Monarch Sanctuary

Yesterday, we visited the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary way up in the mountains near a small town called Ocompo. The drive was beautiful as it meandered through a patchwork of fields and little farm houses on the steep hill sides. Once we reached the park, we were met by several children selling walking sticks. Also, as we walked to the entrance, we passed about 50 or more little make shift shops and restaurants for all of the tourists. We were a litte put off by this but kept onward. The walk up was nice and fairly steep. I tried not to feel tired as I walked next to small children, old grandmothers and grandfathers and even mothers carrying their babies up the steep climb. Once to the top we found a crowd of people gathered around several trees. As we looked closer, we could see masses of Monarch butterflies hanging off of the branches. Millions of them piled on top of one another. Simply an amazing sight. People were encouraged to be silent, which was most difficult for the children.
The monarchs are hibernating here in the sanctuary for the winter. This particular colony of monarchs travel from Central Mexico to Florida and Canada, and then back to Mexico. Over the course of the migration five gernerations of butterflies are born. The last generation born in Canada live 7-8 months and make the long trek back to Mexico. Wow. They stay at about 10,000 feet in the temperate forests here and are protected by the trees. We lucked out on the weather, it was nice and sunny, so some of the butterlies were flying around as well. Definitely worth the visit.

Michoacan

Being up in the highlands of Mexico has been an entirely different experience. Leaving from Colima we climbed up into the mountains to Matzamitla. A beautiful town very different from any of the beach towns we had been to, this was a self-sufficient town up in the pines. It was much colder and there were not a lot of gringos as we could tell from driving around. We stayed in a grassy parking area in town across from a tienda and restaurant. We slept well all snuggled into our sleeping bag, thank goodness we brought it. In the morning, Ozzie walked next door to the store and asked if they had a public bathroom. The owner, an older woman, politely said no. About 15 minutes later, she walked over to our truck and offered her private bath and oh yes would you like a shower as well? She did not know that Ozzie was traveling with his wife. Of course I would like a shower I said. It was so very kind of her and she would not take any money for the use of her bathroom. When I left, I thanked her and she said if we needed anything else to be sure to come back. This is the kind of generosity that we have encountered so far.

Next, we wound through the state of Michoacan, the place I have wanted to see since the beginning of this trip. Even higher up in the mountains still, we drove through several small villages. The women all wore brightly colored long skirts, heeled shoes, no socks, and a beautiful wrap around shawl. They could be seen carrying babies, groceries, wood, and other things with this shawl. These villages were mostly inhabited by the Perupecha indigenous people. The particular villages we drove through were very poor. Small shacks, make shift housing, garbage along much of the road, much like the baja. Women washing clothes by hand, cooking outside, men working in the fields, children running around playing in the street. It definitely felt different than anywhere we had been thus far. No one smiled as we drove through, we often met unwelcoming scowls instead. These scowls did turn to smiles when we offered a friendly wave.

We then ended up in Patzcuaro, the heart of Michoacan. Wow, what a beautiful city. We stayed in the truck right on the main square that was surrounded by colonial buildings and large trees with fountains in the center of the plaza. Since we were not paying for camping, we decided to go out for dinner. In another smaller square a block away, we found all of the taco stands and cheaper food that we had been looking for. We decided upon a chicken place that looked good. The plates they were serving were huge. We sat down at a table that was part of the preparation area and waited for our food, they were very busy. While we waited, I noticed the cook ladle a large spatula full of lard from a nearby five gallon bucket. Yikes. Then a small boy about five years or so tapped me on the shoulder. He was wearing a shirt with Mickey mouse on it and the word “Mickey” printed along the top. I turned around and he forcefully stuck his hand out and said, “Money” in English. I was a little startled by his brazenness and I replied, “No tengo” (I don’t have any) Obviously, he was prepared for this answer an he replied a little too knowingly and quickly “Si, tu tienes” (Yes you do) with a cute little smile. Yikes again. I chose to ignore instead and he went away. After dinner, we did find him and give him our leftover chicken, which he gladly accepted without hesitation.
We were a little cold up in the mountains:) We might have to head back to the beach soon to warm up again.


