200904

WEDNESDAY 1 APRIL 2009 – We have a very quiet night with just the occasional donkey braying to disturb us.  Our plan is to set off across country tomorrow to avoid the rush traffic for the beginning of the Semana Santa holiday this weekend.  We’ve still got some vegetables left and cannot take raw ones into the States so spend an hour or so preparing them for the freezer but also doing a batch of home made potato crisps, most of which we eat during the manufacturing process.  Cruise ship of the day is or should I say are Sapphire Princess and RCI Mariner of the Seas.  There’s a big hill at the end of the peninsula and we climb this to get superb views in all directions.  Throughout the day we see the tourists doing horse rides along the beach, quad biking, water sports and walks around the island. 

ISLA DE LA PIEDRA 3, BENJIS

THURSDAY 2 APRIL – We are up just before 6am ready for our big journey.  It’s not that we have a really long drive towards Durango but it is on very twisty mountain roads.  It takes almost an hour to get to the start of Mex 40 and sure enough we begin climbing and winding our way into the Sierra Madre almost immediately.  The road is good with lots of lorries using this route but progress is slow and the driving tedious.  We pass one Quebec camper en route.  There are far reaching views but nothing spectacular to see.  We pass the Tropic of Cancer at 1700m then reach the summit and cross into DURANGO state around 2620m complete with military checkpoint (clocks forward 1-hour).  We are now on a plateau with stretches of excellent new road going through the pine forest and logging the main industry.  Billboards tell us that the development of the next 45km will include 38 tunnels and 34 bridges.  Around km 57 we stopped at Parque El Tequan.  Signs tell us it is open Thursday – Sunday from 8am – 10pm but we still have to shout through the gate to be let in even though it is 12.30pm.  For P50 (£2.50) we can stay overnight and we walk around before picking an area at the lower level by the basketball court and near the chalets.  After lunch we are ready for a nap.  When I set out for a late walk I find that the Quebec camper van is here and parked further along as they have a 4wd truck.  Even with that the road leading to the dried up lake was too bad for them to continue.  Jacques & Jeanne are very interesting people.  She is Belgian and was raised in Belgian Congo and he is French but they moved to Quebec 50 years ago.  They still have a motorhome in France and have take it down to Morocco and other north African countries and have taken this camper all through South America so lots of inspiration for us.  Our days are now numbered so we start to work out way through our DVD’s and watch a Barbara Cartland “The Lady and the Highwayman after supper.

PARQUE EL TEQUAN, KM 57 MEX 45 – P50 (£2.50)

165 MILES

FRIDAY 3 APRIL – It has been a really cold night and is still only just above freezing when we wake up so we get chance to give the central heating a run.  As Jacques & Jeanine are leaving they tell us it went down to –4C.  We really like it here; it is so quiet and the only noise in the night was the occasional distant truck using air brakes.  In reverse of recent days when we have sat out in the morning before it got too hot here we are sit in for the morning until it warms up then outside in the afternoon but boy is it hot then.  One car comes in to check the place out but other than that we have the place to ourselves unless you count all the deer in the enclosure. 

PARQUE EL TEQUAN 2

SATURDAY 4 APRIL – Today is the start of the main Mexican holiday but we can’t get on the road early, as the park gates don’t open until 8am.  The by pass round Durango is excellent and we pick up the free road to take us across country with comparatively little traffic.   The “periferico” around the tri cities of Ciudad Lerdo, Gomez Palacio and Torreon is good and fast although there is a lot of traffic.  We are now in COAHUILA state, along with Durango sited by the Americans as dangerous places to be!  We stick with the free road and this merges with the main road in many places.  It is easy driving on good roads across a flat barren landscape with lots of saltpans, much like central Australia.  Heading towards Saltillo on the free road we hope to find a place to stay overnight.  The hotel in Saltillo is our banker but time is against us.  Options are very limited with just roadside parking by very poor housing communities.  Truckers are using these places but we’ve learnt they often just stop for a few hours so we could be left alone and safety is our primary concern.  We are very happy to see the only Pemex en route about 50km before Saltillo.  It’s 6.15pm so we take it and settle in at the back of the parking area.  The gas station closes from 11pm to 7am but the attendant lives here and tells us truckers usually park up as well so we feel safe. 

