Where Are We?

Some can’t find Isla Aguada on the map. Understandable since it is quite small. Perhaps its time to do a map of where we have been. Realized that we have travelled 1,300 miles in Mexico so far. This is as far south that we will go  (Oops, looking at the map I should say that this as far east that we will go!)

If we ever decide to leave Freedom Shores, we’ll work our way back north along the coast…i.e., Villahermosa, Veracruz, Emerald Coast and back into Texas.

By the way, Keith asks about the dogs. We haven’t mentioned them for awhile. Well, they and the cats are huge hit here on Isla Aguada. The beach is public in front of the park and we get a large number of kids, and adults, who come to the fence to admire then beasts and to ask all about them. Some come to the beach everyday and they always call out to the dogs by name and call the cats by name when they see them on the dash looking out. When they leave at night, they always tell the dogs bye in Spanish. Yesterday I took the beasts on the beach so that the kids could pet them, throw sticks for the Lab and swim with them. All had a ball. Sorry, no pictures. We’ll get some.

Isla Aguada – Freedom Shores Hotel & RV Park

Today was only a short 217 miles from Villahermosa to Isla Aguada. Still left Sam's early (0740) for fear of the parking lot getting full and hampering maneuverability. Man, the roads were great and the scenery very tropical…reminded us of Thailand. We’d be there in record time. Wrong. There is one village that has a road stretch of about 10 miles. They have to be in the Guinness record book for Topes per mile, total number of Topes, and ferocity of the Topes. Recall that Topes are speed bumps. In Mexico, they are not bumps. For many, you WILL stop and creep over it, and remember we are towing a car so that is 4 crossing per tope. They are very hard on RV’s and trucks. The solution is to just chill out, crawl behind the truck in front of you, and enjoy the village. I don’t know how they deal with the ambulances.

Anyway, we arrived at our park at 1140 and amazed at having averaged 54mph in spite of the Tope minefield.

Ok, the park. Absolutely fantastic in every way. To get the theme and purpose, just check their website HERE.

Bill and Thelma have poured a ton of work and money into this operation in the 2-3 years they have had it. Lots of cement walkways for the wheelchairs but very nice for all of us. Our site is cement level and right on the water…steps from the beach. The utilities have all be upgraded and are first class. The staff (and there are lots of them) constantly work raking, sweeping, watering, etc.  The restaurant would get perfect score in any US health inspection (you know we notice things like that since our own restaurant).

The fantastic food passes Daniele’s critical inspection!

Oh, and the Pina Colada’s are great too! 

We’re going to be here a long time so there will be more to say and show.

Back to the Beach

Semana Santa is over so the beaches are available again. we enjoyed Puebla/Cholula but we never really got over the altitude.  So, we departed at 0900. What a trip! 313 miles to Villahermosa on what should be good roads since they are mostly toll. Wrong. Over half the route was pretty rough. We did not stop until 1700 so if you do the math, we averaged 39mph and only stopped once for gas! And for this privilege, we paid $130 in tolls (motor home plus the Jeep we tow).  Well, the scenery was great, we saw an area that needs to be examined for more long term habitation, we drove slow so it wasn’t too bad, and we arrived safe.  Oh…we didn’t see the campground we were looking for so stayed in an expensive one:

I say expensive because we bought lots of supplies at Sams. It was a good evening…the only concern was getting out because of tight turns. By the way, Sam’s (and Wally) are just like the ones in the States. Same stuff plus they sell booze. Even found pretty good bagels!

Pascua!

Happy Easter to all. It’s a beautiful Easter morning in Cholula, Mexico. I got up early and went to town before the crowds arrived. The Mercado (Market) was in full swing. Everything from clothes to chickens, to beef, to flowers, to beautiful vegetable, etc. Really quite an experience. These pictures do not do it justice but will give you the idea.

Some notes on the prices (US cents/pound):

Roma tomatoes=18; Cukes=44; Beans=80; Limes=16;

White onions=10; Strawberries=40; Guavas= 15

After the market I stopped by the church to remember sick family and neighbors and caught the last part of a Mass. Very moving. Church was packed. Lots of tots in all white for First Communion. 

We kicked back the rest of the day and were deciding what to do for dinner when this fellow rode by delivering to a family that lives here.

Yes, we did it. We had a Domino’s “Extravaganza” delivered. Wasn’t cheap though: $18.80 for a medium.  But, it was excellent.

Semana Santa and Semana de Pascua--Holy Week and Easter Week.

