Sunday Afternoon

Sunday is a time for family in Mexico. We should take note! Work pretty much stops for most people here. Families head out to find a good picnic site.
As I write this, Larry and I are sitting under a big beautiful tree overlooking the ocean. There is a local family of about a dozen people of all ages enjoying a meal together. "Grandpa" was assisted by two men to the seat of honor at the picnic, in the midst of the family.
There is so much tolearn from the Mexican culture! Their values are focused on family, on making the most of time and relationships. Celebrations happen at the drop of a hat!
Time for siesta!

San Blas Sunset

Here we are, after 5 1/2 hours on the road via the libre, the free road......160 miles and a number of "topes".....the MX equivalent of speed bump/stop signs.

It was worth the trip! Paraiso Miramar RV Park, near San Blas has a spectacular view of the ocean; a soft breeze has cooled us down as we drink our cerbezas. The RV Park has a restaurant adjacent to a lawn, shaded by a huge tree. The frigate birds and pelicans are soaring overhead......so yes, Mexico CAN be dangerous!

San Blas is a coastal town located about 1000 miles from the border, above Puerto Vallarta about 100+ miles.

We are looking forward to watching a beautiful sunset!

Off to San Blas

The camper is packed up.......fold up patio table and chairs and the dulcimer are tucked in the back seat. It's been a restful stay here in Maz! I would be content to stay and paint and play the HD, but Larry is getting the travel bug once again! No complaints from me though. There is the museum of masks in Zacatecas, shopping in Tonola, friends in Melaque.....
It will be a few days before I will be able to update....
It's great to get responses! I'll be adding pictures as we move along the road

Patio Garden

This beautiful plant is right next to our patio!

On to Melaque

The autobus has just delivered us back to Playa Escondido RV Park from the mercado in centro - the "Old Town" market that takes up a city block and is packed with all manner of food, clothing, and items wanted/needed by the Mazatlan population......Kind of a glorified farmers market. We bought some provisions for the trip to Melaque......gawked at some of the goodies.
Saturday, we will depart Maz for San Blas...a great birding destination on the coast. We may hang out for a day or two and take a boat ride through the mangrove swamps.
From San Blas, we will head to Melaque, where we will meet up with friends and traveling companions Kathy and Lonnie Dunham, Adele Langlands.
More later!

Slowing Down

Okay, THIS is what "after the trees" is all about! Up in the morning for coffee on the "patio", equipped with Spanish language and bird ID books; ride into town on the "chicken bus" (locals
prefer this style of transportation over the more luxurious air conditioned buses) to pick up some groceries at Mega; walk on the beach to watch the sun set...Yes, we are FINALLY relaxing! Pedicure on the patio this afternoon... I DREAMED about this while we were harvesing trees in November/December!
Saturday, we will depart Mazatlan for a while and travel south, down the coast to meet friends in Melaque, a small town near the coastal city of Manzanillo.

In Mazatlan

We are settled in at Playa Escondido RV park, just North of Mazatlan. It is an easy bus ride into town and a good education (the bus ride)! The music is louder here and the traffic is crazier (with the exception of the LA freeway). A few basic recommendations for life in MX. . . wear sunscreen; remember to smile; ALL paper products go in the basket and are NOT flushed (I know, I know....TMI....but IMPORTANT!). Basic vocabulary: please (por favor), thank you (gracias), excuse me (perdon, or con permiso - when you want to get by someone), I am sorry (lo siento). All attempts at speaking español have been regarded positively (maybe a few giggles... do you know that the word for hat and for dog are very similar?!) Bonus language classes! We are camped in the midst of some friendly Quebequois, so I´m practicing my French as well as my Spanish! We are presently at Gran Plaza, an air conditioned mall very similar to Clackamas Town Center. WiFi is a hit and miss thing, so we dive into convenient cybercafes. It is close to siesta time (1:30), so we have to close down for today. From 2 to 4 each afternoon, many stores close down for a nice long lunch break.....a delightfully civilized practice! Mas tarde amigos!