mOOners in Mexico

by Kris

Too much water on the lake-front promenade......

In the perfect world, our California lake, Camanche, would be full for all its uses and our Mexican Lago de Chapala would not only be full but clean. Ah perfecto. Alas, the drought situation at home doesn't have an end in sight nor is the possibility of a non-polluted Lago de Chapala in the near future. But full Lago de Chapala is...and then some.

The summer rains were plentiful and the threat of hurricane storms brought even more water downstream from threatened lakes making room for expected water. The watershed in this area wasn't prepared for such an influx and Lago de Chapala is full to the max. That's saying mucho for a shallow but huge, at 6.5 million acre feet, body of water.

How that translates to the reality of life on and around the malecón is best shown in pictures.

*****

When we said goodbye to the beautiful malecón of Joco last April, the shoreline was cleared of basura (trash), graded and newly landscaped with young palm trees. The benches along the walk were freshly painted a vivid and shiny rojo, and the artists had completed the mosaic tiling on the whimsical fish chairs on the malecón plaza.

Great job City of Jocotepec, your malecón shines above all others on Lago de Chapala...

Mother Nature changed the landscape (She usually has the last word...) in the summer rainy season.

Flash forward to our return in November of 2008 and the shock of the amazing transformation.  

In an effort to salvage the palms, they've been transplanted to higher ground. Unfortunately they've been replaced with the dastardly invasive lirio - aka water hyacinth. Nasty stuff. 

Pre-flood fútbol field enjoyed by an early morning walker.

Post-flood fútbol field turned into a bird sanctuary...

The adjacent picnic and siesta area in April...

Picnic table for boaters after the storms...

It's now December and the area is still drying-out - mucha chamba (hard work) - mucho done by hand.

The malecón is looking good but a lot of work remains before the two week long January Fiestas patronales honoring El Señor del Monte, Jocotepec's "Lord of the Mountain".

The pumps are done moving water from the park side of the malecón to the lake.

Soon the park will again host picnics and fútbol matches and siestas! Soon artisans and vendors will sell goods and foods during the festival. And again families and lovers will stroll and enjoy the beautiful grounds of the Jocotepec malecón. 

¡Que bueno! 

mOOners

by Kris

Returning to Mexico and re-connecting with our favorite town, Jocotepec (Joco) and our snow-bird friends in Roca Azul RV Park is a treat and a blessing. We must be living right. Duh!

Our trip was fun and stress-free. Perhaps our "less is more" preparation of the camper contributed to this feeling. More likely it was the post-election euphoria (offset, sadly, by the buzzkill of Prop H8 passage) and the festive hasta luegos with our friends and family.

A gorgeous fall afternoon sail on full mOOn was a wonderful re-connecting experience with my favorite brother Rod and his fabulous wife, Phipps. Though Rod and Phipps live just over the hill in Genoa, Nevada, it had been way too long since we'd enjoyed each others' company. Next summer we'll do more sailing, rafting, and camping together. And, by the way, don't they look natural with a Westie?

The best part of prepping full mOOn for winter is knowing we have this amazing boat waiting for us at home.

Our last sunset of 2008 at beautiful, though severely drought-effected, Lake Camanche. Think Snow!

The six months north of the border were full of fun, fun, and more fun. From our welcome home surprise party in May to the last-for-awhile dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant, La Placita Dos (LP2) in November, we enjoyed our kids, grandbabies, and friends. My special amiga at LP2, Veronica, is from a small town in Michoacán. Ella es muy especiál.

On the first leg of our trip we spent a weekend in Oceanside (norte de San Diego) with more of our favorite people (we have a bunch!). We more than enjoyed our time with Ken's brother Dewey, his sweetie-pie wife, Gayla, and their family. Ken and Dewey share a passion for solar power and the solar panels on our camper are similar to those Dewey has installed through his company Sun-up Solar. The hermanos played guitarras and sang - even entertained at a wine and cheese party at Kindred Journeys, the metaphysical bookstore where Gayla works with a group of genuinely gifted and sharing people.

The four of us re-connected (that amazing word again - possibly the theme for this time in our lives...) in a way that was physically and spiritually energizing. We couldn't have asked for a better send-off!

Ahhh Mexico. We crossed the border at Nogales, waltzed through customs at KM 21, and zipped down Mex 15 to San Carlos and a favorite (no dinero) beach camp. Though anxious to get to Jocotepec, we decided to put the F-350 into mosey gear and take our time heading south. An extra day here with the starkly contrasting beauty of the desert and the brilliantly blue Sea of Cortez is a mellow way to ease into Mexican time and culture.  A popular fishing and boating community, San Carlos is the winter home for many gringos. As boaters, we like a town where the living options include an active marina. Those opting for a more normal residential choice have an array of homes from simple to extravagant, condos, and some of Mexico's higher end RV parks.

Marinas attract us - the allure of seeing all kinds of boats and meeting the people who own them is high on our list of pleasures.

