Posted by whalerho | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 23-01-2010
As we departed Melaque, our friends bid us farewell and we left with tears in our eyes. Ken kept the video camera rolling on the dashboard so we can see ourselves leaving under the low arch of Laguna Del Tule and jostling down the rocky roads of Melaque. We were looking forward to our next destination , Chimulco, as we love its cool dry weather (5000′ elevation) as well as their warm mineral pools. We arrived and decided to dry camp it out on the grass overlooking a pretty little lake as the campground was a bit tight.
The weather was superb and we couldn’t wait to soak in the warm mineral pools each night. After school, the kids took off for the water park and went down the slides over and over again. One of Lauren’s best friends is Natalia and during a bike ride, we found a quaint little hotel called, “Casa Natalia” and across the street was a little market called, “Loren”. Quite the coincidence! Ken, Nikki and I road our bikes one afternoon into the lovely town of Chilmolco and on our way home, we found a great new pollo man. We put in our order for chicken, ribs and chorizo sausage and he delivered it to our campground that evening. One of many things we love about Mexico!
Now northward to Mazatlan.
Posted by whalerho | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 20-01-2010
Our last week in Melaque was bittersweet. Our visitors had come and gone and we then focused more on our neighbors who were really wonderful people. A darling British couple moved in next to us – Keith looked like Hugh Grant , Louise was adorable and both were VERY funny! When Louise asked us how we were able to take this trip for so long without working, I began to explain how we worked hard to save money and blah blah blah. She suggested we tell people something a bit more colorful. “Tell people”, she suggested “that the two of you are ex porn stars”. Oh my! They kept all of us laughing the whole time. Keith had a big appetite and was oh so happy to be next to Ken who kept providing him with tasty treats! (Ken is a good neighbor to have if you like to eat!) On our other side were a great couple, Richard and Terry. They have had such an interesting life including cruising the Caribbean and traveling all around the world. Across from us were Don and Jackie who were great to swap stories with. Jackie was a hairdresser and cut Andrew’s very long monkey hair one day, leaving him looking more boy than monkey! We enjoyed other couples too and it was fun to watch the sunsets while everyone shared stories of their adventures.
We loved our weekly appetizer parties while in Celestino and thought we would bring this tradition to Melaque. We posted flyers all around the campground and had no idea if two people would show up or 30. Ken went about cooking up enough for 40 – always erroring on the high side! He whipped up stuffed mushrooms with chorizo and cream cheese and another favorite – pablamo peppers stuffed with cheese and plantain bananas -very yummy and unique. The time came for our little soirée and, much to our delight, it was a big hit. People streamed in and we kept having to increase the size of our circle. Quite fun and it was great to taste all the different tapas people brought!
While we had such fun with our new friends from the campground and will miss our conversations with them all, we will also miss so many of the local people of Melaque. There was “Lobster Man’, “Orange Juice Girl”, “Oyster Man”, “Taco Surf Man”, “Ice Cream Man”, “Rosa” (we actually know one of their names!), “Flan Children”, “Liquado Lady”, “Churro couple”, “Pollo Man”, “Bread people”, “Bicycle Repair Man”. Who knows – perhaps one day we will find ourselves in Melaque again and we hope to find these same wonderful people again who added so much joy to our time in Mexico.
Posted by whalerho | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 14-01-2010
With one day of rest, we then welcomed my great buddy from Indiana, Marcilynn, to Melaque. She and I booked her flight during our visit to Carmel Indiana last May so we have been counting down the days for seven months! I picked her up at the small and manageable airport in Manzanillo, just 30 minutes from Melaque. It was so great to see her and we couldn’t wait to spend 10 days together on vacation! She stayed at the bungalows at the end of our campground, a mere 50 yards from our RV. She had a small clean room with two beds, a refrigerator, a bathroom and most importantly, a balcony overlooking the ocean. All this for about US$32 a night. Gotta love Mexico! No sooner had she arrived when we started our evening margarita tradition, accompanied by guacamole and chips. For dinner, we enjoyed pollo asado from our new favorite “Chicken Man”. ( One day, I have to find out these people’s real names!)
Marcilynn was looking forward to getting a nice bronze tan she could show off against the backdrop of the snow in Indiana. However, her first full day wasn’t a good start for this endeavor as the skies opened up and we had one of the biggest storms we’ve experienced in Mexico. (Heck, last year, we didn’t have anything but sun each and EVERY day. What’s this with the rain??) She and I watched a movie in the back of the RV and could barely hear it as the rain was so darn loud pounding on the top of the RV! We did have a few more days of odd weather but she did manage to get a nice tan in spite of it all.
