Bienvenidos a Michoacán

One rabies shot later, we were leaving Manzanillo, Colima, heading towards the Michoacán border.

Bananas galore through Colima. Lush crop fields everywhere; ‘plátanos maduros’ more than anything, piled all over the place. (That is our lasting memory of that state…A beautiful drive, but… hot and humid in ol’ Pancho).

Sticking to our chairs, becoming one with our vehicle, we crossed the border!

Squealing to a halt at the first ‘lookout point’; we peeled ourselves out (just like one of those bananas) to take in the view…

Wow Michoacán…talk about exceeding expectations. The only thing comparable would be the Big Sur coast line on tropical steroids.

Dramatic cliffs, rocks, with pristine beaches outlined in palms down below. Every shade of green making the steep mountainous terrain more impressive. How had we not heard about this before?

Winding our way through the jungle, peering out at the vistas every opportunity, we started looking for lodging.

Narrowing down the options; J picked Marüata… Bienvenidos a Michoacán! Quite an introduction to this magical place.

The long drive was well worth it. Pancho didn’t fit under the camping palapa; so we went with a cabaña…

Mozy didn’t think it was too bad either.

Querido San Pancho

Like a warm hug from an old friend, you are always welcomed back to San Pancho, no matter how much time has passed.

Cobblestone streets, colorful flags, bustling cafes on every corner. It has an international presence, attracting people from all over the globe.

Surfers, artists, musicians, doctors, engineers, hippies, bienvenidos a todos; there is something for everyone.

As luck would have it, we arrived during the annual 3 day music festival! Two stages take over the main plaza, offering a full line up of amazing talent each evening.

Locals and tourists flock in together, bringing chairs, blankets, picnics to hangout and enjoy the show!

Food and goods vendors line the perimeter, selling everything from woven blankets to South American Alfajores (stuffed with dulce de leche) to a booth selling ‘vegan sushi’… (I told you there was something for everyone 😉 )

It was an awesome way to kick off our time there together.

Rewind 20 years, I was lucky to call this place home. My family gave me an amazing, unique experience that has changed my life forever. We moved as a family; my parents enrolling all the girls into the towns public school, la secundaria. (And my younger brother into the elementary school).

I was 13 and didn’t know a word of Spanish (okay… maybe helado (ice cream), dinero (money) and baño (bathroom).

Shy as a kid, it was the best thing that ever happened to me. There were no ‘cliques’ there, everyone was included, any quinceañera, fiesta, everyone was invited and had a good time. It was the most loving, inclusive, beautiful culture to be introduced to. Nicknames weren’t mean, they were affectionate.

Friday nights, a truck unloaded foose-ball table soccer games in the plaza where we’d play for hours with our school mates for a few pesos.

Saturday nights were the DISCOS, where the town gathered to dance the night away… where we secretly had our first ‘wine coolers’ …. Dad smelled right through that mint gum …

Sunday’s were fresh pozole…

There was the stand by the hospital that sold the best burritos, Los Delfines for the best tacos … Angela’s for the famous chicken tortilla soup…

Days were spent on the beach, running through town, ranchera music and laughter filling the streets. Special friendships were made that would last forever…

It wasn’t just friendships, they gave me the gift of language and showed me a wonderful way of life. Drawing pictures and writing words – el flor, flower. It was body language and gestures…Somehow making plans and always showing up.

Moving so many times over the years, it’s one of the few places that truly feels like home, a place that I couldn’t wait to introduce to my partner in crime…

Sensory overload, it was hard to make up my mind on what we should do… so we just tried to do and eat everything haha!

It is a foodie haven… we indulged… Dolce Amore Italian food, tortas, burritos, licuados served in cactus glasses, craft beers, cafe lattes, empanadas, jugos verdes, carne asada, pastas…

The beach, jungle, surfing, a few late nights with friends, giggling and sharing old stories. It was such a special stay with J and my sweet amigos. We stayed four nights and could have easily remained for the rest of our time off…

Our finale dinner was at the Ola Rica (a family favorite restaurant). I know the owners well and we hugged, recognizing each other after all these years. They spoiled us with more drinks… we left SO FULL, I felt like a hard boiled egg.

It’s so hard to say good bye to San Pancho, so I just “hasta luego”… hasta la próxima vez que puedo volver, back into those welcoming arms. Querido San Pancho.

San Jose del Cabo

San Jose del Cabo evokes many special memories for us …epic surf trips “rip to the tip“, desconocido wave breaks, beaches privadas, burros curiosos and Cabo Ironman…140.6 miles of heart, grit …and sweat… through the incredible peninsula.

Flooded with fond recollections, we decided to treat ourselves to one night in a hotel, right in the colonial area of downtown.

While the ‘party-place’ Cabo commotion has a time and place; we’ve really fallen for the ‘girl next door’, San Jose del Cabo… less crowded, warm and charming cobblestone streets, delicious restaurants… beautiful, comfy and cozy!

Settled in for the evening, J discovered a rad new restaurant, La Lupita Taco y Mezcal, delivering the most mind-blowing gourmet tacos and a much craved margarita!

My fav was the fresh sea bass with miso infused crema….

Despacito

There they were… a stranded, foreign couple in the middle of nowhere, trying to flag down help on a two lane highway, in what J described as a “Dr. Seuss desert forest”.

Oh shoot… did I say “they”… I meant “we“…

You almost always start evaluating yourself from an outsider’s perspective in these types of situations….. “Would I stop for me?”

