tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42045852065133668162024-03-05T17:27:00.863-08:00Pattyn Overland Travels through Mexico and Central AmericaRosalind Pattynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739012796826238271noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204585206513366816.post-21036716597771852042018-07-20T13:14:00.001-07:002018-07-20T13:14:53.727-07:00Really, we only went out to buy some jalapenosAh yet another adventurous day when a quick trip (about a 30 minute walk) into town to buy some jalapenos, somehow ended up lasting about 2 hours or more and we certainly did more than buy jalapenos.<br />
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Our first stop was just a few blocks from home where we had to stop into UOU Furniture (and more) store to see what they had in new and to look for mattress protectors for our friend's home. They have so many beautiful things in there (though the mattress protectors were cheap in price and quality) that we couldn't resist sharing these photos with you and there are so many things that I wanted to buy for us and for our friends .. but we resisted .. somehow.<br />
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These beautiful pictures (yes they are covered in stretch plastic right now) are each only 350 pesos and I know the perfect place for each one of them</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFzqBT0lUFUlU2r7NxpxNttBGwdI7YhUhPresvYFvCNXoS-NoIFfKQOCHmWPcLnWCxORcAgslOxTiF9uCfj7Z0YcG5uQC14hkpGeqVgp-jwn9EHVJTgLgjv_OA3c9uzff9kfN52MpsZdoZ/s1600/UOU+Vases.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="721" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFzqBT0lUFUlU2r7NxpxNttBGwdI7YhUhPresvYFvCNXoS-NoIFfKQOCHmWPcLnWCxORcAgslOxTiF9uCfj7Z0YcG5uQC14hkpGeqVgp-jwn9EHVJTgLgjv_OA3c9uzff9kfN52MpsZdoZ/s320/UOU+Vases.jpeg" width="180" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3tqYR4HZNSGVzeGCKeBI9bqC2yeQ6k8cdfp_EZ2pcZ3lLUCD2zl9zJx4tgRPRAgfOMoenyxNH5NpQcQNVJkqAZSht9FIfA_S5ZdcaF4Jr6l8cmBeZlh6hDu6adZ2M6WpoAH5ivTj1FT-G/s1600/UOU+Glassware.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="721" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3tqYR4HZNSGVzeGCKeBI9bqC2yeQ6k8cdfp_EZ2pcZ3lLUCD2zl9zJx4tgRPRAgfOMoenyxNH5NpQcQNVJkqAZSht9FIfA_S5ZdcaF4Jr6l8cmBeZlh6hDu6adZ2M6WpoAH5ivTj1FT-G/s320/UOU+Glassware.jpeg" width="180" /></a></div>
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They have a huge selection of this beautiful glassware ranging from those beautiful tall vases at 300 pesos each to the gorgeous glassware seen on this fabulous tables and more .. lots more.<br />
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It took us a while to get out of there and we know that we will be back in a few weeks to see what new things they have added again .. it is always just such an adventure browsing in there and always a huge feat of strength to resist buying a load of beautiful artwork and furniture pieces - somehow we are still managing to pretty much maintain our attitude of 'we can only own it if it fits in the back of the Prius' .. except for our lovely double recliner love-seat that we treated ourselves to a few months after moving into our apartment.<br />
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Finally we got out of there and carried on walking alongside the carretera headed for the village when suddenly the strap on my 'had them since years before we left San Antonio' Sketchers sandals finally broke .. but wait ... we are less than a block away from that wonderfully cheap shoe shop that sells good shoes .. so we backtracked a little way and I bought a lovely pair of very comfortable leather sandals for the outrageous (tongue in cheek) price of 180 pesos .. yes that really is only $9.45 US according to today's exchange rate. No wonder I am now the proud owner of THREE pairs of sandals for probably the first time in my life!<br />
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By this time we were little more than half way to our favorite fruit and vegetable shop but I continued the walk in comfort and style. At the vegetable shop I saw a fresh batch of pork crackling .. it was lunch time and I had not had breakfast and this fits my Keto lifestyle .. a lovely piece of fresh crispy crackling cost me 7 pesos. We also bought mushrooms, some amazing fresh mint that had just came in the door and smelled so amazing and a beautiful bunch of fresh asparagus .. for these we paid 70 pesos.<br />
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The Poblano peppers and jalapenos we had to get from another little veggie shop because they didn't have any fresh ones in our usual store .. they cost us 10 pesos. Sorry no photo of the crackling because I was too hungry and was busy eating that while walking to the second veggie store he he<br />
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Finally we had what we went to town for .. but wait .. if we were lucky we would still be able to get fresh baked cinnamon rolls from the little back alley bakery that we love. So off we trotted to Panaderia Rojas where we bought the last five bolillos and eight huge cinnamon rolls for 76 pesos.<br />
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That was it for today and we headed home as quickly as we could, instead of lingering in town for coffee because Gerald was in a hurry to eat cinnamon rolls - so he promised to make me coffee at home so that he could have coffee and cinnamon rolls. He also very gallantly spread the love by giving a couple to our landlord (who lives upstairs) and to our gardener/handyman (who lives downstairs).<br />
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We found out from the second vegetable shop that the good fresh bigger jalapenos will be in tomorrow but we needed to buy them today to prepare for a gathering that we are having at our place tomorrow. If you think those jalapenos in the photo look good, you should see what we could have got tomorrow !<br />
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Stay tuned for the next adventure :)Rosalind Pattynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739012796826238271noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204585206513366816.post-52177472104848514872018-07-07T14:41:00.000-07:002018-07-08T10:31:05.537-07:00Ajijic: Local Police - Adventure for the dayWe started today by walking into town ready to watch the England soccer game at 9 but nowhere was showing it - what was I thinking? Why would Mexico TV be showing the game between England and Sweden?? So we ended up at La Casa del Cafe having coffee and breakfast with friends.<br />
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On the way home we decided to stop into the empty house of our friends that we are desperately waiting to get here from Cyprus - whatever told us to stop there, we are not sure but it was a good job that we did because Gerald went to the bathroom and noticed broken glass on the floor of the shower - the house had been broken into. What a horrible sinking feeling! We looked all around the house and there was nothing taken, no mess, nothing. We found that the outside gate/door next to the carport doors had been forced open, someone had tried to break the kitchen window with a stone (unsuccessfully), tried to force open the living room patio doors but the additional locks prevented that. The only way to get access was by pulling the locking peg out of the window frame once the window was broken and then sliding open the window.<br />
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Once we had everything figured out, I called the police and they were there in less than 15 minutes. I cannot praise them enough because they were so nice and friendly and helpful (in spite of my less than perfect Spanish). When I asked about how best to secure the gate that had been broken into, they advised me about the best type of lock and even called a locksmith for me and arranged for him to be there between 1 and 1:30 today. They also took our contact information so that they could file a report for us - we did not have to go anywhere and go through the performance of reporting the incident ourselves. The locksmith arrived exactly at 1 and did a great job of putting a very secure lock on the outside gate and refitting the damaged lock on the patio door, all for the price of only 700 pesos. All in all we are very impressed with the help we received. All that remains for us to do now is to get the glass replaced in the little window. Go figure, a storm has just broken so Gerald is now busy sealing off the window until we can get the vidredia to come out and replace the glass for us.<br />
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I went to talk to the Mexican neighbors and found out that they heard the alarm going off around 1 or 2 this morning but they thought it was another neighbor whose alarm goes off every now and again. They have very kindly said that if they hear it go off again they will immediately call the police and then call us. This whole incident reaffirms the joy of living here amongst such friendly helpful people - the property is outside of town in a Mexican neighborhood and we now have a excellent relationship with the neighbors which we know will (along with the new lock) prevent any more issues. We also have some people to house sit for us for a while and are pretty sure that our buddies Sharon and Mark will be here very soon and there will be no more problems.<br />
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Fortunately there is nothing worth stealing in the house at the moment which explains why nothing was damaged or stolen - still it is not a fun thing to go through. Those of you who know me well, know that I firmly believe that every bothersome even has a silver lining, is for a good reason. In this case we are confident that the house is secure and safe - once Sharon, Mark and their dogs get here .. watch out ha ha<br />
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We were also very lucky in that our friends Patti and Lars came running out to support and comfort us and then to take us home - we are so fortunate to have such good and supportive friends. This is all part of why we love and appreciate living in Mexico.<br />
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For anyone who has anything bad to say about our local police, our experience is totally the opposite - so quick, so friendly and so understanding and compassionate.Rosalind Pattynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739012796826238271noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204585206513366816.post-40387098033058882562018-07-05T15:38:00.002-07:002018-07-05T16:44:54.820-07:00Ajijic Life: Today we went to see a doctor and other adventuresAfter yet another night of only 3 hours sleep, I decided that it is time to see a doctor and get some help .. I am exhausted and don't want life to stop being fun.<br />
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After Spanish class we started walking to town - on the way we came across Daniel from 'The Hot Dog Shop' which we all know on Ocampo # 3. Today was the first day that they have (semi) opened further down Ocampo near to where we live. There are several business moving out in this direction or expanding out to this direction and we asked Daniel if it has anything to do with the rent being cheaper further out west - he agreed that he is paying a little more but getting more space for his money out west and that more people are also moving out in this direction. Although he is still setting up the new place and intends it to be more like the existing place in town, it is already looking good and I think that it will be very successful, especially since he will be opening from 11 to 11 each day and in this Mexican neighborhood supper is usually eaten late in the evening around 9 or 10.<br />
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Onwards into town, we stopped at our favorite coffee shop on Colon for coffee in La Casa del Cafe - a second cup of coffee is definitely OK when you haven't been sleeping he he<br />
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On the way, we came across one of the local fish sellers who was doing good business today but stopped for a friendly photograph - yup tilapia from the lake are sold fresh from the wheelbarrow every day in Ajijic.<br />
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Finally we walked on to our destination - the rooms of Dra. Jessica Flores whom we met when she made a house call to a friend of ours while we were visiting with them. Yes, in Mexico they still make house calls and the fee is the same nominal charge as it is at the doctor's rooms. We paid only 300 pesos for our consultation today and Dra. Jessica took a very thorough history of my sleeping disorder, realizing that I am very resistant to sleep medication so probed further in order to be able to find a sleep medication that she felt was a good starting point in order to find out what is going to work for me. I also had her look at a nail fungus issue that has been unresolved during the last several years. Although we had not made an appointment, she patiently spent more than half an hour discussing matters with us and sent me off with a prescription for what she thinks is going to be a good sleep medication to start with, knowing that we may need to add something else to tweak the effects if one tablet a night does not work for me.<br />
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Off to Farmacia Cristina (probably the best generic pharmacy in town) where I filled my prescriptions at 643 pesos for a 2 month supply of the sleeping pills (Tasedan) and 314 pesos for the 2 boxes of anti-fungal medication - a grand total of 958 for a two month supply of both medications. Remember the doctor visit and the medications are all charges without any insurance at all and we are talking about $15.50 USD for the doctor and $49.80 USD for the medications ..<br />
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Since it was well after lunch time by the time we finished with the doctor and the pharmacy, we decided to stop for lunch at Chopsticks which we finally caught open (they only open from 11 to 4 each day and every time we pass by there, it is outside of those hours). Today's special was beef and shrimp won-ton soup and we had a bowl each (80 pesos each) - it was really superb and made my hungry belly feel a whole lot happier.<br />
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They have changed the way that they used to offer Dim Sum (wow, 2 minutes from notification that they were offering Dim Sum and they were sold out). Now they are offering Dim Sum every week on Tuesdays and Fridays at 2:00; 2:30 and 3:00 Reservations are still essential and already the whole of July is booked - it really is that popular. For $250 you get the following:<br />
Shrimp Dumplings (Har Gow)<br />
Port Dumplings (Sui Mai)<br />
Fried Spring Rolls<br />
Chicken & Mushroom Dumplings<br />
Scallion Rice Rolls<br />
Sweet & Spicy Chicken Balls<br />
Steamed BBQ Pork Buns<br />
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We saw them making an order of 'fresh' (as opposed to fried) spring rolls and even though we have been making our own lately, we decided to order some of theirs (which really looked so very good) for a light supper this evening. We wanted to order 4 but the serving size they make is 3. While Gerald came to discuss with me whether or not we really only need one order of 3, Quy came over to our table and said that he will happily make an order of 4 for us and charge us accordingly (67 pesos for the 4). Yet another good experience that we will repeat again one day.<br />
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The day is not yet over, like so many of our days there is always more fun to have and my brain was telling me that dieting just cannot be the order of this particular day and I need to have some desert that is not remotely 'healthy' - we started on an adventure to find a small/individual chocolate cake or something similar but I just couldn't find what I wanted without it being too big (tomorrow is a different day and leftover chocolate cake would not be a good thing in my life). That is when we happened to walk past Donas Donuts - problem solved. Tonight we are going to enjoy healthy fresh spring rolls followed by unhealthy (poco saludable) desert .. I am going to enjoy every morsel.<br />
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We also stopped in at a new, modern grocery store to get some cocoa powder and finally bumped into Rafael who is a very good Mexican friend of ours that has done excellent construction work for us - a quick hug and chat and finally we got back home at around 4:30. Another day of fun and adventure in paradise - we are so blessed and happy to be here living such a free and relaxed lifestyle where we are free of so many of the political, legal and cultural bonds that used to limit us in USARosalind Pattynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739012796826238271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204585206513366816.post-90601537238338208862018-06-30T13:56:00.000-07:002018-07-01T10:54:12.784-07:00Update on our life in AjijicI am really falling down updating everyone on our goings on recently but, truth be told, I sometimes wonder how on earth we used to find time to work - let alone work 10 or more hours a day. It never used to seem possible that we would have a life outside of work but we are really making up for it now.<br />
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On Monday 11th June, straight after our Spanish class, we headed out to Mazamitla to spend a couple of days celebrating our 14th wedding anniversary. The weather has been a bit weird this year so far because the usual rains of the rainy season which are usually considerate enough to only fall during the night, have been falling mostly during the day - very unusual and not good for my general demeanor.<br />
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As we headed up into the mountains the rain got heavier but not our spirits. We love the little town of Mazamitla, it is somewhat touristy but very traditional Mexican at the same time - definitely not an ex-pat stronghold like Ajijic. We stayed at a wonderful little bed and breakfast (their definition, not mine) called Hotel Cascada Real, that was really a group of little cabins and hotel rooms spread around the outside of a lovely orchard filled with orange, lemon, lime, mango, avocado, apple and several other types of trees. The walkway to our cabin was lined with lavender plants and smelt heavenly and the cabin itself was really cute and cozy with a wood fireplace which we put to good use because it was cold and wet up there!<br />
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We did not have a kitchen, just a little place to make coffee or tea but we had some lovely meals in town in the evenings.<br />
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The first day we ate at Restaurante Troje de Mazami, a favorite eating place each time that we visit Mazamitla.<br />
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On Tuesday after breakfast in town (yes this bed and breakfast gives a breakfast coupon for a little restaurant in town) we drove out to the the waterfall (La Cascada El Salto) which is in a beautiful fraccionamento called Los Cazos. We were able to drive quite close to the waterfall by paying the guard at the entrance to the fraccionamento 50 pesos. The walk down to the waterfall and back up again was actually quite enough for us on that particular day.<br />
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We took time to drive around the beautiful fraccionamento enjoying the amazing houses and gardens snuggled in among the trees.<br />
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Our anniversary meal on a particularly cool evening was at Restaurant El Charco where we were greeted with dishes of fresh mango, salsa, chips and little cups of hot and spicy fish soup.<br />
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I opted for Shrimp wrapped in bacon and 'bathed in cheese' and was not disappointed.<br />
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Gerald went for a steak which he also thoroughly enjoyed.<br />
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On the way home, I made a quick stop at one of the little arborretes on a back street somewhere and picked up a little bottle of rompope (a Mexican drink along the lines of egg nogg, yes the one with alcohol in it he he) for which I payed only 26 pesos and it was good - just a little something to warm us in front of the fire when we went back to the cabin.<br />
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This past week has been another one of those very busy social calendar weeks that is so typical of our life here. On Saturday we walked into town as is our custom while Lupita is cleaning for us - we split a nice burrito at La Casa del Cafe:<br />
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Then we checked out hotel Danza del Sol on the way home in preparation for Christmas when Angela, Eric and the kids are going to be staying there.<br />
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On Sunday 17th Robert came over and we barbecued Italian sausages and had fun playing a game of Mexican Train on the patio:<br />
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The next day we went our for supper with Ralph to Alex's Pasta, where I had the most amazing meal of Distufa di Manzo (Italian beef stew) and Gerald enjoyed a lovely shrimp dish. Since I am busy trying to watch my intake of carbs, the stewed seemed like a good, non pasta option, though I did enjoy the gnocchi that were in it.<br />
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On Thursday we went to the Smoke House with Suzanne and Kelly for their 'all you can eat ribs' and 2 for 1 margaritas.. wow it looks as though all we have been doing recently is eating .. and eating out at restaurants at that. We do normally cook and eat at home mostly but the way of life here just goes like that, some weeks life just seems to be one hectic social whirl of eating, drinking and playing with all of our friends.<br />
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On Saturday we walked into town, had coffee and waited for our favorite back street bakery (Panaderia Roja) to finish baking cinnamon rolls - we needed some for the brunch that we were hosting the next day but I think that Gerald just really needed a cinnamon roll fix because he had one eaten before we got home and of course we bought a few more than we needed for the brunch - memories of having to buy two loaves of french bread back in USA because at least a half of the loaf got eaten on the way home ha ha<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5fl7cJ6C_p-v32TJMX5HlMcTclrTeD1TyxPYow9c6J7_CWGqS_WBGmInbd3YaAcTaL2fhJQaZ98hfudaIviK2zHnJPt8_rhK84CJfSrPigOV7qS_DW2moFcV7y1TIpfkp0R2PA-8pWobq/s1600/IMG-20180623-WA0012.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="1600" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5fl7cJ6C_p-v32TJMX5HlMcTclrTeD1TyxPYow9c6J7_CWGqS_WBGmInbd3YaAcTaL2fhJQaZ98hfudaIviK2zHnJPt8_rhK84CJfSrPigOV7qS_DW2moFcV7y1TIpfkp0R2PA-8pWobq/s320/IMG-20180623-WA0012.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes this is the oven than the cinnamon rolls are baked in</td></tr>
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Sunday was a lot of fun, we ate brunch out on our beautiful patio and then moved indoors to the dining room where the six of us played Mexican train and the next thing that you know, we had spent nearly 6 hours over this brunch get together .. time really does fly when you are having fun with friends.<br />
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Tuesday is market day - this one is the organic market just down the hill from us. I usually pick up a couple of things here but prefer the cheaper and more local Monday and Friday markets in Chapala and Jocotopec respectively.<br />
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Wednesday was quite a full day because we braved the downpour on Wednesday morning to go into town to watch the soccer game in the sports bar above the Jardin Plaza restaurant - there was a great atmosphere and it helped having some locals there because we got the low down on the Germany game as well even though it was not on TV at that time - Mexico still have a chance in spite of the lack of playing skills, just because Germany are out at this point ha ha Of course we had breakfast there while watching the game.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwRcJJMTUTFGl6B43BTLDNc-TGJT11yPA2ttAQn3aXphfNPGx5vnV5ZpMLphg9GowclI5sBR2HruO0MX1ij_G_DSShDUrFTGbB0aQ88M_Xpl7EyRvZ-eO3cFt7gS22UlH_P1nQcMcu9H9/s1600/IMG-20180627-WA0005.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="902" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLwRcJJMTUTFGl6B43BTLDNc-TGJT11yPA2ttAQn3aXphfNPGx5vnV5ZpMLphg9GowclI5sBR2HruO0MX1ij_G_DSShDUrFTGbB0aQ88M_Xpl7EyRvZ-eO3cFt7gS22UlH_P1nQcMcu9H9/s320/IMG-20180627-WA0005.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This plate of 2 breakfast burritos cost only 49 pesos and it was good, the green juice was only 22 pesos</td></tr>
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That evening and .. yes .. wait for it .. we were out eating yet agin.<br />
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This time, Manix were having their special pig roast event - we have never eaten at Manix yet and now we are wondering why on earth not. The meal was absolutely amazing (at only 250 pesos each). A roast suckling pig with crackling like I remember it from my childhood days, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, stuffing, a broccoli/cauliflower mix, corn souffle and gravy followed by mango mousse .. all very yummy. The music was outstanding and Gerald and I actually danced away some time .. we were with a very interesting group of 14 other people and I managed to get most everyone to change chairs part way through the evening so that we could all get to chat with everyone instead of just those within immediate earshot .. an excellent evening all round.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz6Rs2ew9gCa-Q-txBuBbjVdW5XuR_0EvOfXBuSh5zNxe3uB4jPxuzT7EfJKrPWY2cK9rsycx-KOL2eLd1W8aKS155ajBMMPnbRb1S_5nSLYBnjy3unDTN5jjXhB9OL_axsaoxh7gaN-5g/s1600/IMG_20180627_184020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz6Rs2ew9gCa-Q-txBuBbjVdW5XuR_0EvOfXBuSh5zNxe3uB4jPxuzT7EfJKrPWY2cK9rsycx-KOL2eLd1W8aKS155ajBMMPnbRb1S_5nSLYBnjy3unDTN5jjXhB9OL_axsaoxh7gaN-5g/s320/IMG_20180627_184020.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hector attacking the pig</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I even bumped into Robert our realtor</td></tr>
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On Thursday Michael came over to watch the soccer game with us and then on Friday we had Suzanne and Kelly round for snacks, drinks and a game of Mexican train.<br />
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Which brings us back to another Saturday and another walk into town for coffee and a chat with Rob at the Dildoria - lots of good information from Rob about all the goings on at the hotel that he is a partner on. They have an amazing social gathering on Friday evenings and yesterday they had to close the doors because there were already 80 people gathered there. They are also organizing trips to Tequila (only 780 pesos) and they are also doing Indian cooking classes for only 400 pesos - yes so much still to explore, discover and enjoy so stay tuned y'all.<br />
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Rosalind Pattynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739012796826238271noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204585206513366816.post-78233532882207960562017-08-13T10:44:00.001-07:002017-08-13T10:44:24.594-07:00Ajijic and our Life in MexicoWe have settled down for a year in Ajijic just north of the main road (the Carretera as it is called locally). Its walking distance to just about everything we need. In case you are wondering (our followers outside of Mexico) Ajijic is pronounced "a-hee-hic".<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPude7m6KY1Pc-rVwB4nTpD8EhZXZQvCh2Ng_i-rp5bc1ulzk0h_kckwYPpL3NzwOa6O2n9wGffQUhAmFQPnd77iFZ-npUZkwOnRArsxcviHAX1iw0mgTxiOnFtNppp-qEQxW8u39G0-fU/s1600/Ori_Map2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="950" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPude7m6KY1Pc-rVwB4nTpD8EhZXZQvCh2Ng_i-rp5bc1ulzk0h_kckwYPpL3NzwOa6O2n9wGffQUhAmFQPnd77iFZ-npUZkwOnRArsxcviHAX1iw0mgTxiOnFtNppp-qEQxW8u39G0-fU/s640/Ori_Map2.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As of August 1, 2017 we are now living on the northwest side of Ajijic after having spent 5 weeks at the Felipe Angles location just above Oxxo. The lake at the bottom is Lake Chapala. The green at the top is a reserve on the mountain where there are lots of hiking trails.<span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fLPekSPbfUe0I3gqrKesDlokC_ILIdUONBYh4jh3vTUBBFuB1vNOnIolRzw27nNRB3fk5uDiXy0MIYzLTz6nrUJ7UJdpMtqAQ06YNrgdj1QuQrhmrHKzs6JXQ0fHpGjoyJyn5Rc0AtxS/s1600/HomeAjijicMexico.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="781" data-original-width="1203" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5fLPekSPbfUe0I3gqrKesDlokC_ILIdUONBYh4jh3vTUBBFuB1vNOnIolRzw27nNRB3fk5uDiXy0MIYzLTz6nrUJ7UJdpMtqAQ06YNrgdj1QuQrhmrHKzs6JXQ0fHpGjoyJyn5Rc0AtxS/s640/HomeAjijicMexico.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where Ajijic is located in Mexico</td></tr>
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<b>Our Apartment</b><br />
Our new apartment (which is a spacious 1 bed/1 bath) is perfect for us and was worth the many hours spent walking the streets and looking online searching for a place that we would want to call home. It has been recently renovated and has a wonderful clean, light airy feel about it - it is fully furnished with very tasteful decor, a huge furnished patio looking out at the lake and downstairs there is a very pretty garden and a laundry area which all three apartments share. All utilities (as well as twice weekly cleaning service) is included in the price, which makes bill paying really easy with a one stop shop bill of the same amount each month.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKPHDylS7FQhr26fbUjJhp0t4iu3GD9rmGnRNauzn3ic5AhiW-pLI1stWFAnAMfT37jRt6Hb3rZgeXXK3GpB4tT8ONCSiJXOBWj9ihFnqQMYGawOO_q2CWPPWrnXr8HuBhBssTr9BwpfbE/s1600/Casa+Ori+Deck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKPHDylS7FQhr26fbUjJhp0t4iu3GD9rmGnRNauzn3ic5AhiW-pLI1stWFAnAMfT37jRt6Hb3rZgeXXK3GpB4tT8ONCSiJXOBWj9ihFnqQMYGawOO_q2CWPPWrnXr8HuBhBssTr9BwpfbE/s640/Casa+Ori+Deck.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outdoors living space with a view.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxIkjNngtOdnFwque9VKCYb-P1pmMskr3gxQb97RhsGNT-scpTf76U5nFH7By0eQGxR4aoagfFWf3_9Sk07ivM7xlghARaToKBOIunS6p8ilMHsKd_64_4jf5OhKp2N2H4MOjkC47v65EQ/s1600/IMG_20170804_160225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxIkjNngtOdnFwque9VKCYb-P1pmMskr3gxQb97RhsGNT-scpTf76U5nFH7By0eQGxR4aoagfFWf3_9Sk07ivM7xlghARaToKBOIunS6p8ilMHsKd_64_4jf5OhKp2N2H4MOjkC47v65EQ/s640/IMG_20170804_160225.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9Zo9Gu_8x3jGuQ6Lh6VUi58Do7kIJ8bwywX1lwckLNHk4qm9Z5CDDUUu0_Vva-_5Aaf2GR5igKL-5047Z0JZs0F3hQpUwEdcvCOaCAGiGrgILccFc0aGn2AP2rnwR0EH_cW8nPSZD-NX/s1600/IMG_20170801_180902.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD9Zo9Gu_8x3jGuQ6Lh6VUi58Do7kIJ8bwywX1lwckLNHk4qm9Z5CDDUUu0_Vva-_5Aaf2GR5igKL-5047Z0JZs0F3hQpUwEdcvCOaCAGiGrgILccFc0aGn2AP2rnwR0EH_cW8nPSZD-NX/s640/IMG_20170801_180902.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dining al-fresco has become the norm in spite of the fact that we have a big beautiful table in the dining room as well as another table in the huge kitchen.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEOplcI84OySSy7NVvLgEAIXcN2GW8W-KPcZApgnFBIY1iyLdI-tHGFjH-J0dmUD3E3kncG9FUZ45zikEy0oWx0h_PHeT4UA0yp9v59xKARJpXIZgEByMPtge2eL3bfL2zO3ksp0yx9YwZ/s1600/Orinoco+Dining+Room.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="255" data-original-width="364" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEOplcI84OySSy7NVvLgEAIXcN2GW8W-KPcZApgnFBIY1iyLdI-tHGFjH-J0dmUD3E3kncG9FUZ45zikEy0oWx0h_PHeT4UA0yp9v59xKARJpXIZgEByMPtge2eL3bfL2zO3ksp0yx9YwZ/s640/Orinoco+Dining+Room.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyE1N97_gZCSmX1MP1dk-SoQk51BPdZsoTzhVUnHGisLNy2kLRp34dAZ9OpNe-iFrGGO0dDfh6DaUGgic7h2ED1uPKI8E60HRw656kgeg1wL39VpoXH6hy8k3i12BAcUslGXjopWGCMxT7/s1600/IMG_20170801_174839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyE1N97_gZCSmX1MP1dk-SoQk51BPdZsoTzhVUnHGisLNy2kLRp34dAZ9OpNe-iFrGGO0dDfh6DaUGgic7h2ED1uPKI8E60HRw656kgeg1wL39VpoXH6hy8k3i12BAcUslGXjopWGCMxT7/s640/IMG_20170801_174839.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Light bright kitchen with lots of cabinets and an awesome 6 burner range with large oven, makes cooking all that lovely fresh meat and veggies fun and a pleasure.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIwl6kKALEVtavBtWkplBJiEgCPDZKLNhjzg4_7n8DR4eZWIX3NpC4jX_QD3v3Lt72oLlmdmfuKQOqnkvBWB-_QuZ804NKq6Yp7aQPFfrpLm3zuJPJh_5PzJKWPupzqSFHEcd1XWDLgXKG/s1600/IMG_20170801_174920.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIwl6kKALEVtavBtWkplBJiEgCPDZKLNhjzg4_7n8DR4eZWIX3NpC4jX_QD3v3Lt72oLlmdmfuKQOqnkvBWB-_QuZ804NKq6Yp7aQPFfrpLm3zuJPJh_5PzJKWPupzqSFHEcd1XWDLgXKG/s640/IMG_20170801_174920.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 'sink with a view' changes the whole concept of dish washing.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlgupoKXHkHkvdX745RwMW62oAgY9_U4On1Vnn5ikcip2Ejm-apaUhaDky3kBsctx-c9oglcP_ZvLorvnak1fSs3H-DjY2B4VxVgS-0U6Mx5BxaAhVy4ROjcEM_XkF9-JFG26jnV419tA1/s1600/Retirment+Life.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlgupoKXHkHkvdX745RwMW62oAgY9_U4On1Vnn5ikcip2Ejm-apaUhaDky3kBsctx-c9oglcP_ZvLorvnak1fSs3H-DjY2B4VxVgS-0U6Mx5BxaAhVy4ROjcEM_XkF9-JFG26jnV419tA1/s640/Retirment+Life.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Retirement life if beginning to look pretty much like this now.</td></tr>
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<b>Ajijic and Lake Chapala</b><br />
As the time of this writing, we have been here in Ajijic just coming on two months. The rainy season is well underway and we have had a few warm days (high 80s / 32 C) and with the typically dry (low humidity) climate it has been the perfect climate for us. The best thing is that the rains usually come in the evening or night with bright sunny days with bright blue skies and partial clouds.<br />
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I can't say it any better, so a quote from Wikipedia<br />
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The Chapala Lake basin has a year-round average temperature of about 72 °F (22 °C). Due to Ajijic's tropical latitude, the sun is warm year-round; due to its relatively high elevation, it is seldom unpleasantly hot or humid. The rainy season begins in June and lasts until October with an average rainfall of approximately 34 inches (860 mm). Even during the rainy season, precipitation generally occurs during the evening or at night.</blockquote>
