Hasta Luego Mexico

Monday, March 26, 2012 to Tuesday morning

The last full day of our Mexican journey was anticlimactic.  We'd left the ocean behind and the mountains no longer dominated our route.  We could have easily made it to Nogales in Arizona, but sometimes traffic backs up at the border and we decided to cross in the morning when we would not be stressed for time.  As we neared Magdalena de Kino, road construction slowed our progress and we were happy to call it a day.  Our accommodation was the back lot of a motel.

We had our usual late afternoon shower to cool down.  Jim popped open a beer and poured me a tequila cocktail.  I used the last of the fresh white cheese to make an exceptional pizza.  We spent the evening reminiscing about our four winters in Mexico.  It has been a joy getting to know this country and its marvelous people.  Everywhere we went we were greeted with great cordiality.  Every part of the country astonished us with its beauty and its history.  How fortunate we were to come here.

..........................................

In the morning we stopped a few kilometers short of the border to turn in our motorhome permit and our visitors' visas.  When I attempted to convert some pesos into dollars, the woman at the kiosk turned me away.  This was the booth for new arrivals in Mexico to buy pesos.  I would get a better exchange rate selling my pesos at the kiosk across the highway and she would not take advantage of me!

I took a final photo of this sculpture as we passed through a small town.  

Adios, hasta la vista, gracias Mexico.

Ixtlán del Río

March 22, 2012

The Ixtlán del Río site is believed to have been established in about 300 BC and occupied until the arrival of the Spanish in the early 1500s.  I won't attempt to discuss the people who lived there and their way of life.  For us, it was a privilege to see the structures that remain and marvel at the skill of those who built them.

Wikipedia describes the most striking of the structures: 

• One of these temples has a road paved with stone slabs, which leads to the round monument, discovered in 1948 by Prof. José Corona Núñez who eloquently describes his discovery, stating: "the round monument has 30 meters in diameter by 4 meters high;" sloped walls crowned by a perforated parapet with crosses, as if skylights, four access stairs . . . some of them still have cross shaped handrails.

Detailed description is available at:   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ixtl%C3%A1n_del_Rio_(archaeological_site)

Arizona or bust

March 21, 2012
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.

We weren't able to adopt a kitten to take with us.  Instead left this stone cat at Hacienda Contreras in hopes that Barb and Sal won't forget their first (and so far only) Newfoundland visitors.

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.

The first day's distance was fairly modest and we had a quick stop at Roca Azul to catch up on friends at the resort and note that the jacaranda tree was in full bloom.

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 . . .

Guadalajara

Guadalajara, GDL, or 'Guad':  it's the Big Smoke in the region of Mexico known as the Western Central Highlands.  The population is at least 4.5 million, the traffic is ferocious, but it's a great city to visit.

The RV park is just at the edge of the city, so a bus and subway trip took us to the Centro.  We strolled through the enormous market, buying only a pork torta.  Our first sandwich here two years ago opened our eyes and stomachs to this gastronomic delight.

The central area of the city is a long corridor of linked plazas filled with fountains and sculptures, and surrounded by museums, galleries, churches and other historic properties.

Not all sculptures feature famous faces.

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.

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.