Hacienda fiesta

On March 18, Barb and Sal held a big party at Hacienda Contreras to mark the (almost) end of the season.  They invited friends, neighbours and family from Valle de Juarez as well as us campers.

We gathered on a beautiful, very windy, afternoon.  Food, drink, music and dancing were all on offer under the big tree.

Sal in charge at the barbecue.

This is dessert -- wow!

Don Quijote in his party outfit, grabbing a snack before giving rides to the kids.

Uphill to Contreras

Feb 26, 2012

With only a few weeks left in this part of Mexico we begin a short (and slow) journey south of Lake Chapala.  First, we reverse our initial trip of the season and return to the mountains overlooking Lake Chapala.  Happily, the berry stands are still in operation and we once again could choose from luscious strawberries (fresas), raspberries (frambuesas) and blackberries (zarzamoras).

We have taken this drive to and from the lakeshore numerous times but never have I been able to capture the full impact of the view over the lake.  I keep trying, here and everywhere we drive, to snap pictures from the window of the moving vehicle (typically the roads are too narrow to contemplate pulling over) but the results are always less than I hope for.  Trust me, the view is spectacular.

At Hacienda Contreras we received warm greetings from owners Barb and Sal, several Canadian RV friends . . . and from the kitties, who offered a complementary tire inspection.

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.

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?