Day with the Charros, Part 2

Our host and campground owner, Rafa, took us to a rodeo that pitted two local teams against each other in a friendly Sunday competition.  Jalisco State is renowned for its charro riders and upcoming meets would choose the local entry into the national championships. 

Rafa’s uncle, a charro himself, welcomed us as celebrity guests.  The uncle cut a dashing figure in his costume and evoked the image of Rafa’s late grandfather whose photos we had just seen.  Old Don Carlos to his dying day never went out without his full charro finery. 

The charros competed in about 10 different events, demonstrating riding skills, lassoing steers, rope-handling, breaking wild horses and so on.  Before we came, one of the other campers had checked to make sure no animals would be killed.  None were, but some of the bulls had a pretty rough day.  The competitors ranged in age from boys in their early teens to mature men.  The enthusiastic crowd was mainly family groups out for an afternoon’s entertainment.  Vendors constantly moved through the stands selling snacks, beverages and charro gear such as lariats.  Our big treat was when Uncle produced a bottle of tequila and shot glasses for all.

After the show we went to Tlaquepeque, an artsy touristy part of the city for a meal.  The wide pedestrian boulevard is full of large sculptures.  Street stalls feature locals arts and crafts.

Day with the Charros, part 1

When we arrived at Roca Azul Park plans were afoot for a trip to Guadalajara on the Sunday (Jan. 29) to see a rodeo.  A bus was arranged, to be cost-shared, and the park’s owner, Rafael Sanchez Barba, would meet us in the city to take us to the rodeo.  We signed on and 20 of us made the hour-long bus trip into town. 

Rafa had a surprise for us.  He directed the bus to his grandfather’s house and, once there, gave us some history of his family and of the Mexican version of rodeo.  His grandfather, Don Carlos Sanchez Llaguno, was Mexico's most famous charro (roughly translated as rodeo cowboy).  The house had a large enclosed garden and this huge wall display showing four generations of the family, beginning with Don Carlos and Juanita who had 16 children.

Don Carlos was at the top of his sport in the 1950s and 60s and passed away in 1998. The house was filled with mementos of the many honours the great charro had received, including recognition by Mexican presidents and the pope.  Several descendants of Don Carlos, both male and female, had taken up the sport for which he was so famous.  Their portraits lined the walls.  The large house had been adapted to accommodate the needs of Don Carlos who was blind and partially paralyzed during the last several decades of his life.  All stairways had been replaced by ramps.  

For more about Don Carlos Sanchez see http://www.decharros.com/noticia/csm_jal/06/csm_mar5.htm

Party at the Faro

Jim decided the social life here at Roca Azul needed a boost.  He invited everyone to meet at the Faro, the lighthouse at lakeside, on Friday evening.  The park owner and staff helped by providing tables and plenty of firewood. For the first time in our visits to the park the lighthouse was opened and we got to climb the 39 steps to the top.  Next week we'll see if we can add music.

A hang-glider dropped in and accepted a beer.

Lake Chapala towns

We don't unhook the RV often for a day-trip, but this was one occasion when we wanted to do some shopping and thought we'd rather take our home with us.  Ajijic is overrun with Canadians and Americans, many of whom own posh homes with lake views.  No visit is complete without a stop at the big Walmart.  I found several South American wines in the $6 range; let's see how we like them.

Chapala has a wide malecon (like a boardwalk, only concrete and much more elaborate) with restaurants and vendors of all sorts.

Roca Azul

During our four winters in Mexico we have stayed in quite an array of RV parks.  We tend to be 'movers' rather than 'stayers', rarely spending more than a week at a time in a given park.  Several parks had seen better days and were only tolerable because of their location, for example, the parks close to the centre of Guadalajara, Oaxaca and Ciudad Victoria.  Others were absolutely charming, but we managed only a single visit as we have not returned to that part of the country.

Hotel Tepetipan in Catemaco with its fabulous trees and marvellous host Gene.

The Maya Bell in  in Palenque has a natural pool and howler monkeys that scream in the night.  Oh, and Mayan ruins within walking distance.

If you read the previous posts you knows of our great affection for Hacienda Contreras and owners Barb and Sal who go far beyond anything you could imagine in tending to their visitors' needs.

Now we are back at Roca Azul, a special place we found in 2010 and have returned to each year, like the Monarch butterflies drawn to their winter sanctuary.  The Roca Azul Resort was established in the 1960s and includes the RV park complete with swimming pools (one fed by a warm spring), playing fields, a large clubhouse, rental properties  . . . and a lighthouse.

Down to Lago Chapala

After 10 days at Hacienda Contreras we took a short drive down the mountain and along the south shore of Lake Chapala.  As soon as we reached the lakeshore, the (narrow) road was lined with vendors selling just-picked berries.  We were shocked at the price increase since last year.  Can you imagine -- 20 pesos a litre, about $1.50.  I was somewhat placated by the offer of three litres for 50 pesos, which also meant I did not have to choose between strawberries, raspberries and blackberries.  For the record, the raspberries were tops.  Darn, should have taken a picture, they all looked so good!

Berries are one of the special treats we savour during our winters in Mexico.  The area around Lake Chapala produces vast quantities of berries for export.  Shortly before leaving home I spotted a tiny container of Driscoll's raspberries at Sobey's for about the same prize as the three liters I bought on the roadside.  The label said they were from Mexico, so they probably came from one of Driscoll's greenhouses right around here.

