El Tigre with friends

It’s Wednesday and it’s supposed to be Ladies Lunch Day but….we decided to go on a ride instead.  Frank/Sandi along with Dennis/Marilyn and Wally/Marilyn were going out to El Tigre so we decided to go too.  Wally and Marilyn are only here for two weeks and Wally was hungry for a barbecued fish for lunch so we were off to El Tigre to fullfill his wishes!

This morning one of the Chachalacas was eyeing up a ripe mame that had fallen off the tree next to us. 

Mame for breakfast!

We left the park on our own and were on the road just before 11.  It takes about an hour and a half to get there and we’ll all meet up at the restaurant.  If the people at home wonder how civilized the shopping in Mazatlan is….there’s WalMart and Sam’s club.  You can shop in the tiniest shop or ..the biggest.

How about the big new Soriana’s and Woolworths.   Every year that we come there are more and bigger shopping areas. 

We’re on a little bypass here and they’re doing a little road work.  There is always road work somewhere on a ride.

We’re out the highway heading south to Villa Union and here is the Marino coffee factory. 

Right next to it…Sugar Foods factory.

There are lots of trees with yellow blooms right now…pretty.

We’re in Villa Union just before the turn to El Walamo and it’s busy.

We had to sit here for quite awhile as the bus was trying to get around the corner and down the street.   Lots of honking!

Here’s the culprit…the water truck was blocking the road.  No problem, just stop where ever you want!

Busy here too.

Beautiful old buildings become vegetable and fruit shops.

El viejo cine National….the old cinema. Wonder what’s inside now.

Every small town everywhere has blocked off streets that are being repaved or concreted.

A huge silo.

Wonder who lives here.

They must have some money!  The probably own the farmland around here.

Remember the bus that was ahead of us…well now it’s right on our tail.

Yummm….the pollo is on the grill.  On the bike you can smell everything….yummy, interesting and…gross!

Bags and bags of dried chilis.

We only got to the restaurant a few minutes before everyone else showed up.  That’s Wally and Eric.  We’d managed to order beer and now they needed some too.

It’s a sunny day but it’s windy and cool so everyone wants to sit in the sunshine.

Even Dennis!

We had quite a time ordering food as the waitress doesn’t speak any English.  We think the restaurant is under new management and the waitress that used to be here is gone.    The waitress looked a little glum and frustrated with us until Sandi asked her, her name and shook her hand and then she perked up.  She really had a laugh as a struggled to understand her and pulled out my little pocket translating book which didn’t help a bit!  After that she was all smiles and chuckles.  Eric ordered shrimp ceviche and it came quickly.  It had a lot of hot sauce in it which had Eric blowing his nose.  It would be better to add it himself.  The guys and I had trooped up front to pick out a fish for the grill.

 

Dennis and Wally have a chat and a beer.

The fish has arrived.  Frank and Sandi shared a dorado zarandeado.

I had a small lisa which is a type of mullet.  Good.

Marilyn and Wally had a corvina to share.

The fish was served with tortillas, fresh onions and cucumbers. 

Marilyn and Dennis each had a small lisa.

Frank and Sandi didn’t have any left overs…can you tell!

Lunch is over and it’s time to hit the road.  The plan is to stop in El Rosario at a park that has a bridge over the water with turtles underneath.  We’ll follow.

Usually we are leading but now it’s Dennis, Frank and then us.

Lots of farm machinery on the road today.

Bagged green chilis everywhere.

We’re in a small town before El Rosario and this guy is giving his loose horses lunch at the edge of the road.  Anything goes!

Another small street being concreted here as well.  Must be some government program going on to redo roads everywhere. 

Now we’re stuck behind a tractor with discs.

When we got into El Rosario the road to the turtle bridge was steep and unpaved at the beginning.  It was getting late so we decided to take a rain check and just head home.  We’ll go have a look another day. 

 

This is Frank’s picture of the bridge.  His battery died and he couldn’t take anymore pictures….ahh electronics. 

A good day with lots of laughs with good friends and a good lunch.