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December and January are the coolest months and May is the hottest, just before the onset of the rainy season. Overall, there is very little temperature variation year round: daytime highs in January are around 75 °F (24 °C); daytime highs in May are around 80 °F (27 °C) to 90 °F (32 °C).</blockquote>
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Lake Chapala is the largest lake in Mexico, with its shores defining the southern edge of Ajijic. The lake is at 5000 feet (1,524 meters) above sea level and is roughly 50 x 8 miles (80 x 12.5 km) and covers an approximate area of 420 sq mi (1,100 km2 ). It is a shallow lake, with a mean depth of 15 ft (4.5 m) and a maximum of 34 ft (10.5 m). For our Montana friends, its about double the size of Flathead lake but not near as deep! A lake this size has a significant thermal effect creating an ideal micro climate. Not too hot, not too cold and surprisingly not too humid.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqeX0cYKkAjCMjiwRv11K8ErG4ZlrH8xlOY-TsOgcLQtYvOaW68jGrrGkBEBQb4GDtKy3sdz-T-3Dw07GMk4QADIyzd5EiW5q04x6drIxrVLj0_jWGq4dXJ1i_1y4vaJz78YgWtAZSn4It/s1600/IMG_20170619_183552.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqeX0cYKkAjCMjiwRv11K8ErG4ZlrH8xlOY-TsOgcLQtYvOaW68jGrrGkBEBQb4GDtKy3sdz-T-3Dw07GMk4QADIyzd5EiW5q04x6drIxrVLj0_jWGq4dXJ1i_1y4vaJz78YgWtAZSn4It/s640/IMG_20170619_183552.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rosalind on the shore of Lake Chapala</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpdzpZjP8piDgtiy7BwBw2mld4e98hXFfak8u6GVmBHBl4F1Lp9kgfDPiUGo5HHKFQhHUsqJS3JVtAwmtuG2jJsIJcwCuGR1BGbj6jXtZhjE6_jCV_CyFg0KLk2Y2wzufWmX6UOwIpOGe_/s1600/IMG_20170619_183546.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpdzpZjP8piDgtiy7BwBw2mld4e98hXFfak8u6GVmBHBl4F1Lp9kgfDPiUGo5HHKFQhHUsqJS3JVtAwmtuG2jJsIJcwCuGR1BGbj6jXtZhjE6_jCV_CyFg0KLk2Y2wzufWmX6UOwIpOGe_/s640/IMG_20170619_183546.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking south west across the lake from Ajijic</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-q-f4Ddh2BcpLGo2W7P96cs3Lt6o_KxQXkw2oOyIkZsWE_yJKTHBX9JHjg8-Hc_ynlwzaxl6G8B8azJsRykaK34oDbR6W34lovXuGqKy9fbKDuSkDpdIill2gOkYBOvP2gnaNGDJ7da0C/s1600/IMG_20170627_134918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-q-f4Ddh2BcpLGo2W7P96cs3Lt6o_KxQXkw2oOyIkZsWE_yJKTHBX9JHjg8-Hc_ynlwzaxl6G8B8azJsRykaK34oDbR6W34lovXuGqKy9fbKDuSkDpdIill2gOkYBOvP2gnaNGDJ7da0C/s640/IMG_20170627_134918.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking west. Ajijic is right (out of frame) and you can see the mountain range behind Ajijic.</td></tr>
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<b>Hiking Trails</b><br />
There are numerous hiking trails from the edge of town up into the mountains. The Ajijic Hiking Group on Facebook has hikes on Tuesdays and Fridays. Everything from beginning to expert level hiking. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZieuKZOwkLwCu6ZVKe79puC8LIlHkalFwUNK56s2zswPocdBbw1iSTQiFhjMTsBHAzqulrSwU74e2gdnSqostt80Ayt67eq1608OD27_WNrgSCtYFaU4VaGnLtPJtPgQ9WesAYAAL-9E5/s1600/IMG_20170621_100704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZieuKZOwkLwCu6ZVKe79puC8LIlHkalFwUNK56s2zswPocdBbw1iSTQiFhjMTsBHAzqulrSwU74e2gdnSqostt80Ayt67eq1608OD27_WNrgSCtYFaU4VaGnLtPJtPgQ9WesAYAAL-9E5/s640/IMG_20170621_100704.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hikers/blog authors Gerald and Rosalind!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XiU5KRfHPrpNPVhaNcs_oiUGJ95dCGLoQ0xuxSk4UtO41sRCujDMIqA_UgHEON6R0hmzKHK43pAkiRcV-rbxGJW0dzU5Ehy4mc4h_AppePSqc4i4UcZtyDgZHa3Iu7qmoXZqR7B62MoH/s1600/IMG_20170621_100545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8XiU5KRfHPrpNPVhaNcs_oiUGJ95dCGLoQ0xuxSk4UtO41sRCujDMIqA_UgHEON6R0hmzKHK43pAkiRcV-rbxGJW0dzU5Ehy4mc4h_AppePSqc4i4UcZtyDgZHa3Iu7qmoXZqR7B62MoH/s640/IMG_20170621_100545.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Overlooking Ajijic and Lake Chapala</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0oXTg8aY3ybZyAncT5xth5fafFS0WaoVYIA1yC8dY2PXBwqYN7fYNNZ10iDS7vGkDzCkKfDwMi6scX0Dr5cM7rs6QRTaIrIdIDvoVYMW5h1aq5g8qxgwqRl7CqNERH2OwFaIwnPRpxNMV/s1600/IMG_20170621_110403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0oXTg8aY3ybZyAncT5xth5fafFS0WaoVYIA1yC8dY2PXBwqYN7fYNNZ10iDS7vGkDzCkKfDwMi6scX0Dr5cM7rs6QRTaIrIdIDvoVYMW5h1aq5g8qxgwqRl7CqNERH2OwFaIwnPRpxNMV/s640/IMG_20170621_110403.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Planting corn just before the rains on a ridge about half way up the mountain.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhom1F0XUSkpSb45jRaHxyEfSx2wdTcZz_4WN-AZit-HZ9F0c0ez1QqD1KHY8o97AA0sQBTpkkjxErrNJrs8TNR1cn6pM3oORXjTg0-du9AA5JXcj32eannt4u52XUc4lBpunCP6zhfpouI/s1600/IMG_20170623_103635.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhom1F0XUSkpSb45jRaHxyEfSx2wdTcZz_4WN-AZit-HZ9F0c0ez1QqD1KHY8o97AA0sQBTpkkjxErrNJrs8TNR1cn6pM3oORXjTg0-du9AA5JXcj32eannt4u52XUc4lBpunCP6zhfpouI/s640/IMG_20170623_103635.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rest break on the trail at one of the shrines.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6O3qn09toJwXA9MlY1CDRFwCx5g8TrWBCsRBACmLMqyfTlK3wdvTNe0YG3SNpMTpKVyAZoEi7mrLFvsOllpTD6GlQkwFjm3s6BM_6GcvqEyGtMnIxHCxnMgkScB2G0XbUAeVpYtoXZMpr/s1600/IMG_20170730_102530.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6O3qn09toJwXA9MlY1CDRFwCx5g8TrWBCsRBACmLMqyfTlK3wdvTNe0YG3SNpMTpKVyAZoEi7mrLFvsOllpTD6GlQkwFjm3s6BM_6GcvqEyGtMnIxHCxnMgkScB2G0XbUAeVpYtoXZMpr/s640/IMG_20170730_102530.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rosalind at one of the waterfalls.</td></tr>
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<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-3" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 11.2px; line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"></sup><br />
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<b>What we love about Mexico</b><br />
Before we left the USA for Mexico, we noticed a lot of comments of how dirty Mexico was. Granted we have seen some poor areas of the country where there was a lot of trash alongside the roads but for the most part we think Mexico is just as clean if not cleaner than in the USA. In our humble opinions, we have seen more trash in the streets in San Antonio TX than in similar sized cities (Saltillo, Durango etc) here in Mexico. Now we are not talking about garbage collection sites as shown below. FYI, in Ajijic garbage collection is 6 days a week!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ZUoE9ke4BROttvmjybpR0VhpO6O6i2kW-auue126T5fZUQNhwtlOx1sHw_ExZ7hkUcU9OSqXvwyUUnr7VHsJas_-kEpjvnBRmEheoCjMAB8cOa9zpvOc8F0eaoHImLzP2bCTLWMQ7hnS/s1600/IMG_20170628_113638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ZUoE9ke4BROttvmjybpR0VhpO6O6i2kW-auue126T5fZUQNhwtlOx1sHw_ExZ7hkUcU9OSqXvwyUUnr7VHsJas_-kEpjvnBRmEheoCjMAB8cOa9zpvOc8F0eaoHImLzP2bCTLWMQ7hnS/s640/IMG_20170628_113638.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garbage waiting for the garbage truck. Note the hooks on the light post to keep the smelly bags up away from the dogs. Also note the cobble stone streets, all but the main road (which is asphalt paved) are like this. You have to watch where you are walking! But its great exercise for the ankles.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB1-H2EF1z9fjANDQTitLYac-W2-ehc6U2nYo_ZXkeMhJhqiSRBLYk1rK__xhb2_iL56K9PR08aVuoBS6bTPCFaP4CLcEaEAXr4Cw9aXK1MW8nV93Q6zJ_m75j0qLYtTjkMs6kHbyOH08U/s1600/IMG_20170619_101859.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1194" data-original-width="924" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB1-H2EF1z9fjANDQTitLYac-W2-ehc6U2nYo_ZXkeMhJhqiSRBLYk1rK__xhb2_iL56K9PR08aVuoBS6bTPCFaP4CLcEaEAXr4Cw9aXK1MW8nV93Q6zJ_m75j0qLYtTjkMs6kHbyOH08U/s640/IMG_20170619_101859.jpg" width="494" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garbage Truck on the streets of Ajijic. Note the recycling bags hanging on the back. They sort through the bags as they are loaded on the truck separating out the recyclables. Mexico is the worlds largest recycler of plastic bottles. Must be because of all the plastic water bottles - a lot of bottled water is sold because tap water is not safe to drink.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO46Gjd6LRaNtY7C91sk5cFiFWXif1JOfPSyvxTY7e3NBFgqKxShezYXNci9suS3gZkDWYlzKEr3M6VYbPIlqH4Xj0nMcPRyX5LSPcXC1b92113BBmVBwNR1eWyBiwliSjoHIh2S_NFivE/s1600/IMG_20170628_105842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO46Gjd6LRaNtY7C91sk5cFiFWXif1JOfPSyvxTY7e3NBFgqKxShezYXNci9suS3gZkDWYlzKEr3M6VYbPIlqH4Xj0nMcPRyX5LSPcXC1b92113BBmVBwNR1eWyBiwliSjoHIh2S_NFivE/s640/IMG_20170628_105842.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A fruit vendor selling cups of berries (on the table). No customers at the moment, so he was sweeping the grass and rocks after the rain.</td></tr>
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<b>Local Markets</b><br />
On Wednesdays in Ajijic, they close off a street for the Wednesday Tianguis. This is where vendors and artisans come from all around to sell their wares from jewelry to clothes to fruit/veggies to meat, to you name it. The rainy season has started so the vendors have tarps up to keep out the rain. The day this was taken was one of the unusual days where it was raining during the day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJqdQB5d6drTprLWxZvwGiFVVCVVBqEO7y_rmkIq_7kR1ed8aIcgpQVF6bVO3aQ7fC-ykuP0kApZcb1Dm5wkdQuExbsUU-cRx0eZyD8_Rs4QMH-szAx3uY5VhDk9Wew1eIRG1RbFH-xcN/s1600/IMG_20170628_103626.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJqdQB5d6drTprLWxZvwGiFVVCVVBqEO7y_rmkIq_7kR1ed8aIcgpQVF6bVO3aQ7fC-ykuP0kApZcb1Dm5wkdQuExbsUU-cRx0eZyD8_Rs4QMH-szAx3uY5VhDk9Wew1eIRG1RbFH-xcN/s640/IMG_20170628_103626.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPhvpbGB6srUhv-ZH958XLSVUiqx3nKlAPhuDyLElCkAIOY-_URKStJf2iK1sznm48j9UA8VkdC9BNT_zKnAFJ4rFggyDTaWVruaxZ1cTwIeaArK1ak_rUFfKFZPYguE4x_nChRagwUxV-/s1600/IMG_20170628_103637.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPhvpbGB6srUhv-ZH958XLSVUiqx3nKlAPhuDyLElCkAIOY-_URKStJf2iK1sznm48j9UA8VkdC9BNT_zKnAFJ4rFggyDTaWVruaxZ1cTwIeaArK1ak_rUFfKFZPYguE4x_nChRagwUxV-/s640/IMG_20170628_103637.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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Our shopping style has changed a lot since we arrived in Mexico - very few supermarket trips for us anymore and none of the big Super stores. The larger cities have Costco and Sams club (i.e. in Guadalajara) etc. but we seldom shop there. The market is the place to go for 'harvested this morning' fruit and vegetables, the arborreta (corner store) is the place to go for bits and bobs, milk etc. The panaderia (bakery) is the place for good fresh breads and amazing pastries. The carneceria (butcher) for meat and the pescaderia (fish shop) for fish. Yes, our shopping style has reverted to what it would have been back in 1950s or 1960s. We go to the florist for beautiful fresh cut flowers where we requested a mixed bunch of flowers (order by price/value) for 50 pesos (less than $3 US) and we got an armful of beautiful flowers. We walk to all the different stores, sometimes coming back to offload our purchases before making another trip into town, maybe buying a cup of coffee and visiting with friends or people watching. We have our favorite little places where we buy fresh herbs and spices, the little red truck at the side of the road where we buy fresh ground locally grown coffee and the licor (liquor) store where we buy some good tequila at a fraction of what we used to pay for the Southern Comfort that we used to have for a nightcap in Texas.<br />
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<b>Building Architecture and Life Behind Walls</b><br />
Walls are just a part of the Mexican culture and life style. From the street, you have no idea what lies behind the wall, usually is it a beautiful court yard...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpiRDiBVvUZzg6XHiOjEQLqJ0fpE8kJ3WudurjQcnfQdcaFO2jArhmfMuCqYjc4MZQVYq9poLR3HKyunyXcZP3rqAn1-jrI5pH1tVGqWZJeuzv4aynO1DQbl8Sipx4yETtXx970zQTsrc6/s1600/IMG_20170619_134519.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpiRDiBVvUZzg6XHiOjEQLqJ0fpE8kJ3WudurjQcnfQdcaFO2jArhmfMuCqYjc4MZQVYq9poLR3HKyunyXcZP3rqAn1-jrI5pH1tVGqWZJeuzv4aynO1DQbl8Sipx4yETtXx970zQTsrc6/s640/IMG_20170619_134519.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wall built around a tree. Notice the trunk at curb level and branches coming out and going back into the wall.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNcEM0s2GA0tupheljUBNtQq-Sz3qAaYREBXpIAi3Nh0e-q_pIyC4NdMe5Ye9fWVt9PWjXroTnJfzTvw7xB9Cckk6ddZlztii_b6HpQjHMnBhdoCzo45LTDgxt9Xubst2xEzSTDAdE8Qid/s1600/IMG_1625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNcEM0s2GA0tupheljUBNtQq-Sz3qAaYREBXpIAi3Nh0e-q_pIyC4NdMe5Ye9fWVt9PWjXroTnJfzTvw7xB9Cckk6ddZlztii_b6HpQjHMnBhdoCzo45LTDgxt9Xubst2xEzSTDAdE8Qid/s640/IMG_1625.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtyard at Ajijic Suites where we stayed for a couple of days between our arrival in town and moving into a short term rental.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyIk8cyKKO6CYTOTq5GgbchlZFAJQ0oDk2Rx5n9SeEkT4xbNpBKWnAJfTt6JEteqB3G8XtIsI5otB8nCLkIKo1oYMYAG-iaEDGQeN2yOHGmAOBHZ5DKqabH3Oj-ya9TO06E5NmzT77oG8i/s1600/IMG_1624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyIk8cyKKO6CYTOTq5GgbchlZFAJQ0oDk2Rx5n9SeEkT4xbNpBKWnAJfTt6JEteqB3G8XtIsI5otB8nCLkIKo1oYMYAG-iaEDGQeN2yOHGmAOBHZ5DKqabH3Oj-ya9TO06E5NmzT77oG8i/s640/IMG_1624.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtyard at Ajijic Suites</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE5fX868lQzOHJQ2Bfjv_5EREIFc_fedLBHZq2-8CZ7-siwH0mxorxZ30kDaMFjYMmfaeP-72HdKH8MgjxBNmjx1JU_E9wC8r08TEwVcbmx48EshCQFOHzjSR_w2K0bucxIqd4V67NU6pL/s1600/IMG_20170628_173626.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE5fX868lQzOHJQ2Bfjv_5EREIFc_fedLBHZq2-8CZ7-siwH0mxorxZ30kDaMFjYMmfaeP-72HdKH8MgjxBNmjx1JU_E9wC8r08TEwVcbmx48EshCQFOHzjSR_w2K0bucxIqd4V67NU6pL/s640/IMG_20170628_173626.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The jungle" at our friends Pat and Russ's casita.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHa7c3wOY7mtfQ4CJriE3SpUQE_KKWSKqGDL3gFALK4ugsF012LF9NeVpIIWjTOFCntnbkPCBwxF7hFbkn7gnY4fHlEJPVj_Ayukbcpwvpj6VdRId54WPsPv5lP8vuuK5uUQJqATAncMyD/s1600/IMG_20170628_173547.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHa7c3wOY7mtfQ4CJriE3SpUQE_KKWSKqGDL3gFALK4ugsF012LF9NeVpIIWjTOFCntnbkPCBwxF7hFbkn7gnY4fHlEJPVj_Ayukbcpwvpj6VdRId54WPsPv5lP8vuuK5uUQJqATAncMyD/s640/IMG_20170628_173547.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Russ and their floral front door.</td></tr>
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San Miguel and the Lake Chapala area are the only places in Mexico (so far) where we have seen the fine brick work ceilings (boveda ceilings). The bricks are locally manufactured here in town mostly and we have seen that the bricks have different appearances according to who makes them. Truck loads of bricks are seen most days on the carretera below our new apartment in Rancho del Oro - they are driven out from town to this location for sale directly off the trucks.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQRMM1bSUR8K-7s17xqmlhU7_yJwJ-kIYDzHomwLx1aN-dtFNfnpmMsMCIuiW1J95C_5HhW-Ra6LXRSF9SabkDj69PMAL44nbKPc_LtjGHuIGgLvphkZyHuMMAqmrBooDYE4ez3u_LsSA1/s1600/IMG_20170623_190843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQRMM1bSUR8K-7s17xqmlhU7_yJwJ-kIYDzHomwLx1aN-dtFNfnpmMsMCIuiW1J95C_5HhW-Ra6LXRSF9SabkDj69PMAL44nbKPc_LtjGHuIGgLvphkZyHuMMAqmrBooDYE4ez3u_LsSA1/s640/IMG_20170623_190843.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bricked cupola at a friends house near us.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWBcOxUb0B9BkBwg76gcT_m72-U5xkOQUqkXQVzjxhU1jvLSbSDPertrGMiFsvzID3LKFvElbzWO4c8J7W_uyLU0zrkz3fUOzvOLr1A-Vlz2SCQCwXFB-1t44j9OmKEuAHkRnmkZ0p366D/s1600/IMG_20170623_190932.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWBcOxUb0B9BkBwg76gcT_m72-U5xkOQUqkXQVzjxhU1jvLSbSDPertrGMiFsvzID3LKFvElbzWO4c8J7W_uyLU0zrkz3fUOzvOLr1A-Vlz2SCQCwXFB-1t44j9OmKEuAHkRnmkZ0p366D/s640/IMG_20170623_190932.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ceiling herringbone brick pattern</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuYHkbr5SP3cRIxVb-yhCUvdLf5Pb6gwEN3e0VdOhFrwsKEFKx4M8nypfa5NhSN_74TH1KvFbr0ehKUO7EFUqX7smRZJeMh-fmnzD1yJbOxGwVUbklegXh4RO_k8FfTYxNfF84DVklrL-h/s1600/IMG_20170628_154305.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuYHkbr5SP3cRIxVb-yhCUvdLf5Pb6gwEN3e0VdOhFrwsKEFKx4M8nypfa5NhSN_74TH1KvFbr0ehKUO7EFUqX7smRZJeMh-fmnzD1yJbOxGwVUbklegXh4RO_k8FfTYxNfF84DVklrL-h/s640/IMG_20170628_154305.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ceiling pattern in our rented house.</td></tr>
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<b>Trees</b><br />
Similar to what we reported in Tulum, you just can't cut down a tree on the edge of the street or even in your yard. They are protected and if the tree is dying you get a permit for a few hundred pesos and the city removes the tree. If on the street they usually will plant a new tree after removing the old one.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmI3AhLfjwvo1jdWgDnQZWPlPVJFI_eOCoKi2DFQnM526e84BAtmdDd3SqRydTISoK8Dj9oDB0GcscOejYmH9RFbGfTlEUY0ciECXk5o8lSe_QsGrNMbRkQppJg05c45IEQmO8DQzaSqP/s1600/IMG_20170722_123746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdmI3AhLfjwvo1jdWgDnQZWPlPVJFI_eOCoKi2DFQnM526e84BAtmdDd3SqRydTISoK8Dj9oDB0GcscOejYmH9RFbGfTlEUY0ciECXk5o8lSe_QsGrNMbRkQppJg05c45IEQmO8DQzaSqP/s640/IMG_20170722_123746.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tree in the way of that wall? No problem!</td></tr>
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We have gradually settled into some sort of routine of having coffee on the patio each morning and commenting on how amazing it is that we get to live here and see this constantly changing view of the lake all the time (the opposite end of the apartment where we have our computer desk, affords us an equally beautiful view of the mountains). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1LS0p-IuIBvNZ55zGdz6XMn0mz_qG-qNYY_gOtJbA3jHx3X_iPhzYO59xjzOXEachatRZTQ0cvPQXvcssAzy9uAxXuNTdcZKK7bFtBlcNM36_E11Ngvyv4tSN_9vXdKJOhk5L98_ROeKj/s1600/Our+View+8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1LS0p-IuIBvNZ55zGdz6XMn0mz_qG-qNYY_gOtJbA3jHx3X_iPhzYO59xjzOXEachatRZTQ0cvPQXvcssAzy9uAxXuNTdcZKK7bFtBlcNM36_E11Ngvyv4tSN_9vXdKJOhk5L98_ROeKj/s640/Our+View+8.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Each day we take long walks into town, often meeting up with friends for coffee or lunch, or just picking up some item that we need that particular day. Sometimes we have breakfast at the French bakery on the carretera below where we live, we explore the organic tiengius nearby on Tuesdays and buy beautiful fresh fruit, vegetables and meat - sometimes some pieces of clothing which we have made to our personal requirements. Other days our walk may be into town to have supper with friends, maybe at one of the hundreds of local restaurants or at their home (usually followed by a fun game of Mexican Train). We do more entertaining here ourselves than we used to do back in the USA - it is always fun to have friends over, to cook for them and play games and there is usually a bottle of wine and/or some tequila involved as well.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02716822376929279349noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204585206513366816.post-18391783020351561062017-06-25T17:09:00.001-07:002017-06-25T17:09:25.664-07:00San Cristobal to San Miguel de AllendeOn June 14, 2017 we left San Cristobal de las Casas for a drier and warmer climate. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJsqfC5FyQbbn2J8YkXf6wQToS3TFvVtPnaX9mVhM-k_og763gnjO2HLowhXxqb_fafjSK4UqL9V1OIVYVKvyFoNhAxaDCTrNfVIIhaz1d4pGnyBPtdtTrdzXdYuIDIdaFnKzoqIY6ImG/s1600/SanCristobal+to+Ajijic.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="877" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJsqfC5FyQbbn2J8YkXf6wQToS3TFvVtPnaX9mVhM-k_og763gnjO2HLowhXxqb_fafjSK4UqL9V1OIVYVKvyFoNhAxaDCTrNfVIIhaz1d4pGnyBPtdtTrdzXdYuIDIdaFnKzoqIY6ImG/s640/SanCristobal+to+Ajijic.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">San Cristobal is point A and San Miguel de Allende is point E on the map. Point F is Ajijic on Lake Chapala.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3C-VJ-ffti3BiDpaNO1gy7efmouLlWc-fzXNhEHFQpWJdlLCw3kMRQD8YB-UPKnHhvuRsc4yVFKTZWdD4YkJ48MdmCGYG5kCecN407lbO3qXDs9HJ9XTsGE3NbKiYir-EDF6KZgdRZuEr/s1600/MapOverall5.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="901" data-original-width="1338" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3C-VJ-ffti3BiDpaNO1gy7efmouLlWc-fzXNhEHFQpWJdlLCw3kMRQD8YB-UPKnHhvuRsc4yVFKTZWdD4YkJ48MdmCGYG5kCecN407lbO3qXDs9HJ9XTsGE3NbKiYir-EDF6KZgdRZuEr/s640/MapOverall5.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Over 6,000 miles (10,000 km) driven in Mexico since April 1, 2017.</td></tr>
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We headed out of San Cristobal on the 190D toll road towards Tuxtla Gutiérrez.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7Sw9i35_gMB3wyxPjWYWXwWyQBieaO2D8UEb-mwvXD2V86GZZVord4PWhGuMvqTIxtA6jAvQmc9KTus7rkNBPyubFEF7OT6LTJR_obs2yGktq684aNhBXcgA3F5X9Bwwwnc-z1anYg53/s1600/IMG_20170614_092418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="1600" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7Sw9i35_gMB3wyxPjWYWXwWyQBieaO2D8UEb-mwvXD2V86GZZVord4PWhGuMvqTIxtA6jAvQmc9KTus7rkNBPyubFEF7OT6LTJR_obs2yGktq684aNhBXcgA3F5X9Bwwwnc-z1anYg53/s640/IMG_20170614_092418.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rugged peaks and looking down on the clouds between San Cristobal and Tuxtla.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjQDABnqToB7rq3pX78q1UVI3J6-785GnttWzpXM_CbyIrSOkrzPrLJIgZOmqnfts1tcGiK_K8f8270V7AWKCNWjC-KDnQVbcBLwHOShHlHQNzGyRz5w8AmHZLFnbFkOV0rmHz4VqeHNIn/s1600/IMG_20170614_095021.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1281" data-original-width="1600" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjQDABnqToB7rq3pX78q1UVI3J6-785GnttWzpXM_CbyIrSOkrzPrLJIgZOmqnfts1tcGiK_K8f8270V7AWKCNWjC-KDnQVbcBLwHOShHlHQNzGyRz5w8AmHZLFnbFkOV0rmHz4VqeHNIn/s640/IMG_20170614_095021.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rugged peaks on Mex 145D just before crossing from the state of Chiapas into the state of Tabasco.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrpka5MwoEpAIyOFYyBe_awhoOiLse2_sfr3rqmxemZ_ZE5R2OSqI5w_vQ0TWc-WvW2UcQ8ZrNbLtuCRPnVyK5UedTI5TNUDRbNaHx5UPhYiWC-Q2LkQQXZo4WaYFBykjAh5oRQFawA2cZ/s1600/IMG_20170614_112211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrpka5MwoEpAIyOFYyBe_awhoOiLse2_sfr3rqmxemZ_ZE5R2OSqI5w_vQ0TWc-WvW2UcQ8ZrNbLtuCRPnVyK5UedTI5TNUDRbNaHx5UPhYiWC-Q2LkQQXZo4WaYFBykjAh5oRQFawA2cZ/s640/IMG_20170614_112211.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stayed cable bridge across the Coatzacoalcos River on Mex180D</td></tr>
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Yes, we have been travelling around so much in Mexico that we ended up backtracking to almost into Coatzcoalcos again ;)<br />
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In all our travels around Mexico, we have seen roadside vendors selling pineapples, but this is the first time we have seen pineapple fields. And there were thousands of acres of pineapple fields, as far as the eye could see, around the general center of Veracruz.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK8UVj0NzkUGCFn_wnrHyeeyJyDIM_slwWuEdxwJn6VGoexRSAQfZnYVUIBds-DEnHQm4GLMPZYRWCbQjcAMRxqpu0pVLPo4v8zKqMolEmFlgob3jB6_uLDm7LsD3r0LJunvO1XeQeotw5/s1600/IMG_20170614_123005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK8UVj0NzkUGCFn_wnrHyeeyJyDIM_slwWuEdxwJn6VGoexRSAQfZnYVUIBds-DEnHQm4GLMPZYRWCbQjcAMRxqpu0pVLPo4v8zKqMolEmFlgob3jB6_uLDm7LsD3r0LJunvO1XeQeotw5/s640/IMG_20170614_123005.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pineapple fields near Juan Rodríguez Clara in the state of Veracruz. The black in the distance is netting, apparently, to protect the crop.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFEF41Mnsq56yQVFbygft8fIdnQgs9Jxv7RGiz_dzg1fLoS9EfFw5JKKLQKeee5ayEKEHub-C80XFD4nJDOyFzzVy738O1jUvDYdGTSFb_NPsl1fUhZ0eI6MHIap8e1tp8cM_odIsUui00/s1600/IMG_20170614_140733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFEF41Mnsq56yQVFbygft8fIdnQgs9Jxv7RGiz_dzg1fLoS9EfFw5JKKLQKeee5ayEKEHub-C80XFD4nJDOyFzzVy738O1jUvDYdGTSFb_NPsl1fUhZ0eI6MHIap8e1tp8cM_odIsUui00/s640/IMG_20170614_140733.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roadside vendors selling crates of mangoes for 50 pesos per crate.</td></tr>
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We spent the night in Córdoba (Note the accent on the o! Its pronounced cór-do-ba with the emphasis on the first syllable, not cor-doba.). It had been a long day driving so we grabbed a quick bite to eat at the KFC a block down the road from the hotel and walked around a small square before retiring for the night.<br />
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The next morning (June 15) we headed out of Córdoba towards Puebla.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0lkHR5jOqh8lWsbv76pCMXCOVpD4wCIHbCZnFpskxrj4x53STQ6GYTleTTJEW2qyQI3KGkd-HiEqKPaBKo0wspKkEitXZlarUg7cR1E-kh6WdyjIdJOaswAJqGTw7XEXSgVYEVECyTIH/s1600/IMG_20170615_085856.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1009" data-original-width="1600" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0lkHR5jOqh8lWsbv76pCMXCOVpD4wCIHbCZnFpskxrj4x53STQ6GYTleTTJEW2qyQI3KGkd-HiEqKPaBKo0wspKkEitXZlarUg7cR1E-kh6WdyjIdJOaswAJqGTw7XEXSgVYEVECyTIH/s640/IMG_20170615_085856.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving Cordoba, the closer to Puebla and Mexico City, the more interesting the architecture became.</td></tr>
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We stopped for gas and a latte at The Italian Coffee company near Esperanza. From the back of the store, you have a great view of Pico de Orizaba, also known as Citlaltépetl, which is a stratovolcano, the highest mountain in Mexico and the third highest in North America (per Wikipedia)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4VmObGbnMBwe7JqWgsQgUL-QLpD_3YMp9UpEhVzKhRxavzSxoQo75TaAabqO6vJ8jozJ1J3UJ7frovBs8HOocrSwm-9NSvZtwbm-UuA3pi1Q57ZipCxrzBQvfmxjqr2R47j3MCnrbkBt3/s1600/IMG_20170615_101210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1450" data-original-width="1600" height="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4VmObGbnMBwe7JqWgsQgUL-QLpD_3YMp9UpEhVzKhRxavzSxoQo75TaAabqO6vJ8jozJ1J3UJ7frovBs8HOocrSwm-9NSvZtwbm-UuA3pi1Q57ZipCxrzBQvfmxjqr2R47j3MCnrbkBt3/s640/IMG_20170615_101210.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes that is snow on Pico de Orizaba, the highest mountain in Mexico. Photo was taken June 15, 2017.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0IpPFGabiuRmsV0d9qlJrgCpW1PV_itstI2xFsSnWPTncQhc1kq4Hku7CB_IMReKvxl30Dws4iLlmJ94repWmRDxfHki1SXnfKryXvgz90Usz37REMaE3sCrYQSteB8PoN9rzD7GBQsro/s1600/IMG_1561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0IpPFGabiuRmsV0d9qlJrgCpW1PV_itstI2xFsSnWPTncQhc1kq4Hku7CB_IMReKvxl30Dws4iLlmJ94repWmRDxfHki1SXnfKryXvgz90Usz37REMaE3sCrYQSteB8PoN9rzD7GBQsro/s640/IMG_1561.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As the valleys got larger, so did the fields and more of the fields were farmed with tractors. Here is corn growing along side the road before Puebla.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKKzRb6rMOA6Iq6HUXZR2vG9miSkG7kxIilLo9cpv4qiS5vxaGPykFlRaFNr5p9Qruqo5btRvp1orIYdhyphenhyphenLCADygtQdF0l4H5D0XPDAT9SHv5NeuEuy5t-BQs98Eu1Yh76W8cL5ZQVXvtX/s1600/IMG_1562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKKzRb6rMOA6Iq6HUXZR2vG9miSkG7kxIilLo9cpv4qiS5vxaGPykFlRaFNr5p9Qruqo5btRvp1orIYdhyphenhyphenLCADygtQdF0l4H5D0XPDAT9SHv5NeuEuy5t-BQs98Eu1Yh76W8cL5ZQVXvtX/s640/IMG_1562.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A building in the shape of an eagle. Sorry about the speed limit sign! Most people on the road ignore them so you can too!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6fHgpCQCorIUTm_nE12BbGOBhKiQC0sUBbVx0_2vjhHP008OfAOp8eKmqLg1I0gZrJZnDU-4qRVhBLwFs7WAx78O52Vt-_4mM62sPGlVbtzEe_-3PYxOOrwWikLw_EGxjVP019-CWIWfw/s1600/IMG_1563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6fHgpCQCorIUTm_nE12BbGOBhKiQC0sUBbVx0_2vjhHP008OfAOp8eKmqLg1I0gZrJZnDU-4qRVhBLwFs7WAx78O52Vt-_4mM62sPGlVbtzEe_-3PYxOOrwWikLw_EGxjVP019-CWIWfw/s640/IMG_1563.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closer view of the Eagle.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBN068Al7znfM0rje7zKpoggkVenouKGohNgKit3ZAvDfMZarf4UO_2tYZ-tLXFUwT-Gtf0CsqOXoQNjt_ojgOKo_ZsgnpKtDrST9ExJvfpZRkI2kFGSnCMxWeJ_CjMuUezHWsg6FDv5H/s1600/IMG_1565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBN068Al7znfM0rje7zKpoggkVenouKGohNgKit3ZAvDfMZarf4UO_2tYZ-tLXFUwT-Gtf0CsqOXoQNjt_ojgOKo_ZsgnpKtDrST9ExJvfpZRkI2kFGSnCMxWeJ_CjMuUezHWsg6FDv5H/s640/IMG_1565.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not just a generic fly over, but a stayed cable one!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6S_brls0XEwsa21y5x88LWZga8RdtrVkDaM_YyC38VMRNYvIeW9Jxk6aNb_9z_F5LNdV3CqL8ayZgTCRnj1s3KBIk3_TfBLD03T1KqlCtt1uM3PuWfirNSkz2O3SdlrQ2OAmvhSqNVm2I/s1600/IMG_1566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6S_brls0XEwsa21y5x88LWZga8RdtrVkDaM_YyC38VMRNYvIeW9Jxk6aNb_9z_F5LNdV3CqL8ayZgTCRnj1s3KBIk3_TfBLD03T1KqlCtt1uM3PuWfirNSkz2O3SdlrQ2OAmvhSqNVm2I/s640/IMG_1566.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A colorful facade for a stadium? We couldn't see what it was from the toll way. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZfY-WlxkE_mGMoXC2_XftMRli1jSnv5yBH8i-k_q4dJwvNXHmUywWfhAsfs3NC21YIhisclPYX8KZaH4YtNl7x7YfOQRaxElhG4-PSKXplFBdR0gxllY-zsdQWgIgyKNtTBSGaJRw0Og/s1600/IMG_1567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUZfY-WlxkE_mGMoXC2_XftMRli1jSnv5yBH8i-k_q4dJwvNXHmUywWfhAsfs3NC21YIhisclPYX8KZaH4YtNl7x7YfOQRaxElhG4-PSKXplFBdR0gxllY-zsdQWgIgyKNtTBSGaJRw0Og/s640/IMG_1567.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trauma hospital with heli pad on the roof.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwWugHxW0-q5MVnX_w0wYlVyy9a5n3DA8hiHqkiHsdPm7SfEtfyHXJRA8Tvu0fpqlcaFSByy8a3eaAJ4zPA4UmjRFxTS-Ibk5zA7H_JPjoN1a6VwqhfkyZToF7rlSXisjjUFScItRXOZf/s1600/IMG_1568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwWugHxW0-q5MVnX_w0wYlVyy9a5n3DA8hiHqkiHsdPm7SfEtfyHXJRA8Tvu0fpqlcaFSByy8a3eaAJ4zPA4UmjRFxTS-Ibk5zA7H_JPjoN1a6VwqhfkyZToF7rlSXisjjUFScItRXOZf/s640/IMG_1568.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entering the State of Puebla on Mex 150D</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7s6kFfeTYMUv-j5X_Ht3dZiQJAR0iO5dePt4Z-QbyVJjZW465zgOfbUlDEX6b8AnBhxK-8NprDzRV5BtvVEYJUti15p1hwtISo2APM50bBx0-LAkJel0IGvN3i8H6cC9baUeY4_BWY52/s1600/IMG_1572.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7s6kFfeTYMUv-j5X_Ht3dZiQJAR0iO5dePt4Z-QbyVJjZW465zgOfbUlDEX6b8AnBhxK-8NprDzRV5BtvVEYJUti15p1hwtISo2APM50bBx0-LAkJel0IGvN3i8H6cC9baUeY4_BWY52/s640/IMG_1572.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More farming, mainly corn.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHDSZ727AA8_yXf_Bkc1X6RhvpvWHL4mPXO5VeiuPt4uKBA2MFwaABMbqU8QtI_7puzacBlX0r6iGOWEspLYVBxG0jO5Xf7KNdZKXnsfiHapjgbbtiBLq4HGl3yecfqhtU3Aq0qHusTkMk/s1600/IMG_1574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHDSZ727AA8_yXf_Bkc1X6RhvpvWHL4mPXO5VeiuPt4uKBA2MFwaABMbqU8QtI_7puzacBlX0r6iGOWEspLYVBxG0jO5Xf7KNdZKXnsfiHapjgbbtiBLq4HGl3yecfqhtU3Aq0qHusTkMk/s640/IMG_1574.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As we get closer to Mexico City, we are seeing more industry. This appears to be a particle board factory as we kept seeing truck loads of particle board sheets and shelving on the highway. The plant superstructure was a strong reminder to Rosalind from her particleboard manufacturing experience days.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ozYLJJxHbeyGS50oeRr7t4rD0GRwNcFFlG0RB-sDcfJ_bBWISc7ttsyBPmcCOrH8P_5ZY_QIphvyb4CY-Pss7piCAaWcynjdhu9NLI4bioOHc5DOT7G9j5toVopK5q-ZrhogRC8I7gWj/s1600/IMG_1586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="736" data-original-width="1600" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-ozYLJJxHbeyGS50oeRr7t4rD0GRwNcFFlG0RB-sDcfJ_bBWISc7ttsyBPmcCOrH8P_5ZY_QIphvyb4CY-Pss7piCAaWcynjdhu9NLI4bioOHc5DOT7G9j5toVopK5q-ZrhogRC8I7gWj/s640/IMG_1586.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hay was mowed with a tractor, but it's being raked by hand!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuDP4G2mZ-byifD_hEXoRp12-ES9lJtEAbAOC5LpQDzHKn4JNeqDdFd6Ks4ut78CXicCKeXZNVtnOlUlJVgA7ikKZDrvpIXMdc00okvixqirEVojk3UqFySKjtyIU8dqpCGja2k0s1jE-I/s1600/IMG_1587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuDP4G2mZ-byifD_hEXoRp12-ES9lJtEAbAOC5LpQDzHKn4JNeqDdFd6Ks4ut78CXicCKeXZNVtnOlUlJVgA7ikKZDrvpIXMdc00okvixqirEVojk3UqFySKjtyIU8dqpCGja2k0s1jE-I/s640/IMG_1587.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More farming, several places we saw them cultivating the corn with a horse drawn single row cultivator with the farmer walking behind it. Up in the mountains they plant corn on steep hill sides that are even too steep for a horse. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTjCn9kZkyLE6r-aJ1FYnH-ihUs76VjDEbXxDHhtF24ZuNykdJRWQqCdZPqaTy5ssRNJtW-axmoDGqGNWlmHj3rBdIHBw-KkLQdbAZhnWPr1uqehiC0x-Ys1wX_Dvbs7DQzglr4xPWPt1/s1600/IMG_1588.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTjCn9kZkyLE6r-aJ1FYnH-ihUs76VjDEbXxDHhtF24ZuNykdJRWQqCdZPqaTy5ssRNJtW-axmoDGqGNWlmHj3rBdIHBw-KkLQdbAZhnWPr1uqehiC0x-Ys1wX_Dvbs7DQzglr4xPWPt1/s640/IMG_1588.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shepherd tending some sheep. Notice the corn to the right and cabbage to the left.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPEaSFaYu37dDfRpyfh15l5QTXdd0VUNO7NSuU3O4xgvGpG_T0_wd7C8tMMgnvpz0WqebJqFGwfeXFXXByHoXTjtcIpJaUzwebUNscsneY3ZRujdLVqH96S45DR_paGv1JbGXmox8gI9w_/s1600/IMG_1593.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPEaSFaYu37dDfRpyfh15l5QTXdd0VUNO7NSuU3O4xgvGpG_T0_wd7C8tMMgnvpz0WqebJqFGwfeXFXXByHoXTjtcIpJaUzwebUNscsneY3ZRujdLVqH96S45DR_paGv1JbGXmox8gI9w_/s640/IMG_1593.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More interesting building architecture. A seafood restaurant in the shape of a ship.</td></tr>
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We skirted around Mexico City on the toll road. We had heard that a few months ago some tourists accidentally missed a turn on the toll road and ended up lost in Mexico City. Their GPS likely took them down a road that went into the city instead of on to their destination, we have had that happen a couple times with both Google Maps and Waze. They ended up having to pay 6 local cops US $50 each (for some unknown misdemeanor) to get out of the mess. Which brings up another very helpful tip for people wanting to drive in Mexico. Facebook. Rosalind has joined the FB group 'On the road in Mexico' which has been invaluable for us and she has been answering questions from others. The Mexico City incident info came from that group.<br />
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<b>San Miguel de Allende</b><br />