We made a brief stop in tiny San Luis Soyatlan where we always get great vegetables at a little market just at the edge of town.  I had to wait in line behind a group of young working men who apparently were taking a break and all having what seemed to be the special of the day.  It was a concoction of bottled juice, with various fresh fruits blended in and seasoned with chili powder.  Fresh fruit juices and chopped fruits served in plastic tubs or bags are popular snacks readily available in the markets and plazas -- how healthy is that?

I'm fond of this produce stall for its good selection but it's also convenient as the street widens outside the village centre.  Inside the town limit the streets are so narrow we'd be a major obstruction.  Last year we found ourselves behind a funeral procession.  The casket was in a van or SUV (flowers visible on top) and the mourners followed on foot to the church.

We visited the church on another occasion and were surprised at its modern interior. Rather plain pews but a marble floor.

Trip to Tuxpan

On Saturday, several of us drove to Tuxpan, about 100 km away, for a dance fiesta.  Unfortunately our timing was a bit off -- no fiesta today.  We did enjoy watching the dancers rehearse.  They were casually dressed, but the men wore their high-heeled boots so they could set the beat as they stomped out each note.  They were bubbling over with good-natured energy.







Inside the cultural centre, art classes were in progress for both children and adults.  A woman demonstrated how to set up a loom to weave a rebozo.  These beautiful hand-made shawls can often be purchased in the markets for less than $20.

Architecture of the Everyday

I mentioned that Mazamitla, Jalisco, is unusual for its wooden buildings that take advantage of the pine forests close to the town.  Naturally, when I went in search of pictures to illustrate this I was hard-pressed to find them. Below you see a glimpse of some of the tall buildings that surround the plaza and one of the plaza itself with a Canadian tourist wearing the usual wide-brimmed hat.  Our distinctive hat styles may be replacing the maple leaf as our national identification badge.

In contrast to Mazamitla's wooden structures and natural hues, note the vibrant colours and construction style of a typical small village as seen through our windshield.

Sunset in the mountains

The evening and night skies here at Hacienda Contreras are very special.  The moon and stars seem closer, and I suppose they are -- compared with our sea level view at home.  The elevation is over 6000 feet.  When we visit in winter the nights are cool (once we had frost) while each day the temperature reaches the mid- to high 20s Celcius.  We've never seen rain here.  It happens in those other seasons when we are enjoying the Canadian variety at home, but is quite rare in winter.

The high elevation naturally affects the vegetation.  If we drive past we soon come to a pine forest, startling after the palm trees and sub-tropical plants we have just left.  The town of Mazamitla, 10 km from the park, is a Pueblo Magico.  The government of Mexico has to date designated about 50 Magic Villages.  The towns are   outstanding for some combination of natural beauty, cultural riches, or historical relevance.  One of the special characteristics of Mazamitla is the use of wood as a building material, something most unusual in this country.

Trips from the Hacienda

Barb and Sal don't like to see campers sitting idle.  They have this crazy idea that when we are in Mexico we should experience more than the wonderful weather and the chance to catch up on our reading and restore our tequila levels.

Sal is a keen hiker and took us up the mountain behind Valle de Juarez on Monday.  What a view!

On the way down we met a farmer travelling to his fields in the time-honoured fashion.  At least he has no worries about maneuvering a full-size pickup along a cowpath.

Back on Board

From Mexico City we took a 7-hour bus ride northwest to Jiquipan, near the boundary between Michoacan and Jalisco states.  Our destination was Hacienda Contreras, a wonderful RV park just outside Valle de Juarez. Owners Barb and Sal fetched us from the bus and brought us ‘home’ to our RV.

Next morning we got acquainted with some of the new park residents, including Don Quijote, the donkey (Barb's Christmas surprise from Sal) and a trio of gorgeous kittens, two of whom had the most beautiful blue eyes I've ever seen, almost aquamarine.  Mom Cat and a sleek tuxedo male from last season also popped by often.  And there were the dogs, and the new puppy.  Did I mention the park also had human RVers, most of them from Canada and most of the Canadians from BC?

Mexico City Delights

The city can overwhelm you, but we limited ourselves this time to what we could reach on foot or via a short bus ride. Most of one day was spent at the National Museum of Anthropology, rated among the finest museums in the world.

In the evening we strolled past Alameda Central Park, home to the Palacio de Bellas Artes, through wide pedestrian plazas full of street performers and outdoor cafes.

Return to Mexico

We flew from St. John's on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012, to rejoin Vagrant Van, waiting for us in Mexico. VV is a 28-foot Class-C motorhome that we bought four years ago so we could spend our winters in the sunshine. So far, we have preferred Mexico's brand of sunshine. We have been leaving the motorhome at an RV park and flying back and forth between Newfoundland and Mexico.

For the second year in a row, we left our home in Holyrood with the grass still green and free of snow. As we flew out, the snow was on its way, confirming that we had chosen a good date to flee winter.

This year we took Air Canada to Toronto and on to Mexico City. Both flights were on time and trouble-free and we arrived in the gigantic city by mid-day. We had booked a hotel for a couple of nights to do some sight-seeing before travelling to the RV park. I chose the Hotel Imperial based mostly on its exterior, which turned out to be its finest asset.

We enjoyed strolling the streets, admiring both the historic structures and monuments, as well as the exuberant architecture of the modern buildings.

     







I found more photos from our April 2011 visit showing some other dramatic new designs -- taken from the upper level of our tour bus.