Nexpa

As J sweetly summarized, Nexpa was “popcorn kisses and Pacifico dreams”;

a sleepy surf town we hunkered down in for a few days on the Michoacán coast.

Heat and humidity guided us to a rustic cabaña, right on the beach, steps away from a famous surf break.

We were welcomed by our gringo neighbor nicknamed, Memo, and caught a few other friendly surfer waves along the way.

It was refreshing to settle into such a relaxing little lugar…

Nexpa was a fine stretch of sand with one main tienda (small store with essentials), a campground, hotel, cabañas and a handful of restaurants…(One of which we frequented often for the best shrimp burritos and banana licuados).

Waves a little too good for me, J shredded the gnar, while I got in my much loved beach walks.

Afternoons were sunshine, swimming, hammocks…And of course, the palmitas (popcorn) and Pacifico sunset dreams.

Taking a small break from the beloved Mexican food… we decided nights were Italian.

¡Mama Mia! Just enough to wet our appetite, we look forward to an extended stay here in the future.

(And trust me, I’m going to practice my surf to get out there next time!)

Greedy Seagulls

Do you ever feel like a greedy seagull while on vacation?

Just indulging in all things outside the ‘normal routine’…

Perusing the skies like a flying garbage disposal…

Take the back seat kale, move over quinoa… Muah-ha-ha… This BURGER is MINE…

Yessss…

ALLLLL the sushi is MINE…

All the wine….. MINE….

(Disclaimer: This is not an ad for Residence Inn Marriott, however, we were quite impressed with the large complimentary breakfast buffet 😉 ha!)

Hmmmmm…Ahhhhh…. No schedules …. No work, no email…No chores… THE WORLD IS MINE!!! …

Rewinding slightly…after enjoying a few lazy days at Las Rocas, outside Rosarito, we made a game plan and limped Pancho back across the border to the US side. A shop in Santee awaited our arrival and got to work on our little van baby.

While the car trouble caught us off guard, we were lucky to be that close to the border, and still have plenty of time to continue our adventure.

Even back where we started, we realized… we’re still on vacation!! (That’s where the greedy seagulls come flying in… “caw-caw” hahaha!)

We’ve never had this much time to do absolutely nothing at home. Some days we slept in till 10:00 am, others …. extended coffee time (with donuts), English Premier League soccer games, camping in Idyllwild, riding beach cruisers, getting caught in the rain while on the beach cruisers…making it to a special family wedding… taking walks, discussing why dogs shouldn’t wear sweaters…

You know, all the important things… 😉

Okay- fast forward–>

Getting Pancho back from the shop has given us a BIG second wind. Re-packing, re-arranging… with some experience under our belt; we’re raring to go and ready for round 2 in Mexico! Woooooot!!

¡Vámonos!

Rhythm of the Ranas

Our time at the Cañón de Guadalupe went by like a sweet song… rhythm of the ranas (frogs) every night and soft symphonies of little birds in the mornings.

This stay was all about ‘catching up on slowing down’ …

Morning swims in the springs, coffee, hiking, reading, (more soaking in the springs), ukulele-ing, relaxing and trying to absorb the beauty in every direction – mountain ranges and the grand ‘trono blanco’ (The White Throne) in one direction and the canyon desert oasis in the other.

3 days and nights of this lifestyle was like a wellness retreat in a “wings suit” … we felt so relaxed…rejuvenated… invigorated…ready to ‘carpe diem’ the hell out of this 3 month trip! Si… ¡FUERTE!

Directionally Challenged

We all have our strengths and weaknesses…Although it’s improved over the years, with life and traveling, I am OK admitting I can be ‘directionally challenged’ … 😉

Just give me a map and cross your fingers; you might find an entirely new destination… haha!

Finally heading South, everything was going smoothly… easy vehicle inspection and border crossing in Tecate…After the guards questioned the insulation hanging out of the back door, we were on our way!

Pulling off onto the marked dirt road, from my first ‘directions interpretation’, the camp was just 7 miles away.

It was a beautiful sunset as we bumped along the path, slowing down as parts of the way began to get a little … rougher.

As we neared the 7 mile mark, it was clear there were no camps in sight. Luckily there were sporadic signs encouraging us along.

Still in phone reception zone, I tried to pull up additional directions and found the following map:

Yea.. it was 7 miles before two roads rejoined together but a healthy total of 35 off road miles to camp… Saying good night to the last of the sun, we just broke the first rule of the trip… “Don’t drive at night”…

I like to think this doesn’t really count because we were just snailing along beside ranches and olive farms.

As the terrain became more … advanced… Pancho sounded like a shelf of fine china during an earthquake… a wiggling tray of teal jello… well you get the idea.

J was able to maneuver around boulders and creek crossings… a true ‘maestro de manejar’! And, Pancho, maybe he really did have four wheel drive…

Just as we feared we may have to turn around, we found the entrance…

Wooo hooo!

A couple emerged from the dark, guiding us to our site. After burning a little rubber, we were IN!

“¡Que aventura!” The stars were so bright, you didn’t even need headlamps.. Even in the dark, it was one of the most incredible campgrounds…

Our very own private hot springs, palapa hut and fire pit! Excited and tired, we went straight into the hot springs before calling it a night! … Buenas noches!!

Big Bites!!

I don’t think we bit off more than we could chew; we just took a REALLY big bite…;)

Like many things in life, Panchito projects averaged twice as long as anticipated which pushed our awaited take-off by a week or so.

Gnawing and nibbling our way through; we had an epiphany to stop the “rushed” feelings and enjoy this fine dining experience.

I mean, you need to enjoy the appetizer and entree before that dessert!!! Right?!

Once the floors were in, everything started coming together!

(Still working morning to night with: wall insulation… new siding… cabinets, kitchenette… the bed!)

Some nights were a cold beer and take-out in the van or garage 🙂 other evenings required something stronger… “where’s my whiskey!” Haha

The last few days, feelings of excitement are at an all time high. Completing the final touches; it’s sinking in that we’re having a rad start to 2019! Let the year begin!!

Expanding Horizons

There is something so rewarding about expanding your horizons and embracing the NEW.

Whether trying a new recipe, learning another language, watching video after video of how to properly install insulation and sub flooring… right or left brain…both sides have really been hitting the gym.

We’re talkin’ very mentally toned, if you know what I mean… 😉

We are definitely using our combined knowledge and expertise, but are embracing the NEW on a daily.

Exhibit A: Check out these floor s’mores! Yea!!

Our goal is to complete the flooring in the next day or two. And we think the ‘grey ash’ vinyl planks will compliment Pancho very nicely.

While making strides on the rebuild, we’ve also been acquiring living goodies for este viaje…el interior y la cocina…

Because when it comes to essentials, you can’t leave home without a zester…Right?

¡Buen provecho!

(On this topic, you have to try Picadillo with Plantains!)

Gutted

Dawn to dusk, rain or shine,

Safe to say, it’s been a grind….

Thanks to a lot of hard work and love, especially from J, Pancho has successfully been gutted and is officially rust-free! Wooot!

The floors have been treated, anxiously awaiting their new insulation and sub flooring.

J has developed a passion for auto restoration, I’ve discovered a new affinity for power tools (vroom baby)…

I think Pancho is really rubbing off on us…

We’ve come a long way and are so pumped for this next phase of customizing our dream machine… making it OURS.

¡Si se puede!