Click on a photo to enlarge it.
On Monday, we drove through two National Parks in the mountains and then got to a town called Morelia, where we did the
fastest shopping ever!! Only the first 15 minutes parking were free!! So we did a supermarket dash in 11 minutes!!!
An all time record!
The road to Pátzcuaro was very good and we made it to the campground by 2-30pm. We were looking forward to a shower
and needed a rest after the long drive. We ended up staying for 3 nights.
We also found a launderette where there were self-service washing machines - rare in Mexico. Usually you drop off the
washing and collect either later that day or the next. So Kirsten stayed for two hours with the machines whilst Helen
prepared the evening meal. (We've forgotten what its like to do our own washing!!!)
On Tuesday, we walked into Pátzcuaro town which is a lovely quaint colonial town with cobbled streets. We wandered
around the town and the market and then got a collectivo to Santa Clara del Cobre where we wanted to pick up some souvenirs.
The journey should have only taken 30 minutes, but we didn't get off when we were supposed to and the driver didn't
tell us we were there, so we ended up going down a rough road for ages and ending up in the back end of beyond!! We
didn't realise until we came to the final stop and found out it wasn't Santa Clara!
So we had to wait 30 minutes and get the same collectivo all the way back to Santa Clara! It took us 2 hours to get
there!! And it was already 5-45pm so we didn't have much time for shopping.
At 7pm we got on a coach that stopped at the bus stop, as we didn't know when the next collectivo would come along -
or if there would be one! The coach was going all the way to Morelia, so we kept our eyes peeled to make sure we got
off at Pátzcuaro!! We finally got back at 8pm after a very long day and decided we would have to stay another night
as it would be too much of a rush to get everything done so we could leave the next morning.
On Wednesday, we went back into the town and wandered through the market to buy fresh fruit - 1kg strawberries, 5
bananas, and a canteloupe melon all for $2. We walked back to Winnie (2 miles) and Kirsten made strawberry flans -
yummy!
On Thursday, we did the usual cleaning and then set off at 11am. We drove 180 miles (290 km) heading for Guadalajara.
We found a Pemex at 6pm and pulled in for the night. On Friday, we drove the last few miles to the garage recommended
to us by an English couple we met in Pelenque, called Partsman, owned by an English mechanic called David Betts.
We waited for Dave to return and then spoke to him about what we wanted doing to Winnie and asking whether he could
do it. Besides an oil change and new brake pads we wanted to find out about sealing the alcove and side window that
leaked when it rained, fixing the air conditioning, checking our propane gas tank as we suspected we had a small leak
and a few other small things.
It turned out he could do everything - wonderful! What we didn't expect was that they would start straight away - we
thought we would have to make an appointment. But it wasn't long before Dave started working on the air con and the
oil change and brake pads were started.
By 8 pm we had found out that the cables for the air con had been broken and all the gas had escaped, so it would
take longer to fix. Plus Winnie had no wheels on as they were waiting for parts for the brakes. So Dave said we could
stop at his house for the night.
We ended up staying for 5 nights in Dave's house!! Dave built the house himself and it has a swimming pool!! He is
also an excellent cook and we were treated to beef and broccoli in Chinese sauce with a Greek salad. At 11-45pm, his
wife Carmen returned from her evening out and we ended up chatting until 1-30am! I think we fell into bed!
On Saturday, we got up at 8-30am, showered, and had coffee with Carmen. Then she drove us to the workshop at 10-30am.
At 12 noon we went into Guadalajara with Carmen who needed to pick up parts - some of them were for Winnie. We
stopped at a market where Carmen wanted to pick up half a lamb. Carmen, (who is Mexican if you hadn't already
realised!) had to phone up the workshop to ask what the Spanish word for "lamb" was!! Helen has similar problems and
has to ask Kirsten what a word in English is, from time to time!!
Carmen was like a whirlwind - we had to run to keep up with her! She had a lot to do and we were just there for the
ride. We've managed to find out where all the parts shops in Guadalajara are!! We got back at 2-45pm and found that
Winnie was soaking inside! Our carpet had been cleaned because the workers had managed to get oil on it!!
We told Dave that it would take at least a day to dry if not longer - we know our carpet!! So he got the girls to
hoover more of the water out. We used some towels afterwards but it was still very wet. So we went back to Dave's
house at 5-30pm, parked Winnie up outside, and went swimming in the pool!! (Greek salad and lamb patties for evening
meal, yummy!) We ended up chatting until 1am!
On Sunday, we went with Dave and Carmen to the local market and met up with Carmen's daughter Luz Marie, her husband
Sergio and their three children, Alanya (18), Omar (15 today!) and Athziri (6). Kirsten bought various computer
software programmes on CD and Helen bought 3 CDs with the Britanica Encyclopaedia on them! (Total $32 US). Then we
ran after Carmen as she whizzed around buying vegetables etc! We're surprised we didn't lose anybody in the bustling
market!
When we got back we were treated to Hawaiian dancing by Athziri, and bearing in mind she is only 6 and has only had
classes for 4 months, she was very good!! After lunch, we played "Uno" - a card game - with Athziri, Omar and Alanya
which was a big laugh! Then we went swimming in the pool and played water polo which was great but exhausting.
Then Carmen's other daughter Patty came with her three children, Karen (13 who looks 22!), Emiliano (4 and very fit
and quick playing with the ball in the pool!) and her youngest daughter whose name we couldn't pronounce but means
Spring Water in Nahuatl language (18 months).
Luz Maria and Sergio cooked a superb meal of pork in a mushroom and cream sauce, with mashed potatoes, rice and salad.
Dave insisted that we drink Marguaritas which were quite strong!! So we sobered up doing the washing up!! There was
also a yummy homemade birthday cake for Omar. Afterwards we watched a film in Spanish which we'd already seen in German,
so at least we knew what was going on!!
When everyone left, we sat chatting with Carmen until 1am and then dropped into bed exhausted!!