I really enjoy having people visit us in Mexico as I get to see it all new again through their eyes. We had such fun with Marcilynn, bike riding to the center of town, drinking “liquados” (smoothies) and shopping at the fruit and vegemarket on the day they get their new supply of stuff (Wednesday and Saturdays)and just immersing ourselves in the local culture. She is a true “foody” and enjoyed all the interesting and yummy traditional dishes of Mexico and those cooked by Ken.
On her final day, the two of us made our way back to Boca de Iguanas and just relaxed in paradise. Getting to spend so much time with this dear friend I feel very blessed to be able to make memories with friends that will last a lifetime.
Posted by whalerho | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 04-01-2010
Our next big event was the arrival of “The Canadians” on December 28. We were busy making preparations for their arrival, including the all important menu planning. On the day of their arrival, Ken and the kids put together a fruit bowl, some beers and kids drinks and delivered everything to their bungalow. Around 4PM, the two girls, Ariane and Myrina, were spotted walking down the campground road and the reunion with our kids was sweet. All the girls were so happy to be together again after 7 months. An hour later, Ken and I welcomed Roch and Helene and the reunion was complete. We enjoyed guacamole and chips, “Daddy pasta” and salad. The conversation flowed smoothly and it was as if we just saw them last week. What luck to have encountered such a great family during our travels – a family we plan to visit with for years to come.
The next evening, the adults went to dinner at Maya, a culinary masterpiece, located on the sands of Melaque. We enjoyed an amazing dinner and listened to music preformed by a band who opened for the Gypsy Kings years ago. The girls spent the night (one of three) at the Canadians’ bungalow, a beautiful and quaint place called, “Tennis El Palmar (and yes, they do drive their guests to and from their tennis courts down the way daily).
We decided to check out the nightlife in Barra de Navidad for New Year’s Eve. Having never been to Barra at night, we weren’t’ sure what to expect. It turned out to be a great choice as the town was full of festivities, the stores were all open and the restaurants were hopping. We didn’t have any reservations as we wanted a bit of flexibility. We found an amazing French/Italian restaurant owned by a French woman and had one of our best dinners in Mexico. After dinner, we walked along the malecon enjoying the warm breezes and just being all together. At about 11PM, we opted to drive back to Melaque and watch the fireworks from the roof of Laguna del Tule. (Okay, we were all getting a bit tired). We had a great view of the spectacular fireworks show put on by the Grand Bay Hotel, said goodnight and were in bed by 12:30. Not quite the party animals we once were!
We enjoyed many more conversations and meals with our dear friends, including hamburger night at their patio,taco crawl night, delicious nachos and burritos on the north end of the beach of Melaque and our final yummy chicken dinner together at our RV. We met the Canadians on the morning of their departure (5:15 AM pickup for a drive to the airport in Puerto Vallarta) and bid them farewell with Ken’s breakfast burritos and orange juice. We look forward to our next visit with our friends and missed them as soon as they drove off!
Posted by whalerho | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 26-12-2009
During our last stay in Melaque, our Canadian friends were with us almost the entire time so it was a bit bittersweet to arrive solo. We did however, feel a bit more at home when we were greeted by George, Seaward and Jeff – friends we made during our stay last season. Last March, we made our reservation and picked our spot, #20, on the lagoon side. While we enjoyed being on the beach side last time, we found the spaces on the lagoon to be bigger, shadier and more quiet. We arrived two days before our reservation but our spot was all ready for us and we were very happy to be back. We arrived on December 18 and could tell the mood in the town was very different than last season when we arrived way past the holidays. Decorations and pinatas were everywhere and locals from towns inland, began arriving by the busload.
We rode our bikes into the town center and found people everywhere – eating, drinking and shopping. It was great fun to be included with the locals and find such a high level of energy everywhere. Meanwhile, back at the campground, Poohnut was so happy to hear her favorite song, the canned music of the “Ice Cream Man” make its way past our RV. He was equally excited to see her again as she was his best customer last season.
