March 26

Had plans today to visit a Vanilla factory but with miss communication we lost the lead vehicle and couldn't find the factory on our own. So my car load went shopping, I got some pecoes and groceries....not too much because we'll be we'll be eating out alot and crossing the border in a few days......

March 25

On the road to Costa Esmeralda.....High winds! Scary! Trucks travelling slowly, 2x2 along the highway. We decided it was probably a full truck along side an empty to buffer from the wind. It would be too easy to get blown off the road. Parked tonight in "Trailer Park de Alba" on the gulf coast. The winds are still very high and the air is cool. Too cold to enjoy the beach and water. It's a nice park and they are opening the resturant and cooking especially for us tonight. I had a delicious shrimp dinner!

March 23-24

3/23

When we started out this morning on the Mex 185, the thermometer read 67 degrees! Feeling human, actually cold but the countryside is beautiful, rolling hills, cattle ranches.

We are in Catemaco, two nights in a real RV park...water, electricity, sewer and a swimming pool! Hotel Tepetapan and RV Park. Ah, such luxury! Catemaco is the witch capitol of Mexico! Tonight we walked into town and had a nice flirt with some guys at a resturant where we were the only customers.....the one guy who spoke pretty good english told me for him it was love at first sight. We'd had a few beers and it was all in fun!

3/24

Today we had a boat ride on Laco Catemaco and a jungle walk....had another chance to have a mud facial and/or meet with a shaman all for a little donation, ofcourse. Then back to a resturant named La Ola for a good lunch. I was out of pecoes but couldn't get close to the bank....the taxes are due and so the lines are long. So no cash for a taxi I walked back to the RV park in real heat! Felt sick when I got back but got a large water and found a hammock to lie in and recovered!

March 22

We were able to relax this morning and enjoy a late breakfast at the beach resturant. We were cautioned to be alert to the high winds as we crossed from the pacific coast to the Gulf coast. It was really rocking our Casa-mobile! Huge windmill farms..... Tonight we are in a Pemex Parking lot in Matias Romero and our social tonight we were served tequilla sunrise or sunsets which really was a mixture of any or all the booze left from previous socials...I think! We contributed our crock of Black Diamond cheese and what a hit that made!

March 21

How would you spell Whoa Ha Ka? if someone spoke that name to you? Well, fool me! It's spelt Oaxaca. Today we made our way on great roads to a nice beach town of Arista Puerto. We are parked on the street outside the Bugamvillas Hotel. We get to use the hotel pool, Wi-Fi and bathroom facilities. It's blistering hot, so hot it burns your feet on the sandy beach. This our last stop on the pacific side of Mexico... and we'll cool down in the pool instead of the ocean because there is also a fierce undertow as well as hot sand. The beach patrol was out just past the rollers making a rescue of someone who got tired out trying to get back to shore......

March 20

Back to Mexico! Spent the last of our Quetzales on coffee and a sweet roll. Crossed the border in record time 3:10 and Pam won the pool....it was a double pool since noone won the last one. Tonight we are in a Sam's Club parking lot in Tapachula and having a Pizza Party. It has been HOT...a steady 95 degrees.

March 20

March 19

A free day! Not just to play on the water slides but a day to clean, and get laundry done. The park is full of children today and we are blessed with a group of teenagers by our camper. So, what do you do???? We are out there trying to communicate and it was fun as we wanted to be understood. The kids just as much as us..... names, ages, where we are from and where we are going, we brought out the maps, as we talked to eachother, back and forth in halting english and poor spanish. They, as interested in us as we were in them.

Since we leave tomorrow, crossing into Mexico and needing to be rid of raw meats and fresh vegetables, tonight is a group meal called "Stone Soup"organized by the wagonmaster and tailgunners.

March 18

Up and out early....we're on the bus to Chichicastenago! Love that word...it's one to dance or sing to, Chi Chi Caste nago! And shopping and absorbing the local flavors at the wonderful indian market. Lunch was traditonal, typical, local foods, .....grilled meats, rice, beans, squash, fruits. Delicious! Then back on the bus for the long ride back to Auto Maricosa, by way of Lake Atitlan.

March 17

Off on another excursion with the local guide on a bus to Antiqua. Walked the town, learning it's history, politics,etc. and visited the Jade factory and museum and shop. Fascinating! After lunch we toured the Macadamia farm....a real character from the states led us around, expounding the virtous of the macadamia nut and we ended in the little show room where we were offered free facials with the oils(not greasy) from the nut and ofcourse an oppertunity to purchase some of their products...oils, creams, and chocolate covered macadamia nuts! We checked into a lovely hotel with beautiful courtyards. It's a town to come back to.....

March 15-16

Another border day! Back to Guatamala! To Amatitlan and the Auto Maricos.... it's a water park! The kind with many pools and slides of all shapes and sizes. Hot tubs, wave pool, kiddy poolsand lap pools......And a free day just to hang and play!

March 15

March 11-14 El Salvadore

Another border crossing day....always dreaded, but today we were pleasantly surprised by the quickest crossing yet. Apparently the local tour guide, "jorge", has a competition going with himself to better each crossing time. So we eliminated a night in another gas station parking lot and drove directly to the Tesoro Beach Hotel at Costa Del Sol....a long drive but worth it! We now have a free(?) day. An extra Beach Day! Another one of those little things I enjoy so much!

Our "campsite" is a pasture next to the hotel and we had a few bewildered cows wandered in but "real cowboys" rescued them from us monsters. I am sure our rigs, in a ring around the field, is an awesome site! The hotel is vertually empty....literally only one or two guests and a whole beevy of employees. It's beautiful! So, we are enjoying the pool, the WiFi, and the surroundings..........our own private resort!

Sunday, we boarded the bus and were transported into San Salvadore with our guide Jorge(www.tourinelsalvador.com, leading. The "Red" party was rallying so there were truck loads of red T-shirted folks waving red flags in the streets, in another part of town the cabellaros were prancing along on their beautiful horses festooned with ribbons and flowers. We visited the Cathedral Metropolitan and the amazing "Iglesia el Rosario". And ofcourse we had to shop, so we visited the Mercado Central and Mercado National de Artesanias. I bought a little painted folding table which I'll probably have to sleep with because we are getting quite crowded in our little camper with all our wonderful T shirts and hammocks and ofcourse "Omar" the flamingo. We ended the day with a visit to Pupusa central. We watched the making of and a few of us ate the "national dish" of El Salvadore, Pupusas.