Mexico – for the 2nd

06.09.2023: We cross the border in Nogales. After a quick, uncomplicated border crossing, we get 20 Kilometers beyond the border our tourist card was issued: we can now do it again 180 Stay in this beautiful country for days !!!!

We already know our way around here, head specifically for the small town of Magdalena de Kino, promenade on the church square, treat ourselves to an ice cream and park behind the sports field. After a hot night – temperatures only drop at night 26 degrees down – Let's drive the long way the next day, boring route to the Gulf of California – how nice, after over 3 months back at the sea ! The water temperature now has the character of a bathtub, it hardly cools you down. We park right on the water behind the holiday resort of San Carlos, Of course we are not alone here, many Mexicans spend the day on the beach. In addition to the high temperatures, there is also extreme humidity, everything is clammy and damp, nothing dries anymore. The boys find it very difficult to cope with this climate, We hope, that they get used to it a bit over time 🙁

2 We stay here for days, have fun watching the colorful beach life: at least get out of the approaching cars 7-8 people, all packed with the obligatory freezer, parasol, Plastic- and bags of chips. Music shouldn't be missing either, Mexican folk music resonates everywhere. The locals love their music more than anything, American pop music is rarely heard from the speakers. It gets really loud on Friday evenings: 2 A pickup truck with a huge loudspeaker is parked meters next to us, with 20 People are having a party – until at 23.00 Our ears are ringing, then suddenly there is peace. About a hundred beer cans remain, that were carelessly thrown onto the floor. After a little garbage collection, we go to sleep, are happy about the peace and quiet. Early in the morning the pickup trucks arrive again with the diving equipment, A short time later the divers also appear. Alright, There is a lot to see and it won't be boring. In the evening we eat at the beach bar “Cocos” – all dishes are served in a battered coconut, the coconut meat is the basis, on top there are camarones, pulp or other.

6 Weeks of waiting in Culiacan

We leave the coast on Sunday, drive into the mountains – in the hope, that it is a little cooler there. The heat is just as merciless here, The town of Alamos compensates us for this with its nice atmosphere. After a stroll through the city and the strenuous climb to the Mirador, we watch the evening hustle and bustle in the Plaza de Armas: Motorbikes circle around here, ATVs, Riders on nervous horses, souped-up sports cars, Carriages for tourists and buses for locals pass the square, some come all 5 Minutes over again – that's very funny. We vote: Of all the Pueblos Magicos, we like Alamos, we've seen so far, preferably.

Montag, the 11. September (and, the date rings immediately) – a driving day is coming up: about 400 We drive kilometer to Culiacan to the tried and tested Walmart parking lot. In the evening we spontaneously receive a visit from our Mexican friends Joel and Griselda, they want to know everything, what we have experienced in the last few weeks. It's going to be a very nice evening, We’re about to be invited to theirs “country estate”.

Tuesday – Saturday: Henriette spends her days in the workshop, gets a new alternator, a new starter and a new relay, Löcher, from which compressed air escapes, are stuffed and a new box is made for the batteries by the locksmith. In Phoenix we needed new batteries, they are bigger than the old ones, so nothing fit anymore. Hans-Peter helps the mechanic with advice, Tat, Tools and small parts such as screws, because there is hardly any material in the workshops. You drive to the nearest Ferreteria for every single screw, that seems to be normal here.

In the meantime I spend my time with the boys in the pretty desolate parks, Due to the heat there is hardly any water in the river, everything is dry and dusty. The boys can follow 11 Clock hardly runs anymore, the asphalt becomes too hot. One morning, after a long search, we found a veterinarian, the boys get their annual vaccination, that was short- and painless. Every now and then we struggle to find an Oxxo, Here there is a bottle of ice-cold water for the furry animals, that cools nicely from the inside. In the evening we spend the night in the Walmart parking lot, later in the parking lot of the botanical garden. I feel like Saturday, as if I had been living on the streets for weeks: dirty, sweaty and smelly, Then in the afternoon a drunk guy tried to kill me on a park bench, to pull the handbag away with all his might, I am totally shocked and horrified. Luckily, other Mexicans came to help, who then beat the guy up – not a nice experience, my mood is finally in the basement.

