Lunch in San Javier

Thursday March 7, 2013

Today Frank and Sandi in their Jeep and Eric and I on the bike headed out on a road trip.  Our destination was San Javier where we’d had a really nice lunch last year at a Hacienda called  El Tirito. 

We weren’t sure if it would be open but we thought we’d give it a try and if that didn’t work we would head up to San Ignacio.  We’d tried calling the restaurant on a previous occasion and had not had an answer so today we just decided to wing it! 

It was a nice day for a road trip and much warmer inland than it has been here on the beach.  We seem to get a couple of really warm days and then it clouds over, cools down and gets windy. 

Sorry about the spots on the pictures….I cleaned the lens…it was gone and now…..not!  I will deal with that. 

Before we got to the El Quelite turn off we passed fields that had been burned off.  No wonder it has been so smoky!

The mango trees are in bloom and the scent is magnificent!

On the bike you can smell everything as you travel along….even the dead animals that you can’t see!  Same for Frank and Sandi as the Jeep is open as well.

Lots of crops growing as we travel along…I think this is corn.  It was hard to tell.  I’m just snapping as we travel.

After we turned off the main road that heads up to San Ignacio we pass through small villages on our way to San Javier. 

Quite the big old tree.

Agave fields.

This tree was in full bloom and the scent was delicious!

Gorgeous Bougainville in the small village before we got to San Javier.

This caballero (cowboy) was having a smoke break! 

When we arrived in San Javier we rode down to the bottom of the square to park.

The local kids were out for lunch and had big smiles and waves for us….they liked the bike!

They were all in this truck ready to go….who knows where, perhaps back to school and I showed them the camera.  No problemo they all scootched together and hammed it up for a picture.  I told them I’d blog them….they looked confused….Eric said “Internet” and then they got it! 

Kids are the same everywhere you go! 

We walked up a short block to the restaurant to see if they were open and the owner had a conflab with his wife and said if we’d come back in treinta (30) minutes they’d be happy to feed us.  Bueno! 

While we waited we took a short walk up the hill and then up the stairs to the town look out.

Slight detour (we asked if it was okay) and then we found the path to the stairs.

Sandi decided to wait for us at the bottom! 

Way down the bottom is a little, tiny Sandi waiting for us!

Beautiful view from the look-out.  The church in the middle is in the square where we left the bike.

Eric and Kathy….Eric looks like I’m pinching him or something! 

The beautiful Sierra Madres far off in the distance. 

After our little walk we all trouped back to the restaurant for lunch.  The owner does not speak much English but we did relay the fact that we would like cerveza with our lunch.  After a little discussion he sent his son out to bring us back Pacifico.  He also mentioned that his brother lives in the house up on the hill and he spoke English, French, Italian, Portuguese as well as Spanish…..wow!  

While we waited for lunch….no menu…Mama just decides what she is going to feed you we sat and chatted.  A few moments later a Mexican fellow came in,  said hello in English and then came back to talk to us while we waited.  This was the brother Luis Felipe who lived on the hill.  He told us that he had lived in France and Italy where he studied Hair styling and Makeup but now he was living back in San Javier which he said is a special place.    A very interesting well spoken man.  He said that he worked for the tourist bureau and had helped to set up Cultural Museums.  He was specific about museums saying that he liked them very organized with pertinent information in each room and not everything in a big jumble! 

That is Luis Felipe at the end of our table.  A very nice man!

It is now time to eat.

It was as good as it looks!

We were served a plate of lettuce with avocado and a tomatillo sauce spiced with chilies and avocado, a pineapple drink and a plate of food with delicious Mexican spaghetti, beef in a special (the owners mother’s recipe) sauce and the best home made tortilla’s I have ever eaten.  Dessert was a small rolled pastry that was much like uncooked cookie dough. 

All delicious!

This is the kitchen behind the restaurant.  A very gracious place to eat.  We will go back next year.

The bike and the Jeep back in the square.  Off to the right is the town museum which Luis Felipe had kindly opened for us.  We had hoped to look through the very large town church but it was locked.

Off to the museum.

San Javier Museum.

Artifacts.

An interesting Mask.  I do like masks and try to find interesting ones to take home. 

The church….all locked up.  Very huge for such a small town.

A lovely day and now time to head home….there is Bingo tonight you know! 

Home by 4pm.