We arrived in San Miguel about 4:30 pm and with the hotel address in Waze we were taken thru the city center. It was an interesting drive since we had no idea that the streets were so steep west of the central church square. Lucky we were going down and not up. I'm not sure the Prius would have been able to pull up those steep streets with us two and everything we own!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGMklRZNO6HQFTf5Ni1Zu1Cdl2tFsxKXcb6eLneqrGDnsZPnIok8b2Y0RD4e1ceN6lPF_Uyty0OMQwBHUyP0epj8-sZDDNJ3jhZI5W2R10rCaTkW_eTWc7Af84uhaS1RccYAl9ukaMEjha/s1600/IMG_1601.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGMklRZNO6HQFTf5Ni1Zu1Cdl2tFsxKXcb6eLneqrGDnsZPnIok8b2Y0RD4e1ceN6lPF_Uyty0OMQwBHUyP0epj8-sZDDNJ3jhZI5W2R10rCaTkW_eTWc7Af84uhaS1RccYAl9ukaMEjha/s640/IMG_1601.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whoa, that's steep!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost at the bottom!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The church from our roof top hotel room</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our roof top hotel room. It was really nice being on the roof since there was no air conditioning. The cool evening breeze would cool us down. And we could hear the church bells and fireworks all night!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hand carved head board.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakfast on the rooftop mirador. Notice the guy on the building across the street filling the propane tank, 3 stories up, no safety rope! He leaned over the edge of the building threw down a rope that they attached the propane hose to and he hoisted it up. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What you do when you want to sell your vehicle in Mexico. You cannot sell your US car in Mexico unless it was made in a NAFTA country (even then it is really difficult). All sorts of regulations that seem to change frequently!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of San Miguel looking west from one of the highest points in the historic district.on Zacateros road.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The longest street in San Miguel. Notice the cobble stones!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parish church of San Miguel</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQLbeYkmRqI91dYI-VNluc3UrCO4rzXz2EPQ-jndY9-Yz-KK1e9ccGEVsoawth-0kOGzqtqPLd4IEYGqyw-R90IQ87sKggUBTVF8w78w67iZdB9e7ZhyphenhyphenKCecV4qJZfjNKv4jjjMM3qRBw1/s1600/IMG_20170616_140304.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQLbeYkmRqI91dYI-VNluc3UrCO4rzXz2EPQ-jndY9-Yz-KK1e9ccGEVsoawth-0kOGzqtqPLd4IEYGqyw-R90IQ87sKggUBTVF8w78w67iZdB9e7ZhyphenhyphenKCecV4qJZfjNKv4jjjMM3qRBw1/s640/IMG_20170616_140304.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rosalind at the entrance to Parish church of San Miguel</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for the car at the hotel, parking was 3 or 4 blocks away. Remember the propane guy on the roof a few pics up? That was the roof of the yellow building across the street behind me.</td></tr>
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<br />Rosalind Pattynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739012796826238271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204585206513366816.post-12832064776026065712017-06-11T18:16:00.000-07:002017-06-11T18:16:01.413-07:00Sixteen Days in San Cristobal de las CasasWe arrived in San Cristobal on a cold, wet evening - it was Monday May 29th and I was nervous about just how long the cold and wet conditions would last. I came to Mexico for (among other things) warmth and sunshine so that I could get rid of the annual S.A.D. but this was not looking promising because we want to be at a reasonably high altitude to get away from the humidity and overly hot temperatures at the coast.<br />
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Staying here for 16 days was a complete change and adjustment for us after being on the road for two months with 2 weeks in Tulum being our longest stay.<br />
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The down town area is a mix of very narrow little cobblestone streets, the tourist area around Real de Guadalupe (pedestrian area) and the Mercado Viejo where there are great bargains to be had and where the locals shop for everything from fruit, vegetables, fish, meat, clothes, hardware and everything in between. Join us on an adventure through the market where the sights, smells and sounds are so different from anything that we have every experienced. I cannot believe the hundreds of little stalls crammed in under tarps and in the main building. The building is mostly devoted to meat and fish and the smell can be quite nauseating as you slip around the wet floors.<br />
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We grabbed a bite to eat at one of the tacaerias in the market - Quesadillas with meat, were delicious and cost only $1 US for two.<br />
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After a couple of quiet days 'at home' we ventured out into town again and explored the more touristy area along Real de Guadalupe - the area is filled with very narrow cobblestone streets that you can't imagine are the roads that are used to drive through town all the time - of course most are one way with one driving lane (almost) and a line of parked cars.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMPB20QyrVBlcS6fZhttZWn5TQxZQyc0iRGxLvWaZc9YZaJbgFOFvbmeLURqWKFs79bL3vGqaP9Wl8C5DP9TaLxSOi8VXqMdjDujt1rtXfGQ52btHkqnlxlVZ9sWGzpJqXTjDBTful_ROk/s1600/IMG_20170531_150727.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMPB20QyrVBlcS6fZhttZWn5TQxZQyc0iRGxLvWaZc9YZaJbgFOFvbmeLURqWKFs79bL3vGqaP9Wl8C5DP9TaLxSOi8VXqMdjDujt1rtXfGQ52btHkqnlxlVZ9sWGzpJqXTjDBTful_ROk/s320/IMG_20170531_150727.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The older buildings are made from adobe bricks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmZqsCEvoXon-baqGu098H5azkXxXbPSREovnJo-2ec81st1oCsWSFmbpg3WSODnCR3x6yJ8znn9PLOlDJXB56hVIT1dHlgQwYVQ2K46wWp48aExrmwjp7wWXf8G-bZ2clOaJ6tqQ2us4/s1600/IMG_20170531_150751.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAmZqsCEvoXon-baqGu098H5azkXxXbPSREovnJo-2ec81st1oCsWSFmbpg3WSODnCR3x6yJ8znn9PLOlDJXB56hVIT1dHlgQwYVQ2K46wWp48aExrmwjp7wWXf8G-bZ2clOaJ6tqQ2us4/s320/IMG_20170531_150751.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The streets are narrow but very clean and well maintained.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7rI1YbNy9kyaUbSkVofy2YIDeA5JKt52dLTdwPHTu8nlYkibD1iuThMer10It20pSmFMMdWHOEypNm5-paeTs0K23SoQWUmBs1KW0aJYS_fQi0e6Rg2WImPafJ7xcD_fA3Dg7EH586fv/s1600/IMG_20170603_143004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk7rI1YbNy9kyaUbSkVofy2YIDeA5JKt52dLTdwPHTu8nlYkibD1iuThMer10It20pSmFMMdWHOEypNm5-paeTs0K23SoQWUmBs1KW0aJYS_fQi0e6Rg2WImPafJ7xcD_fA3Dg7EH586fv/s320/IMG_20170603_143004.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Real Guadalupe - the artsy pedestrian street that is in town.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhKvGiuGjz-cX9k3pz3MMLpAte3XyvEWFSHVlOQHRiBaHZvZRRWBfrSHoC5SLLdYEOf5FYb4nZhEhIHMoCIJMrY2ln2t62kM8IObnYam_MPD09OL4tsnpbnWxrptXukqaAZzItglSSrBS1/s1600/IMG_20170531_151157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhKvGiuGjz-cX9k3pz3MMLpAte3XyvEWFSHVlOQHRiBaHZvZRRWBfrSHoC5SLLdYEOf5FYb4nZhEhIHMoCIJMrY2ln2t62kM8IObnYam_MPD09OL4tsnpbnWxrptXukqaAZzItglSSrBS1/s320/IMG_20170531_151157.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCwDZ6ETxBSRdISmvKv6KgQrjGDH5wwxQxaI-K0i4YWrOpVhWRjoq9ZjWEBsqxScEVijMLRelyTneAGkrW9ebOaAoxqLMshortoVs2H5sNI4lZV2zreOU6MlRLY2hTnjjD5NyzBoCsiWAm/s1600/IMG_20170603_140422.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCwDZ6ETxBSRdISmvKv6KgQrjGDH5wwxQxaI-K0i4YWrOpVhWRjoq9ZjWEBsqxScEVijMLRelyTneAGkrW9ebOaAoxqLMshortoVs2H5sNI4lZV2zreOU6MlRLY2hTnjjD5NyzBoCsiWAm/s320/IMG_20170603_140422.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had to wait for a truck to finish loading and reverse out here so that we could get round the corner.</td></tr>
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The pedestrian tourist area of Real de Guadalupe is vibrant, colorful and constantly filled with people milling around, meeting and greeting, shopping and exploring.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKl2wzqyN7edr0uyfKgf_i9faQnbksXsNmXGNXhBvn7GPdEe3jmLrT2Vr1NzlvHDDXJRHeFCDHIDd6yaqWGYVkXXAl2jFgHtFvK6jAg6bLIAUQpFGkWG0rVpQpOa3TMahtjBP3DVJm_2Ss/s1600/IMG_20170603_144300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKl2wzqyN7edr0uyfKgf_i9faQnbksXsNmXGNXhBvn7GPdEe3jmLrT2Vr1NzlvHDDXJRHeFCDHIDd6yaqWGYVkXXAl2jFgHtFvK6jAg6bLIAUQpFGkWG0rVpQpOa3TMahtjBP3DVJm_2Ss/s320/IMG_20170603_144300.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bakery (panaderia)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fBa4WTxyph6zE-jDWYURL4J_eNh8xufKMRg-L-va4rhyIrncrtO2YuJwUsJqyjFe4Sv1gDSdpxBVka3WVTgcbgGOPbj4vXQmDz4AHu-NvALUlqHuJmsRzM4fq4Eax-bw-h1peHFsp8VR/s1600/IMG_20170603_144102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7fBa4WTxyph6zE-jDWYURL4J_eNh8xufKMRg-L-va4rhyIrncrtO2YuJwUsJqyjFe4Sv1gDSdpxBVka3WVTgcbgGOPbj4vXQmDz4AHu-NvALUlqHuJmsRzM4fq4Eax-bw-h1peHFsp8VR/s320/IMG_20170603_144102.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
Real Guadalupe </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyugWvnMh_sRw9TmNWFqVQsprBQ1w-9AJqUHVeuQhcWpnvOE87EaHs-khxZGzLmrakqKo9RWFLW0yD_NqmYCEkN-mcU656CONPM6CKKfeFdZXjcDbi-dKxfYbOqQina7WVJB5OSzf4_svd/s320/IMG_20170603_144313.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="180" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
another part of Real Guadalupe </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We stopped at a coffee shop that one of our friends in a local expat FB group has just bought.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2gq0YCXQDq-MDax468IT1-DDpIlNK8MyfywSZHoMiDeQv6fiAw7ZnBO4KYnZsRWWMQqIUO3ZLxFdG8FKoxQUTZ5WFG7Ptzsyj7P_0mmRzHBmluJyjE73yULQPfS0oifZLu0gqLh5diPZD/s1600/IMG_20170603_151806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2gq0YCXQDq-MDax468IT1-DDpIlNK8MyfywSZHoMiDeQv6fiAw7ZnBO4KYnZsRWWMQqIUO3ZLxFdG8FKoxQUTZ5WFG7Ptzsyj7P_0mmRzHBmluJyjE73yULQPfS0oifZLu0gqLh5diPZD/s320/IMG_20170603_151806.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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An afternoon spent exploring the area and admiring the view and many churches:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHNSKLf-azTROqnF9si0-XhID9r-QT0cMZEEXN96c0Tk2KJPBC7ySq_8XYJZf12QwriQ3_1kw8170PLO5diy5s8T9DfW4ECsYV5Bzx8qqV1yV86h6xfcZV2K8QhNKTJsRALVRYi9OxfXz4/s1600/IMG_20170603_155541.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHNSKLf-azTROqnF9si0-XhID9r-QT0cMZEEXN96c0Tk2KJPBC7ySq_8XYJZf12QwriQ3_1kw8170PLO5diy5s8T9DfW4ECsYV5Bzx8qqV1yV86h6xfcZV2K8QhNKTJsRALVRYi9OxfXz4/s320/IMG_20170603_155541.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I didn't even count the steps up to the church but at 7,000 feet I felt that climb.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPiNULyjQBF8wMPnhVqAGHE4X2Cyrr9BCK7qSSeiZNovzfigFNFTqMR1_QjsDQOStKibvFCIuLhfNLTotg0UqVq391-G4hD9zApfk_c7wu77Uk4WSt4cxRbStcxjuI9zVp_z2bIpP_i_HX/s1600/IMG_20170603_155609.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPiNULyjQBF8wMPnhVqAGHE4X2Cyrr9BCK7qSSeiZNovzfigFNFTqMR1_QjsDQOStKibvFCIuLhfNLTotg0UqVq391-G4hD9zApfk_c7wu77Uk4WSt4cxRbStcxjuI9zVp_z2bIpP_i_HX/s320/IMG_20170603_155609.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A couple of young ladies fresh out of school asked us to take a picture of them (in Spanish) but when chatting to them later, we found out that they were from England and were on their way to Guatamala by bus.</td></tr>
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We went back into town to find another place that had been recommended to us by a FB expat community group - very interesting place called La Vina de Bacco. For every drink that you buy, they present you with a free tapas. We sat a bit uncomfortably on tiny stools outside at a barrel/table because we wanted to people watch and somehow ended up in conversation (and at their comfortable table) with a couple who were in town from a small farming community in Guanajuato - Mohammed and Blanca are Mexicans (though Mohammed was a US citizen from California) and after sharing some food and drinks and lots of conversation in both Spanish and English, we parted firm friends vowing to meet up again when we are in their area. I came away from there happy to have made some friends and excited at the prospects of going to the Guanajuato area - somehow I have always had a feeling that we would be spending time around San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Chapala and Ajijic and from our conversations, that seems more likely than ever.<br />
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Another day we took an afternoon walk around our neighborhood and checked up on the progress of the antico (traditional house) that we had seen being built on a previous walk.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This bicycle has been turned into a water pump for the mixing of the mud.</td></tr>
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We ended up in conversation with a lady that lives on the street that we were walking in. It didn't take long for her to extend an invite to see her home and we ended up spending a pleasant couple of hours visiting with her - another friend already - once again our conversation was a mix of Spanish and English. We are so lucky to be meeting up with some people that are able to speak more English that we can speak Spanish at the moment but we are improving.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlrM5x6JwxP9_XIhT2f0-zP76CQP7_kGPW1iHRq5DvTqywrAg9TB-GuPw1Ts_5zfFEr9K_GCRmZLj5rYoVV8CSNhpCaVdnu6tM5gv6e3LtCPrG-nf_Tw9jJ2oVGevdB84KPc7de4Ea_uW-/s1600/IMG_20170604_180057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlrM5x6JwxP9_XIhT2f0-zP76CQP7_kGPW1iHRq5DvTqywrAg9TB-GuPw1Ts_5zfFEr9K_GCRmZLj5rYoVV8CSNhpCaVdnu6tM5gv6e3LtCPrG-nf_Tw9jJ2oVGevdB84KPc7de4Ea_uW-/s320/IMG_20170604_180057.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the garden with Christy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU9hy_f8_6i7L2s6qgGQtHqnvgPcun7ihXJzaLCJ9R-TBb-IxJe2sQdrfwkrXIxp88Yujpke9FrHSFp6DSoOLoVHhp0g5m9citdQRKMmpUtT9DrTCnBCqmROiDkoEtMXI1o3Ou-pWkyvKr/s1600/IMG_20170604_180044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU9hy_f8_6i7L2s6qgGQtHqnvgPcun7ihXJzaLCJ9R-TBb-IxJe2sQdrfwkrXIxp88Yujpke9FrHSFp6DSoOLoVHhp0g5m9citdQRKMmpUtT9DrTCnBCqmROiDkoEtMXI1o3Ou-pWkyvKr/s320/IMG_20170604_180044.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Membrillo (quince) tree in the back yard</td></tr>
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Christy was disappointed that she did not have any galletas (cookies) to go with out coffee so she produced some ate de membrillo (a firm jelly slice made from quince and sugar). We also had some of the figs that she had preserved from the tree in her yard.<br />
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Yet another trip down town to the Mercado and we ended up bumping into Mohammed and Blanca and having coffee with them. After we parted, Gerald and I went walking around town and up one of those very steep sets of steps<br />
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We eventually ended up at a small local Maya restaurant away from the tourist street. We had a wonderful 3 course typical local meal which included a small Margarita - the food was really good and amazingly cheap at $86 MX ($4.70 US) each. Eating local really is the way to go here and there is no need to eat at the so called 'better' restaurants where most tourists eat. We enjoy the local food much better and that is our meal for the day.<br />
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<b>Las Cascadas and Lagos de Montebello Tour Day.</b><br />
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On a day that appeared to start out with no rain (some days start like that here but it doesn't last), we got up early for a tour that we had booked. Driving into town is always an adventure because finding parking in those narrow little streets (think lanes) is as difficult as finding a clean, free toilet. Since we arrived in town just before 7:30 am we were able to find a parking spot quite near to where we needed to meet the tour operator. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside El Gran Cafe waiting for tour operator</td></tr>
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We were off to start gathering the rest of the tour group shortly after 8 and then headed out to our first stop - Las Cascadas de Chiflon, which is about a 2 hour drive away, in the mountains near Tzimal (nearest city Comitan). It was so nice to just sit in the bus and watch the scenery an all the interesting artisan stalls, especially for Gerald who always misses so much on our travels because he is driving all the time - it was nice for me too, not to have to concentrate on looking for topes, animals and general navigation.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A school that we passed by in the mountains</td></tr>
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The agriculture out here in the mountains concentrates on sugar cane and there were many, many fields of cane growing - looking very healthy. We even saw a small hand cranked press with a boiling tank which seemed to be used to process some small quantities of cane into what we presumed are the raw sugar cones that are common in Mexico. These cones are formed by boiling and evaporating cane juice.<br />
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Since we are seeing many different heights/ages of sugarcane, I researched online and found that once the cane fields have been burned (to more easily release the sugar) and the field has been cut, the field is irrigated and new shoots emerge from the perennial base. There is some dispute as to whether the perennial base is good for 5 years or for even 8 years. We did also find out that there is actually a sugar processing plant in nearby in San Francisco Pujiltic which would explain why we see so much sugarcane growing in this area.<br />
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As we approached the Cascades park, we could see the biggest of the waterfalls in the distance - we thought that it was a fire in the mountains until our guide pointed out that it was Bridal Veil Falls.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridal Veil falls looking like smoke up in a rift.</td></tr>
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Arriving at Cascadas la Chiflon we were greeted by warm air and the sound of rushing water - we followed the raging river uphill on the left side in awe of the power of the water and the beauty of all the falls that we passed on the way up.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beginning of the trail.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angel wing falls</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quinceañera</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimBZrc32dAkEVfuGNiLHXwnz3NTyTlQopuwYj0jcd8gqS5WKk-fA_MDuSAMuvYc_gPgDffHhZ6pSjhAb6bbdWhlXUopJmOcFZ3XrZ5TvaefYtZrwGQqfiVlqkyIG8CfjP5xoC2NKF73Z8V/s1600/Bridal+Veil+distant.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimBZrc32dAkEVfuGNiLHXwnz3NTyTlQopuwYj0jcd8gqS5WKk-fA_MDuSAMuvYc_gPgDffHhZ6pSjhAb6bbdWhlXUopJmOcFZ3XrZ5TvaefYtZrwGQqfiVlqkyIG8CfjP5xoC2NKF73Z8V/s320/Bridal+Veil+distant.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridal Veil falls in the distance</td></tr>
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Every time we stopped at one of the falls along the way, we got wetter and wetter but the time that we got up to the Bridal Veil falls the spray from the falls was stronger than any downpour of rain that I have ever been in - we were as wet as if we had been out swimming in our clothes. Unfortunately for us, no-one had recommended bring swimming clothes, a towel or even a dry change of clothes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiEOSfDIUMW1gNz0a_tQUvlHFUUoOCLN1vfrbSCTZLLakZqAspplBsFTsW_KcKCfrJltW6LQPP4Z0g09RG44VMD49sec6sLlf4vCcWYE_ChLFH9gHEQThaiRmAewkI5WmJZitSWLvzBsw2/s1600/IMG_20170609_110443.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1423" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiEOSfDIUMW1gNz0a_tQUvlHFUUoOCLN1vfrbSCTZLLakZqAspplBsFTsW_KcKCfrJltW6LQPP4Z0g09RG44VMD49sec6sLlf4vCcWYE_ChLFH9gHEQThaiRmAewkI5WmJZitSWLvzBsw2/s320/IMG_20170609_110443.jpg" width="284" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting really close to Bridal Veil</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-L-7s7sIOGysAku7r8lti9qMu_e6wGiEAV06C5Mph9x9WMR3D3Q9JEScq_RYcCr4kqqlRvGXHa7rfcG7BBpYm8pKydjiFdZS01ptu456GKCRQCSyyljPWcoMh8ANLVcNKrmpa-qPw-WA8/s1600/IMG_20170609_111543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-L-7s7sIOGysAku7r8lti9qMu_e6wGiEAV06C5Mph9x9WMR3D3Q9JEScq_RYcCr4kqqlRvGXHa7rfcG7BBpYm8pKydjiFdZS01ptu456GKCRQCSyyljPWcoMh8ANLVcNKrmpa-qPw-WA8/s320/IMG_20170609_111543.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So close now.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH11cv5kL7MMcboRRk2m1UbBqZcO8SYvBUzwnEFeONTD0n0aHU8NKX1ckmR_geiOgtRlro3BBC84m3NsGJyGQnruvobHm9ZUEKPc3K_vxw15dsvTr7h5kR42coxwkeY-8H5-JiKodSW4tz/s1600/IMG_20170609_111606.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH11cv5kL7MMcboRRk2m1UbBqZcO8SYvBUzwnEFeONTD0n0aHU8NKX1ckmR_geiOgtRlro3BBC84m3NsGJyGQnruvobHm9ZUEKPc3K_vxw15dsvTr7h5kR42coxwkeY-8H5-JiKodSW4tz/s320/IMG_20170609_111606.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking the most powerful shower that I have ever had.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO7ayse_RCL-zNycGADbwQWssivRy5lXf5RQbXOqupgc48yutg9ej5y7QUqrpynDsb6__j7P9OPfFN7miXe2OQRAVwHWlx2gYquap1P3OlPI79F9knoVTZzD3-lRJggVyVzenXBhsYXx0W/s1600/IMG_20170609_111959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1075" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO7ayse_RCL-zNycGADbwQWssivRy5lXf5RQbXOqupgc48yutg9ej5y7QUqrpynDsb6__j7P9OPfFN7miXe2OQRAVwHWlx2gYquap1P3OlPI79F9knoVTZzD3-lRJggVyVzenXBhsYXx0W/s320/IMG_20170609_111959.jpg" width="215" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So much water, so much noise, so much power - this is as close as we could get with the camera although we made it to the top fence that you can almost see here - the top of the falls is out of the picture because you cannot see it through the thick spray.</td></tr>
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Taking the trail back down from the top of the falls took much less time that the climb up and that fortunately gave us about half an hour to hang out in a sunny area in the car park, wring out our wet clothes and try to dry out a bit before boarding the van again and heading out to our next stop. Actually we didn't really get dry the rest of the day, it was just that the degree of wetness reduced a bit towards the end of the day.<br />
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Another hour driving and we got to Lagunas de Montebello National Park where there are 59 lakes with incredibly clear multi-color waters, some the colors of the Caribbean sea. Come take a tour of some of the lakes with us.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTYEhlxTSxCr0HqmM5JFQmSLGBaAhwrBoHkLhRj4NifbaEOtFRf5D0eYs3CnNjz7GUmggN-n-yu0EbLk4CURC9h7qfGPd8r9R5f8HorVLH6ePJD_ZNzvVnTSpaHMo5Ybkp2uaUF2c4MTNl/s1600/ParqueNacional+LagosDeMontebello.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="803" data-original-width="1592" height="321" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTYEhlxTSxCr0HqmM5JFQmSLGBaAhwrBoHkLhRj4NifbaEOtFRf5D0eYs3CnNjz7GUmggN-n-yu0EbLk4CURC9h7qfGPd8r9R5f8HorVLH6ePJD_ZNzvVnTSpaHMo5Ybkp2uaUF2c4MTNl/s640/ParqueNacional+LagosDeMontebello.PNG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lagunas de Montebello National Park reaching out to the Guatamala Border</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUHWXzAbG5g-jlZ9nESq7Aaaeg0HiSqq5PrlOUM15v1y3sm6sDJU_9zl7BVt55M58FvvFG6x9y4GqbPnTQ_Gc5CUWG4aeUeuNTrabKy8aBBjAay2eiIrrdt9JyPYi1APc1C7JagywiMU0l/s1600/IMG_20170609_155525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUHWXzAbG5g-jlZ9nESq7Aaaeg0HiSqq5PrlOUM15v1y3sm6sDJU_9zl7BVt55M58FvvFG6x9y4GqbPnTQ_Gc5CUWG4aeUeuNTrabKy8aBBjAay2eiIrrdt9JyPYi1APc1C7JagywiMU0l/s320/IMG_20170609_155525.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traditional wooden rafts used to take people out to the islands.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeR088kxz6f3x_X8o523gcCUCbmhxM1cZeBkUNmVDkJk4KTEs9HdLZiucxrlHa1MQz5V91-vXC4fsrI38FBG3wtOvzobzlGZLtnO1zWppCFjHeyqkO50fobL9Ptp93I2WKTU6CNTyY4TwZ/s1600/Lago+Montebello+woodshed.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeR088kxz6f3x_X8o523gcCUCbmhxM1cZeBkUNmVDkJk4KTEs9HdLZiucxrlHa1MQz5V91-vXC4fsrI38FBG3wtOvzobzlGZLtnO1zWppCFjHeyqkO50fobL9Ptp93I2WKTU6CNTyY4TwZ/s320/Lago+Montebello+woodshed.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The colors of Caribbean waters.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDIeDKd4FNBw58yDSIUojuSav-aFajkciLmwf0380i-KdfCmgepQjbqaG-pVj40ALGgHuznAiX7Jry2EWQmQoiaUz9RhqOx2JOBi7NS_sAzy8pUs9jA_KkPMrqDb6o7R7wC2kea2WpHxeM/s1600/Symbiotic+plants+on+pine+tree.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDIeDKd4FNBw58yDSIUojuSav-aFajkciLmwf0380i-KdfCmgepQjbqaG-pVj40ALGgHuznAiX7Jry2EWQmQoiaUz9RhqOx2JOBi7NS_sAzy8pUs9jA_KkPMrqDb6o7R7wC2kea2WpHxeM/s320/Symbiotic+plants+on+pine+tree.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at the ferns and bromeliads growing on this pine - a common site around here and they are symbiotic, not parasitic</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJMMJPTI3T_D76ZtVaXJ4jAdPzayw-nERRL3jmcd8cmc09w1dijXdCmh9zvGHdyWwT0Tp7o546RFpH0adjeqOT4NbCWe-yxSSluMarY8fuQV-zZ1lTgh6795WxsfsIud2wRLviY7Xb8PNb/s1600/Gerald+at+the+lake.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJMMJPTI3T_D76ZtVaXJ4jAdPzayw-nERRL3jmcd8cmc09w1dijXdCmh9zvGHdyWwT0Tp7o546RFpH0adjeqOT4NbCWe-yxSSluMarY8fuQV-zZ1lTgh6795WxsfsIud2wRLviY7Xb8PNb/s320/Gerald+at+the+lake.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gerald at the lake</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgVy0QObgj8SRsGVsetGvIZxRHe2uqoCsOOQZqhutCbjW28FO6WUVpe_1VXqqyZVnrDimRhq6MPMuYZvnMC2vi7GZ4S-72oJK9g1PV9Jy2DLVE9ijA_lreuPVmr100THK8R2hAFL6Xx5P8/s1600/Tziscao+showing+Guatamala.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgVy0QObgj8SRsGVsetGvIZxRHe2uqoCsOOQZqhutCbjW28FO6WUVpe_1VXqqyZVnrDimRhq6MPMuYZvnMC2vi7GZ4S-72oJK9g1PV9Jy2DLVE9ijA_lreuPVmr100THK8R2hAFL6Xx5P8/s320/Tziscao+showing+Guatamala.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the base of the hills, behind the town, is the border of Guatemala</td></tr>
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We finally left the lakes at 5:30 in the evening to start the 3 hour journey back to San Cristobal - the skies opened and a torrential downpour hit the area. Our tour operator/driver was a very good and calm driver and we got safely back into town about 8:30 - luckily we passed our parked car on the way to the drop-off point so we asked him to stop there and let us out. That saved us a walk of several blocks in the evening rain.<br />
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<b>Chamula</b><br />
On our last Sunday in San Cristobal, fed up with the daily rains, we decided to get out and explore out of town ourselves. We headed for Chamula which is a Maya township about 20 km from where we are staying. I had read about the place being very traditional still having the old traditional mud and daub buildings, religious customs and the churches - however when we actually got there we noticed that the architectural style just outside of the village was very unique and modern with a very decorative style.<br />
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There was a market in town and it was very difficult getting parking, it also looked like rain so we decided to drive around the area instead of visiting the artisan stalls.<br />
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The churches are the same style/shape but are just decorated differently - apparently they are Roman Catholic with their own additional rites including sacrifice of hens when needed. There are no pews in these churches and the floors are covered with a carpet of green pine boughs. We did not want to enter into the church and disturb whatever may be going on and taking photographs of the Maya people and especially inside their church would result in at least confiscation and damage to the camera so I managed to take these photos of a couple of the churches as we drove past.<br />
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The culture is one of agriculture and these people remind us very much of a mix of Hutterites and Menonites, hard working manual labor farmers who take pride in the quality of their produce. They also keep sheep and tether them individually out along the roadside to graze there. The main agricultural crops of this area are corn, beans, potatoes and cabbage and they grow on every available space. We saw some of the cabbages on the way back to town and they are the biggest most beautiful looking cabbages that we have ever seen.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">City of San Cristobal in the distance (along with yet more rain)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No space is wasted - we often see corn planted alongside the roads. Since no tractors are used (manually planted, hoed and harvested) no space goes wasted around power line poles or hill sides.</td></tr>
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From here we drove back into town and went to our favorite street (Real Guadalupe) where we chatted with some of the interesting vendors, visited one of the amber stores (amber is very popular here) and stopped in Cacao Nativa, a lovely coffee shop for a latte and very nice piece of panque de nata which is a very light cream loaf cake that tasted of lemons.<br />
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One more stop at the panaderia for some ciabatta bread and we were home for supper that had been cooking in the crock-pot while we were out today. This is one item that we are so glad that we made room for in one of our suitcases.<br />
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<br />Rosalind Pattynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739012796826238271noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204585206513366816.post-78985605916782768932017-06-04T13:09:00.001-07:002017-06-04T13:09:55.657-07:00Palenque to San CristobalOn May 29th we set out on Mex route 199 through the mountains from Palenque to San Cristobal for cooler (and hopefully drier) climes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHpd8ONwMn6-YdQZ5-jFueuLOiI0JHEx-87hcxILkSWwVvEUnHaC6ZroFy1-xQprsYWq79puYesdJE-XsYnrN5i6OE9r-gO1zrQG833sAz17GNLeRt_CvgAfSawgRDxNGBo9XP2apoR5h0/s1600/Palenque+to+SC+map.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="590" data-original-width="550" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHpd8ONwMn6-YdQZ5-jFueuLOiI0JHEx-87hcxILkSWwVvEUnHaC6ZroFy1-xQprsYWq79puYesdJE-XsYnrN5i6OE9r-gO1zrQG833sAz17GNLeRt_CvgAfSawgRDxNGBo9XP2apoR5h0/s400/Palenque+to+SC+map.PNG" width="372" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Google maps says 4 hr 34 min, it was more like 7 hrs but that's due to road construction and windy roads.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2b114z62xeiRB-f1xI5MyHOEsMbrNiRA8TgpidOJUkk7S3CAZCgTDfZJW4gSaPmf3mqBZcTQl4hAw3KUUz3wBiHzrpnvDFUcMOJ1V2dNatuBrWL7YViwXeGDU08FIFhHqkL2o3m53VDB0/s1600/mapOverall4.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="598" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2b114z62xeiRB-f1xI5MyHOEsMbrNiRA8TgpidOJUkk7S3CAZCgTDfZJW4gSaPmf3mqBZcTQl4hAw3KUUz3wBiHzrpnvDFUcMOJ1V2dNatuBrWL7YViwXeGDU08FIFhHqkL2o3m53VDB0/s400/mapOverall4.PNG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our travels since April 1, 2017</td></tr>
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There were a lot of new culverts being put in along the road, causing sudden rough patches and at one time we had to stop for a while so that they could finish covering one of the culverts enough for us to pass.<br />
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In general, the road was very rough for about 26 kilometers (to about Santa Maria)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdncNYG412tITtVCKRUIMPqi0be8hT3OpnWMpnx0BWhwyjnabc1ThZuoJFbNYQ2g-90dzJqPpCXTOWFqA70zgE6Vj8GggyWF6kDmzSyn8ExiG0QIeiyBD-cbfZscQXMh8Qatn5ewtRiLW/s1600/Hole+in+Road.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdncNYG412tITtVCKRUIMPqi0be8hT3OpnWMpnx0BWhwyjnabc1ThZuoJFbNYQ2g-90dzJqPpCXTOWFqA70zgE6Vj8GggyWF6kDmzSyn8ExiG0QIeiyBD-cbfZscQXMh8Qatn5ewtRiLW/s640/Hole+in+Road.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another reason we do not drive at night! Notice that hole has been there a while since it has warning signs, several other similar holes didn't. And its a deep one, as we passed we looked down on the tops of trees!</td></tr>
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Having seen truck loads of some sort of fruit or something that we could not recognize, we figured it out when we saw palm fruit being harvested at the side of the road and mounds of the 'fruit' in other places (mostly alongside the road) ready for pick up by trucks.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMDBiyhq49yxvNpuIf2iqP4EuLNOqp_HN-f4usOPxpYV-JYGEAbU73hxhxiH22pwM2TOTw6SIONFqfXrTsk3x75dQgz7cSPlp1H0lMvCwCq16mF7y2eXCgL1lD-o2eaQNYnKFW9cDOSXsp/s1600/Harvesting+palms+for+oil.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMDBiyhq49yxvNpuIf2iqP4EuLNOqp_HN-f4usOPxpYV-JYGEAbU73hxhxiH22pwM2TOTw6SIONFqfXrTsk3x75dQgz7cSPlp1H0lMvCwCq16mF7y2eXCgL1lD-o2eaQNYnKFW9cDOSXsp/s320/Harvesting+palms+for+oil.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harvesting oil palm with a long pole beside the road.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6YGBkrkrHCPfnItGetkYXZfi-b_hO8LdLMJVfjkqNWjpO52hXqhMnUEjVZCVLq-QnSvHJ_Nb5x3yFyhQ_8R9l8IyWkJXcf2fycsEGAtqaWGWUsNNuaUK5g4n19HSkN9pqczt4ru5YkpZi/s1600/Harvested+palms.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6YGBkrkrHCPfnItGetkYXZfi-b_hO8LdLMJVfjkqNWjpO52hXqhMnUEjVZCVLq-QnSvHJ_Nb5x3yFyhQ_8R9l8IyWkJXcf2fycsEGAtqaWGWUsNNuaUK5g4n19HSkN9pqczt4ru5YkpZi/s320/Harvested+palms.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oil palm fruits</td></tr>
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We then saw a huge bunker of this same 'fruit' and this prompted us to stop and find out what was going on - these are palma aceite (oil palms) used for extracting palm oil. The worker that we asked said they are they used for 'food for cars' but we are not so sure as to whether or not they actually make car oil or bio-fuel from these or if they are used for the palm oil that we are all more familiar with from nutritional/culinary use to beauty products etc. Palm oil plantations were created back in the '80s when the price of coffee and maize etc. dropped and peasants started leaving the lands and moving north and to USA etc. They were told to start planting oil palm trees to make a living and they actually started getting paid a salary, this has meant that there are now areas that were high agriculture areas and are now reduced to oil palm trees. However, we have also seen that a lot of palm plantations grow maize and other crops between the palms. Another concern is the deforestation of the jungle to plant oil palms.<br />
