Time to start our ~2500 km trek north to Arizona, where we will leave the RV for the off-season. It was good to spend a final non-travelling week at Hacienda Contreras in the company of several couples we had met over the past few years. This park has become a real magnet for Canadians, most of whom come from BC or Ontario, but this week we also had Nova Scotia and Saskatachewan represented. Americans are fewer in number, here in the interior of Mexico, and probably in most areas except the northwest.
As we started our trip out of the country, every encounter took on special meaning. We stopped at a grocery store on the highway and I ran inside to get the usual staples -- milk, yoghurt (Mexican is best), bolillos (crusty rolls), local cheese, Squirt (my favourite soft drink to mix with tequila), frozen treats (more fruit than cream). The young man working there had some English and with my bit of Spanish we had a real conversation. Three years ago I would have been reluctant to enter the store. Now, with enough Spanish to confidently greet the shopkeeper, ask for foods by name and understand the price, it was a breeze. I also learned long ago that Mexican retailers don't bite.
Our route took us through the berry-producing area on the south shore of Lake Chapala. Berries were 50 pesos ($4) for three 1-litre containers. I wanted one each of raspberries, blackberries and strawberries, but there was a slight problem. The raspberries weren't at their best. The old man at the stall helped me choose a tub where the berries were not too mushy. I paid him and then, as if to ensure that I was completely satisfied with my purchase, he thrust an extra litre of blackberries into the bag. So sweet -- both him and the berries.
Now, all we had to do was point the GPS to Etzatlan, weave our way through a web of secondary highways, and we'd be there in a couple of hours . . .
No comments:
Post a Comment