Adios,
Lyndi and Ozzie

Visitamos el Doctor

Well, the visit to the doctor was successful in many ways. First, the son of the owner of the campground, Estaban Chico, drove us to his uncle’s house where he has his private office and practice. We all went into the examination room together and the doctor proceeded to ask Ozzie questions about his ailments. Estaban Chico, the son tried to translate some but, Ozzie and I understood a lot of what he said in Spanish. Then, once he determined that Ozzie had bronchitis, he had him breath in some medicine through a vaporizer. Not a common practice in the US, but seemed to help with Ozzie’s coughing. While we were waiting for Ozzie to breath, the doctor seemed genuinely interested in what we were doing and where we had visited in Colima. We politely asked about the rocks that made up one rock wall in his office. They were very old petroglyphs and they had been cemented into the wall of the house about 50 years ago. He became very excited and asked us to come to the back to see the rest of his collection. He had several artifacts in a glass case and he went into another room to bring out a large stone that had been carved into the shape of a baby. These rocks were probably carved out thousands of years ago and this doctor had them in his house. The Grandfather of Estaban Chico had purchased the house along with the artifacts several years ago and it remains in the family. It is located right off of the main square in Central Colima. I joked that he had his own museum in his office. He laughed and said it was a “museo en la sala” All in all the visit cost about 55 dollars and Ozzie received very personal care. The only problem we had was a pesky mosquito that kept biting us while we sat in the office. The doctor was not in a hurry and he seemed very thorough. Also, the mini tour we had of his collection was definitely worth the visit. I did not have my camera with me so I did not get to document our tour. Ozzie is on antibiotics now and hopefully on the mend. He was not happy about going to the doctor at first but realized that it was a good cultural experience for us. Now, we are back at the campground resting and planning on leaving tomorrow.
Adios

Going Inland

From San Pancho, Ozzie and I drove my parents to the airport in Puerto Vallarta on January 5th. We were sad to see them leave, although it had been a great visit. We were also glad to be continuing on our journey and not heading back to the snow. (Sorry Dad and Colleen)



Then we ended up in Punta Perula just 100 or so kilometers south of Puerto Vallarta. We stayed at an RV park on the beach. It was nice sleepy town and a beautiful beach. Ozzie had caught a nasty bug for the New Year and we decided to lay low for a few days so he could recover. He was very sick, but seemed to get better after a couple of restful days. There, we met a couple from Germany who were driving a Unimog with a camper on the back. They were very interesting and it was fun to visit with them. They had been living in their Unimog for about 2 years and were heading to Canada for work.

Next, we drove to Cuyutlan and stayed on the black sand beach. We rented a sombrilla (umbrella) for the day. (There are about 100 of them on the beach equipped with tables and chairs.) We ate fried whole fish and fresh salsa for lunch and watched the waves and the people. There were several local families playing on the beach that day. It was quite relaxing.

Now we are in Colima, a beautiful Mexican city located 35 miles inland. We are staying at an RV park next to the Autodromo, where the drag racing track is. No races yet, but another couple staying here said that it gets pretty crazy. Maybe we will see one while we are here.

One of our first stops in Colima was at Wal-Mart, which we found randomly driving around the city. It was sort of a weird experience to walk into such an American store. We had been shopping at local markets and marcados, not quite the selection that Wal-Mart has. It was kind of exciting to have so many choices. We bought food, some oil, plastic containers, a fire extinguisher, and some speakers to play music from our I-pod. (see picture below that explains why we got the fire extinguisher) I forget a little what it is like to shop at stores like that, the one stop shopping experience. After that, we parked on a side street in the city and cooked lunch. We drew some attention to ourselves by setting out our camping chairs on the sidewalk and playing cards while we waited for our stew to cook. I think people thought we had lost our marbles or something. I wanted to say; no we are just gypsies moving through, no show today. I don’t think very many gringos hang out on the side of the road like that.
(Why we got a fire extinguisher)


Anyway, I am sitting in a park in the Colima central plaza hooked up to the free wireless internet the city offers. It is really cool. A couple of other people are on their computers too. Technology never ceases to amaze me.

I am taking Ozzie to the doctor this afternoon. The owners of the campground here were very nice and called the doctor for us since he just happens to be someone in their family. They are even going to go with us to the clinic. Ozzie just can't get rid of his cold or flu, whatever he has, and he is starting to have a relapse. Hopefully, he can get some antibiotics or something.

Other than the cold, we are doing ok. We are going to stay at the campground again tonight and then maybe head more inland tomorrow.
Hasta luego,
Lyndi and Ozzie

San Pancho

We finally made it to San Pancho on the pacific coast a couple hours north of Puerta Vallarta. It is quite beautiful here and it has been fun hanging out with the family. Last year, we were here for Christmas as well. It is fun to return by way of car; it just doesn't feel as far away when you drive there. The beaches are beautiful and my family has a great place to stay. We are parked on the street next to the house so, we get all of the amenities but still sleep in the truck.

The other night we were sitting out on one of the patios, the living room is outside, and I noticed something slithering along the top of the wall. It was orangish and moving very slowly. Yes, it definitely was a snake. We all jumped up to get a better look. It slithered slowly up the tree that was next to the house. It was quite beautiful but a little disconcerting for those sleeping there. We concluded it to be some kind of boa and it was harmless as we later found out from one of the people who lives in San Pancho. Not to worry.

