From Guadalajara to Sayulita
March 1, 2009 Sayulita
After a bit of a struggle, I managed to convince Dave I was well enough to do the 45 minute drive to Sayulita. Sitting is still painful, so I spent the ride spread out on the floor like an invalid (or an “in-va-lid”, as I like to pronounce it, because I feel useless right now).
We found the Sayulita RV Park quite easily and were pleased with its great location on the beach, just outside of town. We plan to stay a day or two before starting the return trip home. We expect to spend the last part of our trip in Manitoba with family. Dave is currently out surfing (he’s addicted) and Sienna is playing in here mini-pool, since she’s not a fan of the waves on the beach. Actually, none of you will be surprised to hear that her pool party has now morphed into a “watering the flowers” session. I have never seen a child more fascinated by flowers. We’ve finally managed to convince her that it’s better for the plants if she only picks the fallen flowers. Her picking reached a head when a resident in the Los Barriles campground asked me, nicely, whether Sienna would be leaving any flowers on the bush?
It’s been very hot during the day and the afternoon cloud cover traps in the heat and humidity below, creating a sauna-like effect. The weather stays hot and muggy through the night, making sleep elusive. I’m looking forward to heading north and the promise of cooler nights.
February 28, 2009 La Peñita
The day started out wonderfully, with a strong cup of coffee, freshly squeezed orange juice and a good breakfast. Sienna and I enjoyed a refreshing dip in the pool and on the way back, wham! I put out my back. As I bent over double, I felt humiliated, asking Dave, “How old am I again?” This is my first experience with a back problem, and I’m shocked at how debilitating it is. That morning, I could barely even change positions, never mind walking anywhere. I felt stir crazy enough by late afternoon to venture out, despite the pain. Of course, the drugs helped with that. My fellow campers generously offered me painkillers and anti-inflamatories. I’m flying high as a kite right now and life is peachy keen, thank you very much. As luck would have it, a massage therapist was visiting the park today and agreed to see me. Now I’m fully drugged, fully manipulated and fully rested, and I ain’t movin’ one inch.
That being said, our relocation to Sayulita has been put off for today.
February 27, 2009 Guadalajara and La Peñita
Today’s plan was to head either to Patzcuaro, an historic town 1h45 from Morelia, or to Tequila, which was 1hr bus ride out of Guadalajara (itself already a 3hr30 bus ride from Morelia). Patzcuaro is renowned for its lake, which has been described as the most beautiful in Mexico. In particular, Patzcuaro is known for its Day of the Dead celebration held on an island in the middle of the lake during the night of November 1st, when locals float to the island in their canoes, candles glowing mysteriously from their bows, in order to spend all night vigils over their relatives’ graves. Tequila’s allure, on the other hand, is its distilleries. Dave was excited about taking a tour of the distilleries and possibly testing a few bevies as well.
Unfortunately, neither of these destinations worked out. We decided that Patzcuaro, being off our route to the southeast, would result in too long of a day on our return to La Peñita. And the bus to Tequila must have left from a different station in Guadalajara, because we never did find it. So instead, we booked a return trip to La Peñita. We ended up travelling all day and arrived in La Peñita at dusk.
It was so wonderful to be back to the warm, humid tropics and, more importantly, in our Westy again. Sienna squealed happily when she spotted the van from inside the taxi. She toured around the campground visiting all “her adults”, minutes after arriving. It’s surprising how adaptable humans are to their environments. We felt just as excited about coming home to the comforts of our van as we might have to our house in Calgary. The thought of having our kitchen back and of sleeping in our own beds had the same appeal as it would have had we been coming back to an actual house. Sienna slept more soundly tonight than she had all week.
