Just north of Jalpa

Tuesday March 24…8:30pm

We were up early again, before 7:00am. They filled the various swimming pools with fresh water, as they do every day, and Ruth and I went for a swim. The mineral hot springs water that they fill the pools with is a constant temperature of 39C (98F). You’d think that’s too hot for swimming in Mexico, but it feels just right, and it sure is easy to get into the water.

We left the water park at about 10:15am, and drove the ring road around Guadalajara. There was a lot of traffic, but the signs were relatively easy to follow, and after an hour and a half we were on highway 54 headed towards Zacatecas. The road is curvy and narrow, and twice we had to slow and go onto the shoulder when tractor trailers were in our lane going around a hairpin turn.

View of the valley and mountains on the north side of Guadalajara

The town of San Francisico Ixcatan taken from Hwy# 54

We ended up driving 230 kms (143 miles) in 4 hours. We did stop along the way for lunch, and we stopped twice to ask about overnighting. There is another water park spa place just before Jalpa, but they wouldn’t let us park overnight. And then we were going to ask at a Federal Police station, but there was nobody there! So we continued just past Jalpa and are parked for free at a Pemex gas station for the night.

Only another 140 kms (87 miles) and we’ll be in Zacatecas tomorrow.

Total nights sleeping in a motorhome…514

March Fuel $330.20 CAN

March Grocery $220.60 CAN

March Overnight costs $145.09 CAN