PEMEX, 50KM BEFORE SALTILLO ON FREE ROAD

344 MILES

SUNDAY 5 APRIL – With our 7.15am start we are around Saltillo before any traffic builds up.  Good job too as the signs for Monterrey are terrible, you have to turn off the ring road but the signs are at the bottom of the off ramp.  Call in for a last shop at Soriana only to be disappointed when they refuse to sell me booze on a Sunday.   Enter the state of NUEVO LEON and make good progress until the Monterrey ring road where we miss a sign (or there was a sign missing), overshoot and have to double back.  Last year we paid to use the toll road towards Laredo but know it was very expensive so opt for the free road.  All goes well until we reach Sabinas Hidalgo with a diversion from the main road.  This leads us right into the centre of the bustling little town on small roads but with no signs to get us out.  We keep asking directions and with great difficulty make it back on track.  Enter our last Mexican state; TAMULIPAS then pick up the road out to the Columbia Bridge exit point west of Nuevo Laredo.  It’s fairly busy with lots of Mexicans heading into the States for holiday week.  Leaving the Mexican side is easy as they have a booth where they remove your vehicle sticker after checking that you are taking out the same things you brought in – laptops, TV’s etc.  After turning in our tourist cards at the office and paying P50 (£2.50) bridge toll we cross the Rio Grande to the USA.  Getting through with the vehicle is easy including a sniffer dog check and so far we have only been about ½ hour in total.  The final hurdle is American immigration where we queue up and then fill in the Visa waiver forms.  At the desk they ask us lots of questions but we were prepared for this after our last entry difficulties.  This time they really get stuck in and accuse us of living at our friends Texas address.  Worse is to come when they ask for our drivers licence as there are now special Texas visitors’ licences but when Steve got his back in 2002 we were issued with a residents licence.  They imply that we obtained the drivers licence under false pretences so we have to explain exactly how we went about getting it.  There are 3 officers on our case and talk of refusing us entry and sending us back to Mexico but we explain that we have sold our motorhome and have a flight and cruise booked out of the States.   They then ask us for our vehicle registration documents which are in the motorhome.  Steve goes off to get them but my mind then goes into a panic imagining us trying to explain why the vehicle is registered in Florida with our friends Miami address.  A computer printout shows them all the times we have visited the States and I talk the officer through the scenarios and explain that on our last entry it should have been logged on the computer what our ongoing plan was.  The offices huddle together talking our scenario through and seem to reach a decision before Steve gets back.  Fortunately they agree to grant us entry with a 3-month stay.  All that is left is for our 4 fingers then thumb to be fingerprinted and a photo taken before paying $6 (£4) each visa charge.  Welcome back to America!  So we are now in TEXAS and suddenly find our clocks have gone forward an hour for daylight saving time so it’s after 5pm before we leave the border.  Realise now that I definitely made the right decision not to go back for my sisters wedding as re entering twice would have been must too much for them.  The exchange rate is now around $1.40 = £1 and the first gas we see is $1.89 (1.30) gallon.  Luckily we have a free camping spot in mind; the Texas Welcome centre at junction 18 on the I35 and it’s a great spot.  We’re too late for the visitor centre but they have free wi-fi and a nice seating area in gardens complete with pretty pools.  We chat to some truck drivers and learn that the new vehicles are so automated that the engines must be left running at all times for cab temperature control.  On hearing this we clear it with the rest area security guard so we can park where the cars go.  Not sure whether this was a good move or not as just after settling down to sleep we realise we are right beside a railway.  Between midnight and 1am 3 noisy trains go past and this is why I am now sat up at 1.15am writing my diary!  At least trains in Mexico never bothered us – they don’t have any.  I do some figures out of interest and find out our time in Mexico averaged out at £125 week, that’s for food, meals out, sightseeing, petrol and everything.  Within this figure is the Central America 2-week trip and there we spent £500 in 2 weeks so the real Mexico figure is even lower and what a great time we had as well. 