In the summer of '05 we traveled to Mexico. It was a blast of a trip that made us decide where we wanted to spend our winters when we retired. Not the least of the reasons to return was José of the village of Las Glorias on the coast between Mazatlán and San Carlos. Seeing José again was always in our thoughts but not necessarily on our itinerary. Las Glorias is an out of the way hour coming and going off Mex 15 but we agree that our friendship with José is worth the extra miles and time. Ken and José were best buddies the ten days we spent at Mr. Moro RV park in Las Glorias that summer. When not working, José was with Ken; not just speaking Spanish but explaining and showing Spanish. It was transformational for both men. When we arrived in Las Glorias this time, José was excited to see his amigo again. I know many gringos come into José's life through his work at the RV park, but Ken is obviously special to him. Their re-connection (aha!) was a joy to experience.

Ken y José looking at photos from '05 and making plans for next spring.

From Las Glorias we drove nine hours to Tepic and around 5:00 p.m. stopped for diesel ($2.40 gal) and dinner in the camper. Looking ahead we discovered (via our Garmin Nuvi 760 with Mexican Mapping) that only three more hours of driving would get us to Guadalajara and another hour would get us to Joco and Roca Azul. So much for mosey mode - we could almost feel the warm spring air of Lago de Chapala and hear the cohétes in the plaza de Joco. Vamos..

mOOners

by Kris

We've been "home" one month. I'd like to blame my blogging absence on something other than my own lack of discipline -- would you believe my dog ate my computer?? Would you believe we've been having too much fun catching up with friends and family and building a deck and working on the boat?
Bingo.

But leave Mexico we did and here's a bit of the story...

                                                        
When to leave the tranquility of Maruata was a major decision. Our kick-back month on the beach in the sleepy fishing village (it really exists!) was truly a highlight among many in our six months South of the Border.

Home sweet home mOOn'er style 

The Mexican government assisted our planning (mOOners plan? HA!) by limiting the duration of our South of the Border escape with a 180 day tourist card. Not sure what happens if you arrive at the border on the 181st day but it doesn't seem prudent to tempt fate at the hands of the Mexican authorities..

A few days prior to our departure, our beach buddies, back-packing bus-riding Canadian newlyweds Steve and Danielle, departed for Acapulco and the flight to their B.C. home. Danielle had to run back from the bus stop and "return" our favorite beach pooch, Amos.

Leaving our girls, Lupita and Wendy, was just plain sad. They are adorable, affectionate (important to grandparents missing kiddles) and much-o fun-o. Our last afternoon we played in the surf and made plans for our next visit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

One semi-planned option was to stop in Jocotepec on Lake Chapala and re-group before the push to the border. Joco is special and, from our three months in the area, familiar. Joco is also the hometown of my special hair styling ladies, Mary de Lu y Yolanda, with the $28 US coloring and cutting deal of the century. Both señoras are taking English speaking lessons so we have muy interesante conversations. I think.

 
Most importantly on this return to civilization trip, Joco is home of the fastest and cheapest laundry imaginable. Dirty Duffie the dirty laundry watch-dog aside, we had three huge bags of clothes, towels, and bedding washed and folded in three hours for $7 dollars. Bless the laundry lady and may she prosper.

Tacos al pastor, a regional specialty, rated another tasting and was found to be as delicious as remembered. Love when that happens - also love a $6 US dining experience for three.

The improvements to the malecón of Jocotepec continue; since we left in February the colorful mosaic fish chairs are finished, the "beach" area's built up and graded, and the palm trees are planted and thriving.

This lake-front park is the jewel of Lago de Chapala and a model for the other Lakeside communities. We love our morning walk here almost as much as starting our day on the beach. Almost.

Down time became prep time; the truck got a much needed shower and all systems were checked and tanks were filled and emptied as necessary. Sometimes dumping is way more important than filling...end of discussion.

 Adios a Jocotepec. Our starting route led us through another "t.b.e.l." (aka to be explored later) the ex-hacienda area of Jalisco.  Our time to stop for the day worked for an overnight visit to Laguna Santa Maria, a volcanic lake in the mountains southeast of Tepic. (ed. note...I will always be able to identify unknown pictures - if there's smoke it's Mexico!)

Next stop was the amazing coastal city of Mazatlán. Ok, that was nice. Unfortunately we did a touch 'n go (old pilot talk) and didn't get the opportunity to contact my Countdown to Mexico (see link at side) blogging amiga, Nancy, and her husband, Paul. The on-going adventures of their move to Mexico are entertaining, informative, and inspiring. Particularly inspirational is Nancy's near daily blog entry. My hero. Next trip we'll have that cold Pacífico.

Ah, San Carlos. We arrived in time for a splendid sunset viewed from the camper as our heads hit the pillows. We beach camped and took time the next morning to appreciate the desert beauty of this Sea of Cortez city.

Agate Beach in Oregon has nothing on this stretch of sand.

Miles and miles of miles and miles.....desert brush and mountains and damn nice four lane highway all the really long way to the border toward Nogales. Speaking of long...in the rear view mirror I attempted to capture the trucks backed up at a checkpoint near the Sonora/Sinaloa state line. Who would be crankier? The truckers or the military guys who have to check them all??

