dare2go

Gulf of Mexico


Ruins of El Tajin

Continuation from < Page 1 < !

We have a copy of the 'bible' for camping in Mexico - it is called this because every person you meet has a copy of it and is constantly referring to it. It is the Traveler's Guide to Mexican Camping by Mike & Terri Church. There are no RV parks to be found in every town, so it is a very useful book for planning a trip from A to B and finding where it is possible to stop on the way. We stopped our first night at La Goviata Resort in La Pesca, which I wouldn't call a resort by western standards, but it would be a really lovely place to stay in summer right on a river bank. It was cold and damp and we were the only guests that night. The second night we stayed at Condado Western Auto Hotel and Trailer Park. The 'bible' suggests that the auto hotel is used for shorter than overnight stays, but we saw no evidence of that. The camping area was pleasant, with large trees and plenty of space. There were 3 other vehicles camping there and in between rain showers in the evening and the next morning we had interesting conversations with the travellers.
On Saturday we arrived in Costa Esmerelda, where we had hoped to find sun and beach and warm weather to laze around and get acclimatised to the slower pace of life. That night we stayed in one of the 14 campgrounds recommended by the 'bible' but unfortunately chose one which was right next to the first tope coming into the area. All night we listened to the engine breaks of trucks stopping to cross the bump and then the acceleration on the other side. On Sunday we reluctantly moved - reluctantly because the people running the place were really nice and also there were two other couples staying there that we had long conversations with and would have liked to spend more time with.
We drove a few kilometres further south and closer to the village of Casitas. The park we finally stayed in, we chose because we could see that there were trailers parked close to the beach, which was quite a way from the road, and we hoped it would be quiet. At Trailer Park de Alba 'Yuri' we lucked out. The people staying there were extremely friendly and welcomed us. We were invited to join everyone at dinner at a local restaurant on Monday night. Stan and Paula, an English couple now living in Canada, cooked a fantastic meal for everyone, including Yuri's family on Tuesday night, as their farewell. There are three couples who are staying here for an extended time - Bob and Clare from England, who come every year and leave their trailer here year round; Andy and Maggie, who are from Germany but now live in Nova Scotia; and Bill and Caroline, who come from Ohio. During the time we've been here, other campers have come and gone, but all were welcomed and invited as we were. It is a great experience to feel so at home so far from home.

Monday, 5 February 2007 Cholula (near Puebla), Puebla
We left the emerald coast yesterday in pouring rain to drive toward Puebla (city) in the state of Puebla. During our week there we left the campground a couple of times. On Thursday we drove back toward Poza Rica to Paplanta to visit the El Tajin ruins. This was my first experience of the ruins that Mexico and other parts of Latin America are famous for. The ruins are very impressive as there is still a lot to see. We had a very pleasant afternoon wandering around the site and finished by watching the 'voladores' perform [second link w. video] in the front of the entrance to the site.
On Friday I went to San Rafael with some of the other campers. This is a rather pretty town, about 20 minutes drive from Casitas, with around 28000 inhabitants. I was able to buy some very good baguettes (bread is always important to us and when we find something other than fluffy stuff, we are always pleased!) in the local supermarket and spent some time, with my dictionary, trying to work out what things are. We really need to learn some Spanish very soon!
One of the things Juergen clearly remembers from his first visit to Mexico, and we continue to notice, is the use of colour on the houses here. No colour is considered too bright and the colour combinations on one house can sometimes be outrageous. Then you put together a street full of outrageous house colours and it is sometimes totally overwhelming! [there'll be more photos in our second update!]
On Friday evening there was another party to which all inhabitants of the campground were invited. The food was once again magnificent and the company and conversation was convivial. As we sat under the large palapa, the rain began to fall more steadily and heavily than it had so far. It continued to rain that way all through Saturday and by the evening we were ready to move. The camper gets a bit small when there is nowhere else to go all day! So Sunday we slowly packed up in the rain and eventually got on the road around midday. We were sorry to leave all the people who had made our time there so special, despite the miserable weather, but sometimes you just have to shift the energy and head somewhere new.


 
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