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Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco, Guerrero, Oaxaca: 30.10. – 14.11.2009 Nope, we didn’t manage to get to the east coast. There were just two places in between that ‘held us up’. But now back to the beginning.
After we left Mazatlàn fully
stocked up and with all cloth washed, the plan was to continue in big
steps south along the coast. So we landed about 380km (240mi) further
south in the tiny village Playa Chacala. Dawn and a sign indicating a
campground led us that way. Real quick we were the talk of the ‘town’
driving up and down the main street (300m) 5 times on the search of the
campground. Once we got sent in one direction, then somebody else was
mentioning something the opposite way, until we finally got ‘rescued’
by Gordon, a British living his life in the US who now settled here for
retirement. He explained that the campground got sold to an investment
group, and they intend to build a golf course instead. In a place as
tiny as Playa Chacala the question arises: Who needs a meadow full of
holes? We came to the conclusion, No one.
Gordon led us to a restaurant
where we could spend that night. However it was not easy to find a safe
spot, the place was teeming of palm trees just ready to hit us with
their coconuts. But we found a spot out of their reach and went for
dinner next doors at a small place called Chac Mool on the “Shopping
Mile” of Playa Chacala led by Emilia and Arturo. Not all too long ago
they found this little paradise for their wedding party and now they
call it their home.
The next day we followed a tip
from Christian, a French man, who we also got to know the evening
before, and ‘climbed’ a volcano nearby, where we enjoyed a beautiful
view all over the bay. Further we went to a lonely little gravel beach
before we went back along the coast to Chacala where we enjoyed a
refreshing dip in the ocean. The evening we spent again in the Chac
Mool, and it was again great fun. Thank you all!
In the morning it meant to say
good bye, because if don’t leave now we might never. Our way led us
along the coast past wonderful beaches, Puerto Vallarta, La Cruze de
Loreto, Manzanillo, Zihuatanejo to Acapulco. Where we got our dive gear
out again and one might not believe, not just the Caribbean side of
Mexico has to offer something. We have seen next to many fishes, a
curious turtle and the Captain showed us two seahorses with a tank
under the arm. While we liked Acapulco under water quite a bit, above
sea level we got tired of it real soon. The roads of LA or France are
nothing against those in Acapulco, here a normal two lane road gets
extended to four lanes by squeezing and honking your way through. As
pleasant as these people are normally, on the road everyone seem just
to be after their own advantage, which can lead to adventurous
maneuvers, nothing for weak nerves. But it seems like Acapulcians like
the game with death, since there are also the famous Cliff divers who
jump from 25-35m (75-105ft) into a narrow channel of water. But since
that wasn’t memory enough for us we got on the 6th Nov. our first
traffic ticket. We were with 20 km/h (12mph) to fast on the road, but
even with that speed we where hindering traffic and everyone was
passing us with those above mentioned maneuvers, Nisto with his looks
and the foreign plates was a welcome target and after some correctional
talks we were asked to make an offer. Now it meant dealing and in the
end we paid about 400 Peso (about US$ 35.-), which was, as we learned
afterwards, way too much, but we are learning.
But there is also real
friendly Mexican Police. One of that species we met on our first as
nightly resting place serving Pemex. In Mexico it is officially allowed
to spend the night in your vehicle in the monopolized gas stations that
are (to our knowledge) always guarded. Manuel was the guard for this 24
hour shift with the night being the end of it. Three hours of it he
spent with us talking about god and the world, with him not speaking
English it was a real challenge for all of us with our still not fluent
Spanish. But learning by doing and if one doesn’t know maybe the other
does, and there are always hand and feet.
Right on our next sleeping
place we tested our Spanish knowledge again. Next to a closed
restaurant we found a great spot just at the ocean. In the evening the
owner came to look after it, of course we asked if it is ok to spend
the night. “But of course! …” If we like we could stay until Christmas,
then she opens the restaurant. That wasn’t all; she gave us some self
made Tortillas, filled a big bucket with fresh water from her well and
even brought out a hammock for us. We were overwhelmed by such
friendliness towards complete strangers. Till Christmas we didn’t want
to stay, but we did add another night.
Our next target was named
Oaxaca, for five days we nested us into a Campground a bit out of town.
After we looked at the last stone in town, we visited our first Maya
place “Monte Alban” not too far away on a hill top. Where we got a
first impression what we could expect further east. The next day
belonged to a few Christian temples in the region of Mixteca.
Unfortunately most of the where being rebuilt and their view wasn’t
exceptionally pretty. That evening the Campground owner introduced us
as well as Marie-Paule and Bill from Canada, they spend their second
winter there, into the art of the Mezcal distilling (a prime version of
tequila). Of course we had a try as well. The last day belonged to the
markets that take place in the multiple towns in the area, before it
meant to hit the road again.
With a water bottle full of Mezcal we are now on the way towards San Christobal de las Casas.
Nos vemos *hicks*
Sonja und Markus
Here it goes to the pictures…
Here it goes to the underwater pictures… |
