Carnival

Yesterday dawned at last after a long sleepless night. Starting at four in the afternoon Saturday we heard loud explosions all across the city. Of course it could have been a cartel turf war but if it was, we were listening to the slowest shoot out in history. One shot every fifteen minutes seemed a rather slow rate of fire between warring desperados but it was about right for people trying to celebrate without blowing their fingers off. Rusty took refuge in his bomb shelter under the bed.

I took Rusty for a walk outside the campground, just far enough for him to lay his morning egg and then we scuttled back to the van as the city continued to have gunpowder fun to fend off the ritual boredom of Lent starting on Wednesday. We had to move somewhere.

Here’s the problem: anywhere there are people there are likely to be fire crackers to make Rusty crazy. He was chased by angry farmers after he was abandoned in Homestead and he saw dogs shot to death as he struggled to escape. The experience witnessed by his rescuers left its mark. He’s doing better but constant all night fire crackers are too much.

We even considered going back to the coast but layne pointed out that’s where people take vacations and celebrate. We thought about taking a hotel in the big city of Morelia our next destination. Hotels are packed. In the end we decided our best chance was to take a space at a campground just outside town on top of a hill. Off we went.

In a state with exceptionally decrepit roads the route to La Mesa Hotel and RV park is a masterpiece of self destruction. It’s cobbled and runs through a poor neighborhood so there is no incentive for those in charge to ameliorate their lives. Crumbling cobbles are horrible to drive, like unpredictable washboard that rattles teeth at random. 

We followed the blue line from Villa  Pátzcuaro to Rancho La Mesa and when we got there the cobbled road ended. Great! Right? Hardly. We found ourselves facing an intersection between ghastly and utterly impossible. One road was a sand canyon and the other was a narrow sand track and neither looked appetizing. We sat and stared and pondered our options. We had none. Then a young man with silver capped teeth stopped at the window and smiled and asked if we were looking for La Mesa? He was the gate guard of a massive unmarked metal fortress. His remote had a dead battery (not kidding here) and he couldn’t open the gate. Could we wait five minutes? Sure. Thank god we speak Spanish!

After the steel gate slid open we faced one more steep scramble up a winding Alpine path and we had arrived. The whole field to ourselves with plugs for electricity, water faucets and a shower and toilet hut WiFi during the day when the restaurant is open. All for $18 a night and only distant sounds of fire crackers. Rusty settled into this place quite easily. He still gets a bit scared occasionally with the loudest bangs but he’s eating and sleeping again. 

The temperatures here at 7500 feet are 75 by day under the sun and 55 by night, perfect sleeping weather. Not only Rusty has the run of the field. There are goats cows chickens and:

A couple of horses strolled into the frame and were soon rounded up by a couple of kids and led away. We decided to have lunch fed to us so we left Rusty in his bed and strolled into an extraordinary lunch place. We were preceded by the local BMW motorcycle club. 

And we were followed by a whole bunch of middle class Mexicans enjoying their Sunday off. We were the sole gringos at lunch. We are getting used to it. 

Lunch was superb. We started with two traditional appetizers, dried meat rather nicer than jerky and a soup filled with cheese chunks and tortilla strips.

We shared a first rate hamburger with crispy lettuce tomatoes and pickles and a side of fries all first rate. They make their own sangria and add a healthy dollop of vodka to the wine. Lucky we didn’t have to drive. Coffee was of the Mexican sort, smooth and infused with cinnamon. 

All beautifully done for $34 including tip. That’s life in Mexico when you have dollars. We spent $400 all week and we haven’t held back. Incredibly privileged, and we know it. 

We opened up the van when we got back and Rusty resumed his watch. Not a bad view either from our spot.

We napped our lunch off, and bowed to the inevitable with some exercise. Rusty hardly wanted a walk so I haven’t done much exploring. There will be time for that. Meanwhile we seem to have fallen on our feet again. Magic Mexico indeed. Where is everyone?