Tuesday February 22, 2011
Today Sam, Rita, Eric and I left the park at about 9:30 for a ride to San Ignacio. We’d ridden up there last year with Frank and Sandi in their jeep but it was on a Sunday and nothing was open for lunch so we decided to try a week day. Eric and Sam were also up there this year and again it was on a Sunday and …..not much open. I guess we’re slow learners!
It was a bit cool as we left the park but it soon warmed up. We headed north on the free road and it was amazingly quiet. No big glut of crazy traffic and hardly any trucks. We all decided our rides should be on a week day as it is much quieter than a Sunday.
As we rode along it was apparent that all the vegetation was not only dry but severely frost damaged. While we were away on our road trip down south it was very cold in the Mazatlan area. Almost down to freezing in the park and actual hard frost in many surrounding areas including Villa Union. The trees we saw as we rode were a white beige and lots of the mango and papaya trees were dead on the top. Many frost damaged crops along the way and even the palms trees had frost damage in Coyotitan as we turned off on our way to San Ignacio. We stopped for fuel at the Pemex on the turn off to San Ignacio and one of the gas attendants said hello in perfect English. Eric and Sam had met him before at this station and he used to live in the U.S. He said many crops were killed including peppers, mangos, avocados, tomatoes etc. etc. So get ready for higher prices for Mexican produce in the U.S. and Canada until the next crops can be grown. Hard for the workers too as there are no crops to pick. That’s Mother Nature for you!
Coyotitan. Eric really likes this little town.
The ride into San Ignacio was pretty but brown due to the frost and when we rode into town we were once again impressed by the beauty of the big bridge and the town itself.
Clean as a whistle! We rode into the square by the church and asked a lady on a bench (in Spanish) which was the best restaurant. She suggested the one across the square so that’s were we went.
The lady sitting in front almost looks like she is part of the mural!
When we entered the restaurant we noticed that there was a huge mural on the wall. It turned out that the restaurant was also right next to a large performing arts theatre (or was part of it) and I went in to have a look. The workers were in the process of washing the floor but they stopped so I could take pictures of the murals on all the walls. Amazing and very, very well done. Quite treat to see.
Here are the pictures of the murals inside the theatre. They are so beautiful and some looked like you could walk right into them.
This is a picture of a reaction ferry. The ferry is running on a cable across the river and when angled to the current of the river it pushes it across. This would be the old ferry to cross the river before the large beautiful bridge was built. At home in Terrace we have one still in operation on the Skeena River at the Usk crossing. The ferry is in operation as long as the river is not too high or low and when it can’t be used there is a cable car to cross the river for foot traffic but not for cars.
Inside the theatre. There were more murals up there but the floor was flooded with water and clean so I didn’t go up.
Looking out to the street.
We ordered Pacifico and lunch and relaxed while it was prepared. It was cool and comfortable in the restaurant which was nice because outside it was really, really hot. As soon as you head inland the temperature really rises. Too bad it wasn’t this warm on the beach!
We each enjoyed the different lunches we ordered (garlic shrimp, beef, muchaca) and after we finished lunch we then decided to have a walk around town before we headed back to Mazatlan. We were looking for the Dulceria (candy shop) that Eric saw on the way into town so we could stock up. Eric and I have developed an affection for little cocoanut bars and we found them there.
The streets of San Ignacio.
The old mud bricks are crumbling here.
As we walked along I popped in to a shop that was making fresh tortillas…. at first I thought it was a laundry shop but they were rolling out tortillas instead!
Let me tell you it was smoking hot inside this shop.
As we walked back to the square we were back at the large cathedral next to the town square.
This church is so huge it looks like the Taj Mahal!
Looking back into town the way we had just come.
Huge church. That little person is Rita.
A monstrously huge statue of ….Jesus?
This building is under renovation as part of a heritage project.
Rita and Eric sitting in the shade in the square.
Back on the Harley’s and on the road home.
We stopped at the crossroads to San Javier and Sam bought some Pacifico to go. There was a Mexican there who saw me taking pictures and he encouraged us to head up the road to the town of San Javier. Next time!
A nice ride back and home by 3:30.
I was late for the Chile cook-off meeting at Connie’s but I still got there in time to say hello. I got my number for my table and now I’m ready for Saturday. Should be fun.
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