Woke up this morning to

the church bells ringing and the roosters doing what they do…it was sunny but a little cool started my day by going to the Parque Benito Juarez, which is just a few minutes away from where I am staying.

It is a park that is surrounded by trees and bushes and pathways that go around the park and ideal for running.

I ran around the park three times before the altitude got to me, it is 6200 feet above sea level here so my breathing was sharp, so I then walked around three times. I enjoy starting the mornings this way, it clears the cobwebs, it gives me time to think and the feeling that the workout is done so if later on in the day I feel like a donut it is Ok, just kidding, well maybe not!!

This is an interesting place local women come down here to these sinks and do their washing no one around today.

Saw these boys in the park.Linda and Guy had invited me and seven other people to their home for Thanksgiving dinner, I took flowers that I bought in the local market for three dollars. (Linda I know you are worth much more than that!!)  and yes Janet I am going for a hair cut tomorrow!

The table was set

The guests are happy

Linda is by the fire place in red slacks and Guy next to her in a blue shirt.

and the food is ready and what a great meal it was.  Thank you so very much.

So another great day, tomorrow morning I am heading off to my first Spanish lesson, so will see how that goes.

Hope everyone and a wonderful, thankful day.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

To all my American friends and readers….hope the day is a wonderful one for all.  I know that I have so much to be thankful for today!!

SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE…

This song below is performed by Tim McGraw and when it became popular two years ago I took the words as my personal mantra….well as I am driving down the highway approaching SMA you can guess which song came over the satellite radio!!!!  Was a lovely welcome to this great town.

He said: "I was in my early forties,
"With a lot of life before me,
"An' a moment came that stopped me on a dime.
"I spent most of the next days,
"Looking at the x-rays,
"An' talking 'bout the options an' talkin’ ‘bout sweet time."
I asked him when it sank in,
That this might really be the real end?
How’s it hit you when you get that kind of news?
Man whatcha do?
An' he said: "I went sky diving, I went rocky mountain climbing,
"I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu.
"And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,
"And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying."
An' he said: "Some day, I hope you get the chance,
"To live like you were dyin'."
He said "I was finally the husband,
"That most the time I wasn’t.
"An' I became a friend a friend would like to have.
"And all of a sudden goin' fishin’,
"Wasn’t such an imposition,
"And I went three times that year I lost my Dad.
"Well, I finally read the Good Book,
"And I took a good long hard look,
"At what I'd do if I could do it all again,
"And then:
"I went sky diving, I went rocky mountain climbing,
"I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu.
"And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,
"And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying."
An' he said: "Some day, I hope you get the chance,
"To live like you were dyin'."
Like tomorrow was a gift,
And you got eternity,
To think about what you’d do with it.
An' what did you do with it?
An' what can I do with it?
An' what would I do with it?
"Sky diving, I went rocky mountain climbing,
"I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu. 
"And then I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,
"And I watched Blue Eagle as it was flyin'."
An' he said: "Some day, I hope you get the chance,
"To live like you were dyin'."

The entrance to the park is very tight and the streets are  narrow so getting Ramona through the red gate is a challenge that can only be done with outside help.

but once inside the tension of getting in is soon lost.  These photos are all inside the compound.  It is really a tennis complex with two tennis courts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is only room for 12 small Rv’s and Ramona has a lovely spot. The chicken 12 feet away the cleanest bathrooms in Mexico with hot showers

 

 

 

 

 

 

Completely gated and safe and this is the gate to walk through to get in.

The entrance way

The church is maybe 50 yards away.

I have Wi-Fi and about 5 minutes walk away from the town main plaza, how sweet is this?

My lovely friends Linda and Guy have a wonderful casa here and I went to visit this afternoon.

We went out for dinner tonight and now I am settled down for the night.

I am invited to Linda and Guy’s tomorrow for Thanksgiving turkey dinner!!!!

Well 4443 miles and three weeks since I left Nanaimo and the journey was wonderful.  Fabulous friends old and new, incredible vistas and now 7 weeks of paradise.

Tuesday 25th November..