NORTH OF LARDEO, I35, EXIT 18 TEXAS WELCOME CENTRE REST AREA

270 MILES 

MONDAY 6 APRIL – Claire’s birthday so we are happy to be able to chat with her on Skype.  She’s off work for 2 weeks partly because it is the school holidays but she is also studying for her Chartered Accounts exam next month.   Leaving the freeway we are impressed by how little traffic there is on the minor roads, how smooth the road surface is and how quiet it is inside Harry.  Stopped at a junction we cannot even hear the engine running.  Although distances are now marked in miles we seem to travel them faster than the same in kilometres in Mexico because the roads are so good and there are no topes to bring us to a halt in the towns.  In Beeville we do a Wal Mart grocery shop, it’s actually quite hard not to stock up as there is such a wide choice of stuff compared to Mexico but with only 3 weeks to go I have to show some restraint.  I’ve been having problems with my new laptop and Victoria is the nearest major city with a Best Buy so we aim for there and are impressed by the RV Park on the edge of town.  It’s a grassy area by a stream at the edge of the City Park and only $12 (£8.50) night with full hook ups.  It is now light until around 8pm so we potter around outside until that time.  Then with unlimited water and electric I use the kettle for hot water to do lots of inside cleaning jobs.  Digital TV did not begin in February as planned and so we wind up the evening watching telly.

VICTORIA RV PARK - $12 (£8.50)

209 MILES

TUESDAY 7 APRIL – We want to go back to Mexico, can’t handle the cold nights and last night was almost freezing.  Once the day warms up we get the hose going and give Harry a good clean outside and what a difference it makes.  Head off along Navarro, the main road with big stores and Malls.  Best Buy admits there is a problem with my laptop screen but would have to send it back to Toshiba and it would be away for at least 2 weeks.  The only solution is for them to fill out a fault report form so I can deal with it back in England.  By dropping into different stores we manage to get many of our odd jobs done.  A few small things broke in Mexico and it was just a matter of getting the right parts to fix them up.  Surprisingly the running around takes all afternoon so we return to the RV Park to take in the last of the sun.  We are happy that it is less cold in the evening and night so maybe we will stay!

VICTORIA RV PARK 2

20 MILES

WEDNESDAY 8 APRIL – Heading off just before lunchtime we stop at Pizza Hut to partake in their $5.99 (£5 inc tax) buffet lunch and as usual manage to overeat.  Coming out of Mexico our attention is immediately drawn to the amount of obese people in America, especially at the all you can eat buffets!  We move on to “Buffalo Wings” car park as it is a sport bar showing the Liverpool match.  Whilst Steve spends him money in the bar I head to the shops to pick up a few new clothes for our cruise back to England.  It is easy to lose track of time in the Malls, as they are somewhat like casinos with no natural light and few clocks.  Consequently Steve is back before me and not a happy bunny after they lost.  Even worse the waitress chose the moment Liverpool scored to come over and chat to him so he missed the goal and the replay!  Wal Mart will do us for overnight; the number of RV’s surprises us. They are all from Quebec and gathered together for a happy hour with their chairs set up in the car park, in our opinion abusing the hospitality offered by Wal Mart.  I manage to buy a few more clothes in the store to complete my new wardrobe and now just need shoes.  At this stage Steve knows he needs stuff but just can’t be bothered to shop for it.