During the afternoon of Christmas Eve, the kids and I made our way across the highway to the country side of Melaque. The roads were surprisingly good and small farms with little houses dotted the wide open fields. People waved to us as we drove by, happy to see visitors. We purchased a bunch of small gifts in the states with the plan of delivering them to some local children in Melaque. We picked this more rural side of town as it seemed that few people made their way across the highway. At first, it was difficult to find any small children. Then Andrew spotted a little girl playing on the side of the road with a piece of wood and jumped out of the van, adorned in a Santa hat, and gave her a large plastic candy cane filled with M&Ms. She quickly dropped the piece of wood and gave Andrew a big happy smile. We continued down the road and found a small group of children. They were very appreciative of the small gifts and we wished we could give them so much more. Moments later, it was as if they announced our arrival with a bull horn, as children came running from every direction. We busily handed out all the gifts and then slipped into our van, whipped off our Santa hats and tried to drive incognito back home. We wished we had brought many more gifts as it was hard to leave without giving each and every one of those sweet children a present. Note to self – bring more than 100 presents next time!
Our Christmas Eve dinner included lobster pasta, made with 3 lobsters purchased by “Lobster Man” (what is that guy’s real name??) that morning for the cost of about $45. (Yes, we had a lot of leftovers!) Unfortunately, Ken wasn’t feeling that well (was it the after effects of the stingray encounter?) so I played the role of Mom and Dad. Santa arrived early morning (amazing how he finds us each year with all our moving around) and left a large white bag full of presents outside the RV. The kids woke up oh so happy and dragged the bag merrily into the RV. Present unwrapping took just a couple hours and was followed by a yummy breakfast of homemade cinnamon buns made by Nikki and Poohnut.
Posted by whalerho | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 18-12-2009
Our drive from Lake Chapala took us by the volcanoes of Colima while were beautifully displayed with snow capping their tops. We were happy to reach the coast again and enjoyed the smooth ride down from the higher elevation.
During our last stay on the Costa Alegre, we fell in love with the amazing beach of Boca de Iguanas. Quite possibly the most beautiful beach in Mexico, this beach also has a small rustic style campground we wanted to check out. I dreamed of waking up on this beach with my coffee and sipping a glass of wine as the sun set. The plan was to camp here for four nights and relax before heading to the busier town of Melaque. Most campgrounds in Mexico are no more than about 250 pesos a night, this one in Boca being no different. However, they charged an additional 100 pesos for each person over two so it ended up being ridiculously expensive by Mexico standards. So, we changed our plans and only stayed for two nights, still allowing us to enjoy our coffee and wine in the sand.
After breakfast, Ken and Andrew took off to do some shore fishing. They met a great couple and the gal helped Andrew improve his net throwing technique . After about an hour, Ken came limping into the RV, having been stung by a stingray. His face was so contorted in pain that it was evident the normal pain remedies would not suffice. I tried to call a friend in the US so she could Google possible tonics but we couldn’t get a cell signal. Ken was getting worse so I jogged over to the owner of the campground (a woman who spoke no English) in the hopes of finding the location of the nearest medical center. She was chatting with a gringo from Iowa who turned out to be our savior. I explained the situation and she quickly took me over to a large vine which was growing wild on the beach. She instructed me to place the leaves in very hot water and have Ken soak his feet in the hot “tea”. She said the pain would diminish quickly. I did just as I was told and to our relief, Ken felt better in less than one minute! What a miracle!! We have no idea what this plant was but it’s always great to find a holistic and natural remedy as opposed to pumping up on medications. I think we can learn a lot from the Mexican people!
This beach is so pretty and its quietness adds to its appeal. There is a very special ecohotel at the end of the beach. If you have any special events to celebrate, this would be our place of choice. Check out this website: http://www.bocadeiguanas.com/ Boca de Iguanas Beach Hotel offers rustic but luxurious and stylish accommodations that deliver an ultra-chic vacation in a pristine ecological setting. Really special!
After two somewhat relaxing days on the prettiest beach we have seen in Mexico, we made a short trek to our “home away from home”, Melaque.
Posted by whalerho | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 16-12-2009
After our wonderful and tasty short stay in Tequila (love those margaritas!) we made our way through the side streets of the bustling city of Guadalajara (a bit hairy in our big rig) then onward to our peaceful campground on the shores of Lake Chapala. Lake Chapala lies in a valley surrounded by the Sierra Madre Mountains of southwestern Mexico and is the country’s largest natural lake. Lake Chapala is known for its breathtaking beauty, geothermal hot springs, and ideal climate.The campground, Roka Azul, was not only home to a handful of snowbirds (still a bit preseason) but also included a large beautiful sports complex complete with hot mineral pools, volleyball courts, soccer fields and playgrounds. The grounds were impeccable and amassed an area of more than 50 acres. We parked on the more rustic side of the campground, overlooking the lake. The evenings and mornings were cool and the days never went past 75 degrees. I can see why some people choose this kind of climate over the warmth and humidity of the seashore as it is quite lovely. (Although we are beach people so we only lasted a week!).