Hans-Peter stays until 17.30 Clock in the locksmith's shop, So with a heavy heart we have to cancel our invitation from Jorge and Griselda: We no longer want to drive to Los Souces in the dark – injury! Without further ado, we decide, us for 2 Rent a room in the hotel for days – an excellent idea. Tres Rios is a few meters next to Walmart, has a large parking lot, a swimming pool and air-conditioned rooms. After an hour shower and 12 Sleeping for hours in a fresh bed and a cool room makes us feel like a new person. The boys are sleeping too 24 Hours totally calm and relaxed – what a boon.

18.09.2023: a pitch black Monday: Hans-Peter has another appointment in the workshop in the morning because of the compressed air leak. In fact, the culprit can be convicted: a small part, which controls the supply to the brakes. It is broken and needs to be replaced – actually not that dramatic, but the spare part is (who would have thought) not in stock and must be ordered – should in 2 weeks to arrive :(. Our mood rattles into the basement, We have to let that sink in first. On me, you can still drive by car, after a short discussion it is clear, we have to get out of town. Bought some supplies, The engine is already purring and we head straight towards the mountains. To 300 Kilometers we reach the old MEX 40, one of our favorite routes here. Here we take a breather: the temperature is just 18 City – perfect for a relaxed sleep. We continue to the Parque Natural Mexiquillo, We spent a night here at Easter. There's nothing going on at all, we have the whole thing, great park just for us. Water flows in the waterfall, everything looks completely different. It rains heavily at night, it cannot be denied, It's rainy season in Mexico.

After a cool night, rays of sunshine and a cloudless sky wake us up – that just calls for a long morning walk. We get a nice visit at lunchtime: Max from Berlin, who rides the Panamericana alone on his motorcycle, come and see us. We talk over coffee, a sudden shower of rain interrupts us, doesn't matter – We continue our conversation comfortably in the car. Before it gets dark, Max has to get to his hotel in Durango, So we say goodbye to the nice young man. Henriette is now standing in the middle of huge puddles, that's what she's back for (fast) sauber.

The sun also delights us the next morning, perfect for a short tour through the great landscape. The journey continues on the old MEX40 to Durango, Once you get there, finding a parking space is difficult: We won't get to the place we're aiming for, a low bridge blocks the way, We can't drive around it. We don't like the parking lot at Walmart either, in the middle of the main street and everything is narrow ?? The decision is made quickly: we go to Balneario San Juan, We were already here at Easter, a nice place. Enrique, the owner, is coming to us soon, he is pleased, that we come back. Like last time, we are the only campers, ab 18.00 clock, when the last guests of the day leave the swimming pool, we have all the pools to ourselves. Genial, So we splash around in the hot pool under the moonlight !! The temperatures are perfect, 30 degrees during the day, it cools down at night 15 degrees, It's easy to endure there.

We also use the laundry service, Laundry dropped off in the evening, On the next day, sauber, dry and folded back !! Hans-Peter is busy with our storage boxes, which collect the water after the rain and seem to slowly fall apart ??? After rearranging several times, lighter utensils are now stowed there, To be on the safe side, my husband screws the box together with solid iron brackets. It's all right, if you have enough tools and spare parts on board !!

Of course we also take a trip to the pretty town of Durango, the little streets with the many, Low-hanging cables above allow sweat to bubble from every pore. Later we enjoy the hot pool again and decide, again 3 to extend days.

The next 2 We spend days swimming in the hot pools at night (we discovered another pool, where the water is even hotter :)), sonnen, laze around, read and go for a little walk.

We leave clean pores on Tuesdays, the 26.09.2023, this nice place and drive 30 kilometers in a southerly direction. Lt. According to our research there is a small waterfall here, El Satito Waterfall ?? In fact, we come to a huge one, completely empty parking lot with a small cash register in front of it, numbers converted 80 Cent entrance fee and can admire the waterfalls all by yourself. It really is a very pretty place, with huge mangrove trees along the shore. Only the huge amount of rubbish lying around spoils the beautiful picture – sometimes you really can't understand it. You can find such beautiful places – But there are an incredible number of plastic bottles everywhere, beer cans, Bags of chips and scraps of toilet paper ?? That doesn't bother the Mexicans at all ???

