Off to the beach!

The kids were looking forward to going to the beach, so we set off just after 10:00am to drive down to the central tourist area of Playa del Carmen.

The entire central area is pay parking on the street, and you have to pay at a machine and then leave the slip of paper on your dash that displays the time that your parking expires.

I saw a guy standing there with a sign with my name on it!

Up at 4:15am Tuesday morning along with Paco and Oti who were so nice to take us to the airport at that ungodly hour. 

No traffic at that hour of course, it took only twenty minutes or so to get to the airport from their house. It was only a local flight so no need to get there too early. We already had our boarding passes, and we didn't have any bags to check. Our flight was scheduled to depart at 6:10am.

Bus trip to Toluca, and visit to Metepec

Boy, it doesn't take long to get a day behind when we're busy. 

Monday was travel day! We took the bus from El Arco on Monday afternoon, for the hour and a half or so bus ride to the city of Toluca where we were met by friends Paco and Oti.

Next stop, Playa del Carmen!

We headed back into town yesterday to try and do something with Ruth's shoes. Also, Sunday is market day in Valle de Bravo, and while we didn't need anything because we won't be here for the next week, we always enjoy wandering around the market.

So anyhow, we made it to the place we bought Ruth's shoes... and the door was locked. They took our money and ran!

It actually arrived!

Despite the fact that I thought we had a rooftop solar panel setup sufficient for our needs, we still wanted a portable panel for the times when we might want Igor to be set up in the shade, and yet still be able to have electricity coming from a panel that is set up in the sun. 

Or, for when we have a cloudy day and need an extra boost.

Sometimes it's just not worth trying to be cheap

Once again, our attempt to be frugal has backfired.

Ruth had wanted a pair of walking shoes. She didn't want anything fancy, just something to wear when she wasn't wearing her hiking boots or sandals.

Crazy stuff!

Thursday afternoon we went for a walk along the road north of here that follows the shoreline towards Colorines. 

There is a big gated community on the hill and we wondered if they would let us in to go for a walk around.

A trip into town

We needed to do some more grocery shopping, plus we hadn't yet wandered around town. So we hopped into a collectivo taxi that runs by the roadway out front to take us into the center of Valle de Bravo. 

The cost is 25 pesos ($1.75 CAD, $1.25 USD) per person one way.

A sad day in the RV blogging world

When we started writing this blog many years ago, there were several other RV'ers also writing blogs. And although we were among the first, having began in 2007, there was one other RV blog that began the year before us... Al and Kelly from The Bayfield Bunch.

It was most common for these RV bloggers to use the same Blogger platform that we do, and many of them had read each others blogs, so it was easy to follow each others travels and sometimes even meet up when the routes crossed.

Fun afternoon out on Lake Avandaro

Paco and Oti had some friends visiting, and they invited us to join them all in their boat for a tour out on the lake.

Once again, an absolutely gorgeous day.

We're pretty excited

A week from tomorrow we fly back to Cancun. We were only there a month ago, but of course it was just a one night stopover on our way to pick up Igor at the border. 

This time, it's to meet our daughter and grandchildren. And even though that area of Mexico isn't our favorite, we're pretty excited!

Well that was a fun day!

Market day is Sunday in Valle de Bravo, but just for a change we decided that we would go to the Saturday market in the town of Colorines, about 16 kms (10 miles) away.

We have to take the collectivo (shared taxi) to get there, and it costs 25 pesos ($1.75 CAD, $1.25 USD) per person each way.

New friends, and other news!

Last week when we were in Valle de Bravo doing some shopping, we overheard someone speaking English. And as they walked past, I mentioned to them that's not a language we hear very often in this area.

That started a five minute conversation, and by the end of it, we were invited for lunch!

Views above Valle de Bravo

We finally got up enough ambition to get some exercise. So we set off to walk up a road that leads behind the village of San Gaspar, about a kilometer away. We have done this hike a couple of times in past years.

However this time, we got to the path that leads off the road and there is now a locked gate. We spoke to a local guy, and he suggested a different route that led up to a quartz quarry.

How to Create a Thriving RV Garden for Sustainable Travel?

Are you part of the growing crowd embracing RV travel as a way to explore the world sustainably? RV travel isn’t merely about exploring scenic routes or national parks. It’s becoming a unique lifestyle movement. Millennials and Gen X lead the charge, with three-quarters of Millennials planning RV road trips in 2023, according to RVShare. 

However, EPA data shows that each mile driven in a typical gas-powered vehicle releases about one pound of carbon dioxide. For RV enthusiasts covering thousands of miles each year, this can add up significantly. Yet, RV travel can still align with eco-conscious values by making thoughtful choices along the journey. One impactful solution is cultivating a chemical-free RV garden.