Return to Mexico Mainland

Baja Ferries, here is our ride from La Paz to Mazatlan.

In San Blas we helped celebrate The 3 Kings day. The sweet bread on the table went all the way around the Zocolo. The 3 Kings day is bigger for kids in Mexico than Xmas, it is on this day that they are brought presents. It just to happened than when we where in San Sebastian the truck with one of the Kings came to the Zocolo and gave gifts to all the small children in town.

A beautiful view of Rincon Guayabitos taken while we where on our hike with Karla.


Ileana and Efrain, loaded down in their Vstrom and side car on their way to La Fin del Mundo. Believe it or not, came all the way from South Carolina to Kamloops to get modifications done on their side car because the shop there was THE place to have the side car worked on.
If you are interested in finding out more about Ileana and Efrain and the work they are doing to educate street kids and eradicate poverty take a look at their link "Motonomadas" to the right sidebar.

Heather oversees the transfer of Raicilla into a Coke bottle after trying a couple of samples of the finca's private brew. Raicilla is similar to tequilla only it is made from green agave instead of blue agave. We tried a natural, a coco, and another flavour made from a local flower. The natural is for men(hombres), the coco is for women(mujers) and the flowery flavour is for grandmothers(abuelas).

Driving through the countryside.

Ken, yet again, gets his own private parking in Mazamitla.

Everyone who was anyone gets a new weath for the new year.

Miles and miles on country fences, stones gathered and stacked one wide and 4 feet high.

The Cathedral in Morelia with 230 ft twin towers and a 4600 flute organ.

One of the many squares in Morelia in the background is the aqueduct, 1.5 km long and contains 253 arches that gradually disappears into the ground(we just about walked the length of it the morning we left).

Have you ever not done something for a long time and then the next time you do that very thing you say to yourself "Man I love doing this! Why don't I do it more often?" We have been saying this for the last week, ever since we came back to Mainland Mexico.
The food, the people, and the countryside. I'm not sure if the feeling of ahhh lies in the fact that we are on the road again, travelling fancy free with the wind in our face and the bugs in our teeth or if it is due to the fact we are free anywhere(from work) or is it just that we love Mexico so much? Any which way, we are both wearing one big-ass smile on our face(Kens' also with a bit of a runny nose and a cough).

We spent a fairly rough trip over the Sea of Cortes, seeing as the winds were up and the boat was a rocking, but we arrived in Mazatlan early in the day on Wednesday, Jan. 3rd. $18(200 peso)rooms are still available if you know where to look, and we do because it was the same hotel we stayed at time we were here in 2007(?). We had seen a couple on a Vstrom1000 with a sidecar(same as ours except ours is a 650, minus the sidecar, although I think it looks comfy) around La Paz and on the boat we parked next to them, we met them on the Malicon in Mazatlan and traveled with them for a couple of days. Nice couple...interesting, her from Puerto Rico and him from Columbia and now they are on their way down to Fin del Mundo...ah the memories!

I liked Mazatlan more this stay, it seemed cleaner or something but it still only held our attention for the one and night and we were off to San Blas(too bad we missed you on the road Jack and Katie). Again we found a cute little town( with great surfing beaches and a bird sanctuary that included of all things... pink flamingos) awaiting us with yet another 200 peso room and a fish dinner fried in garlic that was out on this world for only just over $5 each. It was Day of the Kings the day we arrived and a sweet bread that circled the whole Zocolo was demolished by the locals then the kids were given dulces(candies)and gifts. In some South American countries this day is bigger than Christmas for the kids.

As much as we enjoyed San Blas the next day it was off again, travelling south on the little roads along the beach...which I have to tell you were the home to some amazing properties we may have to visit on the way back up. Rincon Guyobitis, here we are again, another spot we visited on our last trip on the Mainland and loved. We found the Hotel del Rio for $300 pesos a night(cheaper if you stay longer and it includes a kitchenette, which most hotel/suites do)and along with the friendly staff we found a great bunch of Canadians staying the winter. Ken and I hooked up with Karla and friends for walks or should I say hikes up the mountain 2 of the 3 mornings we were there and I have to tell you the exercise felt good because we haven't done a thing since we left the Baja and mountain biking. We also found Dan and Robbie at their place down here in La Pineta, wow what a great spot-Sunset Casa!

Three days in one spot and it was time to move on. We had decided it was time to head inland so it was off to San Sebastian, a little village in the mountains , cute little cobblestone streets and quaint shops selling local fare, however the tour bus full of sightseers swayed our decision a little and instead of staying there we headed off to Mascota for the night. There we found a beautiful little farming town, also with cobblestone streets(which Ken hates driving on by the way)and a quiet room and friendly locals.

The riding has been amazing. Small mountain roads, many ranchos, cowboys on horses and fantastic views keep our heads turning as we rode up and over mountains and through valleys. Man we love this countryside! Mazamilta, another small town this time tucked in the mountains and on the edge of a park with pine trees was the next nights stop. From here you can take a truck up into the mountains to do a little 4 by 4'ing. Fun but not on our agenda so we tasted a bit of the local goods, pecans in a creamy fudge and several flavours of local liquor...mmm good.

Yesterday afternoon we arrived in Morelia, a beautiful colonial city-lots of culture, and the gateway to the mountains where you can view the Monarch Butterfly migration. We walked around the city last night and were in awe of the buildings, you could spend days here walking the streets and going to museums...but we are here for the butterflies. Today we head for the mountains and hopefully tomorrow we will be in the midst of millions of yellow and black butterfly wings.