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At Poblada Tulija the road was covered with limes which were just falling off trees onto the road. Remember all the recent news articles about how the price of limes is really going up? Not here in Mexico - we have limes with everything. You need to try squeezing some lime juice on eggs, it gives a whole new taste to everything.<br />
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As we got higher up into the mountains, the roadside vendor stalls disappeared and we were hounded by more aggressive sales techniques - ladies or children hung strings of flags across the road so that you could not pass until you had bought their bananas or whatever. Somehow we managed to get past them but one little child walked right in front of our car as we were pulling away - once again, Gerald's amazing driving skills saved us from trouble.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp4toi3WtMkDVr2Ni3swUWHlPwN-4fGR_rAkKHVtT9x90RtTA8XoBJJnqmd6VN67VKWygRRuNacKUltTas4_tdq8orGWGn4g0TVImpcxG5VDlWxOx_0eknrtTwIgkzWWF4KaE7s4_p5Gk8/s1600/Hard+sell+technique.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp4toi3WtMkDVr2Ni3swUWHlPwN-4fGR_rAkKHVtT9x90RtTA8XoBJJnqmd6VN67VKWygRRuNacKUltTas4_tdq8orGWGn4g0TVImpcxG5VDlWxOx_0eknrtTwIgkzWWF4KaE7s4_p5Gk8/s400/Hard+sell+technique.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No tope, so a rope will do.</td></tr>
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You know you are far from civilization when there is no cell service, the taxis/collectivos have ham radio antennae and the gasolineria (gas station) is a bunch of plastic jugs on a shelf by the side of the road. One gasolineria had 3 liter coke bottles filled with gasoline. At least the jugs (pic below) look like polypropylene which is safe for gasoline, I'm sure coke bottles (HDPE???) would slowly dissolve and can you imagine what that would do to your cars fuel injectors????<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-Btza_DMAm8NklAq7vjBr8VIB9TEFidpcQAZWsMwRGYwju8KwUFBnoUM8yGINCdsaOHzlpawqD-GMxPiz2Ts1_6rizFQmP4TMmAcPjIMmGm-4WhMuaSzmAOLVaiIltjZVIs8JWfRgHpG/s1600/Gasolineria.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt-Btza_DMAm8NklAq7vjBr8VIB9TEFidpcQAZWsMwRGYwju8KwUFBnoUM8yGINCdsaOHzlpawqD-GMxPiz2Ts1_6rizFQmP4TMmAcPjIMmGm-4WhMuaSzmAOLVaiIltjZVIs8JWfRgHpG/s400/Gasolineria.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rural Gas Station in the mountains.</td></tr>
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We reached Ocosingo where it is about 4,000 feet elevation and it had cooled down (from high 90s) to a lovely 75F. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiMrK4CZg6E0-Ok_xzkpIYTAPnp5Dc6Z-eCUX0itlTbMpbn1OQ4eEfaNZi3IByrQgK4ftfER6AocIVOQpS_vIoLec0zy4fMYkPCp04Fmfyx60zq8kTijCPyvekRGoaaxMfODKXRTUYn9Nv/s1600/Ocosingo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiMrK4CZg6E0-Ok_xzkpIYTAPnp5Dc6Z-eCUX0itlTbMpbn1OQ4eEfaNZi3IByrQgK4ftfER6AocIVOQpS_vIoLec0zy4fMYkPCp04Fmfyx60zq8kTijCPyvekRGoaaxMfODKXRTUYn9Nv/s400/Ocosingo.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving Ocosingo</td></tr>
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About 14 miles after Ocosingo we came across our first scary 'situation' where some political activists were demanding donations for their party or candidates or whatever. We didn't know what was happening at the time as we just came across a queue of vehicles - traffic stopped in both directions. On the fence a way off the road were huge posters that we first thought were 'wanted' posters as they just had a person's face on each one - we found out later that these were obviously the political party candidates. Several middle class looking people had thrown boards across with nails pointing upwards to prevent people from passing until they had put money into a tin. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tire Spike board that gets pulled off by the rope, after you 'contribute'.</td></tr>
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When it came to our turn at the board, a typewritten sheet of paper was thrust at us through the window and the tin was shown to us. We realized that they were demanding money from us and they were taking a good look in the car (unfortunately I still had my camera on my lap). It was obvious that they had seen the TX license plate and the TIP sticker prominently displayed on the windshield, they demanded 500 (quinciento) pesos from us and told them that we didn't understand what they wanted, why we should pay them and that we don't have that much money. Somehow with our broken Spanish we got into quite a disagreement with them then decided to stick to English - we offered them 27 pesos which is all that we had in loose change in the car, but when they wouldn't back down we just went quiet and acted dumb. I made a loud comment about it being OK, that the queue of traffic behind us was getting longer and that people were sure to get upset. Finally they accepted our 27 pesos instead of the quinciento that they had been demanding. We were very nervous for quite some time but have now realized that we were never really in any danger of any sort - we could have just handed over the money but we didn't see why we should have to pay more than everyone else just because we are gringos. Another Mexican lifestyle lesson learned, in future we will just drop some coins into the tin like the locals do if we come across another situation like this. We have also since learned that this route is the wild west of Mexico and that this sort of thing happens frequently here - the police will also just tell you to pay and pass.<br />
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We arrived in San Cristobal and after all the hot weather in Riviera Maya, it was 66 F (19 C), gray and rainy. In three days we went from roasting to freezing. It turns out that a large tropical depression is bearing down on the Puerto Escondido area (southwest of here on the coast) dumping tons of rain and May is the start of the rainy season with the forecast for the next 10+ days being rain. Rosalind Pattynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739012796826238271noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204585206513366816.post-87895745738135648012017-06-04T11:16:00.003-07:002017-06-04T11:51:54.135-07:00Chetumal to PalenqueMay 27, 2017<br />
After our overnight stop in Chetumal, we set out along Mex 186 heading for a couple of days in Palenque. The roads were pretty good at this point and there was nothing much to report but we realized that we had not filled up before leaving Chetumal and would be needing gas somewhere along this 485 km road. At Calakmul (235 km out of Chetumal) we came across a large Pemex (more likely to take our Visa card) and it had an Italian Coffee Company on site - we love being in the state of Campeche because that seems to be the center of Italian Coffee Company and their coffee is so good - we also finally got to try that pretty looking desert Gelatina de Mosaica (a mosaic of different colored jello blocks in a white gelatin desert). We really enjoyed that treat and since we were the only people in the coffee shop we struck up a conversation with the two ladies working there and they told us (and showed us) what the white part of the desert is made from - basically it is a mix of condensed milk, evaporated milk and canned cream (when I said tres leches they laughed with me) and plain gelatin. Hmm maybe we will try our hand at making some of this when we are in our Airbnb in San Cristobal for 16 days - would be a fun anniversary treat ;)<br />
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The town of Calakmul even has a bicycle path to it's outlying village and this is the first time that we have seen any bicycle paths. The road so far has been really good all the way and we think that it must have been a toll road at one point.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long straight road through the jungle, between Chicana and Escarcaga</td></tr>
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Somewhere along the way we took another stop and finally got to try Pozol de Cacao - this is a traditional drink made from corn dough, water and cacao, all natural ingredients that have been used since ancient times.<br />
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At one place we came across a reduced speed limit because of bats but we were still going too fast for me to get my camera set to take a photo :(<br />
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We got stopped by a federal police officer at a tope and warned to slow down at topes (speed bump). This was our first traffic stop and we feel lucky that this was not for a fine or anything. I did wonder if the fact that I was busy taking a photo when were were stopped had anything to do with our easy getaway but we are pretty sure that it was genuinely just a warning and we need to stop being so blase about topes and speed limits and remember that the laws of the road may not appear to be adhered to and that even though they do not apply to taxis, we are more likely to get pulled up (especially now that we have the TIP sticker on the windshield glaringly advertising our status as tourists). On the edge of Escarcega we got stopped again at another tope, this time by municipal police. They wanted to know where we were going, are we from Texas and what is our nationality - really they just wanted to tease us telling us that we are those loco United States crazies. We all laughed and were waved on our way.<br />
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Also around Escarcega, we started noticing that we were now in cattle country but that a lot of the cattle were really skinny. There were also a lot of magnificent coral trees all along our route - the colors were really vivid.<br />
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Getting deeper into cattle country, the ranches were mixed with palm plantations but they were not coconut palms, they looked like date palms but we have not seen any dates here yet, maybe they were oil palms. The terrain started getting even more arid even though we were now only about 40 miles from the coast- there were trees that looked like asparagus ferns. That was the only place that we have ever seen them and there were not an awful lot of them even there. When we stopped to take a closer look, they looked like some type of bamboo growing in tight clumps.<br />
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In general, the roads were more eventful today because we saw an accident between a collectivo and a car (there were a lot of police and we had to stop for a while) and shortly after that we saw a truck that had broken a drive shaft (I bet a tope caused it!), repairs were being carried out in the driving lane on the road.<br />
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Between Buena Vista and Chable, it has been 102 degrees F for a couple of hours now and here we saw a group of water buffalo cooling themselves in ponds and canals.</div>
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On the way into Palenque we saw lots of stalls with those beautiful dresses and blouses that are so popular around here - the locals actually do wear these colorfully embroidered clothes, they are not just for tourists to buy.</div>
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Once again, I got nervous when we started driving through narrow little streets that looked very local on the way to our hotel and wondered what I had booked us into - maybe I should stop looking for the cheapest hotels? It turned out that this little hotel is an old colonial family home - yes it is in a narrow little street but they even have a very safe parking area across the street - a lot behind a huge solid steel door which only the hotel receptionist has a remote for. This was great because we didn't have to unload everything, just our little suitcases and computer bags.</div>
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The cost for the hotel ($29 USD a night) included continental breakfast which was coffee, juice, toast, a fruit plate and some dry muesli which we think was to be eaten with the fruit - the first day (Sunday) we were surprised with a lovely little pancake but not the second day.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Posada (Inn) Aguila Real in Palenque</td></tr>
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Rosalind Pattynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739012796826238271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204585206513366816.post-16787250016122324862017-06-02T18:59:00.000-07:002017-06-03T10:34:09.109-07:00Palenque Maya Ruins<span style="color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">We visited the Palenque Ruins on May 28, 2017. </span><br />
<span style="color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">The Palenque ruins are in the middle of a protected jungle zone which is home to Howler Monkeys. To get into the ruins you have to pay an ecological fee to help with the protection of the jungle and the Howler monkeys and then you pay the site fee once you get to the archaeological site.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Once inside, the beauty of the jungle surrounds you and you can constantly hear Howler monkeys near the entrance - I wish that we had caught site of them but they rarely come out where they are visible.</span><br />
<span style="color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Only 5% of the ruins have been unearthed and the map below shows the restored ruins in yellow. The large yellow block is the Palace and at 7 o'clock from that is the Temple of Inscriptions. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIMS1J4A3IzpqSYY8ifI7wcVAFe_VY8w_npyneHVdp5EwgSII2a0KJ5lX_AOUGGTSp8lpANDwcl91keGp8vcfWhZaqVBlJqypQGOmRkJ1n-5bCL_re84bAvvPoiYX0Dq1U5SxCfq51KoQ-/s1600/PalenqueMap.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="1435" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIMS1J4A3IzpqSYY8ifI7wcVAFe_VY8w_npyneHVdp5EwgSII2a0KJ5lX_AOUGGTSp8lpANDwcl91keGp8vcfWhZaqVBlJqypQGOmRkJ1n-5bCL_re84bAvvPoiYX0Dq1U5SxCfq51KoQ-/s640/PalenqueMap.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Over the past 5 years or so, there has been some work on unearthing another temple directly in front of the Palace (10 o'clock) across the open area. But there have been issues with the environmentalists as they do not want the trees cut down. Since both sides (archaeologists and environmentalists) are at a dead lock and ground penetrating radar shows some empty chambers, no tombs, it is unlikely that work will continue.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman";">As of this writing, you can still climb on some of the pyramids but rumor has it that all pyramids will be off limits by year end due to lawsuits from US insurance companies over tourists falling down the steps and getting seriously hurt. A couple years ago Ernesto (our guide) witnessed a tourist fall while trying to take a picture and climb the steps. The person tumbled down most of the steps on the Palace and was seriously hurt, ending up in a wheel chair. In Mexico, you are responsible for your actions and it appears the USA lawyers motto of "someone else is always responsible for your stupidity" is reaching Mexico.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">For the first time we hired a guide. His name was Ernesto and he spoke very good English. A young couple (Jon and Megan) from England/Australia were on a limited budget and were looking for some other people to share the guide cost with. So for 400 pesos (US$22) Rosalind and I signed up for the guided tour. After we parked the car, all the guides were trying to get our attention with "guide for 100 dollar, guide for 95 dollar" etc. so we were really lucky to get a wonderful and very knowledgeable guide for such a cheap price. The tour was supposed to be 90 minutes but ended up being well over 2 hours. I think Ernesto enjoyed us as well since all of us were asking lots of questions and he provided great answers. He mentioned giving a tour to a VIP once that only asked one question as he got into the limo at the end.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">The Palenque site started about 266 BC, flourished in the seventh century and was active until approximately 799 AD. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5OcpkLsBeI8N2ODiSnH9iKWAjKHVnKsKkztkBHoprUDCAAfPOOO5MHITUFYDeu4VblQ5ku60Cg8ynUBIPKEFVMH11m8gd7eh_80IAnMVqsNDd2wRdMSTDHWuW2A6k7KCALIoIs4MIeXWc/s1600/IMG_20170504_111215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5OcpkLsBeI8N2ODiSnH9iKWAjKHVnKsKkztkBHoprUDCAAfPOOO5MHITUFYDeu4VblQ5ku60Cg8ynUBIPKEFVMH11m8gd7eh_80IAnMVqsNDd2wRdMSTDHWuW2A6k7KCALIoIs4MIeXWc/s320/IMG_20170504_111215.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edzna stone work</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJ4uZRwIxbMLgCdbJKcO3REkNux5LqCqcEKYDe60H7fMfmCRx1fhIYQccm5wg781zBtBqPs8kg-0ch04irXgBjFunQjGo9Rr48VOzZbrVK1A7r0ifWHeI5NMlH2-mr2qIq8bsdPDxCNJ3/s1600/Palenque+brickwork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMJ4uZRwIxbMLgCdbJKcO3REkNux5LqCqcEKYDe60H7fMfmCRx1fhIYQccm5wg781zBtBqPs8kg-0ch04irXgBjFunQjGo9Rr48VOzZbrVK1A7r0ifWHeI5NMlH2-mr2qIq8bsdPDxCNJ3/s320/Palenque+brickwork.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Palenque stone work</td></tr>
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<span style="color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Palenque doesn't have the close fitting stonework that Edzna has but Edzna was active from 400 BC until 1500 AD. It appears in those later 700 years, the workers of Edzna had perfected their masonry skills as the stone work was much more precise and close fitting.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman";">Per Ernesto, the international Archaeologists (they meet in Palenque every 2 yrs) did a field test of creating the cement (from limestone) used to mortar the stones together. They used the ancient techniques and discovered it takes 40 kg of wood to create 1 kg of cement. And to build these huge pyramids, it takes a lot of cement. Some quick calculations revealed that the Mayas likely deforested much of the Yucatan peninsula in the pursuit of wood for kilning the limestone, cooking and building wood structures. Maybe this had an influence on the fall of the Maya city-states. Also as resources became sparse (food, water, timber etc) once friendly neighbors became hostile. The Maya were a peaceful people only resorting to war in dire circumstances. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">The tomb of the Red Queen was proof that ancient Maya culture was matriarchal. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQWHjzkM1DChZg3NMgeEexA93j7Q-IeECxXLgKSTQD9m0cKTTE2bj6jtXm5jAJ346KDaEAY0W0IwHLpmCBG9kGeybKVRnbPG6kHt8ODaC8db4HQt6Jv-DIxUX6fCDYjWLuqLvNn0sNOgn/s1600/IMG_20170528_095707.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAQWHjzkM1DChZg3NMgeEexA93j7Q-IeECxXLgKSTQD9m0cKTTE2bj6jtXm5jAJ346KDaEAY0W0IwHLpmCBG9kGeybKVRnbPG6kHt8ODaC8db4HQt6Jv-DIxUX6fCDYjWLuqLvNn0sNOgn/s640/IMG_20170528_095707.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Temple of Inscriptions (left), temple of the Red Queen (center), temple of the Skull (right)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQgwMjcHrA1w5enTdXYbsvibwW1urw49GwXOwzSlty3OBE41LcQUAjwz6AoITLY2CueBJZ3gbZhT0O9SXoPr-uBNS1rkxAJjqZ8SXzFyQYLHnYMAzEQMHSGAX2wxfl4LGI6trcoLNWglON/s1600/IMG_1418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQgwMjcHrA1w5enTdXYbsvibwW1urw49GwXOwzSlty3OBE41LcQUAjwz6AoITLY2CueBJZ3gbZhT0O9SXoPr-uBNS1rkxAJjqZ8SXzFyQYLHnYMAzEQMHSGAX2wxfl4LGI6trcoLNWglON/s640/IMG_1418.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carving from Temple of the Skull</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4PwPp71RTmkI24ekYELECpIpq9kRH6KEd5ElskBj7jWXuOS2-5iZWBNUJi7HlrtAgQM57CUEzSXbdBBGKsddeGquuWleGL9HfhkWKtiQatEedkxsXGYKZLrUW4at364aYIq-HhWvL2KSw/s1600/IMG_20170528_094409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4PwPp71RTmkI24ekYELECpIpq9kRH6KEd5ElskBj7jWXuOS2-5iZWBNUJi7HlrtAgQM57CUEzSXbdBBGKsddeGquuWleGL9HfhkWKtiQatEedkxsXGYKZLrUW4at364aYIq-HhWvL2KSw/s640/IMG_20170528_094409.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Temple of the Red Queen you can go inside the pyramid to view 3 chambers. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside a chamber in Temple of the Red Queen</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Temple of the Red Queen steps leading to a blocked passageway.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sarcophagus of the Red Queen in the museum at the bottom of the hill.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Standing on the Palace with the Temple of Inscriptions behind.</td></tr>
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<b>The Palace</b><br />
The most unusual and recognizable feature of the Palace is the four-story tower known as The Observation Tower. The Observation Tower like many other buildings at the site exhibit a mansard-like roof. The Palace had many large baths and saunas which were supplied with fresh water by an intricate water system. We have seen this type of water system in several other Mayan archaeological sites. An aqueduct, constructed of great stone blocks with a three-meter-high vault, diverts the Otulum River to flow underneath the main plaza. The Palace is the largest building complex in Palenque measuring 97 meters by 73 meters at its base.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh61_VzSZ0EMFwTNF214I0qnu6mTBZycUko424YTHQfF3LCLrtfKrqt8KQVdtqIHeyBxu1K83ZQzas83NOqvqIJ_mXGQ1W4hYIqpoiy5uqP24QJeuxzTFI9jfXXuj3nP5L5tkhjtYBZIYJm/s1600/IMG_20170528_110931-EFFECTS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh61_VzSZ0EMFwTNF214I0qnu6mTBZycUko424YTHQfF3LCLrtfKrqt8KQVdtqIHeyBxu1K83ZQzas83NOqvqIJ_mXGQ1W4hYIqpoiy5uqP24QJeuxzTFI9jfXXuj3nP5L5tkhjtYBZIYJm/s640/IMG_20170528_110931-EFFECTS.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Palace today</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Reconstruction model of the Palace. (from wikipedia)</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuk2fbcwW-kwc-HYSPvR1q6YL6mfHa-YBr_f7_BbWxZnltda_EY1vnYiOaSFmfZtVCPoByahjHni9BSIbad_s974r5tqQAsD3S2l4lFmNYnA_0qHkGuV0m_o-EdrKuP_Yl4VEtRN_lUSZ3/s1600/IMG_20170528_110835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuk2fbcwW-kwc-HYSPvR1q6YL6mfHa-YBr_f7_BbWxZnltda_EY1vnYiOaSFmfZtVCPoByahjHni9BSIbad_s974r5tqQAsD3S2l4lFmNYnA_0qHkGuV0m_o-EdrKuP_Yl4VEtRN_lUSZ3/s640/IMG_20170528_110835.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Temple of the Sun (left). Notice the stone roof comb on the top.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT0bBvHc-CdZkOxtCyK_QBJIz4PQjaKKcY2KwMx4Rlf5ZEibshLau0dp6astiHA9l_iBebcZSC0PAiOM-23LNLGBaB0eznKDZWtx0WaBJ1HMDIcKU3YiiuG7YUBD_j2LFQRKK4hyCf8fWO/s1600/IMG_1431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT0bBvHc-CdZkOxtCyK_QBJIz4PQjaKKcY2KwMx4Rlf5ZEibshLau0dp6astiHA9l_iBebcZSC0PAiOM-23LNLGBaB0eznKDZWtx0WaBJ1HMDIcKU3YiiuG7YUBD_j2LFQRKK4hyCf8fWO/s640/IMG_1431.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another roof comb.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaYdZ5lxY4FM6G470t-ZzfJVd9TFyObl9O7K7qZWCJN6q-fT1LiGFPIMlzGidpKosC5D8XOZG9p9L6Xod229ttoAF_5W08HOsAVK1VNNKhVeSPXFl2XY9fZ0XgCgcHZgkooG3SKcs3zCqO/s1600/IMG_1428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaYdZ5lxY4FM6G470t-ZzfJVd9TFyObl9O7K7qZWCJN6q-fT1LiGFPIMlzGidpKosC5D8XOZG9p9L6Xod229ttoAF_5W08HOsAVK1VNNKhVeSPXFl2XY9fZ0XgCgcHZgkooG3SKcs3zCqO/s640/IMG_1428.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
<span style="color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Ernesto explained roof comb lattice work on top of the buildings. You will notice them all around the outer edge on the Palace in the reconstruction model above. It is required to add weight to the center parts of the Corbel Arches. From Wikipedia:</span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small; text-indent: 0px;">The A-shaped Corbel arch is an architectural motif observed throughout the complex. The Corbel arches require a large amount of masonry mass and are limited to a small dimensional ratio of width to height providing the characteristic high ceilings and narrow passageways. </span></blockquote>
<span style="color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">The extra mass of the roof comb makes the arch more stable and likely why many of the arches have survived over a 1000 years. The roof combs were made of open stone lattice work to allow the wind to pass through and not blow over during hurricanes etc. He drew a sketch showing the cross section of how twin arches are made shown here.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_OCZdMtM_4hvF6SUkhU7MTsJqfpn1tu8azSEwMQhHRR96DXPo0xUi4m74F_DxY3rg-bR86C294-OE5F_a576lL_QTsK3n0MFMvEQ6bxGaUQSH3clHe8c_JM7EHzsSPlySHUayt1y7kNS/s1600/IMG_20170528_102453.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_OCZdMtM_4hvF6SUkhU7MTsJqfpn1tu8azSEwMQhHRR96DXPo0xUi4m74F_DxY3rg-bR86C294-OE5F_a576lL_QTsK3n0MFMvEQ6bxGaUQSH3clHe8c_JM7EHzsSPlySHUayt1y7kNS/s640/IMG_20170528_102453.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Opening in center arch possibly to save weight and materials.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9EVE6l7NvNe1ybc3pAQHKTNM2ZZCeneK8ay_nzyHPpCK1YMH0MTLEPpOcU5Nkje__VO42wkUSFU6NzKDvV4jBzrDVdZOo1SgDsZ95tEZeBxCmst3K8JcbgcXEnmQc4fROJnjstwyAIK17/s1600/IMG_20170528_102317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9EVE6l7NvNe1ybc3pAQHKTNM2ZZCeneK8ay_nzyHPpCK1YMH0MTLEPpOcU5Nkje__VO42wkUSFU6NzKDvV4jBzrDVdZOo1SgDsZ95tEZeBxCmst3K8JcbgcXEnmQc4fROJnjstwyAIK17/s640/IMG_20170528_102317.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arch in the Palace (opposite the Hall of Portraits) showing the massive size and the collapse of part of the right side of the arch. The center (left side) remains intact.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvrnl_yCbVAkAtdqV7elMp0NGvYmMLrgIKvdudIdGOkgobWBc46Q4mOZtKCpS-tduo-M6xAOnav9hl2OGma-g21LL2WtdN7C5JWNrQjTBIh3YY24vZukNFox2ZobQYuobXuPAqMeD-SHh8/s1600/IMG_20170528_102927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvrnl_yCbVAkAtdqV7elMp0NGvYmMLrgIKvdudIdGOkgobWBc46Q4mOZtKCpS-tduo-M6xAOnav9hl2OGma-g21LL2WtdN7C5JWNrQjTBIh3YY24vZukNFox2ZobQYuobXuPAqMeD-SHh8/s640/IMG_20170528_102927.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hall of Portraits. Ernesto (white cap) is talking to Jon and Megan.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3omjkLh2cefufx126WBrEUG4W_DOtx3cEl8fKbXZZ9Bdf5Ekud5ZBJfPCE9C39JVVF-I2vDaeuv9sOlkGtSg2tHOWCFjViKqZnIA5FrHtt4fjKxS59iyQaejH6PqDnRw1wu7bYQFV-Bf/s1600/IMG_20170528_102914.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-3omjkLh2cefufx126WBrEUG4W_DOtx3cEl8fKbXZZ9Bdf5Ekud5ZBJfPCE9C39JVVF-I2vDaeuv9sOlkGtSg2tHOWCFjViKqZnIA5FrHtt4fjKxS59iyQaejH6PqDnRw1wu7bYQFV-Bf/s640/IMG_20170528_102914.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original Portrait in Hall of Portraits</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwjH1vXyfB3m9-xu20V_1EvlgfZvz_necFGk6mJjA2Gd-X_nBdMXWRYg2nH90JdjOxGiOVp2KxR3VujcWUbB46XlTJqEetlFptwKdnoufcmZPeMYeVQ40z-G9o3WzkZSO7VXZwib16BsXV/s1600/IMG_20170528_102949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwjH1vXyfB3m9-xu20V_1EvlgfZvz_necFGk6mJjA2Gd-X_nBdMXWRYg2nH90JdjOxGiOVp2KxR3VujcWUbB46XlTJqEetlFptwKdnoufcmZPeMYeVQ40z-G9o3WzkZSO7VXZwib16BsXV/s640/IMG_20170528_102949.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another original Portrait in Hall of Portraits. Amazing that the pigment has survived over 1,100 years.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZ0nz2AZX5bQPpE2w86Jql6ry_rqd2kQqggDIEUd7GeGgQy8tav0TtS8ABYoLiMJ4aDSAl0rQh3Uihdb8C8RXvSJO3VVOx9ttcFiRaWN3RsB-NYsR-mIS6PjmYrKaXTVlqP9aYqtkLZe2/s1600/IMG_1419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZ0nz2AZX5bQPpE2w86Jql6ry_rqd2kQqggDIEUd7GeGgQy8tav0TtS8ABYoLiMJ4aDSAl0rQh3Uihdb8C8RXvSJO3VVOx9ttcFiRaWN3RsB-NYsR-mIS6PjmYrKaXTVlqP9aYqtkLZe2/s400/IMG_1419.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some original artwork has survived all the years.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGyjIaSxw0WxJG57HSaWv8M0t5HKBEktOgCvHmXz32C4p8WTnHyEAXTMigR4g56mJYr8KuLzpuv013ojZS6BJoNWl36Ye7QQbMsrntSh1eavK3arFWhyphenhyphen5LJ4DIttPveU33NXx11GHShaiO/s1600/IMG_1434.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGyjIaSxw0WxJG57HSaWv8M0t5HKBEktOgCvHmXz32C4p8WTnHyEAXTMigR4g56mJYr8KuLzpuv013ojZS6BJoNWl36Ye7QQbMsrntSh1eavK3arFWhyphenhyphen5LJ4DIttPveU33NXx11GHShaiO/s640/IMG_1434.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at the edges of the opening, the plaster is about 2 inches thick and yes black mold is a problem with leaky limestone blocks.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfCJ_RtFSEth7m-R8112NLQPY14IXKMRrxxvNHoQnsfdxb40J1ZsTphHh5hUgdz3Fp2tBCRoZIlT_bBHarDQidSe4GT_VbYbcsyagjTDRwOrqTyCdC3lVAe72N9drya8U8pI2_tHURpee_/s1600/IMG_1433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfCJ_RtFSEth7m-R8112NLQPY14IXKMRrxxvNHoQnsfdxb40J1ZsTphHh5hUgdz3Fp2tBCRoZIlT_bBHarDQidSe4GT_VbYbcsyagjTDRwOrqTyCdC3lVAe72N9drya8U8pI2_tHURpee_/s640/IMG_1433.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original artwork in the plaster (left side of opening from above picture).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Cp0mndVgjjFBDTikO0h5TV4C_59SCocNZT5D7ViJx_azhCz45vW3OETlQU_864bz4POBv_f31REc9icizxawY6_AI-90doHlmpk88r8r-s9qNjesJGVYKKDsFnhx_z6O5qwd_580J3YO/s1600/IMG_1440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Cp0mndVgjjFBDTikO0h5TV4C_59SCocNZT5D7ViJx_azhCz45vW3OETlQU_864bz4POBv_f31REc9icizxawY6_AI-90doHlmpk88r8r-s9qNjesJGVYKKDsFnhx_z6O5qwd_580J3YO/s640/IMG_1440.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Artwork around an opening.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGjIOokPt4c-8Q1AcL4zzaXhTk6oeKfhjJt1Cil1F6F7C-7WyyFHYZm10YXunuh2_dJCeFLdzJgf_q_Ee9gMLHwOR3p2MX748sfLaCq9cPqlqDHQ2ACEv1wmA0Mw9gB-A2g-FNxqJZ-yMr/s1600/IMG_1439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGjIOokPt4c-8Q1AcL4zzaXhTk6oeKfhjJt1Cil1F6F7C-7WyyFHYZm10YXunuh2_dJCeFLdzJgf_q_Ee9gMLHwOR3p2MX748sfLaCq9cPqlqDHQ2ACEv1wmA0Mw9gB-A2g-FNxqJZ-yMr/s640/IMG_1439.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Palace has two toilets! Now that is a cold hard toilet seat! (the original long drop toilet?)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqJRfzmrc_Pit8Y3vvjZVD_s23r6cL-Mmpwv9UfYscmjEzgNxiMcbpGtyjgDv20aGajDdha4Z27E_A9mWcUdxqBimLueqD3z9FguA2YeEfp4VUucgm6gyKNRgz9D4WYkGwIQ3hyphenhyphenvvKm45/s1600/IMG_1445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMqJRfzmrc_Pit8Y3vvjZVD_s23r6cL-Mmpwv9UfYscmjEzgNxiMcbpGtyjgDv20aGajDdha4Z27E_A9mWcUdxqBimLueqD3z9FguA2YeEfp4VUucgm6gyKNRgz9D4WYkGwIQ3hyphenhyphenvvKm45/s640/IMG_1445.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Temple of the Cross (left) and Temple of the Sun (right). The forested hill behind has another buried temple on top of it.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi82kx6dOMWR5w2m0jc-4EIMhsbgECUKeHhmDxQFcp8Yrqa5DDpGwsc0LzQPyqtxIewjSavtImYhsckLkF2FnE5FhzYqNZDNEZwoZT5i7jVGxNFOgDaG_ru4NWHHMm_EUT2H4ATnqpHpY8L/s1600/IMG_1430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi82kx6dOMWR5w2m0jc-4EIMhsbgECUKeHhmDxQFcp8Yrqa5DDpGwsc0LzQPyqtxIewjSavtImYhsckLkF2FnE5FhzYqNZDNEZwoZT5i7jVGxNFOgDaG_ru4NWHHMm_EUT2H4ATnqpHpY8L/s640/IMG_1430.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Curse of the Tombs</b><br />
The two primary colors used by the Mayans were red and indigo blue. To make the red pigment they used mercury which was likely fatal to the workers after years of exposure. We have all heard of the curse of the mummy right? Back before people realized the dangers of mercury and days of tomb raiders, they would open a tomb chamber that had been sealed for thousands of years and all the stucco with red and blue pigments would out-gas mercury to be inhaled. Recent tomb openings have shown very high levels of mercury and the archaeologists always use respirators now to protect themselves.<br />
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<b>Museum</b><br />
At the base of the hill is a Museum that houses artifacts found at the site including the Red Queens sarcophagus. If you walk down following the trail you pass the Queens Bath waterfall. We were told that this is another sign that there was a matriarchal society during this time, as the Queen had a bath.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha15xv7uFpXCJkW832PGNRYjmMEheY6p4brgufrfl1frV6T5yOWA6XRm4D376-3dRG4WyQmUu73x5XIAWjRhv2V5i95RrMTYuINiifUpg2kEMLLleH8H9vyZevIo_y6SgvsR2oNZzWhQbg/s1600/IMG_1455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha15xv7uFpXCJkW832PGNRYjmMEheY6p4brgufrfl1frV6T5yOWA6XRm4D376-3dRG4WyQmUu73x5XIAWjRhv2V5i95RrMTYuINiifUpg2kEMLLleH8H9vyZevIo_y6SgvsR2oNZzWhQbg/s640/IMG_1455.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queens Bath</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji1KtgxHxUTbkcuGY_RAOrwDkHyelkI_eKvBiaPrzbscfC-E4ZKH6PHszIKGXc9qG82fukaFB_1KzKtslb-sVOBkl2ujSJgbcAQySkYtuVU0YQxzhSKsKjPmkqIMhjyFg0HaWRt1EOaJbJ/s1600/IMG_1454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji1KtgxHxUTbkcuGY_RAOrwDkHyelkI_eKvBiaPrzbscfC-E4ZKH6PHszIKGXc9qG82fukaFB_1KzKtslb-sVOBkl2ujSJgbcAQySkYtuVU0YQxzhSKsKjPmkqIMhjyFg0HaWRt1EOaJbJ/s400/IMG_1454.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bridge across the stream below Queens Bath</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-0MnhAL6EPC0EeWhWZIIw9bvSWP1FadF98zyNB6I62iBcaRaSnr8hUAD4a0viKW3RJun5xHFBxWkOZE-zK-swQIRehkDpYFatYcb2K-WUHXgOKhMzKuQPjZmmDYteaxlnXXJjsjNjacB/s1600/IMG_1451.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-0MnhAL6EPC0EeWhWZIIw9bvSWP1FadF98zyNB6I62iBcaRaSnr8hUAD4a0viKW3RJun5xHFBxWkOZE-zK-swQIRehkDpYFatYcb2K-WUHXgOKhMzKuQPjZmmDYteaxlnXXJjsjNjacB/s640/IMG_1451.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And more structures along the way.</td></tr>
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Following are some pictures from the museum.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSPeooAuYb5ZcTKZ2GrurMFZ8HehN9mJO9xQKct2gDsQoq8yfXfGuf1E_KykISPkKyauU93rEcDvKYQtE3267wwdmS8E1TqJ1HEC8TVWa2qqNPa3pXWaA0gcXS_sAfnvqHnPLF1gHjVrVU/s1600/IMG_20170528_123306.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSPeooAuYb5ZcTKZ2GrurMFZ8HehN9mJO9xQKct2gDsQoq8yfXfGuf1E_KykISPkKyauU93rEcDvKYQtE3267wwdmS8E1TqJ1HEC8TVWa2qqNPa3pXWaA0gcXS_sAfnvqHnPLF1gHjVrVU/s640/IMG_20170528_123306.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNCRwCva4yoQwbFic6EKZAwb0vEK3U2SjJeKDkHH5HAr8Y8niE3VkIkRKpG4gkw3vS6zQvA62JOWNB_CbBfykdN5u8ozdcI2j7jyY3DI6bblpCz3LMDaMzESnGbvjB_LV556EdXpYFdh0-/s1600/IMG_1459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNCRwCva4yoQwbFic6EKZAwb0vEK3U2SjJeKDkHH5HAr8Y8niE3VkIkRKpG4gkw3vS6zQvA62JOWNB_CbBfykdN5u8ozdcI2j7jyY3DI6bblpCz3LMDaMzESnGbvjB_LV556EdXpYFdh0-/s640/IMG_1459.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Locals</b><br />
The Maya culture is still strong in this part of Mexico. A whole bus load of school kids were touring with their traditional Mayan dress.<br />