We chose to experience a different border crossing; not that I hold a grudge against the US official in Nogales who told me, "move your dog before my dog eats it." Heck no. We decided to drive in Mexico as long as possible before crossing to take advantage of the wonderful beautiful exceptional - all things good - lower than low fuel prices. Driving in Mexico at $2.10 US/gal for diesel was almost like driving for free! We paralled the US/Mexico border west on Mex 2 to the town of San Luis Rio Colorado. Not to draw the wrath of anyone (like say my gov't) but seriously, is there a need for a fence here?

As border crossings go, this was a piece of cake. The only glitch was mine....I handed our tourist papers to the Mexican official and he said they were nicely in order but three years old! OOPS. With Ken's eyes (lovingly but imploringly) boring a hole in my back, I walked back to the camper (praying for a miracle of not only finding the correct forms but finding them QUICKLY!)  To my amazement and I'm sure to Ken's, I opened my other travel bag and VOILA! a miracle and another border tragedy (to say nothing of marital distress) avoided. The US border people were gentle and mellow. We have found our route into and out of Mexico.

Five fast months of fun at home with family and friends and we're there.

mOOners 

by Kris

We've all had friends say, "have I got a deal for you" or "you have to try this new Mexican restaurant" (we have great friends who know us well!) or "wait til you see this place!" Our amigos, Geraldo y Paulita (aka Jerry and Paula in Nova Scotia speak) were spot on with their suggestion to visit Maruata on our Pacific coast swing, saying, "Maruata is a don't miss."

Judge for yourself.

 

Geraldo y Paulita also said, "you'll love Lety, her husband, Chon, and their daughter, Lupita. You'll love Lety's sister, Rosa, and her daughter, Wendy." Right, again. Armed with gifts from the very thoughtful Paulita, we greeted the family and shared recuerdos from their Canadian amigos.

 
We happily accepted Chon y Lety's offer of the last camp spot under their large and shady palapa. The palapa, described as empty when visited by Geraldo y Paulita weeks earlier, was now filled with a rainbow of tents and hammocks and the remnants of the last days of the Easter two-week beach-centric celebration, Semana Santa.

We broke out our campsite stuff, bought and gave test rides to new hammocks, and parked our butts on the beach to observe the festivities.

There is no observation with Mexican partyers...we became part of the family of Ramón y Blanca de Guadalajara. The music thumped, the brandy and beer flowed, and the dancing was contagious. I just want to say if Blanca had been my tap dancing teacher, "Pink Elephants" would be more of a bright star in my resumé instead of just being an incredibly and hilariously fun thing with Casey on my fifty-second birthday...

Ken was not immune to the rhythms of the música and the magic of Blanca and her equally talented hermano, Saul.

Saul y Blanca are no doubt inspired by the agility and prowess of their parents on the dance floor...or beach.

We were sorry to see the partying multitudes depart Sunday, including one of our younger favorites of the familia de Ramón, twelve year-old, Sait. Sait is a fabulous big brother (a lot like our Brody, Cameron, and Austin) and all around good kid; in any language.

Three generations of family dancing and laughing and happy to include us - this has been the gracious norm of our Mexican experiences.

Have I mentioned lately how much we love this country? 

mOOners 

by Kris

Nothing prompts the return of my writing muse and lifts my spirits like a beautiful location (Pátzcuaro, Michoacán) amazing new amigos (Jerry & Paula and John & Pat & Nikki, the Border Collie) and a gaggle of Westies!

Our Westie boy, Duffie, had a horrible encounter with a cat and its owner last week. We accepted responsibility for having Duffie un-leashed, paid $75 pesos ($7 US) for the man's medical expenses for treatment of scratches and bites from separating cat and dog...and provided proof of Duff's shots. Because we love and value Duffie and respect our fellow travelers, we are responsible poopbag-carrying-leashed dog owners. Our mistake (I was holding the un-attached leash) led to an injury, bad feelings, and threats of death for Duffie.  Fortunately the man, his wife, and their cats departed before dawn a couple of days later without good-byes or further recrimination. Talk about a relief! But still a bummer and we've all felt the distress of a bad and regrettable situation.

Until today when I was given a "sign" that all is well in our little world...
Paula and Jerry saw this trio of cuties on a walk and took me to see them this morning.

 

 
We snapped photos of the threesome and as we moseyed away a neighbor hollered, "Marco, Marco” to us. We thought  he was saying "Barko, Barko" as the Westies were rather excited by our presence. Turned out he thought our Jerry was his amigo, Marco. When we got close enough that he saw the mistaken identity, we explained that we were in the neighborhood to see the three Westies across the street. He laughed and said he has four! He opened his front door and out tumbled his wee ones in their perky little coats to offset the chilly mountain morning air. What a hoot!

This cutie has the same puppie ears Duffie had. 

This is quite an international foursome; Westies from Mexico, Spain, France, and the US live happily in one home. The owners were hooked with the personality of their first Westie and treasure each one they've since added to their family.

Ken and I can relate.

mOOners