Into the Mountains!

 We took our first road trip of the season yesterday - into the mountains.  It was a perfect day to explore.  Now that the weather is finally getting a bit cooler, we are ready to leave our nicely air conditioned  home. 

Our journey took us to a couple towns we've heard about over the past few years, but have not visited until now.  The first place is a sweet little city called Concordia.  We were both surprised to find such a big city in the mountains.  The people were so friendly and everything we checked out was beautifully cared for.  Lots of art on walls all around town.  And everywhere you looked, you had an amazing view of ..... mountains!

A bit farther up the road we explored a town called Copala.  It was tiny in comparison - population around 600.  Narrow, steep, cobbled roads that were like a maze.  We had lunch in a restaurant overlooking.....valleys and mountains.  Food was delicious.  The restaurant had the look and feel of a fortress.  There is a mine shaft/cave under ground there that we could have explored if we had flashlights.

Most (if not all) of the towns in these mountains (Sierra Madres) were mining towns.  Quite impressive.

The Wall of Cold

It's hot and humid. We have our AC running during the day. When we open the front door, we get hit with a wall of cold air. Aaaahh!

Our sweet little groove

I am trying to wrap my brain around the fact that we have been in Mazatlan 9 days.  Hard to believe….

It was lovely to come back here and not have there be any big surprises.  The RV park has some rigs in storage, but we are the only residents.  Well, us and the iguanas and frogs and other wildlife.

There is no hot water yet in the showers, but I don’t think I’d be using it if there was.  It is hot hot hot and the cool showers feel heavenly.

Our little neighborhood on the north end of town is slowly coming to life.  Last night, we were the first (and only) customers at one of the restaurants up the road.  Our favorite café, the Looney Bean, will open up tomorrow.  Then, on Tuesday, our favorite restaurant, Karma Kitchen will open. 

We have been slowly reconnecting with friends.  The ceremony of the full moon definitely gave us a chance to see some friends and meet new friends.

Ah…. The Ceremony!  I am still processing these 3 intense nights.  Pleased to report that not only did I succeed in completing the ceremony, but I was able to dance in just about every dance.  With the aid of a walking stick  ;-)

I am already starting the hunt for Americans returning to the US that can bring mail back.  And I’m looking for fun post cards all the time.  What can I cut up and recycle today???

We still have some finishing touches to add to our little home – prayer flags are going up today and I will be hauling out all of my flower pots and coming up with a garden plan.  Yay!  When we arrived here, one of my baby plants from a Mother-of-millions plant had actually taken root and now, I have a righteous plant ready to plant in a place of honor! 

And we are one step closer to being more “Mexican” while we are here. (drumroll….) we are not refrigerating our eggs!  Yup.  Going out on a limb with this one, but what the hey!  Everyone else in the country is doing it and they seem to be okay.

Still going through some serious withdrawals around  friends and family.  Missing the NM fam so much.  But, finally starting to figure out the skype situation (walk to the office and cross our fingers), so hopefully we can be more in communication on many levels.

Now, time to make some guacamole and quesadillas for lunch.

Stone Island Experience

 Here's some photos of the setting of the full moon ceremony that Helene took part in with other women. There's not a lot of photos due to the sacredness of the gathering but I took a few of the campsite because it was so beautiful there.

Flor's husband Ismael and I tended the fire and spent a lot of time gathering driftwood to keep the fire going continuously. The full moon was beautiful and the most effect we had from the hurricanes down south were a few drops of rain and one big blow that was over in an hour. We actually welcomed the wind that carried away the jejenes (no-see-ums) that were bugging us all.

The ocean was calm and the water was warm for swimming. This site is about 6 miles from the closest town, on the edge of a coconut plantation. We took the truck into town several times to pick up people and supplies.

I had a great experience but it was exhausting and I'm glad to be home again.

First Sunday

We're set up in comfort. It's hot and humid outside.but our air conditioner and the heat-reflecting paint I put on the roof last year are doing their jobs. Our friends Flor and Ismael stopped by to say hi and surprise us yesterday. We'll be spending the next 4 days with them and other friends on Stone Island for the full moon.

When we get here I always take the bus for a short spin to lubricate things and get her moving. First time I stepped on the brakes, down they went to the floor. Needless to say I didn't go very far, gingerly returned to our space using the emergency brake, and parked her for the season. Will call the mechanic to come here and replace the corroded brake line.

The two main guard/worker/helpers from the last few years, Martin and Gennaro are still here and happy to see us, as we are to see them. There are just us and one other rig in the park and we haven't even seen the other people yet.

Right now the internet here is spotty and we're hoping it will get fixed soon.

Our usual hangouts are not open for the season yet so we tried some new places to eat and found a couple of winners. Yay!

We'll be in touch again after our Stone Island trip.

First Day in Mazatlan

 Here's a photo of our Los Mochis camp.

Here's a photo of the unloading chaos.








Temperature in the shade while unloading - 94 degrees.
We are so happy to be here.

We have arrived in Mazatlan

Spent 6 hours unpacking and setting up the bus. Then went to see the sun setting over the ocean with our aching bodies.

 A little update from San Carlos - we are parked under a beautiful tree in an RV park (shade is so important...) where we have a pool at our disposal and internet!!! 

Our first night on the road brought us to Truth or Consequences.  We soaked for a couple of hours in the hot springs and spent the night in the Walmart parking lot.  Just before sunrise, we made our roadtrip coffee and we drove the 9 hours to Puerto Penasco.

It was so sweet to get back to our beach .  Things were pretty quiet in town (middle of the week) and we spent a couple of days on the beach and in town adjusting to being on the road again.  We went swimming in 90 degree Sea of Cortez and watched a bunch of baseball and took naps.  Both nights in Puerto Penasco were filled with the sounds of the ocean.....  We didn't have many neighbors on the beach, but one clever truck driver pulled in for a nap under his rig (find him in the photo!)

From Puerto Penasco, we travelled on to Santa Ana (and our only night in Mexico away from the Sea) and this morning headed to San Carlos.  It is hot and sunny and we are so grateful for air conditioning in our truck.  Also grateful for our Ipods and fun tunes.  We have been sleeping with the back hatch wide open since we've been in Mexico - every place we've stayed in so far feels wicked safe.

From a Walmart parking lot to the beach (Puerto Penasco) to a sweet little town (Santa Ana) to the sea again (San Carlos) - and it all feels like coming home.  Our little truck is comfy for sleeping - everything we need is within reach and we are enjoying our travels so far......

Some Highlights of the Trip So Far