The Road Trip Begins

Sunday, January 30, 2011

We are leaving today to go on a road trip with our friends Frank and Sandi who are here in Las Jaibas with us for the winter.  We will travel as far south as La Manzanilla together checking out RV parks as we travel.  Eric and I  think we might want to travel farther south next winter so we want to have a look before we decide to do that.    Week one will have Frank and Sandi with us and week two they will stay in their time share in Puerto Vallarta while we will stay somewhere on our own.  We hope to have fun. 

Day one -  Las Jaibas RV park Mazatlan to Los de Marcos – total miles about 244.  Left the park about 9:30 am and arrived in Los de Marcos about 5:30 p.m. just as it was getting dark.  We had stopped for gas for the Harley at Tecuala  after leaving the toll road (had to pay twice!) to get back on,  spent an hour for lunch in Villa Hildago, and  looked briefly at San Blas but  in the end we should have hurried. 

It is just about 9:30 am and we are ready to leave.  We have loaded our gear onto Blue and guess what…… I can too pack for two weeks in a back pack.  It is all tight but we had to carry the motorcycle cover as well so Eric is pretty well loaded up.  I have my motorcycle gear on even though I am not riding.  It is windy in the back of the jeep so it will keep me warm.  I thought I might ride after we left the toll road and headed west but in the end I just stayed put.  Tiring for Eric to ride the twisty roads with lots of tope’s (speed bumps) so it was better without me on the back. 

 

Ready to roll.

 

We left all our friends behind after a few pictures and okay….a few hugs and kisses too.   I must admit we have made good friends over the last two winters and you all get to know each other well so they are all here to wish us good bye.

Leaving Mazatlan.

Estuary flats just south of Escuinapa.

We left the toll road (and paid a toll ) so Eric could get fuel somewhere close to Acapaponeta and went into Tecuala where there was a hugely busy Pemex that was really plugged up with people getting fuel.  We couldn’t see anywhere to eat so we got back on the toll road and ……paid the same toll again.  What a rip off!  It wasn’t far south of this that we left the toll road to head to Villa Hildago and onto San Blas and they tried to ding us again for another small toll.  In the end he looked at our tickets and didn’t make us pay. 

 

Pemex.

Tecuala.

 

We were almost through Villa Hildago when I spotted this restaurant and we stopped to eat.  La Hacienda seems to be a popular name for eateries in Mexico.  Just like MacDonald’s is other areas but better food in a La Hacienda! 

 

I set the camera to take a picture and here we are ready to order.

 

A very nice clean place to eat.  The Mexican waitress kept cranking the jukebox up so loud we couldn’t even talk.  Luis (the waiter) kept turning it down!  Is everyone in Mexico deaf?

 

It was a hot day and what did we really need…..you guessed it…..our favorite drink…..PACIFICO! 

 

Here are Sandi and I with Luis.  This young man was delighted to speak to us and he spoke perfect English.  Turns out he was born in Villa Hildago but  had been living in the US in Denver since he was five.  I asked why he hadn’t stayed and he admitted that he had spent 8 months in jail for being naughty and had been deported.  He said it was for street racing but it is likely it involved more than that.  It is also likely that he was an illegal.   However, he was personable and sorry that he was back in Mexico especially since his girlfriend had rejected his marriage proposal after spending five days in Villa Hildago.  He hopes to go back to the US but can’t reapply for five years.  This is his uncle’s restaurant and if you are through that way travelling stop in as the food was excellent and cheap.  80 pesos for rice, beans, fish fillet and beer.  A bargain.

 

Cleaning shell fish out front of the restaurant.

 

Coming into San Blas I spotted this restaurant and it reminded me of our friend Betty back at Las Jaibas.  She is such a good cook she should have her own one!

 

We road into San Blas and down to the end of town but the roads were torn up so we didn’t stay long. 

We stopped here south of San Blas to stretch our legs. 

Zacualapan.  Here we are rolling into town on our way south.  The roads are narrow here but it is the way you would have to bring the RV.  We may not want to do that!

 

Leaving Zacualapan.  You just never know who your riding companion might be in Mexico.  The mule seems unconcerned as do most of the animals in Mexico. 

First it was a mule, now it’s a large farm combine!  What’s up with that.

 

We continued south from Zacualapan and on to Las Veras.  The sun was starting to drop and we had to hurry.  As we got closer to Las Varas we came upon a bridge that was out.  There had been a major storm and flooding in Mexico in September and this was one of the results.  We drove down through a wash and it was tight to get through.  Not bad in the jeep and okay on the Harley but what about a large RV.  I guess we’ll find out other RV’ers say when we get farther south.  The traffic south of Las Varas was pretty brisk as it was late on Sunday but we made it into Los de Marcos just as the sun was starting to set.  First order of business……beer!  We stopped at the Oxxo store and picked up some refreshment but they didn’t have Pacifico.  One of those proprietory things from store to store.  We’ll find some tomorrow….for tonight Dos Equis will do. 

Checked into the Telacapaci bungalows  which has the El Refugio RV park next to it.  $45.  per night which is good but we  had to put a 200 peso deposit on a blanket to get one.  Crazy.  I guess people steal them but we would have been cold without it.  We had a few beers and then to bed.  We’d had a big lunch so dinner wasn’t needed.  Tomorrow is another day. 

Stay tuned.