Our next stop is in Nombre de Dios, ebenfalls Magic Town, the – partly in ruins – Mission churches are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The small town disappointed us a little, everything is extinct, dilapidated and poorly maintained. After a tour of the... 3 Churches, We look for a parking space a little outside via the Plaza de Armas and through a few side streets.

There is a good option on a stream bank, except the one above 10 With the neighbor's dog yapping for hours, it's totally quiet here. There is no information about our spare part yet, So we'll just stay here another night.

Supplies are running out, so we drive back to Durango and head for Walmart. All purchases on board, we continue to the north of the city. According to Google, there is a small volcano here, den El Jagüey Volcano. The surroundings turn out to be very beautiful, the volcano, on the other hand, is just a small green hill. There is neither a sign nor a place to park, 5 Kilometers further we simply turn onto the next dirt road in the middle of nowhere.

Except for a few buzzing around, You can't hear any annoying flies here at all, the temperatures are also perfect, In the evening we actually have to put on long trousers and a jacket so as not to freeze.

When we walk in the morning we discover so many beautiful flowers, partly also plants, which are sold at home as balcony flowers – Everything grows wild and unbridled here !! We also find many abandoned buildings, Walls and tunnels – what was mined here? – we have no idea ??

Saturday, the 30.09.2023: there is new news from home: now we are unexpectedly and surprisingly 4. Became a grandma and grandpa: Ida, a sweet one, little Ridgeback girl has moved in with Franzi and Hannes !! Welcome little Ida !! My mom would definitely have been happy, that her name will be carried on in the family 🙂

We now want to take a look at the volcano – this is turning out to be more difficult than expected: there is no sign anywhere, Many green hills look like volcanoes and there are only dirt roads everywhere. Do not pull, on the third attempt we find a slope, which leads to a sign – and lo and behold, es ist unser anvisierter El Jagüey Volcano. Under difficult conditions – the infamous goat hats poke through your socks in seconds – let's walk to the crater lake, Of course, Quappo has to bathe in the green broth straight away, somehow it smells a bit strong afterwards !! Henriette stands perfectly on the edge of the crater, so we vote and decide unanimously, without abstentions, to spend Saturday evening here.

A few locals are curious and come to visit us. With our few bits of Duolingu Spanish we have a hard time communicating, drink a can of Tecate together and everyone is happy – International understanding is that easy. In the afternoon dark clouds suddenly appear, the wind flares up into a violent storm, There is lightning and thunder in the distance. We will be spared for a long time, but then it also pours down on us, We hear the staccato of raindrops all night long.

The next morning the fields look transformed: everything is greener, the bean plants stand in the ranks like soldiers – impressive, what such rain does here. We drive past the freshly washed fields to John Wayne's former ranch: The Hollywood star actually had one here in the late 1960s 1.500 acre ranch called “The Jewel” bought. Countless films were made, How “Two glorious bandits”, “Bandit”, “Big Jake”, “Chisum” and “The Train Robbers”. After his death, the ranch returned to the Mexican family. The current owner, Armando, lives and muddles here with his family and offers parking spaces.

We park our Henriette on the far corner of the impressive canyon, climb the path to the waterfall “Tinajas Waterfalls”. Unfortunately not a single drop comes down the mountain, It's probably too dry at the moment. The surroundings are beautiful, if you look closer, you can also discover the Indians, that lurk behind every bush :). In the evening we watch the western in the awareness of this historic place “Two glorious bandits” an – no idea, when was the last time we saw a western?, but it was funny !!!

03.10.2023, Holiday in Germany – we make our way to the film site: Armando is happy, to see us, We take a closer look at the western town in peace and all alone. Hans-Peter stays in the saloon a little too long, He ate something (?), is the land leider am Galgen – sad !!!

