomorrow night will be in Huatabampito on the sea of Cortez and we will spend two nights there. We are supposed to have internet. Fingers crossed!

Hitching up at the Roca Azul storage area.

Set up in Mazatlan.

 Last night we had a beautiful evening moon to the west and a nice sunset and I managed to get a couple of nice photos of it so I will leave you with those until the tomorrow 

Rick

Gearing up for departure.

We have finally set a date for our trip home. On Sunday, Feb. 2 we will hitch up the trailer and leave Lake Chapala and make our way north to Mazatlan on the coast, our first stopover on the way up the Mexico coast. The route is basically set, although we will adjust it as necessary. We are planning to take a week to travel up the west coast of Mexico to the Arizona border, spend another few days in the Tucson Arizona area and then head for Rick's cousin Sue's place just east of the bay area in California.  After a visit with Sue we will head up Interstate 5 to Oregon, visit our son and his wife and then home on Gabriola Island, British Columbia. The trip will take about 3 1/2 weeks and we will have driven a total of about 3100 miles or 5000 km en-route.


A: Jocotepec (Lake Chapala)
B: Mazatlan - Las Jaibas RV Park
C: Huatabampito - El Mirador RV Park
D: Guaymas - Hotel Playa De Cortez RV Park
E: Bahia de Kino - Kino Bay Rv Park
F: Santa Ana - Edgar-Anna's RV Park
G: Amado, AZ - Mt View RV Park

First Leg - 1245 miles / 2004 Km

Tonala, Guadalajara

Yesterday we made a day trip into Tonala, a large craft center, which is on the outskirts of Guadalajara. Our friend Don, who had not been there yet, came along for the ride. Tonala has many, many small shops selling all kinds of home decoration, furniture, pottery etc. Much of it is made in the area. Thursdays and Sundays are market days where the number of vendors doubles as they set up in the streets and on the sidewalks like a flea market. Tonala is about a 1 1/2 hour drive from where we live but it is mostly urban driving into Guadalajara. We spent the morning walking around, made a few purchases and by 12:30 it was lunch time. We had lunch at a local restaurant, El Rincon Del Sol, which was recommended by a friend. The food was good and we left happy.

Words fail when trying to describe the place so here are a few random photos that I snapped as we wandered around to show the variety of "Mexicana" available. The photo's are in no particular order.

Hanging stars made from punched tin.

Lacquer paintings on metal.

Wind chimes?

Don having a look at some pottery and wall hangings.

There were lots of pottery shops

Interesting entrance to a gallery

Browsing the shop fronts.

Many people live above their shop.

Pottery and wall decorations a la Mexicano.

Lots of bright Colors.

Just the thing to put into that colorful vase you just bought.

Gazing balls for the garden.

Fruit anyone? It looks good enough to eat...

More bright pots.

and more...

Here we are wandering the endless vendor stalls in the outdoor section.

Pots, pots and more pots.

Mexican Sun decorations for the wall complete with clock.

Gurgling fountains.

Yes, hats and hollow string balls for creating a hanging lamps. I am not sure of the connection between those two items. Probably none.

A little bit of everything at this place.

Charcoal BBQ's in all shapes and sizes.

Nice door front. Unfortunately there was lots of graffiti to be seen.

Canterra stone fountains and carvings for sale here.

Fiddling Frogs

A knight in red armor protecting the pretty lady...

The view down a side street

I think this was a small restaurant but I am not totally sure. Nice Mural.

Water dispensers and wall art.

There was lots of colorfull glassware and hanging lamps,

And finally

We ended with lunch and headed home soon afterwards.

Rick and Barbara