Haha, not to fear! As a couple, I’m pretty sure this was our 4th time hitchhiking… Yes, we’re real experienced “hitchers” 😉

The last time? Running down the El Yunque rainforest in Colombia, with all our luggage, trying to make the bus back to Cartagena…yes, we did score a ride (sweaty and everything) barely making our autobús. Woot!

We have the different ‘waves’ down…

This one was the forceful, double handed ‘parade wave’, communicating, “Hello, we are friendly… but, Please. Stop. Now. Thanks.”

Moments later, a small cargo truck with two men pulled off to see what the commotion was… Although, relatively calm, I could not remember the word for “tow truck”…

The stage was mine… It was like an anxiety ridden game of catchphrase… motioning and blurting out phrases, “we need a big truck for the van” … “You know the larger one to take the little one”… “The vehicle to put the other vehicle “…

“Una grúa?”…. “Si, si, una grúa”… There was only room for one of us in the cargo truck… (Neither of us wanted to leave the other alone…) After going back and forth regarding our options, the men offered to drive slowly behind us until we made it back to town.

The clanging from Pancho’s underbelly was concerning; we certainly didn’t want to make it worse. Guided to a mechanic, we posted up for a few hours to see if there would be a quick fix…

It was an interesting diagnosis to say the least. The mechanic had a hose cut on both ends and was using it like a stethoscope… holding one end to his ear and moving the other end to the transmission, engine etc. announcing, “Ruida aqui?…no… Ruida aqui…no… Ruida aqui?…Si, es el motor.. Tengo quitar el motor”.

Um… What…Remove the engine?!?! J and I exchanged some ‘I don’t think so’ looks. We quickly asked the mecánico if we could make it back to Ensenada. “Si, es posible…” That was good enough for us and really the only possibility at that point.

“Muy despacito”, he cautioned. Giving understanding nods, we thanked the mechanic for his time and started back North.

Just like the song…

“Pasito a pasito, suave suavecito
Nos vamos pegando, poquito a poquito”

Nervously stepping onto the dance floor, poquito a poquito, 40 mph for over 130 miles. We just kind of held our breath, encouraging each other along in this fragile dance down the highway… While stress was in the air; I’m proud we both did great at focusing on the positive ~ PMA alllll the way. The clattering had subsided some…fingers crossed…

Gracias a dios! Hours later, driving into this familiar area was such a relief… made it back to Ensenada.

A quick stop for tacos later, we were high-fiving; it felt like victory!

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!)

Vacation Days

Big things happening this week:

Transmission rebuild = complete!

Vehicle registration = complete! (Thank goodness for AAA, saving us hours from the dreaded DMV). It felt pretty good getting those license plates…real official….woot!

Costco run = complete. Ha! No, not for the trip, just for life. In the midst of all this craziness, we decided it was a good idea to do a 21 day sugar detox. Stocked up on meats, veggies, almond butter, eggs…sadly had to skip the wine aisle…next time.

The reality of this trip is really starting to sink in. How often does one get to spend 3 months traveling through Mexico?! It really is a rare opportunity; J is in a unique position to make shift trades and my contract is coming to an end.

It’s crazy (for me) to digest that I only have three weeks of work left. Planning the transition, I have been sharing our plans with more and more people. The reactions have been all over the board: shocked, amused, excited, curious, amazed, skeptical, unsure, annoyed, and my favorite, genuinely happy for us.

The truth is: not enough people take vacations and time for themselves.

“Unlike every other developed nation in the world, the U.S. has no mandated number of days off for employees. About one-fourth of American workers get no paid vacation at all. Those whose employers offer it receive an average of about 10 days a year” – https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/why-vacations-matter/index.html

Even with the average of ’10 days’, over half of Americans do not use all of the vacation they earn.

Being at companies in the past, where vacation hours were accrued, I was counting those hours each pay check to plan my next adventure… I would not leave a single minute.

There are so many aspects of life, work is certainly one of them, but should not be the only one. Take the vacation days, discover somewhere new, go for a walk, lay in a hammock. You won’t regret it.

We are excited to live ‘outside the box’ for this upcoming period and fully experience all that life has to offer.

Cookies

After getting Pancho home safely, we checked him into the doctor for his first operation; rebuilding the transmission.

We have about two months until ‘Mexico go-time’ so we’re tackling the big stuff first. Parting ways, it was time to pack up the bicicletas for an adventure in the Malibu mountains…

Challenge: Phil’s Cookie Fondo.

Course consisted of: Spandex, gourmet cookies, tough climbs, burning lungs, sweat, eye watering descents, beautiful views, and did I already say COOKIES? Yes, at everrrrry aid station…sweetness!

Ex pro cyclist, Phil Gaimon, known for chowing down cookies on serious races, puts on an awesome event! Dressed up like the cookie monster, he organized several routes: Mini Chip, Sugar Cookie, Chocolate Chip and Double Fudge. (The double fudgers are walnuts! 110 miles…eeesh).

We opted for the 50 mile Sugar Cookie ride, plenty challenging with over 3,250 ft+ of climbing. It was a rad day, starting through foggy farmlands, climbing up windy narrow roads, discovering gorgeous, rocky, hilly, terrain sprinkled with horse stables and impressive ranches.

Sweet treats along the way until we found the Malibu coast for the last stretch. Right when you are about to cross over to the dark side, fatigued and in need of more calories, you ride through the finish archways to find a Michelin star meal and cold beer waiting for you. Amazing.

Of course we had to bring home some gourmet coffee…one of the best souvenirs 😊