Today was by far the hardest driving day I have had since I left Nanaimo.

The roads this morning were again mainly toll roads and in good repair.

Passed this truck that had turned over on the side of the road.

I just liked this image of a man walking his horse over the highway.

An eventful morning… could not figure out if this was an out of control fire or not.  I have seen many fires at the side of the highways but they appear to be controlled burning, not sure about this one.

On my approach to the town of Tequila I saw many fields of the blue agave plant from which tequila is distilled.

The plant is grown for at least 8 years until its heart, called a pina, reaches the size of a beach ball and weighs almost 300 pounds when it is harvested.  It’s then chopped, fed into ovens and cooked for up to three days.  Afterwards the softened pulp is shredded and juiced and the liquid is pumped into fermentation vats where it s usually mixed with yeast.  Lesser tequilas, however, add sugar and sometimes flavouring and colouring agents.  By law the mixture can contain no less than 51% agave if it is to be called tequila.

Malcolm (my brother) YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO READ THIS NEXT PARAGRAPH!!!

My approach to the second largest city in Mexico, Guadalajara was going well I had written down the routes I needed to take but I knew this was a huge challenge for one person driving and navigating unsure of where to go and driving a big rig in these conditions.

I was doing good until I missed the last turn off that I needed, now I was in trouble.

I pulled off at the next exit and pulled into a Pemex gas station and in my best Spanish asked a taxi driver for Highway 80.  He replied at a fast rate of speed and he obviously saw my look of bewilderment.  He beckoned me to follow him and he proceeded to drive through some narrow streets with me in tow until we came out at the right exit for me to get to where I needed to go.  I stopped and offered him money, which he would not take but he did want to shake my hand.  Only in Mexico will you find this kind of kindness!!

OK Malc you can read again……

I was making good time and around 5pm as it was getting dark I started to look for a Pemex station to spend the night but there just wasn’t any around.  So I broke my golden rule of driving at night, which I said I would never do.  In my defence I had no choice and I was on toll highways.

I arrived at the city of Guanajuato and was now feeling some pressure to get off the road as it was dark and I had driven over 450 miles and I needed a break.

As luck would have it I was able to find a small Rv park just outside the city, so I am now tucked away in the park and I am the only motor home.

I have had supper, a shower and now getting ready for tea and a movie.  It was a good day but a long drive it seems a long time since I was on the beach this morning.

I am now only about 50 miles away from my destination of SMA and I look forward to getting settled into the lovely RV park there and to know that I shall be there for about 7 weeks and will spend a lot of time with my friends Linda and Guy and in the new year Janet and Malc are flying out from England to spend two weeks with me…..life is good.

Monday 24th November..

I just couldn’t resist one more beach afternoon…after three days of long driving days I decided that I could treat myself to one more afternoon and overnight beach stop.

Don’t know why but I cannot seem to add push pins to show where I travelled today, so I left Los Mochis, on the coast in the middle of the map, left of the big Sinaloa and drove to Teacapan, just below Mazatlan.

It was another long drive about 360 miles of divided highways

More toll booths

and I am getting good at passing vehicles again!!

I found this great RV park way out in the boonies and Ramona can even smell the ocean.

I walk the 50 feet to the beach and this is what I see straight ahead

if I look to the left I see and if I look to the right

 

 

 

After a long run and walk on the beach it was relax time.

I was once sent a photo years ago that I shall always remember it was a person standing on a rock with the sun just going down and the person had his thumb and forefinger stretched out in front of them and it looked like they were holding the sun.  I tried to replicate that with my toes, didn’t quite get it right though.

Want to see another sunset???

 

It is now 8pm and I have just finished dinner, showered and now listening to live broadcast of the Canucks hockey game, tough life I know!!

Another long day of driving tomorrow and a challenge going through the second largest city in Mexico, Guadalajara.  The last time I did that my little Bro Malc, was the navigator and a good one he was too.

Should be in San Miguel de Allende, which in future I shall refer to as SMA, either late Wednesday or Thursday morning.

Blessings to all..