Planning our route north

We didn't expect to be here in Valle de Juarez this long, but because of my dental work it turns out that we're "stuck" here until March 13th.

While we're very happy to be spending more time here than expected, it also means that our drive up to Los Angeles area has to be done in a two week period. Which means we have to do more miles per day than we normally like to do.

Another great day in Mexico

Barb and Sal came to pick us up just before 9:00am and we went to a restaurant for breakfast. This was a little different breakfast! We had lamb with tortillas and garbanzo bean consomme.

And man, we were stuffed! Didn't need any lunch, that's for sure.

Market day in Valle de Juarez

One of the things we love about this area is market day in the town of Valle de Juarez. Saturday is the day of the weekly tianguis market, and so Ruth and I did the two km walk into town to get our supply of fruits and veggies.

When we got to the market, we met Barb and Sal there.

Visits to the dentist and the doctor in the same day!

Ruth had her teeth cleaning scheduled for 11:30am yesterday morning. We were planning on riding our bikes there, but a real strong wind had picked up and so we decided to walk the 2 kms (1.3 miles) in to the dentists office.

Arrived at 11:25, and sure enough Ruth was taken in five minutes later.

Mexico RV Caravan group profile... #4

Okay, here we are with two more interviews with the members of the Mexico RV caravan group. We had a lot of fun doing these interviews, and we learned a little about what motivates someone to go to Mexico in an RV...and even more, what it's like to do it with a group.

This particular group appears to have been very lucky, in that they were all pretty easy to get along with. That makes it more enjoyable for everyone, including those of us who led the group!

Back on our own

The RV caravan pulled out yesterday morning at 8:00am. I took a video of them all leaving, but it's too big to upload on our not very good cellular internet connection.

There had been another couple in the RV park as well, but they pulled out a little later, leaving Sherman all by himself.

Mexico RV caravan group profile...part 3

We had fun interviewing the people that we have spent the last month with on this Mexico RV Caravan. It's interesting finding out how people decided on this kind of trip and what their thinking was regarding taking an RV into Mexico.

I remember back in 2007 when we were first offered the opportunity to RV in Mexico. In all honesty, the thought of driving a motorhome into Mexico had simply never occurred to us!

Another change of plans!

Had a fun day yesterday with the group as we rented a tour vehicle that goes up into the nearby mountains of El Tigre. It comfortably sat 20 people so it was the perfect size vehicle.

Ruth and I had done this drive with the little blue car back in 2013, I think it was. Not really the type of road that you want to take a car on, but we are adventurous and did fine.

A Mexican cultural experience to remember

Yesterday, we took the RV caravan group up into the remote mountains of Jalisco, Mexico to see something that very few tourists ever get to experience.

Ruth and I had been up to this traditional family mescal distillery twice before. The owner, Don Jesus and his sons have been very welcoming to our groups in the past, and so we asked Barb and Sal if they could arrange for us to visit again and this time take the RV caravan group up there with us.

More of our Mexico RV caravan group...

We're going to tell you about a few more of our Mexico RV caravan participants. Next up is a very independent single lady, Danielle.

Danielle (68) is originally from the area around Los Angeles, California, and is currently living full time in her class B van....although she calls Reno, Nevada home.

Back at Hacienda Contreras!

Yesterday was a travel day. Everyone was ready to go by 10:00am. It was just a short drive of 80 kms (50 miles) and so we hoped to have everyone parked up by noon. And that's pretty much what happened.

It felt so good climbing up into the mountains near Mazamitla. We've spent a lot of time in this area over the last eight years and it almost felt like coming home.

February Expenses

Well, it was a pretty cheap month...but you have to put it into context. Our expenses were a little skewed to the downside for the month because we were with the RV caravan group from February 5th on.

We spent a total of $904 CAD for the month. (Our American readers can subtract about 25% from these numbers for U.S. dollar equivalent).

Who joins an RV caravan to Mexico?

Yesterday was a day off for the group and we had no organized activities planned. At least none that we knew about!

So in the morning, we visited our friend John who has been living here at Roca Azul RV Park for the past year and a half or so. We first met John when he was living in Acapulco, and we saw him again there a couple of years later, along with his sister Dianna.

No sun, but a great sunset!

Around 10:00am yesterday morning we did a long walk into the town of Jocotepec with eight others from the RV caravan group. It was an overcast day...in fact I don't think we saw the sun all day and it was abnormally cool for this area.

But, it was a good day for a walk.

How many is too many...?

Everybody was ready to go yesterday for our 10:00am departure time. We crawled our way out to the main highway in Villa Corona and made it through three sets of lights without getting separated too much. It's not bad with a caravan group of ten rigs, but I can't imagine doing it with more and trying to keep the group together.

In fact, I don't think we would do it with more. I think it would reduce the enjoyment of leading a caravan. And from talking to some of our group, they also enjoy it much more with a smaller group.