Cali the caretaker and I crossed paths outside El Rancho and we joked around for a moment about our imminent departure but honestly I will miss him. The plan is to leave El Rancho Tuesday morning.
We met a young couple last night, Jennifer and Paul from Montreal who wanted to see Mexico up close so they got in their Equinox and decided to drive to the beach resort in Huatulco just south of here on gje Pacific. Just like that. “We don’t like to fly,” he said as though that needed an explanation. Neither do I.
I shall miss Mattias and Silvia but the best part about travel is that you don’t say goodbye, you simply say “I’ll see you down the road.” And often you do. Places like El Rancho are a crossroads where overlanders meet.
Then there are the vehicle dwellers who settle into one place and don’t move. They conduct business loudly over the phone in communal spaces, sneak other peoples’ food out of the fridge and don’t clean up after themselves. Campground life is in some ways not far removed from college life.
Rusty will miss this place despite the squealing children riding at speed through his neighborhood. He is free of street dogs in the compound and he spends his days lounging in the shrubbery and hanging out with Mattias’ dog Laika.
Silvia tells me Laika, named for the first dog to die in space, is as averse to posing for a portrait as Rusty is. She has been all over Europe and North Africa and all over South America.
Cali mowing the lawn while conferring with the campground owner Paco. Paco and his brother Pepe used to advertise this place as a space for events and family gatherings like weddings. They said that was such a pain they stopped doing that and in a visit to the US they figured they could create a US style campground. Much easier to manage because we are all so grateful.
The cool winds of Fall have started up and when we paid our bill to Paco ($20 a night with the seventh night free) he said locals believe the cool winds are the spirits of the dead coming back for their holiday on November the First which is All Souls Day or el Dia de Los Muertos. Last night it was below 60 degrees and today it barely reached 75.
We don’t walk much as the surrounding countryside is pretty much a mixture of agricultural and residential with lots of loose dogs who bother Rusty so he’s happy to loop the campground with me.
This is how you get into El Rancho. Outside is Mexico inside is a Euro/US slice of life. Dogs are well fed, trash is picked up, and English is spoken. You have to have a communal language when there are Germans Belgians French Americans and Canadians. I try to cross language barriers but sometimes people prefer to keep to themselves and in this lifestyle that’s perfectly acceptable.
The road to the village of El Tule is a dirt BMX off-road course full of potholes and trenches and sleeping dogs. It’s in terrible shape for half a mile because neither the county nor the municipality want to take responsibility for it. So there it is.
Life at El Rancho, what a great place to camp.
Check out that wall below! Thats the campground keeping Mexico outside.
Rainy season clouds. The rains come down from the mountains as do the winds of the dead.
Cali on anti mosquito patrol.
Out buying mezcal from our favorite local maker in the village of Güendulain. Mezcal easily induces me to drink too much but it never gives me a headache.
Silvia training Laika. In Germany Silvia volunteered as a dog trainer.
A terrible picture of two Americans also driving a Promaster van to Argentina. Roan and Carrie from Utah are also waiting out the Guatemala situation. However they are smarter than us as they are now waiting for friends to come down and celebrate the Day of the Dead in Oaxaca, the most famous such celebration in Mexico. Their YouTube channel is called The Wayward Travelers.
He’s going to miss this place!