VICTORIA 3, WAL MART

THURSDAY 9 APRIL – We’ve done all we wanted and more in Victoria so head off to the coast to Magnolia Beach.  Again the place is full of predominantly Quebec vehicles.  Unfortunately it is extremely windy and not so pleasant to be outside plus the mosquitoes are a bit of a problem.  On the other hand we have a lovely view and the price is right.

MAGNOLIA BEACH

47 MILES

FRIDAY 10 APRIL – The wind dropped in the night and it is a glorious morning.  It is Good Friday an American holiday and many families arrive to camp at the beach.  They come towing boats and jet skis for a fun day in the water.  There are loads of people camped up here and we’ve walked around but not seen anyone we knew.  However we missed Paula who comes over to chat to us, we met her and Serge at Tenacatita Beach in Mexico.  The rest of the people here have been too afraid to go into Mexico so spend winter in the south of the USA.  They don’t know what they are missing!

MAGNOLIA BEACH 2

SATURDAY 11 APRIL – It is windy again so we take a walk into Magnolia.  This is a really strange town that doesn’t seem to know whether it is coming or going.  The store and gas station have closed down but a laundrette has opened in a hut and plots of land are being marked out for sale.  Many people seem to move here in their RV and then build onto it.  By the time we get back many of the motorhomers have left and it is much quieter other than Linda from Thunder Bay who comes round for a chat.

MAGNOLIA BEACH 3

SUNDAY 12 APRIL – The weather has got worse and we’ve had a little rain in the night and wake to a dull drizzly morning.  A few families brave it and are rewarded when things improve dramatically and we end up with a superb hot afternoon with clear blue skies.  There are 2 Mexican families, from Victoria, next to us and they entertain us with their Easter egg hunt and deliver some eggs to us.  The family business is making tacos and this uses lots of eggs.  For the last few weeks they have been careful removing the egg through just a small hole.  Having washed the eggs they decorated them, stuffed them with a type of confetti and sealed the top with tissue.  During Easter they go up to people and pretend to crack the egg on their heads at which point all the confetti flies out.  It is so hot in the afternoon that we have to keep going to the water for a cooling dip.  At one point a dolphin can be seen swimming out in the bay and late afternoon we see a couple of oilrigs being towed into Port Lavaca.

MAGNOLIA BEACH 4

MONDAY 13 APRIL – We sure are getting a mixed bag of weather here.  Today we have clear skies and sun but with wind coming along the shore.  Someone who stayed here all winter said it had been cold but at least they hadn’t any rain.  A local tells us they have a small problem here with mosquitoes in the summer – from March to December!  Still we manage a few hours sat out sunbathing in the afternoon.

MAGNOLIA BEACH 5

TUESDAY 14 APRIL – Many more vans leave and we are now down to single figures.  Get on with a few more clean up jobs; the outdoors furniture sure gets grim.  Manage to get on the Internet in the evening, the nearby campground has wi-fi and the password is their phone number!

MAGNOLIA BEACH 6

WEDNESDAY 15 APRIL – Usual day bit of cleaning bit of sunbathing, lots of doing nothing.  Linda & Brian leave, they look like a convoy as they have a truck towing a 5^th wheel towing a boat, in total of about 54’.  They make us laugh when they say they have only used the boat once all winter. 

MAGNOLIA BEACH 7

MONDAY 16 MARCH – When I check my E-mails there is a special on a transatlantic cruise from Miami to England on 4^th May.  This would fit in nicely with our onward plan so we contact Keith & Louise who put another payment down so we can get things booked.  By the end of the day they have also booked their travel arrangements and will arrive in Houston on 29^th April and will stay with us on a campground in Houston.  On 4^th May we fly Continental to Miami (£73 pp) to pick up a transatlantic cruise to Harwich arriving on 17^th May with Royal Caribbean, outside stateroom for $850 (£620).  From there we take a Virgin train package to Stoke on Trent for £19 so I think it is fair to say I had a busy day at the office!

