Teacapan with Frank and Sandi!

 

Yesterday Eric and I were off to Teacapan with Frank and Sandi.  It's been about 5 years since Frank and Sandi have been there but we went last year.  About 90 miles south and inland it's our longest ride of the season.  We left at about 9:30 to head south.  The weather on the beach where we are was cool but as soon as we got inland it warmed up quickly. 

You can see that the salt water lagoon in Teacapan travels very far inland.

There's the Jeep behind us with the Riu Hotel behind.  Just as we got to the railroad tracks there was a National Guard the "Mexican national police" stop.  They were checking cars but they let us just pass through.  There has been huge police presence here this winter due to all the cartel issues.  As well, carnival will start next Thursday so everyone is on high alert due the influx of people.

On the Mazatlan bypass and it was a bit smoky. 

We left the bypass at Villa Union to get on Mex 15 or the free road south.  It's 2 lanes but 15D or the toll road becomes two lanes farther south as well. 

All the trucks are parked checking their loads or washing up and eating before they carry on either north or south. 

Turn right for Villa Union or left to head south...we head south and next stop El Rosario where we'll have a bum break and some liquid. 

Straight as an arrow and not much traffic.  Anywhere they aren't watering the vegetation is dry and drab. 

The Jeep's right behind us. Frank knows they way but he prefers to let Eric lead.  Fine with us. 

Getting close to El Rosario and the these are the stinky chicken barns.  I try to hold my breath as we pass by.  That's one thing about a motorcycle you smell everything...good or bad!

Up ahead El Rosario.  Here we could head west and we'd end up at El Tigre where we go for a ride and lunch every season. 

The huge church in El Rosario. 

Nice tree lined streets. 

We've stopped for a break at a fuel station, had a drink and picked up drinks for lunch.  Here we're crossing the Bulaurte River.  This is a huge river so it doesn't dry up....so far!

Next up Esquinapa and we head west to go through town and on to Teacapan on the coast. 

There's Frank and Sandi!

Left for Tepic and straight for Teacapan. 

The sign's kind of mangled but ....right for Teacapan.  I might mention that it has been hot since El Rosario and we both removed some jackets at our last stop.  Usually about 10 degrees warmer inland.  

The road is pretty beat up here but later on there is new pavement. You can see the huge power line on the right that was supposed to service huge new tourist development "playa Espiritu" on the coast.  That never happened and it has never been hooked up.  Another project that became a "white elephant!"

Look at the size of those concrete poles!

I tried to get a picture of the sea salt piles at the edge but I missed them.  This is all salt water from the coast here and it is harvested and hauled away.

White as snow. 

A water tower I would think. If they have any water to put in it. 

Palms with vegetables underneath.  If it's green...they have water available.  Huge agriculture here.

No water here but the mango trees survive anyway.   They are all in flower right now. 

I wonder who lives there?  Nice place!

A great big gate to another small farming town. 

You can smell them before you see them...it's chili drying time and it smell really sweet. These one's are being roasted. 

These are drying in the sun and being flipped and raked by hand.

That's a lot of chilies!

Entering Teacapan.  We used to love coming to have lunch at Otto's Japanese restaurant which was just on the left as you enter Teacapan but....during Covid it closed and he and his family aren't there anymore.  I wonder where they went.  

Downtown Teacapan. 

Straight ahead the ocean, the malecon and somewhere for lunch. 

This restaurant is right on the corner and we thought we might eat there but first...

....a drive along the malecon.  Isn't it beautiful?  And....ever so peaceful.  It was a really beautiful warm day yesterday. 

There's never much traffic just motorcycles buzzing back and forth. 

I think Sandi is telling Frank to move in closer!!

Eric's fiddling with his cell phone GPS app on the phone.  The cord he was using wasn't charging the phone properly. 

We only need the GPS if we're trying one way streets to find our way through small towns. 

The frigate birds were in a huge flock overhead but...no one pooped on us!

The fisherman in the boat was pulling up oysters and shucking them so I think the birds were looking for a hand out.

After much deliberation and discussion this is where we decided to eat.  New to us.  We ate at Pelicano's last season and it wasn't very good so we needed somewhere different.  

Aloha Del Mar

Cold menu on the left and hot on the right. 

This restaurant had an upper floor which was lovely to view the ocean, especially on a warm day. 

Eric, Frank and I looking back. 

There's our view of the ocean.  

Eric had camarones or shrimp rancheros and it came with french fries, rice and some sort of salad. 

Camarones emanizado or breaded for Sandi. 

I thought I'd ordered a seafood mixture on a tostada but it turned out to be ceviche with tostadas and a basket of freshly deep fried tortilla chips.   Frank's meal came a bit later and I forgot to take a picture.  He ordered tacos goberandor or shrimp tacos with cheese.  The meals took quite a while to come and the young man delivering them was quite apologetic.  The restaurants on the malecon were pretty much empty and I would guess four "gringos" showing up surprised them a bit.  There used to be a lot more north americans in this area in the past but the RV parks have pretty much disappeared.  There are probably some people from Canada and the USA living here in the winter or retired here but we didn't see any.  Sandi chatted to the young man and woman running the restaurant and they said it was their's which is nice to see.  They were very happy we came and so were we.  We'll come back again.  The food was good and the view was great!

Quiet right now after the school kids have gone home on their motorcycles. 

Otto's is no more....boohoo!

Bye bye Teacapan...we'll be back. 

Pretty dry and the cattle are pretty thin.

All sorts of crops and I could see yellow and red as we traveled along.  Peppers, tomatoes....?

Eric said those green sacks were full of potatoes so they must grow here as well. We love the potatoes...thin skinned and delicious. 

Rows and rows of mango trees.  Mangoes ripen too late here for us to enjoy but we do get them from other parts of Mexico. 

Back over the inland ocean.  

Coming into Esquinapa and we wound our way through. 

Right about here we had a siren wailing and a big fire truck made it's way past everyone. 

Left and back to Mazatlan. 

A little farther and we were back out on Mex 15 heading north.  

I caught a photo of one of the huge irrigation channels that are being put in to bring water to the coast from the Santa Maria Dam project inland.  All of the coastal areas need water for their crops. 

Back to El Rosario where we stopped for fuel, water and a bum break for all of us. 

Quite often the traffic on the free road from Esquinapa to Villa Union is really heavy but yesterday we scooted right along.  This truck ahead of us had something in the back. 

Watermelons!

Coming into Villa Union and we turn right so we can get on the Mazatlan bypass. 

Dried camarones or shrimp that are used in broths etc.  I had some in my ceviche but they have shells on them so they were pretty tough and I set them to the side. 

That's the wood we see everywhere that they burn to dry the chilies.  Eric says it's trimmings from the mango trees. 

On the bypass and up ahead you can see the ocean and all the towers.  This time we came in by Walmart and not the road farther north.  We were home by 4:30 and we were pretty tired.  Not a bad ride for a couple of old geezers!  A fun day with friends!!