Unfortunately, our supplies are running low again, so we have to go back to the city, to buy some supplies and fill up on water.

After shopping we decide, to go to Eduardo's hot pools again. We now know our way around here quite well, almost like at home. There is actually another camper on the site – a huge bus from a totally unfriendly person, French family with 3 children, 2 dogs and 2 Cats. They don't say hello, look away immediately – a very unusual one, unpleasant behavior. On me, we just leave them alone and ignore them too. Only Quappo is very interested in the cat, which is always under the bus 🙂

There is still no information about our spare part, But that's what my molar is calling for !! I lost the filling on the flight from Frankfurt to San Francisco, I have successfully suppressed this fact in the last few weeks. Now the tooth returns with clear signs, a dull pain throbs ?? After a restless night, I ask Eduardo, whether he knows a dentist in Durango. And yes, an hour later he comes with the good news, that his cousin has to take his son to the dentist this afternoon, because a wire broke off the brace. Eric, the dentist is your uncle's friend and you can recommend him to me!! So a short time later I drive into town with the two of them, I'm very excited, what awaits me. The practice is not recognizable as such from the outside, There is at least a dentist's chair in the treatment room (which already calms me down), a large couch and a huge TV. My driver makes himself comfortable on the sofa with a mobile game, Eric takes a close look at my dental disaster and his son interprets everything. It explains to me, that Eric can renew the filling, but he thinks so, it would be better, to crown the tooth straight away. Said, did, I quickly decide on the solution with the crown. The tooth is anesthetized, sanded down, an impression is taken – I'm already done. A colleague assured me, that he will make the new crown by tomorrow (it is Friday afternoon) and it can be used tomorrow – what a service.

Also, The next day we go back to the practice, The new crown is ready and half an hour later it sits perfectly, The whole thing cost 200,– € !! I would like to thank Eric very satisfied and relieved, We'll take another photo and I hope, that I don't have to come back for the time being.

Can it actually get any worse? ??? And, it can: since 3 Days it drizzles all day, a blanket of gray clouds hangs over us. Actually not that dramatic, but we no longer produce electricity – At some point we no longer have any power at all. D.h. we can't cook, no light, no charging of cell phone – nothing works anymore. Our mood is slowly falling below freezing point. Oh yes, How can it be otherwise?: the stock market also closed this week…….. ??

Only swimming in the really hot hot pool twice a day improves your mood. And we are a bit lucky: There is a small restaurant in the Balneario, That way we don't have to starve !!

Montag, 09.10. Let's finally say goodbye to the Balneario in hope, that our replacement part will arrive this week. So we drive the beautiful MEX in the rain 40 back towards Mazatlan, find a nice place in the forest, go for a walk with the dogs in the drizzle. Despite driving, we still have no power, Charging through the alternator probably doesn't work either. The sun should shine a bit on the coast, So the next day we continue to the beach in Mazatlan. At least the temperatures are back 30 City, A long walk on the beach calms our nerves. In the evening we receive the next bad news: The replacement part shouldn't arrive until next week, Unfortunately they made a mistake – I'm sorry, what? ?????

Now we don't care about anything, we try, somehow the beach, to enjoy the sea and the palm trees. The idea is slowly maturing, that we simply abandon our trip, ship the car to Germany, had everything repaired and went on tour again six months later ?? Does that make sense – We really don't know right now ???

After a gray beach day it seems Friday, to the 13.11. the sun all day: our batteries are being charged and at least the power problem is solved for now. Otherwise it says: wait …….wait ………wait ……. !!!!!

We actually have to go shopping, But we don't feel like it, to leave our place. This is how the emergency reserves are used up, That's enough for the next day. We pass the time sunbathing, swim, go for a walk and – oh yes with waiting 🙂

It doesn't help anymore, Today we have to buy a few things. In the next town, Stone Island, There is an Abarrotes shop and an Oxxo – Perfect, So we can spend the next day waiting here.