MIRAMAR 3, PARAISO MIRAMAR RV PARK

TUESDAY 17 MARCH – We set off early for our journey up the coast.  Aticama is a cute little village and just beyond there we reach the Bay of Matanchen and see motorhome camped on the beach.  There is a sort of proper campground with swimming pool but just next to it informal camping behind Restaurant Paraiso Escondido and this is where we settle.  We’ve come all of 6 miles so our early start gets us here just as everyone is getting up!  Ole & David are here long term with their micro lights and do tourist flights along the coast.  The beach is a hive of activity with Mexicans erecting palapas all the way along, 4 rows deep, in preparation for Semana Santa.  We are very glad we didn’t stay on the campground as a “Soleil Mexico” caravan arrives with 27 rigs, all jammed in closer than on a car park.  There are a few bugs around sunset but we just hop inside at that time.  In the evening we watch “The last king of Scotland” about Idi Amin and can now add another country to our list of places we’d like to visit.

PLAYA MATANCHEN, RESTAURANT PARAISO ESCONDIO – FREE

6 MILES

WEDNESDAY 18 MARCH – It’s the time of month when we exercise our generator but we have a little trouble getting it started.  Les & Don come over from the campground and help Steve to fix it.  They stay on for a beer and a chat.  I learn that a couple living on the campground have Internet and I go over to buy some time.  Angel is in a huge motorhome and with her partner is buying a share in a cattle ranch here.  She charges P20 (£1) per day for Internet. Just as I am leaving I tell her I half recognise her and then realise we met at Tecolote Beach on the Baja last year.  They have upgraded from their small old rig to this beautiful “A” class but her partner isn’t there.  I have had my hair cut so it took a while for us to recognise each other.  When I get back Steve is talking to David who tells us of a nice free camping spot just south of Mazatlan on Isla De La Piedra.  I go inside to use Internet and have a message from Diana in New Brunswick to say her son Cory is in Mazatlan and we should visit.  Contacting Cory I learn that he has a house on Stone Island and by sheer coincidence the Spanish name for the place is Isla De La Piedra, the very spot David has just recommended.  The sunset this evening is stunning, it just gets better and better as the clouds take up the pink colour.  Don & Laura call round for a chat, as they also want to explore one of the beaches we have heard about up the coast.  We are staying another day for Sandra & Robert to arrive. 

PLAYA MATANCHEN 2

THURSDAY 19 MARCH – Other than the micro light guys virtually everyone else leaves.  The ocean here is the warmest we have encountered in Mexico and much like a warm bath.  Late afternoon Sandra & Robert arrive but decide to stay on the campground next door P190 (£9.50).  They bring round the “pina coladas” and Angel joins us with a brew of her own.  I’ve prepared a “Shepherds Pie” for supper after which we play games

PLAYA MATANCHEN 3

FRIDAY 20 MARCH – Steve heads off up the beach chatting with David.  He’s a really interesting guy around our age.  He was always into art and got lucky when he designed T-Shirts for “Grateful Dead”.   Other projects with the band followed then he used his money to buy ranches in Oregon but has now scaled down in order to travel.  I join Sandra for a drive back to Aticama, although it is only about 200 metres along the beach the road takes you inland for about 3km.  In the afternoon Mexicans arrive by the coach load and we think this is the start of the weekend influx so are surprised when they leave at sunset.