We took a drive along the Ribiera (Riviera) de Chapala which was beautiful and full of color and festivities. The drive was dotted with many lakeside restaurants where the men shouted outside, motioning for us to try their eatery. We parked in the historical district of the city and walked around the town, enjoying the malecon (beach path) and local street vendors. Lake Chapala attracts many foreigners and one can definitely see why one would want to spend their retired days in this beautiful place.
Poohnut was insistent upon having a picnic (she LOVES picnics) so one afternoon, we made a wide array of culinary delights including crust-less cucumber sandwiches, a cheese plate, cut up apples with brie and an array of other goodies. We enjoyed our yummy picnic among the trees. Afterwards, we played a competitive game of volleyball and again, our children outplayed Ken and myself. They are definitely more limber than us two!
Now onward to where we last left our hearts, the town of Melaque.
Posted by whalerho | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 11-12-2009
On our route back to Mazatlan last season, we saw “Santiago de Tequila” from afar and vowed to include a stop this time around. Admittedly, we were lured to this town because of our great fondness for the namesake of the town. Santiago de Tequila is a town located in the state of Jalisco about 60 km from the city of Guadalajara. Tequila is best known for being the birthplace of the drink that bears its name, “tequila,” which is made from the blue agave plant, native to this area. The heart of the plant contains sugars and had been used by native peoples here to make a fermented drink they called mezcal. After the Spanish arrived, they took this fermented beverage and distilled it, producing the tequila known today. The popularity of the drink and the history behind it has made this town and the area surrounding it a World Heritage Site. It was also named a “Pueblo Mágico” (Magical Town) in 2003 by the Mexican federal government.
We missed the road to a small farming campground mentioned in our Mexican guide book so we decided to wing it and find a spot to park in the town of Tequila. Prior visions of the town included a small population of people walking calming around an historical center. What we found was a vibrant town full of people and thus little space to park. Ken negotiated with a manager of a beer distributor to park in his parking lot behind a fence. Ken offered him money but he declined, further evidence of the generosity of the Mexican people. We asked him for a good place to have dinner and he sent us to “Cholula”. This hot sauce just happens to be Poohnut’s favorite hot sauce in the whole world so it was the perfect place to eat. The restaurant was located in the heart of the town square where we found a huge festival underway, complete with food vendors, rides for kids and a Catholic Mass. We enjoyed our dinner and then further fulled up on a yummy desert of fresh strawberries with cream and fried bananas. Ken and I had the obligatory shot of tequila (offered at every street corner) then made our way back home to our beer distributing neighborhood. Our parking spot was just a few yards from the “free road”, used by those who don’t want to pay the fee on the toll road, so the night was quite noisy.
The next morning, we went back to the main square and by contrast, it was calm and lovely. The girls and I had breakfast at a small cafe and enjoyed cappuccino and French bread. The boys walked to the grittier side of town and ate a more authentic Mexican style breakfast. Ken looked up the tour schedule for the Jose Cuervo factory and we arrived just in time to take a tour in. . . Spanish! Oh well, you don’t need to know Spanish to know you like tequila!
We were so impressed by the grounds of the Jose Cuervo factory. They were really beautiful and I couldn’t stop taking pictures. After watching a promotional style video (with English subtitles) we followed our tour guide from place to place, learning first how Agave (the plant used in tequila) is selected then we learned about the process used to distill the alcohol and finally how it’s refined to the finished product we know and love. The guide also explained the differences between the various types of tequila and their uses. The buildings each had varying degrees of the odors of alcohol – the vapors strong enough to have the guide request no electronic devices to be used in the buildings at all. The hour long tour was made complete by a free margarita, the kids enjoying the virgin variety. We learned a lot about tequila and its’ production and we also tasted a good bit of tequila along the way including a smooth 120-proof pure tequila – not something we usually drink at 11AM! The tour was time well spent and we have a deeper appreciation for one of our favorite libations!
Now off to our favorite spot in Mexico (so far!) . . Melaque!