There's a lot going on on the beach today, lots of ATVs, Quads and other fun vehicles compete in small races, In the distance you can see a large group of riders, that is coming to us. The walk turns out to be a gauntlet run, We'll happily go back to the car. But something is strange ?? Henriette honks and lights up ??? Did we miss something? ?? After a short sprint we arrive, Hans-Peter put everything away and let the engine warm up. In the meantime he was visited by an angry local, who said, it would all be private, We shouldn't stand here for another second, the police have already been informed ?? Oh I, We actually don't feel like doing that at all, We leave this place as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, the sun has just set, Where should we find somewhere to stay overnight? ?? renamed by the Teutonic Order, to drive to the Walmart parking lot in Mazatlan, there are usually no angry property owners. The distance until then is around 30 Kilometer, that should be manageable. Should – In fact, the route is turning into a ghost train. Motorcycles drive on the highway, Trucks and other vehicles without lights, a hard emergency brake saves us from this, on an unlit excavator, the one with 30 km/h chugging around. There was a lot of rattling in the interior, At the moment we don't care, The main thing now is not to have another accident !! Pretty drenched in sweat (That wasn't just due to the heat) we reach Walmart, look around, what was rumbling in the interior: our Starlink antenna fell off the bed and onto the floor, Fortunately, the furry animals were not killed by her.

On me, everything went well again, The antenna did suffer a small crack, but still works.

Sunday, 15.10. We are taking advantage of the opportunity and completely stocking up on supplies. It's far too hot to stroll through Mazatlan again, So we make our way to the next beach spot near Barras de Piaxtla.

There is a cozy corner here, In any case, we are not on private property. Every now and then a vehicle comes by, They usually stop for a short time, look at the sea, throw a few beer cans out of the car and drive on. In the evening the mosquitoes don't give us a chance, we retreat inside. A bang startles us – what was that now? ?? There's a car with drunk people driving outside, The roaring Mexicans came very close to us – they shot ?? We have no idea, what that's supposed to be, a few minutes later we hear the vehicle drive away. There are now more cars parked down on the beach, People walk along the pitch-black beach with flashlights – everything very strange ??

At some point calm returns and our eyes close. The next day everything looks completely peaceful, we speculate, that the night owls may have been looking for turtles yesterday ?? We find broken eggs ??

Otherwise one (fast) more unspectacular, quiet day. As I said, almost: At lunchtime I want to take a dip in the sea, I just lie on my back for a moment, to rock a bit – The shore is suddenly quite far away. I try to swim back in a panic, but the next wave always pulls me out to sea. Oh Gott, what am I doing? ?? Nobody seems to hear my scream, so I pull myself together, consider, what to do. On one side there is a stone bank, I'm trying to save myself there. Sure enough, after what feels like an eternity, I feel a rock under my feet, cling to it. So I'm slowly working my way out of this monster wave, I do have a few scratches on my legs, but am happy, to have ground under your feet again. The current here is really extreme and treacherous, You can't tell from the beach.

Low point and another low point

There is still no news of our spare part………

To relax, we later walk to the pretty Arcor de Ventana and the small Mirador – actually a nice environment here !!

We spend Tuesday and Wednesday without any news of our spare part – We are slowly adjusting to it, to spend the next weekend here too 🙁

It really sucks, quite a low point of the trip !!

What did I say? ?? Low point ?? no, That wasn't the lowest point yet, it actually goes deeper than that :): We have no news of our replacement part by Friday, A few locals come to us for this, which protects us from the hurricane “Norma” warn. We should leave, It could be dangerous right on the beach. It is beautiful 16.30 clock, We can't drive far anymore. So we decide, to drive up a small hill to the Mirador, there were opportunities to stand. Henriette finds a flat spot, the ground seems solid, so everything is good ??

Camper pitches to stand alone – Raining is an understatement: it feels, as if we had parked directly under a high-pressure shower head. The view out the window in the morning confirms our worst fears: we are standing in the middle of a lake ?? We let the boys out for a moment to pee, everything is wet and dirty in seconds.