PLAYA MATANCHEN 4

SATURDAY 21 MARCH – Heading north we rejoin the main highway but then turn off to explore Playa Novillero.  Judging by the signs they are hoping to turn this into a resort beach but at the moment there is almost nothing there.  It is almost at the northern end of the longest beach in Mexico and very attractive.  You can drive on the beach as the sand is packed hard.  Sandra & I set off in the car to check out parking places and we find a piece of grassy land belonging to a hotel and the owner says we can park there.  Steve & I head in first but soon realise we are sinking.  As I was not on foot checking out the area I didn’t walk over the ground to check out how firm it was and now we know it is not.  There’s a restaurant opposite and the guy and his sons come over with shovels.  Robert & Sandra arrive and help out by offering their skid block but we still can’t get Harry out.  Robert tries pulling us with his motorhome but the rope snaps.  At his point we realise that we need a truck and chains and restaurant owner “Gasper” indicates he knows the man.  In Sandra’s car we head of with him to enlist the help of the local tractor owner.  Steve has already cleared most of the sand behind the van and underneath where it could catch anything so it’s really easy for the tractor to just pop us out.  We ask the tractor man if we can pay him and he says to speak to Gasper who asks for P500 (£25) to share between them.  A bit steep by Mexican standards but at least we got out without any damage.  The Hotel owner comes over and suggests we park on the more solid ground at the back of his lot and this is where we end up in a nice L formation.  Sitting out during the afternoon we see a 56-seater coach drop off its passengers then head onto the beach only to get stuck as we did.  Luckily his passengers are all young lads who can easily push him out.  Yesterday Sandra bought a large fish and they BBQ it and share it with us as a delicious summer taken sat out in candlelight.

PLAYA NOVILLERO 1

111 MILES

SUNDAY 22 MARCH – We’ve had a very quiet night so will stay for a few more days.  Walking in the bit of the village we meet Vicki who has been coming here for years from Arizona.  She says this place is about to take off but at this stage only has a couple of basic shops and a few restaurants.  The beach further south does not have a completely sealed road and little direct access to the beach so this is definitely the best place for us.  I cook us all a pasta lunch, which goes down well washed down with red wine whilst admiring our beach view from the palm garden. It’s a busy day on the beach with cars constantly coming and going completely churning up the track.  Late afternoon we go for a drive to San Cayetano, a small village at the northern most end of the beach but actually on the riverbank.  Beyond the village you reach a few bars and they are quite busy.  The waiter Victor gives us a bit of a show with his pole dancing to Mexican music, Speedy Gonzales will always remind us of him.  Local kids swim in the river whilst some young girls play hopscotch across the boats.  Here you get “botanos” (free snacks) with your drinks.  The snacks are fantastic, whilst the men get through 3 drinks each and Sandra and I 2 we receive 4 small fish, 4 plates of chips and prawns, taco chips, dips and a plate of 12 oysters.  The bill is P120 (£6) but we then find out that the oysters are P30 (£1.50) extra as Victor got them for us from the restaurant next door.  By the restaurants are about a dozen buildings made of fibreglass, domed and cross-shaped.  The sad remains of what were holiday bungalows but now in total disrepair. 

PLAYA NOVILLERO 2

MONDAY 23 MARCH – I join Robert & Sandra for a ride into Tecuala for shopping and Internet.  It’s really big busy town but with no signs of tourists or tourism at all.  In the church there are boards displaying children’s pictures and poems about their families.  Late afternoon Steve & I take a walk to visit Vicki who lives in the hotel opposite the church.  We find the place but it looks derelict however we see a Mexican inside doing some painting.  She tells us this is the right place and leads us through to where Vicki is staying.  Originally a very upmarket hotel with swimming pool etc it was damaged in the 1994 hurricane and seems to have had no work done since.  The downstairs rooms are still fairly solid and occasionally let to travellers whilst Vicki has taken over a section at the end for her art studio and home.  During our conversation we find out she knows our friend Cory whom we are on our way to see near Mazatlan.

PLAYA NOVILLERO 3

TUESDAY 24 MARCH – We have a bit of a lazy day.  In the afternoon Robert & Sandra go off on a boat trip (I did it last year from Teacapan) and can’t resist returning to the bar for drinks and snacks.  In the evening we introduce them to the old British comedy “Yes Prime Minister”.

