Yesterday, we set off at 9:00am, and by the time we returned at around 3:30pm we had done 23.6 kms (14.6 miles). Yikes! Haven't done that for a long time!
The plan was to go up to the village of El Tigre in the mountains behind Valle de Juarez. We knew that it was just under 12 kms one way, and with a 2,000 ft elevation gain. But it's a steady uphill climb and not too steep in any given section.
We set off at 9:00am along with a few others who were heading into town for breakfast. But it was us along with Denise and Bob, and Markéta and Libor (a couple who showed up here at the campground) who continued on to the top.
Starting to get some views.
Moo!
Looking back.
Moo!
Moo!
Looking ahead.
Looking down at Valle de Juarez.
Scenery along the way.
More scenery.
Great views from up in the pine trees.
We climbed from 6,500 ft to 8,500 ft altitude.
After a few photo stops and one short break we made it to El Tigre at 11:43am.
We took a break and had some snacks in the shade, but then we went to a little "comida casera" (home cooking) place that we had been to in previous years. This is inside a family's home where they have made a sort of a store out of the side room.
She pointed to the fridge and said we could help ourselves to drinks. A cold beer sure went down good!
Libor, Markéta, Denise, Bob, and Ruth.
Libor and Markéta are both originally from Czech Republic, but they met and married in Canada. They are from British Columbia.
Cooking us some lunch.
Yummy egg, beans, and cheese tacos.
As much as you could eat!
The cheese was fresh... they make it right there up in the mountains...
The lady and her husband were making cheese.
Straining it.
Then it sits here to drain.
Fresh cheese!
We paid our bill and bought some fresh cheese. It was 50 pesos ($2.65 USD, $3.50 CAD) per person for the food, 20 pesos ($1.05 USD, $1.40 CAD) for each beer, and 40 pesos ($2.10 USD, $2.80 CAD) for a small round cheese block.
Then, we had to decide how to get back down. We could retrace our route (all downhill) and hope that a pickup truck would stop and let us all in the back. Or, we could carry on further another 7.7 kms (4.8 miles) to Mazamitla and take a taxi back from there. We took a vote, and it was tied! So we flipped a coin, and that made our decision to head back down the hill.
Gorgeous views.
And a beautiful day.
Moooo!
But, we had hiked back down 6 kms (3.6 miles) and there still had not been one single vehicle that passed us going downhill. At that point, we might as well just finish walking!
Made it back to the campground at just after 3:30pm. A total of 23.6 kms (14.6 miles).
Then, Ruth and I hopped on our bicycles and did another 2.5 kms (1.6 miles) to meet up with the rest of the group who had been invited to happy hour at Becky and Jerry's place. They are an expat couple who live in the area. Thank you for the invite Becky and Jerry!
Happy hour at Becky and Jerry's.
Time is flying... it's March 1st already and our trip is 3/4 over!
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Great deal on an electric pressure washer...
And in Canada...
Say hola to Markéta and Libor from us. Not sure if they still plan on heading this way this season. Please let them know that we are leaving here on the 20th.
ReplyDeleteYour message has been passed along.
DeleteThat was an ambitious hike! Great scenery.
ReplyDeleteIt was definitely a long one, even for us but the views were well worth it. :-)
DeleteThank you for the hike in pictures. When I look at that country side, that is what I long to be around. The simple life. We are going to be doing some soul searching over the summer and figuring out a plan for Mexico next year. Thank you so so much for making it easier for us to take the plunge. Maybe one day, we will be one of the people you stop to see in Mexicon on your caravan travels. Safe Travels
ReplyDeleteIf you like this type of countryside then you really need to stay inland, it is also usually cheaper unless you are in areas that have a large expat community like San Miguel de Allende and the Ajijic/Chapala areas.
DeleteAlways remember, if you have any questions ask away and we will try to help you out with the answers. We would love to visit with you guys in Mexico one day. :-)
When we were there in December, the woman was grouchy and not very friendly. Her husband had to push her to make us coffee. He was great entertainment and had worked in the U.S. for quite a few years. Nice rest and chat before heading back down the mountain.
ReplyDeleteGreat pics!
She wasn't grouchy with us but she also wasn't all smiley and welcoming. We did have her smiling a couple of times though. We didn't talk with him too much as he was very busy watching the milk cooking away in order to make the queso fresco and needed to keep his eyes on the pot for the perfect time to stop skimming off the whey.
DeleteIt was a welcome stop for sure. :-)
Yesterday my sister and I climbed to the summit of a small mountain. The first mile was easy trail then we started to climb straight up with no switch backs. In some areas it was hand over hand climbing. We made it in hour and half but the walk down took a toll on my knees & hips. Both in our early 70's in age. It was a beautiful hike with lots of flowers, butterflies, and hummingbirds flitting around. We received tons of comments and views on our FB page. It was a gorgeous day. Nope, I'm not sore at all today....I thought I would be. We plan to hike again soon with other friends in our age category. My sister posted 'Sister made it up steep climb and I didn't have to call 911.' LOL
ReplyDeleteGlad that you had a good hike.
DeleteP.S. we made it up in an hour and half but twice that coming down...go figure. I had to stop many times to rest my knees and hips on way down. I thought 'Oh lord, I hope I can still operate my truck with clutch...especially on busy streets here. I did fine.
ReplyDeleteYes, coming down can be a little harder on the knees.
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