I also was able to go fishing with my parents with a local fisherman, Pondo. He takes my dad out every year and he is a great fisherman and guide. We had an amazing day out. The sea life we were able to see was incredible. It rivaled a National Geographic episode. The high lights were trolling through the swells amongst a group of about 60 or more dolphins. Colleen and I were on the front of the boat watching as the dolphins gracefully swam a few feet from us. Many times they would swim up and look at us and then dive down again. It was amazing.
Another sighting was of a humpback whale. It sort of snuck up on us as we were fishing. The motor was turned off and we were all looking the other way as we heard the whale surface and blow. As if that was not incredible enough, it surfaced again maybe 60 feet from the boat and dove down showing off its humongous tail. Wow!

The most exciting however was the pod of pilot whales we happened upon. We were right in the midst of them and soon they began to follow us. They are about 20 feet long and look kind of like an over sized dolphin with a similar dorsal fin. There were about a dozen of them maybe 10 feet from the boat and one even went under the boat. The best part was hearing them sing and talk to each other as they swam under us. We were in awe! Collen and I kept whispering, "Oh my God" as they got closer and closer. What a terrific day.

We are preparing for the New Year today and hope all is well back home. It is hard to believe that it is the beginning of 2009 tomorrow. How time passes by so quickly. Ozzie and I are going to head inland next and maybe try to find a nice town to hang out in for a while. We want to find something to do. We will see where we end up.
Best wishes for a Happy New Year!
Lyndi

Here are a few more pictures from the Baja.

Would you like to follow our blog?

Thank you so much for those of you who have been following our blog. I am sorry that I have not been more diligent in my entries. I am definitely going to try to update it more frequently in the future. We are looking for a little help though. The more followers that we have posted on the blog, the better. There might be a possibility that we can get someone that wants to advertise on it, if enough people are looking at it. So, if you want to sign up as a follower, that would be great. All you have to do is click on "follow this blog" which is located by the other pictures of people following. You just follow the steps and enter an email address and password. Thanks so much and Happy New Year to all!

Lyndi

P.S. Send me your e-mail if you would also like me to add you to our e-mailing list. I send out an e-mail when I have updated the blog. My e-mail is lyndimay@yahoo.com and Ozzie's is oscargrove@yahoo.com

Adios to the Baja

Well, the last month or so that we have spent on the Baja has been spectacular. The people we met and the places we stayed really surpassed both of our expectations. From San Ignacio, we ended up at two of our favorite beaches Agua Verde and Los Frailes. Both of these are on the Sea of Cortez side and very remote, requiring some bouncing and winding down very rough roads to get there. Ozzie caught a few fish and I even snorkeled a bit. It is amazing how many fish are even in three to four feet of water. (I am still too chicken to go any deeper). Ozzie saw huge school of puffer fish and he was out in the deeper areas.

We also spent a couple of days in La Paz getting our vehicle permit, ferry ticket, and new health certificate for Bozeman. All took way longer then expected of course and the earliest we could reserve the ferry was not until the 23rd. So while we waited we spent more time on the beach. Not a bad place to wait. However, we had told my parents that we would try and meet them for Christmas in San Pancho and this put us a little behind schedule. Schedule, what’s that again?

The drive to the ferry proved to be exciting. We managed to find our spare tire dangling from the back, the metal ripped of the frame. Luckily, we stopped for a bathroom break and noticed it leaning off the back. Bad for the frame, but amazingly we didn’t lose the tire. Then we passed a guy who popped off his radiator cap and was sprayed with boiling water in the face as we drove by. We quickly turned around to see if he was ok. He was, only minor burns on his cheek. He needed water though, so we filled his car up and off he drove in his pretty blue mustang. Then right before the ferry terminal we drove by a wrecked semi who had seemingly ran into a bull-dozer. Crazy! We made it no worse for the ware and on time despite the drive. Just another day driving on the Baja...

The ferry was a logistical nightmare. People lined up to board three hours before departure and the ferry only had one loading and unloading side, unlike the Washington state ferries. The one hundred or so semi-trucks that loaded onto the ferry had to back on. Most cars ( around 200 or so) also backed into spots. There were four car decks and 3 passenger decks. It was more an ocean going ship than a ferry. Ozzie and Bozeman parked on the lowest deck in the hull. Poor Boze had to stay in the car for around 10 hours in the hull of the ship where it was very hot. Poor guy, he made it though. He is such a good dog. We slept in the ferry parking lot when we arrived at 10:30 at night, which we were told was the safest spot to stay.

Now, after a full day of driving we are in Mazatlan at an RV park right on the beach. It is Christmas day and so beautiful. We are taking a day to relax and recuperate from our two long days of traveling. Tomorrow we head to San Pancho to visit with my family.