Guadalajara

We spent two nights at San Jose del Tajos RV Park on the outskirts of Guadalajara . . . this time, just a stop-over where we provisioned up at the local "big box" stores, conveniently located within walking distance of the park, and prepared for our journey to Zacatecas, a city of 100,000 - one of Mexico's fabled "silver cities". The photo above was taken on our way out of Guadalajara.
Our park neighbors were Javier and familia, local Guadalajara residents who live near city center and enjoy getting away from the city on weekends. We had a wonderful "conversation", mostly in Spanish, about the beauty and the cultural richness of Zacatecas, as well as a warning about the windy conditions we could expect there. Javier, his wife, two daughters and mother seemed very comfortably situated in their camper that was not much bigger than ours! Their campsite was immaculate - raked daily and watered to keep the dust down.
On the other side of us was a group of young men who partied noisily in their trailer during most of the afternoon and then took off early in the evening . . . probably for the local nightspot where the music cranked up and went on until 4ish in the morning . . . a social piece of Mexican weekend culture that can be a difficult adjustment for gringo tourists who are "of a certain age"...

The Road Inland

Day One: Mazatlan to Guadalajara - Seven LONG hours on the road, though most of the trip was on the cuota, the toll road with collection booths along the way.
As we planned our trip inland, we considered two choices:

Option A: East to Durango via "The Devil's Backbone" - a more direct route inland along narrow, steep, winding roads - a breathtaking, scenic, white-knuckle drive during which the driver has to manuever around oncoming big rigs that take up both lanes as they whip around the hairpin curves, while the navigator peers helplessly down the sheer drop just inches away (it seems) into the lush valleys FAR below;

Option B - South and East to Guadalajara; a longer, more tedious route, less interesting for sure, but a lot safer. Since we wanted this to be a relaxing trip, we opted for safe and tedious this time around. (You're welcome, Moms!)
The climb from the coastal region into the Sierra Madre Occidental range was fairly gradual, with manageable curves and nice vistas. Dry, brushy coastal terrain with some tomato fields and mango and papaya orchards along the way, turned into serious agave country as we approached the town of Tequila, with the hillsides taking on a blue-green color of the agave plants (see second picture above).
The temperature rose as we journeyed further inland, away from the cool coastal breezes.
With maps and journal notes from past years at the ready, we approached the Guadalajara periferico, the bypass road that rings the center of the city and provides access from other cities via highways from all directions that create a giant spoke-like pattern.

We merged with the periferico traffic, a flowing river of beeping trucks, cars and scooters. Lanes were marked, but seemed to be largely ignored as the vehicles jockeyed for position. Drivers most often chose the horn over the brakes to establish their territory on the road.
San Jose del Tajo Trailer Park, located on the outskirts of the city on the southern "spoke", was a familiar and welcome sight after maneuvering through traffic. Andreis, the park manager, remembered us (no doubt, because of the RED truck).

Once settled into a shady space (see top picture above), we pulled out the camp chairs and enjoyed some cold cerbezas on our brick patio and prepared a tasty barbeque dinner. The camper bed beckoned to us soon after dinner , , ,

Getting Out of Town

Okay, so maybe it's getting a little too comfortable for us in our Casa Sur . . . furniture and appliances are all in place; most of the painting is complete; documentation that elevates (?) us from tourist status to part-time residents is secured next to our passports.
The travel bug has bitten us once again! After two months of pretty steady work on the condominium, we are going to rewarding ourselves with a two week road trip inland through Guadalajara to Zacatecas, San Luis Potosi, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato and possibly Patzcuaro; then back out to the coast to Melaque, one of our favorite sea-side towns. From there, we'll return to Mazatlan about March 27/28 and complete tasks that still need our attention here, before heading North in early April.
The other reason for getting out of town and heading inland is to avoid the crowds that are expected to flood to all the coastal towns and cities. Some 200,000+ partyers are predicted to descend upon Mazatlan next week for Semana Santa - Holy Week. Uniformed, armed and very young security forces are making their presence known already - hopefully, more posturing than anything else - as they motor around town in open trucks, with automatic weapons slung over their shoulders.
I have to say, we're more concerned about the 24/7 party atmosphere here and not getting our beauty sleep! At times like these, the cultural differences surface and tempers can flare as normal Latino partying goes into the early morning hours, depriving baby boomer Gringos of their precious sleep.
We have missed the road this year and the sense of adventure that comes with it! Condominium life is good, though a little insulated from new experiences and the "road rat" camaraderie we have come to enjoy as we pull into an RV park at the end of the day and join other sojourners for Happy Hour - a time to share information and advice about the road ahead or behind us, over a glass of wine and some chips and salsa.
Stay tuned for updates and pictures!.....

Nap Time!

This is the bedroom furniture - head board and credenza from Mesilles, a small town about 40 miles outside of Mazatlan where furniture is manufactured and sold - great prices and selection!

It SEEMED like a nice idea to have Larry pose for pictures! Obviously a tempermental, strong-willed model!

This is Larry testing the structural strength of the credenza as he searches for a place to nap.

And this is Larry showing his favorite sleep position - note that he takes HIS half of the bed out of the middle!

The Dining Room

This is the view from the living area looking into the dining area, kitchen and entry. Those are pretty jazzy dining chairs! Behind the table, refrigerator and in the entry way, you can see the accent color we used - a rich, burnt orange/brown. Most of the main room is a very soft cream. We'll be adding lots of bright accents in accessories - pillows, wall art, table decorations....

Bonnie's ready for a dip in the pool......

The Living Room

Ah! The long-awaited furniture arrived Wednesday night! As the gremlins allow us to upload images, we will give you a tour! This first photo shows the MASTER of the castle enjoying a moment of leisure!

First Dip

Really now, how COLD could that nice condo pool be, with several days of Mazatlan Sol beating down on it? Certainly no colder than The Lake in July! The time had come to test the waters . . . Steeling myself, I took a brave leap without doing a "toe test". After a few gasps and some frenzied frog kicking and stroking, the frigid water became "refreshing". Neighbors cheered me on from the comfort of their decks as I completed several circuits around the pool perimeter. My reward after completing my "polar bear swim" was a warm shower and a cup of hot cocoa laced with a touch of brandy.