PLAYA NOVILLERO 4

WEDNESDAY 25 MARCH – Vicki calls round to say farewell and give us the Bill Bryson book “Notes from a small island”.  I’ve read it before but know it is worth another read as it is so funny.  On the road at 8.30am we are stopped at the SINALOA border and asked, in Spanish, if we have any fruit.  Steve says no then I cringe as we drive past the with bowl of fruit in the kitchen window at their eye level.  We head out to Teacapan and find ourselves behind a work truck full of tar.  Loads of men are taking it off to fill the holes in the road.  Robert & Sandra need a full campsite so peel off at Villa Onac whilst we continue to what was Playa Las Lupitas but is this year called Playa Hermosilla trailer park.  The new name comes with a price increase from P80 to P100 (£5) due to new owner but the caretaker Valerie is the same one as last year.  There are only 2 other rigs here so we get a prime spot overlooking a private beach with a palapa.  We walk towards town and see many new homes going up.  There are 2 camping areas with 2 vans on one and 1 on the other so it seems many Americans have gone home early due to the news scares about violence in Mexico.  Sandra & Robert drive down late afternoon and tell us how fantastic Villa Onac is and that they have negotiated for us to stay there from tomorrow onwards without electric for P100 same as here.  We go for a drive into town to the new supermarket and along the front before returning home.  Bob tells us that the whole coast leading into Teacapan is earmarked to be the next Cancun with a huge development plan for the next 20-years.

TEACAPAN, PLAYA HERMOSILLA P100 (£5)

86 MILES

THURSDAY 26 MARCH – We take an early morning walk up the beach towards one of the other campgrounds.  Tambora has now been split into two sites but both are empty.  Returning along the beach we see a dead porpoise.  Villa Onac is surprisingly busy, normal price is P175 (£8.75) so reasonable consider they have a fabulous pool and are on the beach.  Unfortunately the beach area here has had hundreds of dead fish washed ashore during the night.  It’s quite a sight and as far as you can see in both directions and strange as there are numerous different types of fish in all shapes and sizes.  We guess they have been poisoned or something as none of the birds show any interest in eating them.  There are a couple of parking areas and we chose the quiet one with just a Canadian ex English couple called Ian & Anne in their VW camper.  I put in 20 laps in the pool mid afternoon then return for happy hour with Robert & Sandra.  They have just left when Don & Laura arrive with their drinks.  Playa Novillero also caught them out and they got stuck in almost exactly the same spot that we did so we compare photos.  They were lucky to get towed out for P300 (£15) by a truck.  Mexican Train is our evening game and Robert fools us all having taking all the double dominoes out before we arrived – he’s a bit of a lad on the quiet.

TEACAPAN 2, VILLA ONAC – P100 (£5) without electric

FRIDAY 27 MARCH – I’m up early thinking about my sister Annette who is getting married to Ian in England.  I spend most of the day on the Internet trying to speak to someone at the wedding and finally get through early afternoon to hear it all went well and everyone has had a great time.  Robert & Sandra head off towards San Diego in the hope of buying a new car.  Taking a beach walk we see that there are even more fish today and also lots of snake like looking eels.  Many crabs have tried to drag the fish down their holes but got them stuck so all you see is the fish tail sticking up in the air.  Late afternoon some officials arrive to check out the problem and they tell us it extends for between 10km and 15km with between 50 and 60 tons of dead fish.  They think red algae or plankton has caused it.  Anne & Ian have joined us for happy hour and we are entertained by the beach officials antics at trying to get their 4WD off the beach.   

TEACAPAN 3, VILLA ONAC

SATURDAY 28 MARCH – It’s a misty morning when I get up early but I do manage to catch Ian & Annette at the airport for a brief chat on Skype.  Claire sends me lots of wedding photos and I see that everyone looked really nice.  People attempt to clean up some of the fish but each tide brings in more.  A friend has researched it and it sounds like it was caused by a “red tide”, a natural thing that occurs under certain conditions including drought and hot water temperatures.  After joining us for happy hour we have a most enjoyable game of Canasta with Ian & Anne.