It is eerily quiet. Earlier posts have mentioned the church bells and fireworks. No more. Until Sunday. We can hear nothing but the birds and traffic is very light.

NB: Daniele just reminded me that the story in Belgium is that the bells all go to Rome on Thursday and come back on Sunday full of eggs and candy! Hey, makes as much sense as a rabbit bringing them!

Here is a link to an excellent short article that explains the traditions of Holy and Easter Weeks in general, and in Mexico specifically. It’s an interesting read.

Late afternoon as it cooled down we went back to Cholula. This time we went over to the bigger cathedral and found that Mass was well underway and was packed. There were actually 2 in progress. There had to be 1,000 people there. It was moving to see all age groups participating and, in many cases, sitting or standing in a haphazard manner yet actively and vociferously participating in the responses from the congregation. Here are some pictures of the church.

 

We then went to the square or Zocalo. It was considerably more active than other day since it now contained a zillion stalls selling food and junque. The fragrance from the various cooking stalls was overwhelming and made us starve. While we had dinner we were again amazed at the family emphasis here. Entire families were walking and laughing together. Over and over we saw young adult men taking their aged mother/grandmother arm in arm around the Zocalo. Here are some shots of the food area….everything looked absolutely delicious and we found Churros!

 

Breathing Again

Ahhh, our lungs are finding oxygen in this rarified air after 4 days. We feel good! I heard from a friend that had been here and he also had a 4 day spell, and he is in good shape!

We celebrated this by getting out and walking around the beautiful Cholula town square. We also stopped in at a beautiful cathedral and  said some prayers for family and friends, especially those that are battling cancer now on Cedar Island (our own Dinkus gets his last Chemo this Wednesday!!).

Then, of course, we ate. The restaurant overlooked the square and is surely more expensive than the others. But look at what we had! All this, 1 beer, 1 freshly made lemonade, and tip was $23! And was it delicious!!

 

Here are some shots of the square and surrounding area. A square in Mexico seems to be a family gathering place…you see young and old strolling around.

Busted by the Police

Puebla City police had a motorcycle, car, traffic cones and 3 officers on the side of one of the major boulevards. A check point but they were not pulling anyone over...except us! Nice policeman came to the window and asked something in Spanish. He then pointed to the front of the car and said "no license". North Carolina doesn't have front tags. He then asked for the papers and checked the rear tag and hologram and then asked for my drivers license. He said, Mr. Johnson I am (his rank and name) and then,in Spanish, told me everything was OK, thanked me for the cooperation and explained it was for security and to have a good visit. We then asked him where the Soriana was and he had his 2 colleagues come over and figured out where it was and how to get there. Now I have to look into getting a duplicate tag to put on the vehicles so we can minimize check points.

We still haven’t done much…between altitude, hay fever and sinus stuff, we can’t get motivated. We did do the Soriana trip yesterday. Soriana chain is an upscale Wal-Mart and quite impressive especially in their deli, vegetable, and meat departments.  An observation: in such stores, anyone handling food (butchers, bakery, free sample givers, etc) all wear hair nets, face masks, and gloves. The place is spotless.  The butchers are in full view, accessible, and more than happy to provide whatever cut you want, how you want it. Another thing we like is the the bakery. You get a big pan and tongs. You then wander through picking out exactly what you want and how many. You then take the loaded pan to a register where they bag it and put a price sticker on the bag for check out. If you want 1 cookie, you get 1, not a box! Oh, and for RV’ers, the baggers at the registers are not employees and only work for small tips. They are usually kids or handicapped adults. On our first trip, for the first time or two at a store, I did not realize this and thought they were salaried employees. They were nice even though I failed to tip. I’ve made up for it since. 

Another great thing is the parking lot guys. I don’t know how they get their position but one or two guys will cover a lane or two. When they see you heading for your car, they run up, take the cart and follow you to car, unload it, and take care of the cart. Then the show begins: they have a whistle and love it. They “help” you back out and stop traffic, if any, with great hand and arm signals and non-stop melodic whistle blowing…even if there is not another car in sight! Sailors guiding planes on an aircraft carrier do not match these guys. As you are backed and ready to roll, he’ll stop by the window to wish you a safe trip and, of course, welcome a tip. It doesn’t have to be much and it is worth the show.  

This trip may turn out to be mainly a beach tour. Daniele’s knee is killing her and she cannot do the walking required for town and cathedral visits. It’s so bad that she’s finally relented and wants to have the replacement done when we get home! Yeah! But, we’ll stay here until after Easter since the beaches are packed. We’ll get a little touring in.