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And of course there were the local vendors selling their wares inside and outside the ruins. One of my favorites was the Jaguar growler, it sounded just like a Jaguar and all they did was blow into it. And there were howler monkeys making all sorts of noise also, so it was quite an experience.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLj68x09mRq9_hvWvHPzwBmJvkb6wpXYp0o0fS05TBlAWY0wpt2DJEmO_9wrKEhCaNDh1OjpWPx0vvwq8MGxC0JTkDaN3dZm55_STDHAX46qbEe5xfWYqf9Ex7M_uXO_-x0vwPm2MxJUiv/s1600/Palenque+Clothing+Stall.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLj68x09mRq9_hvWvHPzwBmJvkb6wpXYp0o0fS05TBlAWY0wpt2DJEmO_9wrKEhCaNDh1OjpWPx0vvwq8MGxC0JTkDaN3dZm55_STDHAX46qbEe5xfWYqf9Ex7M_uXO_-x0vwPm2MxJUiv/s400/Palenque+Clothing+Stall.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vendor stall by the parking lot</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNgMg7CeNXkRm6NaB9MZs4ErJXb47HCkZSrynvD1zCiFlkHZUVoO4XR70YCxvb5xQ7Xn0d-6TuPRt5LMMZE2zonQSop-pz2xDloQFTdNeW8q-2P7gjO6ZT6-by7LJpc1l9VqTbicL8G6Gr/s1600/Palenque+Sensitive+Mimosa.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNgMg7CeNXkRm6NaB9MZs4ErJXb47HCkZSrynvD1zCiFlkHZUVoO4XR70YCxvb5xQ7Xn0d-6TuPRt5LMMZE2zonQSop-pz2xDloQFTdNeW8q-2P7gjO6ZT6-by7LJpc1l9VqTbicL8G6Gr/s400/Palenque+Sensitive+Mimosa.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This sensitivity plant grows throughout the ruins in the grass. You touch the serrated leaves and they close up quickly (within a second or two)!</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02716822376929279349noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204585206513366816.post-57206673782548218502017-06-01T13:37:00.000-07:002017-06-01T14:19:29.369-07:00An Afternoon Walk in our neighborhood in San Cristobal de las casasThursday June 1st - celebrating two calendar months since we crossed the border into Mexico to start our travels.<br />
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The sun came out and the rain stopped, we left chicken stew simmering on the stove and set out for a neighborhood walk to explore, discover and hopefully meet some of our neighbors.<br />
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We saw amazing houses, trees and flowers - really demoting that myth about the poverty of all Mexicans. As we have seen on our travels there are rich and poor and middle class in all countries and locations. We are currently in a middle class, non-tourist, local Mexican neighborhood and there are a mixture of houses and a lot of construction going on in this particular gated community.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1QQ_-UGjt6C9GZ8pCrDPAGOmeNLDjyQsXsGwtBkLVvoLa7reTyn8NduM8RC5hN_FBd93tX-2z1Akubt2Sobv40ABV3aKuNF_TyyIMfmzF-lrU0QMkv6LWu_QN7GpLb7xWFKA5E7HYAB2x/s1600/IMG_20170601_125828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1QQ_-UGjt6C9GZ8pCrDPAGOmeNLDjyQsXsGwtBkLVvoLa7reTyn8NduM8RC5hN_FBd93tX-2z1Akubt2Sobv40ABV3aKuNF_TyyIMfmzF-lrU0QMkv6LWu_QN7GpLb7xWFKA5E7HYAB2x/s320/IMG_20170601_125828.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a typical site in Mexico, masses of bougainvillea of several colors, often mixed with roses..</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWcv8Avw89d8vK2PpuKKNZkLRezH7yWKfk0lYHTTph_YGOpYtK5vHf7BKVgwy1lxFqo3LY9p8t9XbuVdrIMi7DHaSyvyznpmlJ4pka6fSEzDcyFy0FGy-xjc6sZH4dDPpQNOESwT6X1Mhx/s1600/IMG_20170601_130009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWcv8Avw89d8vK2PpuKKNZkLRezH7yWKfk0lYHTTph_YGOpYtK5vHf7BKVgwy1lxFqo3LY9p8t9XbuVdrIMi7DHaSyvyznpmlJ4pka6fSEzDcyFy0FGy-xjc6sZH4dDPpQNOESwT6X1Mhx/s320/IMG_20170601_130009.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
Each of the streets in this neighborhood are dead ends and come off the main street that goes through the area - a short street coming off either side of the main street (kind of fish-bone pattern).<br />
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The house that you cannot see here, is behind a fence of bamboo plants which itself is behind a wall that is so well covered with ivy that you would think that it is just a well trimmed hedge. Notice the door into the property set into the wall.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha8yNUpyrEfJaXD17qEz-cuFrLqSJfK0sm_8kd4NvIORH_8-H0i8LZNqxyx9gUjkIQYNbdUygkpnJQJYSVcQVAvUrufZQE7BD15xB6meuSt4sEQPrXpRixn8DE9xrthhN6RVYXD1MGvpkp/s1600/IMG_20170601_130047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha8yNUpyrEfJaXD17qEz-cuFrLqSJfK0sm_8kd4NvIORH_8-H0i8LZNqxyx9gUjkIQYNbdUygkpnJQJYSVcQVAvUrufZQE7BD15xB6meuSt4sEQPrXpRixn8DE9xrthhN6RVYXD1MGvpkp/s320/IMG_20170601_130047.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Eh7DziZeNs17ZGTZLpR5xUR3JaJFWcGBj_sQ3m2qDl2Zp7cOGJJzyo5PrUfsovLT5XQcwh-Vs_WoY0wN5N5WdBzR6nWphgkzzAOGqIxgZVPgAnsSeU7skg2hEj6Al4SNBccR0Ny-eEr0/s1600/IMG_20170601_130308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Eh7DziZeNs17ZGTZLpR5xUR3JaJFWcGBj_sQ3m2qDl2Zp7cOGJJzyo5PrUfsovLT5XQcwh-Vs_WoY0wN5N5WdBzR6nWphgkzzAOGqIxgZVPgAnsSeU7skg2hEj6Al4SNBccR0Ny-eEr0/s320/IMG_20170601_130308.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5axOPwpz0_MAvIe0rTAvuMbFfmHRLNq5OYyd3LXhzXd9Fv7alZHtfek4qTKgDw9r8TQgXS1Hihw-RqDfhlzP50Gbk0OZ22xgP8LPfFSMungc5PbXt2TRWt36ltqiIGpbYCGzcglyMDG-k/s1600/IMG_20170601_130315.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5axOPwpz0_MAvIe0rTAvuMbFfmHRLNq5OYyd3LXhzXd9Fv7alZHtfek4qTKgDw9r8TQgXS1Hihw-RqDfhlzP50Gbk0OZ22xgP8LPfFSMungc5PbXt2TRWt36ltqiIGpbYCGzcglyMDG-k/s320/IMG_20170601_130315.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZuCsROv-A6DO3XOJUzpOkjPTsg4lFTeXaLyVxonT1707Nt1fZfx7aUMaManUPNTdiZ7Ku0-2-Dg3sKJs_5w-XnmfUbaryqpnrEQzwhAo06HsHVFzme2IpFeY6OLO1Wwj7zyrKVGxVoxD/s1600/IMG_20170601_130415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMZuCsROv-A6DO3XOJUzpOkjPTsg4lFTeXaLyVxonT1707Nt1fZfx7aUMaManUPNTdiZ7Ku0-2-Dg3sKJs_5w-XnmfUbaryqpnrEQzwhAo06HsHVFzme2IpFeY6OLO1Wwj7zyrKVGxVoxD/s320/IMG_20170601_130415.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This huge building is actually one wall of a a single house</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuV6Zx7Qy4cYiyZdKPq-ktJW368u98KC0qd5vhepFSK393pG-MMBoYghFEOWkbqAXbwgPwL-w0OyqE2PNy4XW61juIAxJZKzIvn6p3ueychsWrl5H2eFC0xof7KdtV4TjXXjJhQMAyi6xv/s1600/IMG_20170601_130527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuV6Zx7Qy4cYiyZdKPq-ktJW368u98KC0qd5vhepFSK393pG-MMBoYghFEOWkbqAXbwgPwL-w0OyqE2PNy4XW61juIAxJZKzIvn6p3ueychsWrl5H2eFC0xof7KdtV4TjXXjJhQMAyi6xv/s320/IMG_20170601_130527.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A reminder that even though we are at an elevation of 7,000 feet, there are still more mountains above us.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj853SfqzrmW72fSwAeDd-ClQd9iNTiOe3UnienHRw6SeS_fuBDTaxt6_tWjdP6ITNK5G1wLsDTlE9fY3WG3kbs84wvzZdy-IokUy4kHi8M1nVAtHIQxSolGEGYq0nWzqeSJPgJ_WhE0eeA/s1600/IMG_20170601_130600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj853SfqzrmW72fSwAeDd-ClQd9iNTiOe3UnienHRw6SeS_fuBDTaxt6_tWjdP6ITNK5G1wLsDTlE9fY3WG3kbs84wvzZdy-IokUy4kHi8M1nVAtHIQxSolGEGYq0nWzqeSJPgJ_WhE0eeA/s320/IMG_20170601_130600.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at that ivy covered wall and what appears to be an entertaining building at the back.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWlqCTQv7mVj2W9qS0nt1FQHsxhwYx8bK-9jYSaU7lYPEZXgS3FjqRx8vtoRWAHJxORooZRk2jwj-3MIQ_6Juq5pXQ6i0FCmNl-ffah-b0PLjQgauAMy7cSz4AMsosJ_ZYQBiFxyKv9YQ/s1600/IMG_20170601_130743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWlqCTQv7mVj2W9qS0nt1FQHsxhwYx8bK-9jYSaU7lYPEZXgS3FjqRx8vtoRWAHJxORooZRk2jwj-3MIQ_6Juq5pXQ6i0FCmNl-ffah-b0PLjQgauAMy7cSz4AMsosJ_ZYQBiFxyKv9YQ/s320/IMG_20170601_130743.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clean simple lines and almost muted colors.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXUE1_DbGP6yMUAsI574mW4hvU4oH_JHwZQn2NmyHHxZ_o1XnuZysk05KE9kj5ewjAtYZPGjPthTvhN3G6GamtMn0GCKjtqA3ibz8cR70ymW1Nup3zeUfUXhFmFZwR0y1nUwtuphNvvIth/s1600/IMG_20170601_130935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXUE1_DbGP6yMUAsI574mW4hvU4oH_JHwZQn2NmyHHxZ_o1XnuZysk05KE9kj5ewjAtYZPGjPthTvhN3G6GamtMn0GCKjtqA3ibz8cR70ymW1Nup3zeUfUXhFmFZwR0y1nUwtuphNvvIth/s320/IMG_20170601_130935.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This house behind a clean white wall has a beautiful done at the top of one room - very Mexican.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The house with the dome has matching entrance door to the yard and garage door.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the huge new houses that we saw under construction - notice the curved staircase wall in the entrance.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful staircase to the front entrance on this place.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There again are those ever present mountains.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A water pipe with a spliced repair - Gerald says that this is why you cannot trust the water in Mexico.</td></tr>
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This was the most amazing part of our walk. We came across this new construction being built in the antique construction method called bahareque. Notice the rocks and mud/daub between the bamboo fences. These are going to be the walls of the house. The mix is all done in the traditional way - barefoot working of the cement, dirt, sand, fiber (appeared to be pine needles) and water.<br />
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Yes the Engineer in Gerald got him into deep discussions with the site foreman about the plans and the dangers of the geodesic dome roof that would be a central part of the building. Our Spanish may not be good but we had a great conversation with this man and everyone on site was happy to talk to us and answer our questions and just generally chat with us.<br />
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Well we didn't make any friends with neighbors, we only saw one lady whom we greeted but that is as far as that got. However, we had a great time, learned a lot and had great conversation with the builders. We also got to pick up lots of firewood and some huge pine cones - when it gets cold again we will have a big roaring fire and the neighbors will have a clean street where we picked up the windfalls ;)Rosalind Pattynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739012796826238271noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204585206513366816.post-69772737376479628942017-05-26T16:46:00.001-07:002017-05-29T05:38:12.342-07:00Mexico Visa & TIP Process at Chetumal/Belize BorderI had not been looking forward to this but since we only have a month left on our visa and we are as close to a border as we are going to be for some time, we headed to Chetumal (Belize border post town) to try to 'renew' our visa and TIP (Temporary Import Permit for the car). When we originally got our TIP back in December, we never got the sticker for the windshield but it hasn't been a problem for us except that it has been concerning me for the 'renewal' process.<br />
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We arrived at the border post and spoke to a man in a booth, explaining that we want to renew our visa and TIP and he told us to go into the building where Banjercito is (that is the bank that handles all the immigration and other such government money matters).<br />
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When we went to the 'immigration' window and explained again what we wanted, we were sent to the Banjercito window. Another explanation and the lady there took our papers, kept our existing TIP and started making a phone call. They explained that they cannot renew our visa, we had to go to the Immigration window - the immigration window lady told us that they cannot renew it and waved vaguely outside (all of this was in very broken English and very broken Spanish - we just kept trying to communicate with each other as best as we could).<br />
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Outside, we realized that we needed to go back to the man in the booth at the roadside - his English was much better and I dropped my attempts to speak Spanish and told him quite clearly that we wanted to renew our visa (once we have a new visa, we can get a new TIP) but that I did not want to have to go into Belize first. We were then invited to step out of the road and to come into his booth. He carefully explained that the process (the legal process) is that we have to leave the country (go into Belize in this case) for 72 hours and then when we come back into Mexico we can apply for a new Visa. I asked him if there is no other way of doing this because we just want to spend more time visiting places in Mexico and we don't want to go to Belize - he almost blushed I think and then quietly and slowly told me that there are always choices. My first choice is to leave the country and return after 72 hours but that I do have another choice, so I asked him what the other choice was. He told me that I could get an exit stamp and then we could proceed with a new visa application but of course that would cost - I told him that I understand that there is a fee as nothing is for free, how much does it cost. The cost of this alternative process costs 2,500 MXP each and asked me if I understood and if I wanted to follow this other process and so it would cost 5,000 MXP for the two of us. I made it very clear that I did understand and wanted to do it this way - Gerald looked into his (carefully pre-arranged wallet) and said that he only has a little over 2,000 MXP. It was very obvious that this was not an acceptable offer but the official told us that he understood our situation and did not want to hurt our wallet so he could get this done for us for only 4,000 MXP. I asked Gerald where we could get more money and come back and he magically found this other 2,000 MXP. I gave the official our visas and passports with the money below the paperwork and he rolled back the date on his date stamp, stamped our passports and made a call to his supervisor to bring new visa forms. We were invited to take seats and wait while the visa forms were brought to us, we completed them and they were quickly finalized and returned to us.<br />
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Once we had the new visa forms, it was back inside the main building to the immigration counter where we spent a few minutes getting our passports stamped for re-entry and the last step of the visa finalization. Once we had our new visas and stamped passports in our hands, it was off to the Banjercito window where the very helpful lady there worked through cancelling our previous TIP (and saying that the Piedras Negras people had made a mistake and given us the wrong part of the form so we just had to sign a declaration about having lost the sticker). We were told that the deposit will be automatically returned to our credit card on Monday (first business day after today/Friday) and we were then charged for the new TIP and it's associated costs on our credit card.<br />
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Fortunately there were very few people there at this time - we had chosen to go to the 'new' border post which can be found just north of Laguna Negra between the actual town of Chetumal and the southern town of Chetumal that is around the actual border. If you look for 'border crossing near Cheumal' on Google maps you will see both the new (northernmost) an the old (more south) border posts. The whole process took us only a little over an hour.<br />
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Unfortunately I walked out of there feeling a bit like a villain but very relieved that this process is now over for the next 6 months - I also get a nice warm feeling and a smile every time I see that hologram sticker on our windshield because I knew that we were meant to have that all along.<br />
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For now, I am going to try to let go of the fact that we are going to have to do this again in November and try to enjoy an evening in Chetumal. We drove back the way that we had come in because we just had to visit Bacalar while we are in the area, it is a beautiful little funky town with lagoons all around and we had a lovely little lunch in a very local restaurant several blocks away from the main tourist zone.<br />
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Arriving at our hotel in Chetumal was quite easy and we got checked in and drove round the block to the hotel parking behind the hotel - The internet connection here is very, very frustrating as it keeps dropping and disconnecting every couple of minutes but we managed finally to make a booking for a couple of nights in Palenque for tomorrow night and Sunday night. Another item off the list and we are now confirmed for somewhere to sleep for a couple of nights. It is really humid here and even with the air conditioner on I am feeling horribly sticky and concerned about sleeping tonight - I still remember the feeling of the sheets sticking to me and waking up every time I turned over during the nights and the sheets moved with me.. think that was back in Zihuatanejo several weeks ago. For now, we might as well go out and explore town and be damp outside in the warm air as be damp in the cool air conditioned room - lets go and explore and get some supper. :)<br />
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<br />Rosalind Pattynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739012796826238271noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204585206513366816.post-40722621249212213412017-05-19T08:24:00.001-07:002017-05-19T08:24:29.505-07:00Ek Balaam and ValladolidWe were able to get up early enough to go to Ek Balaam and then spend a great day in Valladolid which is in the northern center of the Yucatan peninsula.<br />
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On the road out to the ruins we passed by the usual vendors at the side of the roads and thought about life in Mexico and the fact that these vendors are not just there for the tourists, this is the way that the locals shop. If we were to buy a house and need to furnish it, we would be stopping at these roadside furniture 'shops' and buying the furniture that they have on offer or even putting in an order for furniture made to our own design. The wood furniture here is just that .. it is made of WOOD .. good solid wood with the most beautiful grains and color ways.<br />
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We planned on getting to Ek Balaam (the Black Jaguar) ruins before the crowds and before it got too hot. No sure what time we would have to be there before it got too hot because it was already almost 90 when we got there at around 9:30. There were already bus loads of tourists (yes, yes I get it .. we are tourist too but not the kind that get there on a tour bus). <br />
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I spent more than five minutes lining up the perfect shot of the main temple only to have a couple more tourists walk right past me (in spite of my asking for a moment) and start walking up the stairs - there was never another opportunity to get the shot without groups of people crawling all over the stairs.<br />
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Ek Balaam got it's name from the fact that the main building is the temple in which Ukit Kan Le'k Tok' was buried, called El Trono (‘The Throne’). The doorway is in the shape of a monster-like mouth, possibly depicting a jaguar. This very impressive and well preserved building is the biggest that we have seen yet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMVDXOUWIjab8J3U1Mz6Rx5kxMbcOorOgzBCh05qV8fGZFwYvQvCE7wJrzkUrkNPh2UyyYhNlOSnwv2UYeEL2OixiLHMOZljOazDBGnx1uvGMRZK-VhIleOlwG-OT810hDPfsPwmWvg3wa/s1600/Jaguar+teeth.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMVDXOUWIjab8J3U1Mz6Rx5kxMbcOorOgzBCh05qV8fGZFwYvQvCE7wJrzkUrkNPh2UyyYhNlOSnwv2UYeEL2OixiLHMOZljOazDBGnx1uvGMRZK-VhIleOlwG-OT810hDPfsPwmWvg3wa/s320/Jaguar+teeth.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The teeth of the alter</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teeth above the door at the alter</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a little less than half the length of the temple </td></tr>
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There are 117 steps to the top of the main temple and it is an impressive sight especially when you break through the jungle and see it head on for the first time.<br />
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There are three main floors on the temple, the building appears to have been started in the Middle Preclassic period and finished in the Postclassic period. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6PmkW1esPvdD5IzKYXbIdfmLIG-7cgGF_b7EvZxQpYSVrq6wLQdXpUgtpGPDbRwNFRyfUDkl3degm1doplNtOxQ0ni0EJTLKo5eY2sWcufuVKqCJEgQGB9hhod7UwvQJFTZ4plMj1wGe/s1600/second+floor.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6PmkW1esPvdD5IzKYXbIdfmLIG-7cgGF_b7EvZxQpYSVrq6wLQdXpUgtpGPDbRwNFRyfUDkl3degm1doplNtOxQ0ni0EJTLKo5eY2sWcufuVKqCJEgQGB9hhod7UwvQJFTZ4plMj1wGe/s320/second+floor.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The second floor to the right of the stairs - the alter is to the left of the stairs.</td></tr>
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We were actually able to go into one of the arches under the stairs - at Edzna, we saw the arches from a distance but were not able to get close to them. You can see one of the arches above.<br />
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The carvings, painting and hieroglyphics are incredibly well preserved and it is obvious that a lot of work has been done to restore the area around the main alter.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKJAXcWMeKkut_ZoLfdjk-24r0NhuC5XMjjKiX88pRehnU3b4_qUMuphDF8i6Trb6QdE5q6PVZWqSyj2PNw0MfBb5TCwh3-P5pNdtw0CV11gneHPWWhTJfqDDAAGMLUgK1HhYteCoBDaw/s1600/Carvings.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKJAXcWMeKkut_ZoLfdjk-24r0NhuC5XMjjKiX88pRehnU3b4_qUMuphDF8i6Trb6QdE5q6PVZWqSyj2PNw0MfBb5TCwh3-P5pNdtw0CV11gneHPWWhTJfqDDAAGMLUgK1HhYteCoBDaw/s320/Carvings.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winged Mayan Warriors protecting the alter</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijtIodyvCiocwT79_UAjSiRN4ZW5qyY1Z1zxBA6jJxVQiBtvB5hgk1c5cGY8UjTgibVz8I0ldoOvEpaLvXvM58Xzns4SQZUGLjyYNyeSOpeCC7lHIbC3r4aHtUxEU4P1NGmkD-AuOyGTia/s1600/Corner+Winged+Warrior.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijtIodyvCiocwT79_UAjSiRN4ZW5qyY1Z1zxBA6jJxVQiBtvB5hgk1c5cGY8UjTgibVz8I0ldoOvEpaLvXvM58Xzns4SQZUGLjyYNyeSOpeCC7lHIbC3r4aHtUxEU4P1NGmkD-AuOyGTia/s320/Corner+Winged+Warrior.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A winged warrior (or angel) is at both corners on the wall above the alter doorway </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkIfrksDhI2WPzPC5ysKPKyflc1xtglMXmlckYYEXxZziBHDT8CV3jZsM7uLd29SYl5L0dCZ8o8OeDw4wgxLxa_FhBof3D2GfhQbI3TjrMqDeo1HKWX8_iCoLPk8nPHhQpEqlox8ujJXRJ/s1600/Painting.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkIfrksDhI2WPzPC5ysKPKyflc1xtglMXmlckYYEXxZziBHDT8CV3jZsM7uLd29SYl5L0dCZ8o8OeDw4wgxLxa_FhBof3D2GfhQbI3TjrMqDeo1HKWX8_iCoLPk8nPHhQpEqlox8ujJXRJ/s320/Painting.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some perfectly preserved painting showing the strong red and blue used throughout.</td></tr>
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Once you finish climbing (yes it is climbing because each of those steps are more than a foot high) the 117 steps to the top of the temple, the view is amazing and you can see for miles and miles in all directions.<br />
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We met a young couple from England who were taking a vacation between pre-med and the start of their medical studies and hung out at the top with them for a while before taking the hazardous trek back down the steps. OK hazardous for Rosalind because as we all know, her and heights are not the best of friends.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj454ufowOPGUkw5u8wNcpBVo5Ww0TwQPryP6I9RIkcMKe5Ut1NPkLFYjox8Tf-wtroqkL3P0SWBr4avwT0PVD6HyR3v1XDJTfIeUZaeEXtbeEI4WlE539KmaL9RGDtJpz0ih6RMEyC6phg/s1600/But+I+did+it.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj454ufowOPGUkw5u8wNcpBVo5Ww0TwQPryP6I9RIkcMKe5Ut1NPkLFYjox8Tf-wtroqkL3P0SWBr4avwT0PVD6HyR3v1XDJTfIeUZaeEXtbeEI4WlE539KmaL9RGDtJpz0ih6RMEyC6phg/s320/But+I+did+it.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">OK it may not look pretty </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">but I did it </td></tr>
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Did I mention that it was hot? this hot dog found one of the few cool (??) places to rest.<br />
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One of the distinct characteristics of this site (apart from the fact that is has 3 walls around it), is the mix of square and curved walls on the buildings.<br />
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I think that Gerald may think that he has found our new home? it is amazing how cool it is within the shade of these walled rooms.<br />
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This piqued my curiosity as it looks like a huge fire pit but later I found out that it might be a steam bath.<br />
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After this adventure, we still had plenty of time to head off to Valladolid to investigate the chocolate factory. The first part of the adventure was trying to find a space to park the car, then we couldn't find the chocolate place but that was fun because I asked a police woman (in Spanish) for directions and she understood and answered me immediately :) It is those small successes that really make this adventure even more exciting.<br />
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When we got to the chocolate factory there was already a lady there and the history of cacao chocolate was being explained (mostly in Spanish) so we joined in and got to hear about cacao with a tiny smidgen of information about the chocolate making process. It was a little disappointing because there wasn't actually anyone there making chocolate and we didn't get any information about the process. We did however get a little nib-let of each of the chocolates that they make and got an explanation about what each one contains. For example there was cacao with honey, cacao with honey and chili or with oregano, there was one with sea salt and another with milk or one with stevia instead of honey, there was also one with anise (Rosalind's favorite) and another with tequila (Gerald's favorite). They were all good and so very different from the sugary, creamy type of chocolate that we are used to. <br />
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After the 'tour' and tasting, we moved off to the 'restaurant' that I had heard about where you can get chocolate drinks and we each ordered a different cold chocolate to drink - once again, so much better than the sort of chocolate that we are used to. The chocolate is served in gourds seated on a little leaf 'rope' ring.<br />
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By now we had made friends with the other lady there (Diane from Ireland) and we all wandered off together to take a look around Valladolid and to look for the Convent that she had told us about.<br />
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When we got to the Convent of San Bernadino de Sienna, the church part was closed and there appeared to be studies going on so we hung out in the cloisters and cooled down a little before going to Yerbabuena del Sisal for lunch. <br />
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This is such a beautiful little restaurant and we went in past the kitchen to the garden in the back. It was lovely under the trees and they even put box fans out for you to cool yourself. The food was really good, healthy, fresh with lots of vegetarian options and very fairly priced. I had chayote which was smothered in a lovely tomato based sauce and Gerald had chili rellenos filled with cheese and vegetables smothered in the same tomato sauce - they also have gorgeous fresh juices and we felt so lucky that Diane had found this place, we never would have been there otherwise - thanks Diane!<br />
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After lunch we walked back to the square and sat on a bench there for a while people watching.<br />
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Miraculously the church (Cathedral of San Gervasio) opened and we were able to go inside and have a look. <br />
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The cathedral is typical of many that we have seen in Mexico, it is not ornately decorated with lots of gold and expensive glitz, it is a solid fairly plain building with the decorative concentration on the main alter area and the stations of the cross.<br />
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Well that was almost the end of a terrific day but one more little adventure waited for us - when we finally got back to our car and headed for 'home' in Tulum, ,leaving our fate/route to to Waze, she decided that the toll road was best so we ended up going all the way to Playa del Carmen and back down the coast road to Tulum - having left at a little after 8 in the morning, we ended up getting back to our place in Tulum after 7:30 in the evening .. but (and there is a reason for everything) .. this meant that we actually got a snapshot or two of those monkey bridges that we had previously told you about ;) I even got to see a monkey hanging out in a tree a little way off the road. Remember, this is all jungle here, the jungle goes right down to the beach and the town of Tulum is in the jungle though a lot of it has been cleared. You actually need a special (very expensive) permit to cut down some of the trees such as the Chechen.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZEJo52ESkBXTdKvHDV8BNoZ9AMJU7_yogqXs1SIDYDfvEO69eKCsarWdGj-QIS5_15g8FUKsPiVRRoPb_AALvdXB-UX6TPf8FFpWdlKVx1PZxVn7uebfFo1lS52FClj19BqwJt6YVyH2c/s1600/IMG_20170517_174534.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZEJo52ESkBXTdKvHDV8BNoZ9AMJU7_yogqXs1SIDYDfvEO69eKCsarWdGj-QIS5_15g8FUKsPiVRRoPb_AALvdXB-UX6TPf8FFpWdlKVx1PZxVn7uebfFo1lS52FClj19BqwJt6YVyH2c/s320/IMG_20170517_174534.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monkey bridge across the highway.</td></tr>
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For more info on the Myan legend of why the Chechen (Black Posionwood) and Chaca trees always grow next to each other see <a href="https://akumalnow.com/chechen-and-chaca-trees/" target="_blank">https://akumalnow.com/chechen-and-chaca-trees/</a> . And yes, the Chechen is toxic, similar to poison ivy but worse. <br />
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<br />Rosalind Pattynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739012796826238271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204585206513366816.post-82988172307830886792017-05-16T19:04:00.002-07:002017-05-16T19:04:27.386-07:00Tulum Archaeological SiteWe went a couple of miles up the road to the ruins of Tulum - it was hot and humid (as it usually is here) but it was literally only a couple of miles from where we are staying. I had been planning on investigating an interesting sounding little shopping place near there but when we arrived at the parking area (160 pesos) we found that the shopping area was a huge collection of vendor stalls where you buy tickets catch the transport to the ruins. We grabbed an icy cold creamy frapucino at the only Starbucks that we have seen in quite a while (though the Italian Coffee Company makes better coffee and frapuccino than Starbucks in my opinion) and climbed aboard the tractor pulled train.<br />
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To get to the ruins you actually walk through entrance arches in the wall around the Mayan walled city. The wall is about 20 feet thick and going through the wall was one of only 2 or 3 cooler spots that we found there - did I mention that it was hot and humid??<br />
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Once inside, the beautiful green field, scattered with buildings and with gray and black rocks where buildings once were, is both peaceful and thought provoking.<br />
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These ruins are pretty amazing, there are so many buildings and the information signs are in both Spanish and English so we were able to learn quite a lot about the culture and the ruins. There is a lot of restoration work going on and we saw photos of volunteers painstakingly sorting flakes of the broken artwork that have fallen off the temple walls then gluing them back onto where they have fallen from - talk about a 10,000 piece jigsaw puzzle, but there is no picture to guide you.<br />
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There are also pieces of buildings with the arches propped, waiting for the joint restoration work to be completed to prevent them from falling.<br />
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It is quite amazing how well preserved these ruins are considering the effects of the salt spray and the sea breezes.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you look really closely, you may be able to see some of the original Red and Blue colors.</td></tr>
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<span id="goog_177577211"></span><span id="goog_177577212"></span>The whole combination of this ancient walled city with all it's history and majesty; the clifftop views of the beautiful Caribbean waters below and the white sands of the most beautiful little beach nestled in the rugged coastline below the old castle. It is the only Mayan city built on the coast and one of only a handful that was enclosed within a wall. <br />
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I can only begin to imagine what it must have been like to have lived in this beautiful city in such a prime spot, looking out over those clear aquamarine, warm Caribbean waters, feeling safe behind that great wall in this high location.<br />
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Once we reached the castle, at the highest point, we started seeing the sea and then we discovered that amazing beach and the joys of running into that lovely clear, warm water - warm as it was, it was still a brief cooling experience after walking around for a couple of hours among the ruins on top of that hot hill.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lesson for today, don't go anywhere without a swim suit - or at least with underwear that looks like a bikini bottom - did I mention that it was HOT ??</td></tr>
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Rosalind Pattynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739012796826238271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204585206513366816.post-49820508266673708082017-05-14T06:25:00.001-07:002017-05-14T06:25:48.251-07:00Tulum and our life and some rambling thoughtsOK, a week off have given me inspiration to carry on blogging again so let me give you some general thoughts of our life here in Mexico.<br />