Posted by whalerho | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 07-12-2009
We have such wonderful and special memories of Celestino and returning felt like going “home”. This is the first RV park during our adventure where we got to know some really great people. We arrived in Celestino (45 miles north of Mazatlan) the day before Thanksgiving with a small turkey in the freezer together with all the ingredients for a special holiday meal. We tucked Mom into her little bungalow down the beach at “Villa Tortuga”. Villa Tortuga is brand new and has a small RV park (only 8 spots) and some beautiful bungalows. Rene, along with his family, have created a haven on the beach and it’s one of the most beautiful places we have seen in Mexico. Mom’s room overlooked the ocean and she was happy to have a little restaurant beneath her room for tea in the morning. It was great to have Mom with us for Thanksgiving and we all thoroughly enjoyed an awesome dinner, eating outside in our “tent”.
The girls and I took Mom into Mazatlan on Saturday and had a great girls day out. We started at the Loonie Bean for a latte then drove the “Golden Zone” into the historic part of Mazatlan. We walked along the colorful streets and enjoyed a yummy lunch at “I Love Lucy”. After lunch we shopped at some really special places, our favorite being “Casa Etnika” owned by Helene and Miguel. It is one of the coolest and most unique craft stores we have even been to and a must shopping stop while in Mazatlan!
We enjoyed several days of simply lounging by the seaside and reading at Mom’s place. Mom gave the kids their Christmas presents early, very special drawing pens with good drawing paper, so they all had an “art day with grandma” , a special day to remember. All six of us took a trip into Mazatlan so Mom could experience the cathedral and the central market. A day FULL of food and people as the town was bustling with activity. It was hard to say goodbye to Mom but we all enjoyed our time with her and can’t wait to visit her at her place early next year.
We enjoyed our time with friends so much in Celestino. It was great to see Rick and Wendy, Craig and Diane and Kim and Larry. Kim and Larry have grown to be special friends and we look forward to spending more time with them in the future. They are definitely people we could travel with and that’s tough to find! Kim included the kids in a fun craft activity that required Andrew or Ken to catch a fish! The kids then applied fabric paint to the outside of the raw dead fish and then pressed it onto a while t-shirt. It was so cool! We didn’t have a lot of t-shirts so the kids found shells and rocks and had fun painting them too. While we depart tomorrow for our next destination (Tequila!) , we look forward to seeing them again during our return trip as they spend the whole season in the Celestino area. As I write this, our three munchkins are over at their RV watching the “Grinch who Stole Christmas” (the Jim Carey version). Hard to remember it’s the holidays when the temperature is in the 80s everyday!
Posted by whalerho | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on 25-11-2009
We stopped by Alamos during our last stay in Mexico and fell in love with this special place. I could not wait to visit again, especially knowing how much my mom would love it. Alamos is a living museum with 360 days of sunshine nestled in the Sierra Madre foothills of Sonora. Alamos offers the charm of a Colonial Pueblo and is rich in history, We parked our RV at a small RV park at the start of the town. Mom stayed at the Casa de Maria Felix, a truly magical 17th century pueblo. The Hotel Casa de Maria Felix is named after Mexico’s legendary actress Maria Felix and is built on her birthplace. It was a perfect place for mom as her room had a little kitchen and there was a small restaurant and bar just down from her room. Each day, one of the kids and I walked over to Mom’s place for some one on one time with grandma. The 3 of us walked into the town and enjoyed breakfast and the kids shared their dreams for their future. Special memories with “Silly Grandma”.
During our morning with Nikki, the 3 of us stopped and poked our heads into an open dutch door. (It’s great fun to see what lies behind these huge and beautiful wooden doors as it’s always a surprise). An older gentleman met our gaze and invited us into his 2 1/2 acre hacienda. It was absolutely amazing and way too much room for one person. He is a widower and looking for a new mate so let me know if you are interested! On our morning with Poohnut, we met a nice looking gentleman while enjoying our cappuccinos. He told mom about a 103 year old artist in town and even gave mom her address. Well, mom just HAD to meet this woman so off we went, in search of this famous artist. We found her house and Mom had the guts to knock on her door. She was invited in and enjoyed several hours chatting with her (although I am not sure she heard much of what mom had to say given she announced she was very hard of hearing!) Mom was taken back to her casa by the artist’s friend, Ann, a 85 year old former race car driver, that’s at least how she drove. Let’s just say we are happy mom is still with us!
One night, we took Mom into town to experience a Mexican hot dog. This is unlike anything we’ve ever eaten and is one of the yummiest things ever invented in a bun! The next night, we ate at the small restaurant at mom’s casa and enjoyed some delicious food (along with a tamarind margarita!) prepared by Omar, a wonderful man from Argentina. Alamos is defintely worth a visit and we can easily see why so many people call it home after experiencing its unique charm.
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