Tonight we are camping at the bottom of a caldera just outside Tepic, Nayarit Mexico. The name of the campground is Koala Bungalows and Campground at Santa Maria del Oro. We turned off the highway and drove down a very steep and windy road to a beautiful blue lake. It is the first really clean and blue lake we have seen in Mexico. The water is warm and I went for a delicious swim after we got set up. Tommy and I also took a boat ride around the lake...then back to camp for dinner.
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| Koala Campground, Santa Maria del Oro |
Our neighbor is a retired veterinarian from Quebec, and has to be one of most fun and interesting folks we have met. He has a Sprinter van too but did all the work himself to convert it to a camper. It is igneous! He has a solar system which runs golf cart batteries, so he can be off the grid for weeks at a time. Inside is beautiful and practical. Very clever. We spent a fun evening talking to him and his friends this evening.
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| Tommy sips cafe...our new vase. We also bought some coffee from street vendor. |
His theory is that Americans do not really travel, and it seems true to us on this trip. We have seen very few Americans. We see many Canadians, some Germans, French, Dutch and Swiss, but only a few from our country. Tom and I have noticed that most people at home we talk to about our travels in Mexico responsd with the same comment, “aren’t you afraid”, and it is a bit tiresome answering this question. We feel very cared for and safe traveling in Mexico. The people are helpful and kind and good spirited. And, unlike in America, few are carrying a gun. But I seriously do not mess with the police here, even though we always wave as we pass them and they wave back.
Here's our location.
We had a fun time in Patzcuaro. On our last two days there we explored a few villages around the lake known for their crafts. One village had a lot of copper and we discovered a shop with very unique copper goods. I saw Jesus wearing a skirt in the iglesia there. Can’t figure that out. We bought a copper towel rack for our bathroom. The other village had a ruin which we explored and then the shops were filled with baskets and lots of pottery. The name of this village is a mouthful Tzintzuntzan. We bought a bowl there with a man and a woman painted on it…in honor of Valentine’s Day.
The last two campgrounds have been like parks. We are surrounded by lush vegetation and flowers. The grounds are grassy and the one in Patzcuaro had a swimming pool and here we have a beautiful lake. The cost at both have been around 220 pesos, which is about $11.00. This includes water, sewage and electric hook ups.
I would like to stay here longer, but we have a ferry to catch in a few days. We will head out to Mazatlan, which is 250 miles to the north. We drive on mainly toll roads, spending around $20 a day on tolls alone. There, we hope to get our sewage system fixed and then we will head up to Los Moches to catch the ferry to La Paz.
Books
I am reading Louise Penny’s 3rd mystery now. Can’t remember the name. It is on my Kindle.
I finished Salvation Boulevard, which was a great page turner.
Tom still reading The Wright Brothers and I feel like I have read it too. On the road today he told me all about the book. Sounds good.
Play List
We listened to CD’s today..taking a break from Spotify.
John Piizzarelli
Orchestra Boab Ab
Ottomotapiia
Ernest Ranguin
Tracy Chapman (anyone know what she is doing now?…we need her songs more than ever)
Nigeria Special
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