TEACAPAN 4, VILLA ONAC

SUNDAY 29 MARCH – It’s becoming a twice-daily thing to go down to the beach at high tide to see what is coming in.  Today there is a huge eel and a fish with blue lips.  There must be dozens of different varieties of fish in all shapes and sizes.  Judging by the quantity being washed ashore you would think that under normal circumstance fishing in these waters would be extremely lucrative.  Unfortunately in the heat of the day they are starting to get a bit smelly and flies are gathering.  Lots more vehicles leave and at once stage we are down to 3 before the new arrivals.  Ian & Anne join us for dinner followed by cards and again in the evening for snacks and cards – it’s rare we find people who can play Canasta so we have to make the most of such opportunities.

TEACAPAN 5, VILLA ONAC

MONDAY 30 MARCH – Ian & Anne make and early start and although this is what we like to do we realise just after 9am that we need to move to get away from the terrible smell.  Heading towards Mazatlan we turn off toward the airport then just before it at a sign to Isla de la Piedra.  The road turns to dirt and for almost 40 minutes we crawl along before reaching the village.  Isla de la Piedra is a peninsula with a small island attached and having driven into the village we find that Cory lives on the island part.  We pull up and Cory comes out to meet us, not the least bit surprised that we are a day early.  2 years ago we met him and his family in Canada and have kept up with him on Facebook since then.  We meet his friends Hjeron and girlfriend Christina.  Hjeron runs a theatre company www.mythmaker.com and shows us lots of pictures of his past productions.  He is here doing research for a future play.  This house is known as La Casa Del Mayor (the Majors house) or Case de Mi Amigos (House of my friends), and was built by Jaime who we meet.  He used lots of concrete to create unusual shaped rooms and beds, has left the floors as uneven dirt, and the rooms surround a most amazing jungle setting waterfall.  He is also building a future house and takes us to look at it.  Apparently in Mexico no one owns land that is covered by water so he is using this as a loophole to push out into the swamp and build on free land.  His visions are incredible and having seen his original house we are sure it will be impressive.  In the afternoon we go on an exploratory walk around the main village.  There’s a fantastic beach and part way along “Tres Amigos” campground with a surprising number of vehicles on it but all parked close together like solders.  David told us we could free camp by Benji’s pizza restaurant and this turns out to be at the far end of the bay on a rocky peninsula but much more to our liking.  Just to make sure we will like it we linger over a ham, prawn and garlic pizza and a few drinks.  By the time we complete the circuit round the hill back to Cory’s it is late afternoon and we both fall asleep.  Cory is having a party tonight and comes over to ask us to join in.  A few friends have brought along drums and Cory performs with his hula-hoop.  We are the first to leave feeling quite tired but finding out it is 11.30pm we are not surprised.  

ISLA DE LA PIEDRA 1, LA CASA DEL MAYOR

TUESDAY 31 MARCH – We are up before everyone else and walk down to the waterfront to see a huge Norwegian Star cruise liner in port.  Once the others emerge we learn they are going over to Mazatlan today so we tag along and begin by taking the boat across to the city, P5 (25p).  Cory wants to go to the park to find out about getting bamboo plans and to meet up with children from a local school.  He negotiates for a “pulmonia” (VW purpose made kind of street golf cart) to take us P60 (£3).  He sorts out the bamboo but finds we are too late for the school kids but still manages to get us into the park free.  Hjeron wants some bird feathers for his production and thinks they should be easy to get in Mexico but we are still surprised when they tell him to go into the aviary to collect them.  Cory’s planned trip to an island doesn’t come off so we all go our own separate ways and we make our way back.  We move over to Benji’s where we have a nice view.  We watch the cruise ship leave then settle down for a movie.

ISLA DE LA PIEDRA 2, BENJIS PIZZA RESTAURANT.