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Think about the mundane - fridges for example. Things are different here and it is really interesting. Since the water in Mexico is not potable, you can't just run a water line into the fridge to get ice and cold water. Here fridges are made with a removable water tank on one of the shelves (fill it with 5 liters of purified water). In the freezer there is an ice-maker that gets it's water from the tank and the door has a water dispenser that gets its water from the tank in the fridge. The ice-maker (which is cool the way that it turns the ice tray upside down to empty it) doesn't need a hole through the door and the water dispenser takes up much less room than the traditional ones that we are used to in the USA.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This ice make happens to have two ice cube storage containers</td></tr>
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Oh yes and the bottle of purified water that we are using has a nifty little valve hand pump thingy on it so there is no need to tip the bottle or have it upside down in a fancy stand with a tap.<br />
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Now that the 'vacation' weeks are behind us (really? life is all vacation now isn't it?) and we are thinking about our future life and more routine/mundane things, grocery shopping. In Playa del Carmen we went to a Mega grocery store (our previous visit to Meg was in Acapulco and we found such good fresh produce etc. there which was heartening) but it was not good at all. The produce was mostly very stale (I saw beets there that had shoots growing out of them and were all wrinkled) and generally the store was not nice and clean or well stocked with good groceries. Here in Tulum, the only real grocery store (apart from the OXXO or convenience stores) is a Chedraui. We had to go and get some groceries for our two week stay here but it was very disappointing - I had so been looking forward to all the fresh fruits and veggies that I have been reading about in Mexico but this is definitely not the place to get them although the produce was better than that Mega in PDC. We got the basics that we needed plus we also managed to pick up a double pack of Don Roberto tequila for only 110 pesos (less than 6 dollars or not much more than a grande 15 syllable name coffee at Starbucks). We make our own type of pina colada (nothing like the real thing but we love it) using pina colada yogurt with some tequila. I also have some left-over green juice that we bought at Mega in PDC - it is the only green juice that I have not been able to love drinking - Kale, Spinach, Cactus, Celery and Cucumber (too much grass and no sweet fruit) so we also bought a container of fresh pineapple juice and it is OK when mixed 50/50.<br />
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The little casa that we have rented in Tulum is quite comfortable and has everything that we need in order to be able to cook for ourselves etc. We will end up doing laundry in the wash basin again and will try to dry it hanging it on chairs or the hammock or whatever outside - but with the humidity levels that we have so near to the beach, it will take a while - hmm that reminds me, I have not seen an iron or ironing board here so guess we will take on the beach bum look for a while. Maybe a trip to the local Lavanderia is in order which means that we drop it off, pay a hundred pesos and then pick it up later in the day when it has all been washed, dried and folded for us ;)<br />
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Our car is really looking a mess right now, covered in sandy dirt from the dirt roads here and it also has a lot of salt on it from visits to the beach, I think that the best thing will be to take her to one of the local 'a man and his bucket' car washes on the way out of town on our way to wherever our next stop will be. We need to get the sand and salt off so that she doesn't start rusting one day - it is the beginning of the rainy season right now (May through October) but that doesn't mean that we will get any measurable rainfall, even if rain is predicted every day for a week there may only be a couple of sprinkles on any given day but we haven't seen any yet.<br />
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The little town of Tulum and the beach area are very eclectic and make me think of a cheaper version of Estes Park by the beach. Along the main road through town (which is the main highway between Cancun and Belize) there are little shops selling hats, leather goods, hammocks and all things tourist, The shops are interspersed with restaurants (from the local Mexican family restaurants to the more upscale tourist restaurants) and bars, lots of bar/restaurant combinations. Head down to the beachfront and the vibe becomes even more bohemian with a plethora of yoga, wellness and eco type vacation resorts in little cabanas and big fancy resort areas. The access to the beach becomes limited as you travel along the narrow little road crowded with the tiny boutique style shops and restaurants - you can get to the beach in a couple of spots (if you can find somewhere to park your car). Most of the tourists around here rent bicycles and cycle through town and out to the beach. Iff you walk through hotel properties you can get to the beach - yet again, if you buy a drink and/or a meal at one of the restaurants (including hotels) you can even get to sit on their beach loungers or chairs. Most of the hotels, restaurants and shops are built with palm frond roofs and an open air design.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can actually see mats of floating seaweed </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhB9vHq15WHzV-lY7FkxUSQYNsjuAAH5Oc-6Ow7pUyLkJJ-DpIsGNhA2pDHuB9yLR_Ym-IWWQuo9tMy-LVK2YWJiQI1TZDctHVjeBjlOfwY4fL4HOUSr3FvAjjkQ_vkhWB6pzx8Qderuth/s320/IMG_20170513_115658.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The blue Caribbean waters are sometimes clear of seaweed.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgorvh4vi1I8VbP8AZ3v0yIAY710V1Feyo41xmqKCdmJygVFI62NaImab8KLnE2IWsHcAZiDDJWp7oD1tQCIo3ToPG-1J9yfIb1Vyi-Z1AnAr6fHwi2tVV-3a-odlDDSl3Ply7IiY-5R0yQ/s1600/IMG_20170513_114946.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgorvh4vi1I8VbP8AZ3v0yIAY710V1Feyo41xmqKCdmJygVFI62NaImab8KLnE2IWsHcAZiDDJWp7oD1tQCIo3ToPG-1J9yfIb1Vyi-Z1AnAr6fHwi2tVV-3a-odlDDSl3Ply7IiY-5R0yQ/s320/IMG_20170513_114946.jpg" width="320" /></a>The warm Caribbean waters and sparkling white sand is beautiful but since 2014 Tulum (along with most of the beaches along the Gulf of Mexico) has been plagued with tons of seaweed. The seaweed is raked up daily by the big expensive resorts, many of whom dig big pits and bury it when they can.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pile of seaweed raked up by one of the beach front businesses</td></tr>
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However a lot of the beach is affected by the seaweed both in the water and on the sand - when the seaweed hits the beach and starts piling up, water trapped behind it starts rotting the seaweed and the smell is overpowering - the seas themselves, filled with weed, are no good for swimming. This place, once touted to have one of the world's best beaches is suffering along the water front but business is still thriving and people are still flocking here filling the restaurants, bars, shops and eco-tourism hotels and hostels.<br />
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We took a walk around town one evening after having a great supper at Los Aguachiles - the pita stuffed with grilled shrimp, gouda, sprouted sunflower seeds and some other yummy items, was out of this world. While walking around, we came across a cultural festival going on (go figure we decided to walk town in the evening that this was going on) and we also saw a couple of fruterias and their produce was definitely better than what we had seen at the grocery store. We picked up a lovely pineapple for only 30 pesos (just over $1.50). Next time we need fruit and veggies we know where we are headed!<br />
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Later that evening we experienced our first storm here in Mexico - stepping outside onto the covered patio to enjoy the cool down while it was raining, we found out that it doesn't actually cool down. All that happened was that the humidity climbed even higher and it was a sauna out there - honestly we could have sat outside and thought that we were in a sauna at a spa or something. The shock of the heat and humidity took our breath away and we decide to escape back into the air-conditioning because we had just showered after our walk around town.<br />
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Still to explore are the Mayan ruins (here thee is a site on a 40 foot cliff overlooking the beach), some of the many cenotes, the monkey sanctuary and maybe Aktun Chen Natural Park and/or a Turtle sanctuary at Akumal.Rosalind Pattynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739012796826238271noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204585206513366816.post-45474648197380763502017-05-08T17:09:00.003-07:002017-05-08T17:09:26.520-07:00Campeche to Playa del CarminRiviera Maya<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3500 miles (5600 km) thru Mexico in 35 days</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Campeche to Playa del Carmen in 1 day</td></tr>
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The roads from Campeche to Merida, to Playa del Carmin were very nice. Divided most of the way and in very good shape. The toll road started about 50 km east of Merida and ended just outside Playa del Carmin. After the narrow, winding roads and high traffic from Puerto Vallarta down the Pacific coast it was a huge relief to drive on roads where there were no bottom scrapping topes (speed bumps) and you could actually drive faster than the speed limit of 110 kph (68 mph). Remember this is Mexico where speed limits and laws of the road are merely a suggestion. But we have noticed that road traffic on the Yucatan peninsula actually yields to pedestrians in a cross walk. Also many crosswalks are on on top of flat top topes (we call them flat tops since the speed bump can be 8 to 12 inches high, that ramps up in about 2 to 3 feet, has a flat top that is just the length of the Prius' wheelbase before it ramps down again to the level of the road.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A flat top tope, these are the nice ones! You can see it coming, has a nice ramp up and down and is only 8 to 10 inches high.</td></tr>
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I (Gerald) have to be careful driving now, since I've gotten out of the habit of stopping for pedestrians (don't want to get rear ended!). There are lots of road signs on the Yucatan that say "el peaton es primero" which literally translates to "the pedestrian is first" or as we would say in the USA, "yield to pedestrians".<br />
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The last leg was Mex 305D that drops down to Playa del Carmen. There must have at least a dozen Monkey bridges across it. Its all jungle and is a monkey habitat preserve, but the highway is a barrier for the monkeys. So they string 2 steel cables on top of telephone poles across the road and attach a rope ladder (looks like like a ladder laying horizontal with rope rungs stretching between the two ropes attached to the steel cables). Each pole at the end has 3 or 4 large ropes tied to trees in the jungle canopy that the monkeys use to get to the rope ladder. The ropes appear to be 3 or 4 inches in diameter. This allows the monkeys to scurry over the highway without having to drop down to ground level. We drove through this area in the hot early afternoon so it was not surprising that we didn't see any monkeys.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the beach at Playa del Carmen</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying molcajete, a local Yucatan dish cooked in a stone bowl in a restaurant on 5th avenue, Playa del Carmen.</td></tr>
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<br />We have seen a few places offer mondongo, but its not the mondongo I so loved at Efrains restaurant in Lafayette Colorado. Efrains used beef stew pieces simmered in a red sauce. From what I have been seeing, the (Yucatan, Panama, Costa Rico, etc) recipes all use beef or pork tripe. So cochinita pibil (a close second) and molcajete will have to do for us as we are note tripe fans!<br />
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Our room at the Grand Mayan faces the jungle so we get to hear and see some of the local wildlife. The Chachalaca birds (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chachalaca">Chachalaca</a>) and pink flamingos (show birds for the resort as an ecological project, not wild) usually wake us up in the mornings. If you think peacocks can make a lot of noise, you have never heard a Chachalaca - its not a large bird (skinny pigeon sized) with an amazing noise! Several nights it has been cool enough to sleep with the patio doors open (on the second floor so we don't have to worry about critters coming in). One of which is the coati:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coati or Mexican Tejon,or Mexican Raccoon....</td></tr>
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Now this poor Mexican Raccoon (what the staff here at Vidanta call it), has a name problem. From wikipeida: The coati, also known as the Coati-Mundi or coatimundi, hog-nosed coon, Mexican tejón, cholugo, or moncún, Guatemalan and Costa Rican pizote, Colombian cusumbo, and <b>other names</b>, is a member of the raccoon family.<br />
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The jungle is really amazing to us since we haven't had a lot of exposure to jungle life. When were were coming back from the Cirque du Soleil show, it was dark (about 10:30 pm) and we were on an elevated wood walk way with side railings. We noticed some leaf bits moving down the top rail. Looked closer and it was leaf cutter ants. About every foot or two was an ant (about 1/4 inch in size) carrying a bit of leaf about 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch and empty ants going the other way. We followed them for over 60 yards from where they came off a tree limb touching the rail to where they went down the 10 foot post to ground level. We looked for them the next morning and there was no sign of them. Since it can be rather hot during the day time, we suspect they forage only at night.<br />
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Some of the street art in Playa del Carmen.<br />
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<br />Rosalind Pattynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739012796826238271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204585206513366816.post-48659171228540739892017-05-04T19:20:00.000-07:002017-05-04T19:26:05.439-07:00Edzna Archaeological SiteNow that we are in the area of Mayan culture, we took the opportunity to get out to one of the many archaeological sites. Probably not the best place to be in 100 degree weather but we have to get used to it and it is going to get hotter, not cooler - if we want to do anything fun then we need to adapt to the heat ;)<br />
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This is mostly a pictorial blog today because the pictures tell the story (besides, I deserve some time off don't I?) - except to say that I have now fulfilled another bucket list dream.<br />
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Leaving town to head out to Edzna was an adventure in itself - these are two way traffic roads, not one way streets, but somehow we all get where we need to go.<br />
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You never know when you are going to find another church not what it is going to be like.<br />
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Enjoy the Mayan Archaeological site with us: Actually since you won't have the mosquitoes, the heat and the humidity (sweat was pouring off us all the time we were there), I hope that you really enjoy this ;)<br />
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There were iguanas everywhere, it was like a little Jurassic park with all these tiny dinosaurs running all over the place - Iguanas are common all over Mexico but we have been more used to the bright green iguanas that mostly live in trees however these little gray and brown fellows dig tunnels in the ground<br />
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Notice how the rooms were built with smooth stone blocks on the inside and then covered on the outside with stones which often formed domes over those rooms.<br />
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I even found a snake - Ian, what is this?<br />
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But I digress ..<br />
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The 15 rooms on top of the North Palace seen above (looking like a set of bleachers) are believed to have housed administrative offices etc.<br />
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The city covered 25 square kilometers and once housed about 25,000 people.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRfAjaboh2Qfus5epoSyN3W3DB8v2gD2n-9GhCst9g7p4ZW4BBwr2OkIvs0Xj-lpC4kuO5yWDfktNc2cqY7xdLE_eG9nbJRT91CoDSZb76rF_IwKCW9xM3kSnmk5Z5gejEC-51aywHNka/s1600/Dome+Roof.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRRfAjaboh2Qfus5epoSyN3W3DB8v2gD2n-9GhCst9g7p4ZW4BBwr2OkIvs0Xj-lpC4kuO5yWDfktNc2cqY7xdLE_eG9nbJRT91CoDSZb76rF_IwKCW9xM3kSnmk5Z5gejEC-51aywHNka/s320/Dome+Roof.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Domed roof</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rooms in the Gran Acropolis</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gran Acropolis or Sun Point, a pyramid on top of a much larger pyramid substructure. </td></tr>
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Close up of the amazing bricks and one of the arches built into the Gran Acropolis.<br />
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The Temple of the Masks was uncovered in 1988 and has two small masks that have somehow stood the test of time. Since they are made of stucco, not plaster, their preservation is quite miraculous because stucco is a very delicate and fragile material. One mask represents and honors the Sunrise God and the other the Sunset God. <br />
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Need a hand up the steps?</div>
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While driving back to town, we thought about how we need to continue to look after the Prius - it has faithfully carried us so far already and we don't want the poor old lady to end up becoming a Mexican car, she deserves so much more.<br />
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<br />Rosalind Pattynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739012796826238271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204585206513366816.post-498431209122200812017-05-04T11:37:00.003-07:002017-05-04T11:37:29.106-07:00Coatzacoalcos to Campeche<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Journey from Coatzacoalcos to Campeche</td></tr>
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At breakfast, Jesus packed up some pastries and fruit for the road for us and gave us a map and directions as well as reminding us that he would be available for work for us. Wow, what service, we have never received attention like that before and we have made a friend already after only 1 month in Mexico. We can only keep getting better from here.<br />
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A new autolavado (car wash) opened next to the hotel. It was actually a basic automated car wash with hand finishing - this is the first ever automated car was that we have seen since arriving in Mexico and by the length of the queue on it's first day, I suspect that it is the first time than anyone else has seen anything like this here. All other car washes are a couple of people under a makeshift awning hand washing cars using a bucket of water. 21st century has arrived in Coatzacoalcos.<br />
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Leaving Coatzacoalcos (Coatza) shortly after 8 am, it was so misty that we could barely see - we passed by massive refineries and there were lots of trucks on the road - there is a railway line right next to the edge of the road as we passed over a lift bridge. <br />
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It is a very bad road in spite of the 11 peso toll which we think must have been for the bridge. The road stopped suddenly in a couple of places with no warning and we had to had to change to the other side of the road.<br />
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Point of interest: a lot of taxis and most trucks here have brake lights that flash blue and red - very noticeable and we often though that there was a police vehicle ahead or behind us. Our security detail always seems to be nearby though.<br />
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The heavy mist was with us all the way the Villahermosa but the land was very lush with thick green grass and wild bananas (or were they plantains?) all the way. When we got on the toll road about 50 km after Agua Dulce, the road surface changed to concrete and it was much better.<br />
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Approaching Villahermosa there were clean-up crews alongside the road filling black bags - we had not seen that before.<br />
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As we were travelling this long road today, we started reflecting about the people of Mexico and what we have learned/experienced so far. We have already come to love Mexico and it's people and culture. Sure there are good and bad points about the country as in all countries but the people here are so genuine and mostly very friendly. There does not seem to be any pretense, no materialism and no begging for handouts - there is always something offered in return for cash whether it is just a windshield wash or filling in potholes with sand. Life is lived and celebrated. In spite of the fact that the Mexican people have been stereotyped as loving sugar, we have found that everything here is much less sweet than back in USA - we really enjoy the non-sugary pastries. <br />
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Asta is a very pretty little town between the sea and a huge lake - lots of fishing by way of throw nets here and we saw fishermen fixing nets in their front yards.<br />
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At Ciudad del Carmen, the road goes right next to the sea, onto a point and on a long bridge across the bay, crossing occasional narrow little barrier islands. The airport was on one of those islands and we had to drive around the airport to pick up the road to carry on crossing the other islands and bridges. After we crossed the 2nd island, the coast turned in to blue waters and white beaches with a distinctly Caribbean look to it. There were were lots of lapas built on individual lots leading down to those beautiful white beaches and it looked like something out of a travel magazine.<br />
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Champoten is another very pretty little place with fishing appearing to be the main source of income.<br />
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Who would have thought that we would be seeing temperatures of 104 at the beginning of May - it is really hot and humid already, what on earth is summer going to be like?<br />
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All the many tolls that we kept paying for today actually only amounted to 293 pesos (about $15) which is really very reasonable considering how much all those bridges across the bay etc. must cost to maintain.<br />
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We arrived in Campeche around 5 in the evening and was very pleasantly surprised when we booked into our hotel (another low cost special from one of our plans). The Castelmar hotel is in the historical center of town and is an old colonial building. Our room is on the ground floor next to the pool - it has huge old wood doors, very thick old walls with arches around the doors, a very pleasant bathroom and it also has air-conditioning (oh the relief from the oppressive heat and humidity that we have been trying to adjust to) and it has wi-fi (so yes, I have to work on the blog again) but a very solid (read hard) bed.<br />
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After settling in, we went out to explore this beautiful historic town and to find some supper. After wandering along some of the lanes, we settled on a little hole in the wall salad place. One of the troubles with travelling for any length of time without a kitchen, is my serious craving for salads and vegetables. We shared a big bowl of a really nice green salad and a large green juice - the bill came in at 120 peso (about $6 US). Then we went off to explore some more lanes, the information center and the beach. <br />
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We went into the Cathedral off the main plaza and quietly sat listening to the service in process until we realized that we had inadvertently gate-crashed a funeral. The bringing in of the coffin and the procession including the priests was our first cue.<br />
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Walking along the Malecon we saw lots of people walking, cycling and running - there were exercise stations set up with work-out equipment and there was quite a big group having what appeared to be Zumba lessons but I could not stay and certainly could not work out because of the terrible stench from the beach - I think that it is rotting sea weed that had washed up on the rocks but whatever it was, it had a very high sulfur content and I had to control my gag reflex so we moved off to about a block away from the beach.<br />
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Our timing was right and we caught a water organ display in a little plaza, I was captivated by Fleur Elyse so we sat on a park bench and caught the rest of the display, about another 5 more pieces, then went back to the main Plaza.<br />
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While sitting in the plaza we were greeted by some people and it took a moment to realize that they were the expats from Russia (or that vicinity) that we had met in the hotel Salina Cruz 3 days ago. What were the chances that we would meet up again like this?<br />
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<br />Rosalind Pattynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739012796826238271noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204585206513366816.post-61232245079290064062017-05-02T19:59:00.000-07:002017-05-02T19:59:16.398-07:00Salina Cruz to CoatzacoalcosGlad to get out of Salina Cruz, we headed out discussing how there are just some places that are not good for us and Salina Cruz was one of them.<div>
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We headed up Mex 185 and stopped at a Pemex station in Juchiton (not that we needed gas as we are still getting an average of 50 mpg) for a bathroom break and this was the cleanest (and cheapest) restroom that we have come across. It cost only 3 pesos and you put the money in a machine which unlocks a turnstile - the toilets were incredibly clean and smelled nice and they even had a seat on the toilet. Outside was an armed guard and he had a shotgun which is also unusual because they usually have assault rifles.</div>
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Just outside of the town we saw a wind farm with over 1,000 wind turbines - this is the first time that we have seen a wind farm since arriving in Mexico - Some of the turbines were older models so there has been a lot of expansion on this wind farm. In town, the street lights on the main road were all solar powered.</div>
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As always, there are different forms of delivery vehicles, transportation and statues in every town that we pass through. Though swarms of taxis are the most prevalent form of transportation in all towns.</div>
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It is usually not worth the cost of owning a car when you can grab a taxi for a couple of dollars whenever you need - they are everywhere and waiting for to take you wherever you need to go.</div>
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After Juchinto, when we got onto Mex 185, it is a good, wide road climbing up into mountains. There was some rock quarries up at around 175 meters elevation. After about 10 miles, the road suddenly stops (no warning, again a good reason not to drive at night), takes a right turn, is very rough for a couple of hundred meters then becomes the good new road again for about 500 meters - there were a couple of other places like this but most of the way it was a good road. We topped out the climb around 220 meters.</div>
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This one is for Chelsea - how do you like this Veterinary clinic next to "Cheese and More" and the Veterinary Pharmacy?</div>
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Or do you prefer this Vet Stop with transportation out front?</div>
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You know that you are probably not on the best of roads when you are up in the hills at about 220 meters elevation and your GPS, for no apparent reason, suddenly tells you to "continue 29 km on trail" - as it turns out this is one of the good new sections of the road, I can only imagine what it was like before the modernization and am surprised that there are no tolls. In fact, we have not paid any tolls since Puerto Vallarta.</div>
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In Donaji we saw roadside stalls for haircuts (25 pesos) and also saw a bicycle repair stall.</div>
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When you are selling or moving a truckload of mangos in the back of an open door truck, how do you stop them all rolling out? Necessity is the mother of invention and we are always seeing 'clever' solutions, thinking outside of the box in this country. In this case, stack a couple of sacks of mangos in the doorway to stop the loose ones rolling out.</div>
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Another very clever idea - when you place fence posts, you don't want to keep replacing them when they rotted off right? So why not plant posts that are branches from good trees. In this climate they grow and your fence posts will not only stay fresh and healthy but often produce a beautiful flower row of trees to border the property.</div>
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Becomes this:<br />
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Then you end up with this type of living row of fence posts. But you do have to prune your fence posts every few years!<br />
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I had to include this because it is the only 'harvester' that we have seen in all of our travels in Mexico - although it looks automated, there is actually a man running alongside the tractor manually feeding the silage chopper stalks of corn.</div>
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We are getting to some nicer looking towns now, though I am thinking maybe we could afford this place and do it up to be as nice as the others here?</div>
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In fact this town was improving itself so much that there were pretty new bus stops all along the road.</div>
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In places we saw double fences, one at the property edge and then another electric fence at the edge of the road so they could graze it. In other areas the road right of way was used for growing corn and bananas.</div>
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Since the USDA does not have it's hands in the mix here, we often see interesting delivery methods for food products - today we saw plastic barrels on the back of a pickup and this was milk delivery, customers would come up to the pickup with a container and the milk would be dispensed out of the barrels.</div>
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At Sayula de Aleman, the middle of the road is well used. There is everything from truck parking and repairs to pineapple sales or tire sales. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Truck Parking in center of road</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Truck Repairs in center of road</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tire Sales in center of road.</td></tr>
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From here on, the landscape became more lush and there were no longer coconuts and papayas but pineapples and dairy farms instead. The roads here are very bad with many huge potholes and unmarked lane changes for about 4 kilometers after the town. Once again we experienced roads that alternate between sections of terrible road and sections of good road Some people suddenly change lanes and start to drive on the new section alongside the old section, while some stay on the old road - eventually the 2 combine again but all the way through this area is bad (even the new road) and very confusing.</div>
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The traditional hammocks that we used to see people hanging out in, have now been replaced by openwork rocking chairs made out of a type of plastic cord strung on metal frames.</div>
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We kept looking for somewhere reasonable to have lunch but ended up in Coatzacoalcos before we found anything so we headed off to our hotel (Fairfield Inn paid for with accumulated points and includes breakfast) and they happily let us check in early. This is a very nice hotel in the middle of the Malecon where we see some really shabby buildings interspersed with a couple of good hotels. </div>
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It looks as though the place has really gone out of fashion and has become unpopular and neglected but there are some small signs of recovery with a few new hotels being built - there is nothing going on on the Malecon, not even any vendors so tourism must be almost non-existent here right now. There is so much sand blowing across the Malecon that we saw workers shoveling sand from behind the sea wall and either throwing back across the wall or piling it up for a front end loader to come along and load it into a truck. We also saw a tractor raking the beach, cleaning up garbage and smoothing out the sand.</div>
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We went to a place called Mr. Pampas for supper - it is slightly upscale place that has a huge salad buffet and they come to the table with cuts of meat on skewers. They have 30 different cuts of meat, mostly beef and chicken but also octopus and shrimp, roasted garlic bread and grilled pineapple. No, we did not manage to try them all, nor did we manage to try everything in the salad buffet but we had a really nice meal and a fun time.</div>
