Semana Santa- Happy Easter!

Our hunch about the fairly remote beach, ¨The Ranch¨ , proved to be right, and though families came out daily to enjoy the beach and one another´s compnay, they mostly lived close by and saw no reason to camp.  And so, in this manner we avoided the infamous all night Semana Santa parties, full of dueling tubas and crackly car speakers, mezcal and late night laughter, although merry and surely fun for the participants, difficult to sleep through.  Fortunately, we did not find ourselves alone either, for if we had we probably wouldn´t have stayed so long.  There was the quintessential retired American surfer, who travels and lives out of his van making art and surfing, and also 3 South Africans who found reprieve from the crowds, and, like I said we were glad to have them. 

The 3 fellows from South Africa were excited about getting to travel through Mexico (and on to Panama). Indeed it is far from the tip of Africa, and not once did they mention how lucky we were to live so close and with such ease of accessibility (we can drive!) to these beautiful Mexican paradises.  We agreed wholeheartedly (we are very thankful to have this opportunity), but in the back of my mind I smiled to think of all the warnings we recieved at the start.  Fortunately we have been blessed with beautiful places and amazingly kind people.  We have in fact seen only unlimited hospitality, open homes and open hearts.  Many have said we were welcome anytime and many have opened their homes (embodying ¨mi casa es su casa¨) and almost everyone has shared food (especially spicy, it almost seems a favorite joke to give the Gringo habañero, all well-humored and well received, of course).

Pardon if I sound sentimental as our time here winds down.  Touched by the tightness of families and such gracious hospitality I feel inclined to broadcast a giant thanks. I realize the border situation is dismal and often overshadows so many of the beautiful places that we have been blessed to visit.  We will of course use caution coming back across, and in all our travels for that matter.  In the meantime, we still have a few more weeks, which we will continue to use to wind north and say goodbye to many folks we`ve met along the way.

Next stop, Nexpa, Michoacan!

The Staple Green Salsa...

We pretty much make this everyday.  or almost everyday.  And while many here believe it is better hand squashed in a molcajete (mortar and pestle made from volcanic rock), it could just as easily be made in a blender (the modern day molcajete in mexico) or a food processor.

Fill a two-liter pot a third of the way full with water (not an exact science, just make sure there is water in the pot).  Throw in the following:

- a handful of tomatillos (approx. 8 med. sized)
- 1-2 jalapeños (depending on how hot you like it)
- 1 serrano
- one clove garlic
- one tomato

Boil until everything is soft and then blend the above ingredients (without the water, that was just to boil the salsa fixins) and salt to flavor!  Very easy.  And delicious.  Of course, cilantro and onion can also be added to taste but these are the bare basics and it is amazingly good.

Semana Santa and New Smiles

The amazing bag of love.   When our friend Jessica visited she and a bunch of our wonderfully thoughtful friends back home (Durango) packed this bag full of goodies.  However it was lost in flight and took forever to finally catch up with us.  It was not until Jessica had already returned that we were able to finally receive the bag in Lazaro Cardeñas (mind you she flew into a totally different location).  Needless to say it has been on some adventures that fortunately didn´t diminish its contents.  The only thing missing from it was a box of girl scout cookies!  Thanks again!!!

Huitlacoche, the mushroom that grows alongside corn, is considered a delicacy to some.  We found it pretty good sauteed in butter garlic and tossed into some quesadillas.  Otherwise it is fairly bland and slightly gritty.

One of our many nightly visitors.

Jose Guadalupe Posada- (1852–1913) a Mexican cartoonist illustrator whose engravings continue to influence art.

The Ice cream truck!  Complete with ice cream music.

Jalapeño shampoo.  Who would have thought?  Of course I had to get it.  And yes, it is bright green.

It has been awhile and I partially blame the time commitment required by taxes, but also our internet access has been limited.  Since we last posted, Griffin has a new smile (3 new crowns = $1300 USD) and we have continued to enjoy the long mellow surf at Saladita, plus the many characters that frequent this beach.  Complete with many ex-world champion surfers (a few who are in there 70s and still surfing great!), a well-known published author, and many other ex-pat Americans, this has been an interesting stop indeed.  

As we gear up for Semana Santa (one of the biggest holidays in Mexico, it consists of the two weeks surrounding the Easter holiday) and the crowds that it draws to the coast, we are planning on heading to a more remote beach further north (El Rancho).  From there we will begin a slow ascent back to the north.  As we travel I will be more diligent in updating the blog.

More to come later!