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We have a nice room at the hotel, there are not many people here and the staff are incredibly friendly. After a morning walk along the Malecon, we had an interesting local style breakfast in the hotel and great conversation with Jesus, an incredible server who brought us coffee and toast and whatever we wanted even though this is a self-service buffet type breakfast. Nothing was too much for him and he chatted (all in Spanish) about his home in Oaxaca (which is our favorite state so far), even asking us to call him and give him work if we settle in that area and need to employ someone. When I asked about the brand of coffee that was used in the hotel (it was really good and was even better without milk than with) he rushed off and got the pack to show us the name, then filled a cup of ground beans for us to take with us to use in our room or wherever.</div>
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After breakfast we headed out to explore and didn't find much in the vicinity except for the Pyramid Museum (10 pesos per person, US$0.50 admission) at the end of the Malecon - this is a very interesting little museum inside a pyramid style building. The reviews are not at all good because it has fallen into a state of disrepair caused by the effects of the salt, sand and wind. However when we got there we saw a little army of workers making repairs and were impressed with the detail given to their workmanship. Admittedly, inside the museum there is not a lot of exhibits/artifacts but we were fascinated by the little statues of people and how strong the Asian influence was and how the style changed over the years to include turbans and looked to be more Tibetan or Mongol. Some of the artifacts were dated between 1945 and 2050 yrs old and its amazing to see Asian influence on Mayan/Incans during the time of Christ. How did they cross the pacific ocean? </div>
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The museum has a double headed serpent on it's top and the serpent theme is strong throughout the town. According to legend, the Olmec god Quetzalcoatl was aboard a raft made of a serpent skin and navigated until getting lost into the horizon. Ever since, the river that the town sits on (and the town of the same name) has been known as Coatzacoalcos, which means “the place where the serpent hides”. And if you are wondering how to pronounce that, its Co-atza-cwal-cos! At first we were getting cramps in our tongues, but after some lessons from Jesus (the waiter) we can actually say it now. The locals sometimes abbreviate it to Coatza.</div>
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We took a drive around town and took a detour through a very colorful little fraccionario (think suburb) which is mostly in much better condition that the places along the Malecon. As everywhere else in Mexico, entrepreneurship is very apparent - from the furniture made in the fraccionario and being pulled into town on a cart by foot to sell, to the fresh produce stalls on street corners.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New houses being built</td></tr>
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Somehow we ended up at a mall while looking for a Farmacia to see if we could get some cough drops (very difficult to find here). While walking around, we passed a beauty college that used one of the shops for haircuts - I took them up on their offer of a free haircut since my hair was way overdue for a cut and I figured that it wouldn't hurt to let one of the students use me to practice and learn, after all it is not as if I need to look good to go to work or be seen by anyone that I know ;) The haircut took a very long time and a lot of training took place but the end result was not as bad as I had feared - judge for yourself.</div>
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After that we hit the beach. It is not a very beautiful beach at all, kind of dirty and there are some very questionable areas that make us wonder if there is a bit of a sewage leak or if it is garbage rotting - but we took the plunge because the sea looked clean enough, in fact it was really clear and we could see our feet clearly through chest deep water. Some playing in the waves finished a fun day and we got back to the hotel with lots of sand on our feet and shoes - now how do we get to our room without making a mess, leaving sand on the floors and keeping the sand out of our room too? No problem, Gerald asked someone in the hotel to bring us some water to wash off the sand in the parking lot and they quickly brought a little container of water for us and then another one. Not only did they happily bring us what we needed but then they brought us towels as well because (as they explained), it is colder in the hotel and we will be more comfortable with towels. Amazing friendly, helpful people here!</div>
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After some wonderful Mexican burgers and beers at the so called "Irish" pub across the street from the hotel, we are ready to call it a night and are looking forward to more adventures tomorrow on the 588 km (7.5 to 9 hour) trip from Coatzacoalcos to Campeche. More adventures and more topes (speed bumps) to drag the poor Prius over!</div>
Rosalind Pattynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739012796826238271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204585206513366816.post-9413043006796123232017-04-30T16:44:00.000-07:002017-04-30T16:44:28.304-07:00Acapulco to Salinas CruzOur initial stage adventure, with it's vacation stops, is coming closer to an end. After Cancun, it is all free form and we will start looking for a place to hang out for a bit longer than a week or two. So far, we have travelled about 2,500 miles - passed over many topes (and hit hard on more than we wanted to), paid about as much in toll fees as we have in gas but have driven a surprising distance on less gas that we had expected. Our fuel consumption from Acapulco to Salinas has averaged a little over 50 mpg and we have not filled up since about 20 km outside of Acapulco.<br />
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Just outside of Acapulco, we stopped in San Marcos for gas - the car is filthy now after over 2,000 miles of driving in very dusty conditions and we could barely see out of the side windows anymore. Gerald started cleaning the side windows and the attendant began cleaning all of the windows off with a small jet of water - we almost had a car wash while filling up. The windows all had a good cleaning and we could see much better for many miles after that.<br />
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It is amazing how everything changes within a few miles from one place to another. The stalls that we passed at the side of the road suddenly became filled with beautiful baskets, clay pots and brooms. A few miles later we were back to the common coconut stalls but we started seeing plantains being sold as well.<br />
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In Islaltepec, clothing and salt were the main item being sold, the most beautifuly embroidered dresses and huge sacks of salt.<br />
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Can you imagine buying salt in huge sacks like this? It is pure sea salt and very cheap - I guess the amount of salt you use depends on how many margaritas you drink? To be fair it is very coarse salt and is used a lot in cooking. When the weather is this humid (Think Houston or Durban) you need salt to replace what has been sweated out.<br />
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The drive to Salina Cruz is all along MEX 200, very straightforward and without all those toll roads. This means that we are following the coast all the way but a lot of time is spent up in the mountains on narrow winding roads. We alternate between good roads and some non-existant roads (rocky dirt stretches) where the road is being rebuilt. The 'Movar Mexico' project is in full swing and the roads are either very good or in the process of being rebuilt. There was one pueblo (north of Pinotepa) though that had huge potholes everywhere all the way through and this leads us to believe that road maintenance is the responsibility of the pueblo within it's boundaries and the national rebuilding project covers between the pueblos. Just outside of the pueblo, there were beggars at some of the potholes standing with a shovel in one hand and the other hand stretched out for 'donations'. There were no topes in this town but they didn't need to spend money building them because even the local taxis were almost at standstill speed trying to avoid the potholes.<br />
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Each area naturally has it's own economic generator such as ranching, banana, papaya, mango or corn farming. All labor is manual, there are no harvesters, no big tractors and we have only seen one or two small tractors in the couple of thousand miles that we have travelled so far. We have even seen mounds of corn husks in the middle of fields where a group of farm workers have been sitting husking corn right there in the field.<br />
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We noticed a few sawmills along the road with redwood colored sawed timbers for sale. There weren't any large trees in the general area but lots of palm trees and then we noticed palm slabs (still had the bark). They were palm wood! What a beautiful looking wood.<br />
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At one point we saw that there is a coffin manufacturer in the region because we saw a couple of loads of coffins being transported. They were magnificent looking coffins and again highlighted the fact that the departed are well respected in Mexican culture - I don't think that we routinely buy such beautiful coffins in the USA unless we fall prey to salesman at the funeral home or are part of a very wealthy family.<br />
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Some of those topes are so bad that even when we come to a complete stop and crawl over, the tope hits with a solid thump. Mexicans are great entrepeneurs and there are always hands out (for donations), vendors of anything from Coco Frio to anything saleable right at the topes but we are now noticing muffler shops have also popped up next to a lot of the topes.<br />
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Everywhere, even in the poorest little pueblo, the flowering plants and trees are magnificent with vibrant colors popping up in the most unexpected places. Verandas/balconies, at the side of the street, in the middle of a field, everywhere has so much beauty no matter if it is an arid area or the lush sub-tropical areas that we have passed through.<br />
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Stopping at a pueblo (Cuajinicuilata) along the way for lunch we drove along the main road looking for a clean place with people eating there (we never stop at the first likely looking place but rather go further up the street and then come back to what we think is the best place for us), we drove around the block and came across another example of Mexico manually at work. Can you imagine any town (even Hardin) manually digging a trench for sewers?<br />
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Amazing tortillas with that magic mix of corn and flour, handmade and cooked on a wood-fired stove moments before you eat them, they were so hot we could hardly handle them. A smile and a compliment (in Spanish) to the tortilla cook, produced a couple of extra tortillas for us.<br />
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As we pass through Cuajinicuilata bear in mind that we are still on MEX 200, the main highway along the coast. Notice how narrow and crowded the road is!<br />
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Of course every town has it's major churches and cathedrals, this one looks very much like the one that we drove up to just after we left Zihuatanijo.<br />
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In San Jose del Progresso we saw yet another type of taxi - suddenly the taxis changed from tarp covered pickups to Tuc Tucs.<br />
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The roadside stalls changed again as we got closer to Puerto Escondido and we see a signs of a little more 'wealth' in the state of Oaxaca. It is much cleaner and prettier, there are lots of signs alongside the road about not throwing out trash and keeping the roads clean - an attempt at education about a clean environment being a healthy environment is taking place.<br />
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The little house in Puerto Escondido is so well built and so beautiful - I did not expect anything this nice for the $38 (US) that we paid per night through Airbnb. There are some bargains to be had if you read the reviews well. The house is very easy to get to because it is right off MEX 200, no driving through other streets to get there but you do have to know where it is. A quick phone call to Ana and there she was, waiting at the side of MEX 200 to show us where to turn in (no addressing standards here!). Lovely big rooms, immaculately clean and very tastefully decorated - everything that we need for a comfortable stay including purified water, new appliances, a very comfortable bed and even a few cold drinks in the fridge. Ana even drew two maps for us to show us how to get to the beach and where everything is around here. There is a little portable swamp cooler in the bedroom and amazingly it actually works well because the humidity is not high at night here at the house even though we are only about 1 km from the beach. If we could find a place like this for a longer term rental in somewhere like Guanajuato or Lake Chapala, I could definitely see us living in it for a few months or so.<br />
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After settling in at the little house, we took a drive down to the beach. First we went to look at the area around the Zicatela Point, this is a 'do not swim' beach because it is a crocodile haven but there is a very local little town here and big swamps with a lot of bird life. We drove on towards the main beach (Playa Zicatela) which is a surfing paradise and has a lot of shops, restaurants and hotels - everywhere is clean and well maintained and Ana promised us that all the restaurants are good. After walking a little and checking out a couple of the restaurants we stopped at one little open air restaurant for supper (El Cafecito Zicatela) - chicken cooked in a yellow mole for Gerald and chicken tacos for Rosalind. We washed this down with Orange and Papaya juice for Gerald and Rosalind's new drink of choice 'green juice', this particular one was parsley, celery, cucumber, pineapple and orange but most have also had spinach as well. This delicous meal came with some bread rolls and each plate also had rice and some lettuce one one and steamed green beans on the other and came to 245 pesos, including tip (about $13.60 for both of us).<br />
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The night stayed hot but the humidity dropped and we managed to get a reasonably good night's sleep - much better than we had expected to get without any air conditioning. Even the roosters didn't wake me too early, mostly because their crowing only sounded like heavy breathing because it was muffled by the white noise of the portable swamp cooler and the ceiling fan.<br />
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We found the most amazing beach, Playa Carizalillo, where the surf is good, the sand is white and the water is cool and great for playing in the waves. It is a small beach with lots of chairs and sun shades which seemed to be for the bars and restaurants that have sprouted up under that roofs the entire length of the beach. To get to this beach you need to go down a lot of steep steps (yes, that means that you have to climb up them again after a day playing in the sun and water). Even though there were a lot of people there, it wasn't really crowded - Gerald found himself a good spot in the shade of a tree part way up another set of steps that led to a hotel.<br />
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Gerald gave the car a wash just before we left the beautiful little casita in Puerto Escondido - after about 2,300 miles driving through all sorts of terrain, she really needed it and is looking respectable again now for another couple of thousand miles. <br />
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The road from Puerto Escondido to Salina Cruz was more of the same that we had experienced on the way into Salina Cruz. It follows the coast in varying degress from scenic views of the ocean to mountainous winding roads a few kilometers from the coast. We passed through some lush areas where the trees were flowing in vivid colors. I recognized the Coral Tree (Lucky Bean Tree) but I have never seen a tree with vivid blue flowers like this - from a distance I thought they were Jacaranda but these are blue, an incredible vivid blue.<br />
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As usual, there were several local transportation choices.<br />
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As we got closer to Salina Cruz, the terrain became more desert like and there were a lot of Pipe Organ Cactus - they were in flower, beautiful yellow flowers sprouting out from the top of each pipe.<br />
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One more beautiful hill, a tunnel and we had arrived in Salina Cruz.<br />
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Since we have had some decent meals at beach front restaurants, we tried heading for the beach in order to get some lunch. Unfortunately this is as close as we got to the beach, this is definitely not like Puerto Escondido and is more of a naval base than a beach town.<br />
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Salina Cruz however is not impressive, we have not found much to like about it, it is a busy little town of a lower caliber than Puerto Escondido - that place has spoiled us both with the beauty of the place and with the nice accommodations that we had via AirBnB.<br />
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Rosalind Pattynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739012796826238271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204585206513366816.post-60779388702516087882017-04-26T20:23:00.004-07:002017-04-26T20:23:55.017-07:00AcapulcoArrival in Acapulco was simple - we did not have any issues on the road nor in finding the resort. In fact we arrived at the resort without realizing it and found out when we asked the security guard at the gate 'Donde esta Grand Mayan?' and he told us that we had arrived.<br />
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The resort has a great atmosphere, very pleasant respectful staff and we are greeted warmly wherever we go. We did not have to attend the sales presentation because we had already been through that in Puerto Vallarta - of course that means that we don't get our valet parking refunded (then again what is 380 pesos worth anyhow, about $22 for the week). Our suite is awesome and the first night we unloaded our bags and headed for a restaurant on site for a celebratory (Rosalind's birthday) buffet supper. We were the only guests there for most of the time and were serenaded and presented with a birthday message on a plate - a very special evening all round. We rounded this off by soaking in the pool on our balcony so that we were nice and cool and relaxed before bed.<br />
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The next morning we took a short ride to the Mega grocery store (right next to Wal-Mart) a couple of blocks up the road. Mega is a really nice grocery store, much better quality than Wal-Mart and we had fun picking up a few supplies to see us through the week. We even stopped at the coffee bar in the middle of the store and enjoyed a nice cup of coffee (they give a couple of little pastries with the coffee) before continuing our grocery shopping.<br />
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After that it was time to explore the resort, catch up with some more green iguanas and chill out on the beautiful beach.<br />
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The beach here is so beautiful and easy to walk that one day we walked for a full hour before stopping to try a 'coco frio' (coconut with the top chopped off so that you can put a straw in to drink the coconut liquid). It was OK and was certainly welcome as we had not intended walking that far and were thirsty (needed to hydrate before heading back), but it is not the type of coconut that we are used to and did not have the coconut milk, more of a funny tasting cool water. There is none of the white meat that we usually associate with coconut flesh. Chalk up another one to experience, we have now tried it but won't bother again. That end of the beach with all its vendors and stalls was not too pleasant but it was certainly interesting seeing the locals, the many breastfeeding mothers and the squalid conditions in which they sold their wares.<br />
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One day we walked the 3 km to Mega to get some more milk and stopped for lunch at Al Sabor Del Chef which is a little cafe type eating place in the mall. After a discussion with someone eating (Gerald asked what he was eating because it looked so good and we could figure out most of what was on the menu), we order "costillas de puerco en chile morita" (Pork ribs in chile sauce) to split - it was what they called a comida correr and for the grand price of 60 Pesos, it came with water of the day (delicious papaya water), pollo caldone (chicken broth/soup), the main meal of pork ribs, beans, spaghetti and also came with postre (desert) which was a mango mousse - a delicious meal padded out with jugo verde (green juice - made from green vegetable juices and bananas, very good!) and we were well satisfied.<br />
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Another day we decided to drive into Acapulco and check out the divers, after all isn't that part of visiting Acapulco? Acapulco is huge and busy, full of the vast differences between the wealthy tourist and the struggling Mexican. It was an interesting drive and Gerald really has his Mexican driving skills well honed now but we are not city people and it is hard work getting into non-existent gaps in the flow of traffic and watching constantly in all directions. It is also no good just watching the traffic lights because they may be red and a traffic cop is waving you on or vice versa - just make sure to be super aware when you hear whistles blowing.<br />
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Once into Acapulco, before heading out to the diving site, we took a detour through some very narrow, winding, steep streets up to the San Diego Fort - well worth the detour. There is so much history laid out in the rooms of the pentagon shaped fort, everything is displayed beautifully. The place is impeccably clean, the views are absolutely amazing and the admittance fee is only 55 pesos each (around $5).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water cooled cellar off the main kitchen</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Within the inner walls of the pentagon shaped fort</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance has a drawbridge over the moat, thick wooden doors and a portcullis</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Royal Carriage</td></tr>
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Until visiting the fort of San Diego, I had never realized quite how powerful the Spanish were and how many lands they controlled, nor how much of an influence has been exerted by the Filipinos. There is a strong eastern influence especially with food and culture.<br />
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Looking out over Acapulco over the ramparts from the fort, we got a good idea of what a great vantage point this was and how the many cannons could easily take out ships in Acapulco bay. This is probably why the fort never fell to any pirates or buccaneers. We also saw several hundred cars lined up ready to be exported. <br />
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There are a lot of decaying buildings because of lower rate of tourism (cruise ships no longer pulling in to port here) caused by the drug related violence as well the the over abundance of vendors from the every growing number of shanty towns that cling to the hills. However, there seems to be action to encourage tourism back (the main source of income) with the strong police and security presence as we have been seeing on most of our travels.<br />
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There are lots of signs of people trying to beautify their surroundings and labor is nearly always manual - look at the mosaics being painstakingly applied to a wall of a music college in a narrow street across from the fort.<br />
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Unfortunately we missed the cliff divers because we got there after lunch and their next performance was only going to be at 7:30 in the evening, we had to pay 20 pesos to park the car before we found that out so went for a stroll around the area but there is nothing there except for some really questionable looking dirty food stalls and the usual mechanic shops etc. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Site of the cliff divers with viewing platform</td></tr>
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We got out of there quickly and headed down towards the beach area to look for somewhere to get something to eat. Once again it was a bit of a fight with the traffic and the very narrow streets - somehow it just works though. Look at the bus stops in the middle of the street, pretty clever really because there is a bus lane in the middle of each side of the road so you can get off the bus in the middle and get another bus going in the opposite direction without having to cross the street.<br />
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Enough already of this city, let's get out of town and head back to Playa Diamente to get a very late lunch. On the way back I saw the most beautiful bay with a Marina, surely with all those big boats out there, there must be somewhere where the more wealthy people don't mind eating?<br />
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Looks beautiful doesn't it? Well the up close and personal truth was not a beautiful site and there were many food vendors that I couldn't (wouldn't?) bring myself to get food from but we finally found one place that looked better than others so we decided to take a chance. The restaurant had a lovely view of the bay and even had it's own swimming pool - I can only imagine the fun that is had there late in the evening when tequila and swimming pool come together. It was actually a pretty nice place and we had 'dedos de pesco' (fingers of fish, nothing like fish fingers though) with rice, lettuce and tomato slices which we washed down with a corona and a coke - when we questioned the waiter about type of fish it was (it was a very firm nice flavored fish) we found out that we had been eating marlin.<br />
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One the way out we saw some more examples of the exciting wall art that is quite prevalent in Mexico - there is actually quite a following of Mexican graffiti and murals.<br />
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<br />Rosalind Pattynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739012796826238271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204585206513366816.post-64335286371709039222017-04-24T16:19:00.001-07:002017-04-24T16:19:15.158-07:00Puerto Vallarta to AcapulcoWe decided to leave Puerto early in the morning so that we would stand a good chance of getting to our overnight stop in Zihuatanijo before it got too dark - estimated drive was 740 km and a bit more than 11 hours. The morning was pleasantly cool and we managed to get on the road about 7:15 before the sun got up - we did not encounter any issues with the morning rush hour or anything much except one wrong turn which we soon managed to correct.<br />
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This leg of the journey takes us all along the coast and not on the toll roads - we thought that this would be much more fun than taking the longer and 'safer' toll road route up through the inland roads towards Mexico City especially since the coastal road was only about an hour longer per google maps. Maybe it was a lot shorter but that one hour turned out to be several hours but much more fun and much more beautiful.<br />
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The sun starting coming up shortly after we left the city behind us, we were smelling a lot of smoke and saw a layer of smoke spreading miles and miles through the valley as we started climbing into the mountains from Cabo Corrientes It seemed to follow us for more than an hour or so and we thought maybe crop fields were being burned off as we have so often seen, later you will find out (as we did) what was really going on in that area and pretty much everywhere that we traveled on this leg of our adventure.<br />
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Beautiful trees canopied the road and we drove with the windows open listening to the birds singing their morning chorus.<br />
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The coast road (MEX 200) was in a much better condition than we had anticipated and was very good until about 10 miles before Tomatlan where they are busy rebuilding the road and bridges completely. Anyone planning on taking this route in the near future should also be aware of the fact that there is major reconstruction going on around the Rio San Nicolas area and you will need to navigate dirt tracks winding around for quite a few miles - take care and be sure to travel slowly and in good weather and light conditions.<br />
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We are also still seeing the military presence frequently which is very comforting and shows that Mexico are really working to make the country a safer place for everyone - we have not had any problems at all on the roads and are very impressed so far.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical middle class town</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interesting dome house on the hill</td></tr>
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Just before La Cumbre we started seeing banana plantations, when I looked at the map (it was a great idea to bring an actual map with us to see the big picture of where we are instead of just the GPS device version), I found that the are is called Punte Chiquita - go figure!<br />
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Village life has it's own pace and it's own transportation style.<br />
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Rounding one bend in the mountains, we came across the most beautiful beach that we have seen so far - this one is near Santa Aloma and the beach has not really been discovered yet. There are lots of beaches like this, far off the usual tourist route, miles from any of the populated areas with their shopping centers and airports etc. It would take a couple of days for most people to get to these destinations but still they appear to be begging for development - then again, since we saw many spectacular sights like this one, maybe the current tourist destinations are handling the need?<br />
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Come along on a tour of some of the beaches and villages that we passed on our way between Santa Aloma and Manzanillo.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This marks the spot of a deadly accident the same as a simple white cross does on roads in USA</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1vlZOAWrjGTjIvOkk1DtGHTvcU3mF4nQndisJm7249T0-C1zJe0lDi6cmN9PasbPMgQUq_u-Gi8EC2uovYCLjEMl6uNrJ9Y4gpIh99sTC55QTqGbRs1fYwhK86XUS-L4J-YGLMrepyzFZ/s1600/Tour+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1vlZOAWrjGTjIvOkk1DtGHTvcU3mF4nQndisJm7249T0-C1zJe0lDi6cmN9PasbPMgQUq_u-Gi8EC2uovYCLjEMl6uNrJ9Y4gpIh99sTC55QTqGbRs1fYwhK86XUS-L4J-YGLMrepyzFZ/s320/Tour+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Took this as we crested the top of another tope</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Never was quite quick enough to the capture the picture of the miles and miles and banana plants.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mango trees are everywhere and we often saw many trucks loaded with crates of mangoes being offloaded to roadside vendors.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbPFRekOcAWPDHqLkrN4QjINqlAAHtZWlFxGmeXrLwki4yjcAQTFtwcKZ-1GmWWpzeXgv3eo2CNRJSlAERmMwVMOtF1CKvahywQmbwYJQPiTKmsT8DwGJjwwPMqalT64AxV0OsxELJ-Uay/s1600/Tour+9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbPFRekOcAWPDHqLkrN4QjINqlAAHtZWlFxGmeXrLwki4yjcAQTFtwcKZ-1GmWWpzeXgv3eo2CNRJSlAERmMwVMOtF1CKvahywQmbwYJQPiTKmsT8DwGJjwwPMqalT64AxV0OsxELJ-Uay/s320/Tour+9.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How can 1 tree growing by the edge of a dusty road in the middle of nowhere be so beautiful.</td></tr>
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We thought we were approaching a toll road until we realized that we were going through the middle of what appeared to be some sort of vehicle distribution point. We were used to a military presence at regular intervals along our route (inspection points thrown up much like those near the border or for drunk driving or boat inspections) but this was something quite new.<br />
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Then we passed salt pans at Las Salmas. So you can see, between all the farming, car manufacture/delivery and salt processing, this is a pretty busy country. Not only that, we are very impressed with the feeling of safety that the military presence and frequent showing of Municipal and federal police, as well as local security firms. We saw naval personnel being transported to base with an armed guard as well. The military and Federal Police are always armed with automatic rifles and escorted with a mounted machine gun (and gunner) with 4 armed guards on the back of a pickup. We are very leery of taking any pics since they are often masked..<br />
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Other methods of transportation depend on the area that people need to be moved around in.<br />
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Since the road took us right along the beach front in Manzanilla and it was lunch time, we decided to try a local beach restaurant for lunch. We knew that this is a strong tourist area because we could have chosen to eat at KFC, DQ, Carls Jnr or Burger King instead and we also saw that Home Depot, Sams and Walmart have stores here too. <br />
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We didn't come to Mexico to stay with the same old USA stores and the beach front restaurant was a little questionable so we asked a customer what he was eating and how was it. Turns out that the eggs are too oily but the steak is good so we shared a bifstek and papas lunch. Though it was nothing outstanding, the tortillas were the best that we have had since we have been here, they seemed to be that magical mix of flour and corn that makes them light but flavorful - much as we didn't intend to, we ate all of the tortillas, helped down with a Corona which we shared because of the driving.<br />
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It was a long and winding road after lunch. Once we left the town behind, we were up in the hills with lots of narrow roads, hairpin bends and drops. We were alternately driving towards or alongside the coast or into the trees and mountains, at varying heights. Fortunately we had very little traffic most of the way but the little villages and their different forms of transportation and differing heights (and obscurity) of topes were quite challenging at times. As the sun started going down, we knew that we had to make Zihuatanijo before dark. The dangers are from the road itself, not those on the road - everyone is very helpful using flashers to warn that they are stopping for topes but when there is no-one in front of you and the shadows are lengthening, it gets very difficult to see those unmarked topes. It is also difficult to see that sawn off branch that juts out into the road at the very height of your windscreen (and head).<br />
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We arrived safely just as the sky was beginning to really darken and we found our stopping point (Villas Mercedes) without too much difficulty - thank you Waze. I must admit though, as we were following the instructions on getting to this little local 'hotel', I was getting very nervous about what sort of shack I may have booked us into - this was not the best part of town. When we arrived, it was the easiest check-in that we have had, the place was clean even though more like a hostel than an hotel and we were even lucky enough to get one of the only 2 parking spots behind a locked gate in the courtyard. We had our own little room and a tiny little bathroom under the stairs - the ceiling fan would not work on anything but the highest speed setting and the air conditioner had much more noise than cooling efficiency but the bed was comfortable and we were safe and out of the night. We didn't venture far for supper because it was late - we had a burger and nibbled of pickled carrots, peppers and garlic but it was kind of concerning that we were the only patrons. <br />
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There were some very noisy places nearby but the loud music and crowded bar would necessarily have meant better food. After supper we took a walk along the beach front - it was magical, Lights from distance towns crawling up the hills were reflected in the water, the waves splashed in front of us and the few locals that had been finishing a meal on the beach headed home as the last business closed it's doors for the night, leaving us to soak it in all by ourselves.<br />
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Unfortunately we did not sleep too well that night because of the warm humid conditions and the inefficient/noisy air conditioner. Every time I turned during the night, I woke up because I had stuck to the sheets. It was good enough to give us the break that we needed from driving and we started the day well with a decent shower and a lovely breakfast on the sidewalk at a nearby restaurant. We had our choice of tables because we were the only people having breakfast in the area - we had huevos y jamon, including beans and queso fresa, washing it down with a delicious glass of green juice (agua verde) and a couple of cups of coffee. Now we were ready to start the next leg of this journey to Acapulco. On the way back to the hotel to check out, we saw a small group of expats out walking and they were picking up and getting rid of garbage from the streets as they went along - that made us think of ourselves.<br />
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Once we had checked out of the hotel which was as quick and easy as the check in, we headed out of town back to Mex 200. As usual, the roads were somewhat confusing and we noticed most people taking a short cut but we decided to play it safe and stick with the navigation instructions. We stopped at a PEMEX to fill up the car and got a bottle of water, Coke and coffee for the road - we learned yesterday to start out with those goodies because the days can be long and the available places for drinks etc. can be very few and far between. We were quite proud of ourselves when we understood the question "quieres una bolsa" (do you want a bag) and were able to answer all the questions about which machine we got the coffee from, what type of coffee was it and which flavor etc. Woohoo, we can do this and were even able to respond with "es complicado" (it's complicated) regarding the coffee selections at the cash register.<br />
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This part of the journey was uneventful and the roads were much like those that we had traveled through villages yesterday. Lots of fruit growing and selling, lots of curves and lots of topes but I still recommend driving the coast road between Puerto Vallarta and Acapulco. <br />
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We saw a lot of goats and then understood the roadside food stalls because we started noticing that the type of food had changed from mostly "pollo" to "barbacoa chivo" (barbequed goat). We have also noticed that the roadsides are generally clear of garbage except in certain areas where there are mounds of trash piled up. Apparently everyone knows where to dump their garbage and these piles are routinely burned off. This, along with the burning of coconut husks to fuel the brick kilns, now explain the clouds of smoke that we come across as we enter and leave different pueblos.<br />
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We had not been on the road for very long when we saw an interesting looking church up on a hillside in the town of Coyuca de Benitez - since we only had about 4 hours of travelling to do today, we thought that this would be a great place to explore along the way.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stairs to the balcony - no railings here!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking up to the Church entrance from town</td></tr>
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After we left the church and wound our way through the narrow streets, we encountered a lot of traffic on the road that we needed to get on to - in typical Mexican fashion, there appeared to be chaos and there were some traffic police waving traffic along for a few minutes but he never let us out and he just walk away, never to be seen again. A little bit of patience paid of as usual and once there was enough congestion to stop the traffic moving one way, the opposite direction stopped and allowed us on to the road. It seems impossible but somehow it just works, eventually.<br />
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We passed another cemetery in one of the pueblos and it was typical of all the wonderful cemeteries that we had been seeing along the way - there is a definite reverence of the dead here and it looks like a beautiful pueblo appears until you look more closely and the structures that are better looking than the inhabitants live in, are actually grottos for the departed.<br />
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A few more Caribbean looking beaches and we arrived in Acapulco.<br />
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Some of these amazing new roads are actually so new (MEX 85D) that they have not even started charging tolls yet. So we drop through a new toll booth that was not yet manned, meaning that our entire trip from Puerto Vallarta to Acapulco had only cost us about 110 pesos for the one toll that we had to pay. This was even more surprising because the roads were really in excellent condition most of the way.<br />
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Reasons to not travel on the roads in Mexico at night:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Topes (speed bumps) hard enough to spot during the day, impossible at night!</li>
<li>Tree branches sticking out into roads from the sides at windshield height. We saw some of these at the last minute and barely avoided them even in daylight. As trees fall, they cut them off when they fall over the road but often they are not cut back anywhere near far enough.</li>
<li>NOT bandidos or other bad guys :)</li>
</ul>
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Entering Acapulco was a much different picture from entering Puerto Vallarta, although there are more inhabitants (mostly tourists?) the skyline is different and the infrastructure appears to be much better.<br />
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The Taxis are quite different, they are sometimes pickups with covers on them, other times they are beetles or vans.<br />
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Getting your car washed here is a whole different story too - you need to look out for your local Auto Lavado, often next to where you get your car fixed by the local mecanico which may just be near the Mercado where you can buy all those lovely fresh fruits & veggies growing nearby in the fields. (easy to find near one of the town topes). Next door you may find the way to take a good rest - many people (especially in the humid beach areas) sleep in hammocks (or just hang out in them during the day if there is nothing else going on) as it allows the air to circulate around you. I have lost sleep several times because I stick to the sheets during the night, so a hammock really does make sense.<br />
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Wow, Grand Mayan (a step up from Mayan Palace on the hotel ratings) definitely makes up for our week at the Mayan Palace in Puerto Vallarta - we should have chosen to leave there a day early instead of arriving here a day late. The suite here is maybe even more fabulous than room that we had in Pueblo Bonita and so much better than the suite in Mayan Place last week. The kitchen has much more room and has a 4 burner cook-top instead of 2, a new fridge and ample cabinet/counter-top space as well as a breakfast bar. This is a suite and has a huge bedroom with couch, a comfortable chair, computer table and coffee table as well as a soaking tub. The bathroom has double vanity, glass door shower and a separate toilet. The living room is spacious with two couches, there is a full size dining table and exit to the balcony. There is also free (slow) internet for 2 devices (though we have gotten used to being without internet, this is going to help plan our trip & accommodations for the week drive up to Cancun). The coup de gras is the balcony because it is huge (double width in front of the living room) and spans both the living room and bedroom but wait .. there is a plunge pool on the balcony in front of the bedroom! We may not have an ocean view but the view out over this part of town, villas and a fairway, to the distant hills is every bit as beautiful and I can't wait to see the lights come on in town from a seat in the pool on the balcony.<br />
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<br />Rosalind Pattynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739012796826238271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204585206513366816.post-59607521369046428982017-04-24T16:02:00.000-07:002017-04-24T16:02:16.141-07:00Puerto Vallarta <div class="MsoNormal">
Our week in Puerto Vallarta was at the Mayan Palace. Not as nice as Pueblo Bonita in Mazatlan but it was still nice.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A tip for the maid netted two towel swans!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mayan Palace from the beach</td></tr>
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We came across the "new" timeshare racket here in
Mexico. Since timeshares have a bad
name, they are now called Vacation Resort Clubs now. You don't buy a week, you basically buy a
month and pay maintenance fees for the time you stay instead of a fixed yearly
maint fee. Typically they usually are
where you stay a week or two and they rent the remaining weeks out paying you
back. So one can have a one week stay
and up to US $6000 per year income for a modest investment of roughly US
$12,000 to $40,000. In some cases the
Mexican government is giving tax incentives to the developers. That is all straight forward and in some
cases the ownership trust (max 99 yrs) is set up and insured by a bank in
London. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The racket is getting potential customers in front of the real
estate companies to make the sales pitch to.
So they pay up to Mex $7,000 (pesos) for well qualified victims. These hawkers in turn will offer day
excursions, free breakfast and may pay up to Mex $5000 if you meet the
qualifications (2 credit cards each with at least $5,000 available credit, own a US time share etc.) and survive thru the
presentations. <o:p></o:p></div>
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At Pueblo Bonita, Emerald Bay, Mazatlán we attended a 3 hr
breakfast/presentation and got a nice breakfast, US $200 resort credits for the
week and free valet parking. At Mayan
Palace, Puerto Vallarta it ended up being about 6 hrs (just short of water
boarding!) and all we got was free valet parking (Mex $380) and a 10% discount
on meals which they said was valid for all 3 of the Mayan resorts we are
staying at (but that was a different story when we checked into Grand Mayan Acapulco
- we needed it in writing and on paper!).
The trick is, if you are promised anything; make sure you get it in
writing! This is Mexico! <o:p></o:p></div>
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All of the Mayan resorts (Grand, Palace, Luxe and the list
goes on...) are owned by Vidanta corp which is the largest corporation in
Mexico. They also own all the Oxxo convenience
stores in Mexico plus who knows what else.
In Vallarta Nuevo (north of Puerto Vallarta) they own many thousands of
acres including beach front and are building a huge resort that will make
Disney World Florida look small. There
is a small and hundreds of yrs old village in the middle of this that they are
slowly buying up and trying to force the people out. As the sales rep said "if they don't
sell now they will later when the noise from the theme park drives them
out". Nothing like the big
corporation stepping on the poor peasants squishing them like grapes. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Another thing we noticed is that there is a huge demand for
US time shares. They will pay you good
money for a US based time share which they resell to non US people. We asked why and the best explanation is they
are used to help non US residents get visas (and maybe green cards ???) - if
you own US property it makes it easier!<o:p></o:p></div>
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We were talking with one of the sales reps that is renting a
house in the above mentioned village. He
pays about Mex $100 every two months for electricity and has air
conditioning. But others a few blocks
away pay about 10 times that. The reason
is a grandfather clause for electric rates.
Older buildings and older villages may be at extremely reduced
rates. So before you rent, if you will
be paying electricity, ASK what the electricity costs! New construction will always be at the
current high rates.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Both of us ended up getting sick while in Puerto Vallarta,
Rosalind got the Mexican stomach bug (even the locals were getting it) and
Gerald started getting sinus congestion that has been hanging on for over a
week now. Everybody here says the best
way to get over a stomach bug is more tequila but that did not work this time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Our favorite place in PV was the Marina, it is a great place for a peaceful time, for a nice quiet breakfast, walking around or for supper or even just for getting the laundry done and buying 'non' prescription meds. We say super awesome boats and tiny boats, we saw lots of people, had some great meals, visited Starbucks for the occasional internet connection (buy a drink get a code) and enjoyed the Thursday flea market - in the evenings the place is hopping.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cruise ship docked near the marina entrance</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEvUUzB5atHMQSfT2qXf7odqgr9MnsrgROoCF4_tVtQg1OzmDsBScl9COt6XOfTAYpXMVDDlBIO2kmBhV9RveKPrQQdPW0DLjCkphb7rI7J01r2vEwUk4j4g4u6TVFJ9zRcm8mhQMFEPa/s1600/Marina+Breakfast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEvUUzB5atHMQSfT2qXf7odqgr9MnsrgROoCF4_tVtQg1OzmDsBScl9COt6XOfTAYpXMVDDlBIO2kmBhV9RveKPrQQdPW0DLjCkphb7rI7J01r2vEwUk4j4g4u6TVFJ9zRcm8mhQMFEPa/s400/Marina+Breakfast.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakfast at the marina</td></tr>
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<b>Nogalito Ecopark Zip Lining</b> </div>
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On our last full day in PV, we did a jungle canopy zip line tour out on
the south end of PV. They were a great
team and were very patient with Rosalind to help he overcome her fear of
heights. She was a trooper and did all
but 3 of the highest and longest zip lines.
If you are ever in the Puerto Vallarta area, there are lots of zip line
tours but we highly recommend these guys!
The picture is of us with Jimmy the great guide that helped Rosalind so
much!<o:p></o:p></div>
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In Puerto Vallarta the rainy season is from July to end of
October. Since its mid-April and in the
dry season, a lot of the trees are dormant without leaves. So in the zip line pic's you don't see many
leaves on the trees.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to start flying</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rosalind getting some help from Jimmy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJrSFyXhRwAtlAlqx4Yn1hCM4VQuk69_WGq__EzK9-efehMEpUH0fNXrvbRbYzxzu-gwOjajqipJXl9YWlwaDhs_iZdtFnGjQH77Jg0OVdM4q3NZFMRS895Mphnb60AsBFwKBUbwUWHhz/s1600/zipline_G_upsidedown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkJrSFyXhRwAtlAlqx4Yn1hCM4VQuk69_WGq__EzK9-efehMEpUH0fNXrvbRbYzxzu-gwOjajqipJXl9YWlwaDhs_iZdtFnGjQH77Jg0OVdM4q3NZFMRS895Mphnb60AsBFwKBUbwUWHhz/s400/zipline_G_upsidedown.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Upside down is FUN!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqCen-XvvFSUsr10pEdVQdRypr2f7wO8kPGGIY6h66bc4rDir8JYlSRT-au7TZ0yy7-QfSV1HAVWq568KwEtzTfuMJZnkB_jPeJI3Yhyphenhyphenqg8KaXOS4ZKgkxnLDZdFeAT34PpuduFfllCCLK/s1600/zipline+GnR+with+Jimmy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="351" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqCen-XvvFSUsr10pEdVQdRypr2f7wO8kPGGIY6h66bc4rDir8JYlSRT-au7TZ0yy7-QfSV1HAVWq568KwEtzTfuMJZnkB_jPeJI3Yhyphenhyphenqg8KaXOS4ZKgkxnLDZdFeAT34PpuduFfllCCLK/s400/zipline+GnR+with+Jimmy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks Jimmy for a great time and helping Rosalind!</td></tr>
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While on the zip line tour, they asked if we had ever seen a
termite nest, we were looking around on the ground and they pointed up into the
tree! The termites have tunnels running
up the tree to the nest. Parrots will
burrow into the termite nest and lay eggs.
The termites keep the nest at just the right temperature which incubates
the parrot eggs and when the young birds hatch, they have plenty of food -
termite eggs! Not only parrots eat the
termite eggs, the locals consider them a delicacy and nope, we haven't tried that
yet!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt5HERcDXFxBNyNTER8VBpy6i70wBf0vQJYDdRHmeJa0HLlkN59boaegXu5WARsGoxi5HkBk866v4VBVrfWUK6WVf72LfNl4UiaS59EWbAwkgb78Vw2SVR1mthmprrQ7pMnFAGUdZrD_JR/s1600/2017-04-20+Nogalito+Termite+nest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt5HERcDXFxBNyNTER8VBpy6i70wBf0vQJYDdRHmeJa0HLlkN59boaegXu5WARsGoxi5HkBk866v4VBVrfWUK6WVf72LfNl4UiaS59EWbAwkgb78Vw2SVR1mthmprrQ7pMnFAGUdZrD_JR/s400/2017-04-20+Nogalito+Termite+nest.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Termite nest about 4 feet tall and almost 2 feet in diameter up in the tree.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtH-UQCIB1Xtu0PggCJDdjJbSRDZWyUJwKeBjbqWnMFQaRGyFPA0atJg-V8hiV4MNBp3yQLnE54eZK6E2RcZi1yTyQPiwpk6WFe_ecORo9UTRudwjtpUvZ0Aer5TAT1vK0FGmnlzWfwZpz/s1600/2017-04-20+Nogalito+Termite+tunnel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtH-UQCIB1Xtu0PggCJDdjJbSRDZWyUJwKeBjbqWnMFQaRGyFPA0atJg-V8hiV4MNBp3yQLnE54eZK6E2RcZi1yTyQPiwpk6WFe_ecORo9UTRudwjtpUvZ0Aer5TAT1vK0FGmnlzWfwZpz/s400/2017-04-20+Nogalito+Termite+tunnel.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Termite tunnels from the ground up to the nest.</td></tr>
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Rosalind Pattynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739012796826238271noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204585206513366816.post-47497046502594230072017-04-22T08:07:00.000-07:002017-04-22T08:07:03.780-07:00Mazatlan to Puerto VallartaWe got up early on April 14th to check out and load everything into the car. Check out was quick but it took about 45 minutes to get the car from valet parking and a luggage cart up to the room. The valet parking attendant could not figure out how to turn off the hybrid car and had the seat belt clicked in underneath him but Rosalind finally managed to show him to put the Prius into park and we turned it off so that he cold get out and let us load up and get on our way.<br />
<br />
We left Pueblo Bonita about 8:30 am Mexican Mountain time - according to our lessons learned, we stuck to the toll roads from Mazatalan to Tepic on Mex 15D (the D is always a toll road). The tolls came to about 500 Pesos and the gas cost about 300 Pesos (helps to get 45+ MPG). About an hour before we got to Tepic, we needed a bathroom break. We were on the toll road so we stopped at a Pemex gas station and it was not nice, garbage strewn around, they wanted 5 Pesos for the banos so we decided to push on, drove a couple hundred yards and noticed a nice modern toilets next to a Subway shop! Hit the brakes as we were just entering the on ramp, backed up (thank god this is Mexico where traffic laws are merely a suggestion) and they were FREE and clean! Once again the toll roads paid off!<br />
<br />
At Tepic we filled up the Prius at Pemex (we have learned to ask first to make sure they accept VISA - "Acepta tarjeta VISA?"!) to keep from hitting the ATM all the time. Some of the Pemex stations don't accept VISA. From Mazatlan to Tepic, the road slowly climbs from sea level to about a thousand meters elevation. The mountains are part of the Sierra Madres and the road from Tepic to Puerta Vallarta (Mex 200) climbs another thousand meters plus and topped out about 2500 meters.<br />
We were still getting pretty good fuel consumption, averaging around 46 mpg but of course it dropped down a bit with all the climbing up - then again what goes up must come down and it is mostly downhill from Tepic to the coast, hence this amazing fuel consumption that we noticed 42 miles outside of Tepic.<br />
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<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxdeX6_MhKOiIA_Zaj9mZ-GZO-HDO_y61zgjLGK4wpaZoMXl30XXNMrt7PUGpV0ZaQTv2evYbTI79ku5c6i4xU5KO9XhG6NegCjcm2W4W5VaQWweEQ2kXxZY3YhVbPYRzgiI8vMmJNLWn/s1600/Fuel+Consumption.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; white-space: pre;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoxdeX6_MhKOiIA_Zaj9mZ-GZO-HDO_y61zgjLGK4wpaZoMXl30XXNMrt7PUGpV0ZaQTv2evYbTI79ku5c6i4xU5KO9XhG6NegCjcm2W4W5VaQWweEQ2kXxZY3YhVbPYRzgiI8vMmJNLWn/s320/Fuel+Consumption.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
Its a 2 lane winding road with lots of truck traffic and no passing lanes and very few pull outs to let the cars by. Although the speed limit is 80 kph most of the time you are traveling about 50 kph behind a big truck. The scenery was beautiful but with all the traffic and winding road Gerald didn't get much of a chance to see it. The further south we go, the more tropical and less desert the climate becomes.<br />
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A lot more farming is apparent nearer to PV and the main crops are sugar cane (yes Renae, some people make a living out of cane instead of beets), tomatoes, peppers, corn, watermelons and nuts. The tomatoes and peppers appear to be started on plastic covered ridges.<br />
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As we got closer to Puerto Vallarta (PV) we saw lots of the usual roadside stalls and they all seemed to have mountains of coconuts and little white bags of what we later found our was salt, sea salt that is produced locally and very popular amongst the locals. There was also some brown rugby ball shaped fruit that we have not seen before and we found out that it is mame, a type of melon that is very sweet and the flesh is the color of terra cotta. The stalls vary from the very modest shacks selling everything from water, coffee, coconuts etc. to tamales and camaron (shrimp) and the more high class stalls that sell pretty much the same wares.<br />
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Closer to the coast some of the fruit stalls changed to stalls selling sombreros and sunglasses. The house styles changed and once out of the narrow streets of the poorer neighborhoods we started seeing a lot of the beautiful flowering frangipani or plumeria trees (not sure yet what they call them here but those are the South African and Hawaiin tree names).<br />
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Local transportation brings back memories of early days in South Africa because open load boxes on pickups carry as many passengers as can fit or as needed. Transport styles also vary according to the need.<br />
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Some of the stores make Hardin look ultra-modern. This is how the hardware stores look in all the towns that we have been in so far,<br />
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The approach to PV is definitely more modern and affluent than the approach to Mazatlan - we didn't see much of the signs of poverty and shacks alongside the road and passed a very good looking airport and many of the big box stores that we have in USA.<br />
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Time zones... phone says Mexican Mountain time zone, locals say central time zone. Time zones can be really tricky here because they appear to be more of a local preference rather than a geographical location.<br />
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Checked into Myan Palace Puerta Vallarta. Internet is $20/day and they said its broken most of the time so we are trying to use free wifi where we can find it and its slim pickings so far. Looks like we will have to buy extra data on the Telcel phone and use it as a WiFi hotspot.<br />
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Something about this place just didn't feel so good even though it is a nice suite with an actual bedroom, large couches and a full size dining table etc. We just couldn't put our finger on it but over the last couple of days we have realized that getting hot water in the shower is not so easy (and very poor water pressure), the electric stove top never puts out enough heat to get a really good sizzling fajeta going, the hairdryer quits after about 30 seconds of use and the staff just aren't that friendly and helpful as we had in Mazatlan. We also got coerced into attending the routine 'presentation' in order to get our wristbands (for room access) activated and get our room allocated. Our gifts for attending this waterboarding session (as we have come to call the high pressure sales sessions) were merely the promise of a refund on our parking fee, 10% reduction in the cost of any purchase on site, a free city tour (ah the memories of the orders to tip and the pressure to buy at each stop along the way) and the 'free breakfast' at the 'presentation'. That was an absolute nightmare even though the breakfast was impressive, the whole event cost us over 6 hours and no-one would take no for an answer .. but wait if you don't like that we can give you a special deal (again involving lots more complicated price reductions and free weeks that would cost only about 2,300 USD). I have to wonder how difficult it will be to get our parking refunded and how much this free tour (which we have already been told will cost us 5 USD each) will cost in tips etc.<br />
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We did pick up some tips between the lines from our incredibly talkative salesman so I guess we got more out of this than we have originally thought - he made comments about buying fruit from the mercados, advising that he never lets them cut into fruit that he is buying because of the possibility of hepatitis (or worse aids?) being transmitted from the knife into the fruit as the vendors often nick themselves as they are cutting fruit etc. He also told us about the mame fruit that we had been seeing alongside the road.<br />
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The promised 'ocean view' upgrade room turned out to have a view over the gazing pond but beyond the swimming pool, if you know what you are looking for, you can catch a glimpse of the ocean through the trunks of the palm trees. From what we can see, the room with true ocean views do not have a balcony - we do and it is a long balcony but it is too hot to sit out there.<br />
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Since we had been getting notified of voice messages etc. on the Mexico phone, we stopped into a Telcel store to figure out how to set the voice mail password and retrieve voice mails. Its tricky when your spanish is poor and there is no English option. They were very helpful and now we are set. Rosalind's spanish is way ahead of mine but still not good enough to figure out what was being said.<br />
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Once again we stumbled on a Wal-Mart - this is a nice new one and the produce is good and the prices are even better. All Wal-Marts seem to have awesome bakeries here and we have learned to go and get an aluminum tray and tongs so that we can select our items, take them to the attendants and get them bagged and priced. We bought groceries enough for the week, including meat and some beer and wine for about $35 (US). And we figured out the name of one of our favorite little pastry/cakes - Ojo de Buey which translates to "port hole cake" or "eye of the ox". Its a crispy sweet bread shell with yellow cake mix inside (see photo in the Durango post).<br />
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The Marina opposite our resort is a beautiful place and we seem to be spending more time there than we are at the resort pool and beach - the beach here is however really nice for playing in the waves with smooth, white, fine sand, a good depth of water and not many of the beach vendors which are always patrolling the beaches with their wares.<br />
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OK going to get this posted while we have one of our brief moments of internet connection on the road, actually already in Zihuatenijo on way to Acapulco now so we are way behind on posts - more later.<br />
<br />Rosalind Pattynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739012796826238271noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4204585206513366816.post-49580840834363676572017-04-17T12:42:00.000-07:002017-04-17T12:42:22.343-07:00Mazatlan FunOur first day in Mazatlan started with coffee on the balcony looking out over the ocean with only the sounds of the waves and birds, it felt like paradise and I could not have imagined this splendor.<br />
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We took a long walk along the beach before attending our 'free' breakfast which, needless to say, turned out to be a couple of hours of attempted coercion into buy into Puebla Bonita timeshare properties. They really are almost as hard sell as Wyndham, though no-one can be quite that bad. We did end up with a nice breakfast, a free city tour (which we will be doing on Tuesday morning) and a $200 (US) resort credit - that credit will see us be enough for us to use for meals for the rest of the week so I guess it was worth the pain.</div>
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Our day was spent catching up on computer stuff like blogs and Spanish lessons (though we had a great Spanish lesson chatting with Esmerelda our housekeeping lady), playing in the waves and catching up on rest while stretched out under those lovely white awnings on beach loungers. The only thing missing was those drinks with all the umbrellas, maybe we should use some of our resort credit for one of those while we are here too.<br />
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Our days in Mazatlan were mostly days on the beach and at the pool, living the tourist beach life - swimming, drinking pina coladas, reading books etc. They have several pools and we spent most of our time at the adult pool where it was nice and quiet even though they had a good pool bar there. We are not connected most of the time because a) it costs more than we need to spend and b) we have realized that it is nice to be disconnected.<br />
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The hotel staff were amazing, always friendly and greeting us every time we passed anyone (and there were usually more staff members than guest wherever we went).<br />
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Here are a few shots from the Mazatlan City Tour where we visited the Basilica (mass was in progress but all the city tours pull in here non-stop - it has wonderful architecture and I think that it may have been even busier than usual because we were here during holy week).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Susanna, our very strong, persuasive tour guide </td></tr>
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Shrimp is huge (and there are some really big shrimp) in Mazatlan and they have even set aside a block where shrimp vendors set up their stalls every day.<br />
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We saw the high divers but were not terribly impressed as it was terribly over commercialized.<br />
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The sunsets are absolutely amazing and we want to share an evening with you.<br />
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Rosalind Pattynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02739012796826238271noreply@blogger.com2