Also, nothing but get away and go back to civilization. Unfortunately, our next fears also come true: Henriette can't get out of the dirt, she sank in the mud. The next 4 We are busy for hours: Shovel the wheels, Place mats underneath, Get out snow chains – the whole program. A vigorous workout for my husband, the mud is incredibly tough and clayey, the shovel weighs three times as much after a minute, the mats and snow chains as well – the clay is really very clingy. Luckily, at some point we made it out with a lot of momentum – We ourselves now look like dirty pigs.

We barely reach the highway, it's raining again. We wisely booked a hotel room in Culiacan, after half an hour of showering we feel (fast) back to normal. A quick walk around the block, then sleep first.

Sunday, the 22.10.2023 – there was something?? Yes done, our big one is coming today 36, We have to call right away. See Jacob and Kea, brightens our mood a bit. Otherwise it rains constantly, no one can find the stopcock !!

Good news for that: the replacement part actually arrived, we can hardly believe it. The bad news immediately afterwards: probably remains tomorrow (and the day after tomorrow) the workshop closed due to flooding – This could actually just be a joke – or ???????????

That was the absolute lowest point – we are excited 🙂

Clear, The workshop will be closed on Monday due to flooding – In fact, some of the streets are closed, the power went out, Shops closed – There is a state of emergency here. There is one good thing in the day: In the evening we meet Joel and Griselda for dinner and spend a really nice evening together in the chic new restaurant Balbina.

Tuesday, the 24.10.2023 – Miracles still happen ! Our spare part is installed, versus 14.00 o'clock everything is done, Henriette is allowed back on the street. We want to drive as far south as possible today – We at least make it to the Walmart in Mazatlan. The toll road 15d is in a catastrophic condition due to the rain of the last few days, Hans-Peter is busy with this most of the time, to avoid the potholes.

Shortly before Mazatlan there was a strange noise – what was that? ?? In the parking lot, Hans-Peter discovers the person who caused the rattling: Part of the battery box holder has broken off – Apparently we still haven't reached rock bottom ?

Immediately after breakfast, my husband gets to work on it, to take a closer look at the damage: Unfortunately it's not that simple, the bracket must be welded on ?? This diagnosis has finally finished me off and I'm close to a nervous breakdown, the tears just can't be stopped. A nice local comes by, is on the phone right away, to locate a welder. Our friend Jorge from Culiacan also works tirelessly, to locate someone. Help actually arrives towards the afternoon: a welder from Mazatlan looks at the problem and takes away the broken bracket. He wants to bring us the repaired part back tomorrow morning – d.h. so another night at the Walmart. A few crazy young men also come by, they ask, whether you can shoot a video of us and our truck tomorrow ??

All right then, In fact, the mechanics come to us on time the next day and, with their combined efforts, the box is firmly installed on the vehicle, that should really hold now. In between come the three crazy young men, turn frantically, turned up, funny and loud a few videos from us – they really brighten our mood. So around noon 2. Attempt, to get further south. This time we'll manage something 200 km, of course with a new problem (How can it be otherwise? ??) – The air conditioning in the driver's cab gave up the ghost. A little thing like that doesn't bother us anymore, we just roll down the window. We set up camp for the night in the parking lot of a Pemex gas station, We sleep very well despite the traffic noise.

Tequila with Lynn and Phil

On Friday we reach the nice town of Tequila and are happy, when we spot another MAN in the parking lot. It's Lynn and Phil, We have already met the two Englishmen briefly in Culiacan. We get to know each other better over a beer and quickly find out, that the wavelength is correct. Unfortunately, a sudden thunderstorm interrupts our nice round, but the next morning the conversation continues.

28.10.2023 – another birthday needs to be celebrated: our big one is coming today 6 year old – Some delicious sausages are due. Later, Frodo is allowed to continue partying in the town of Tequila, a perfect location for a day out !! Lynn and Phil signed up for a tour of a distillery, we continue towards Lake Chapala. Clear, Let's stay in touch and promise, that we will see each other again soon.

Our real goal, a parking space on the lakeshore, turns out to be unattainable for us: our girl is just too big for that !! It feels like the cables and wires in the side streets are all hanging up 2,5 m – Even with the best will in the world, we can't get through it. Even on the main street we often come into contact, with bated breath we see the cables wobbling in the rearview mirror. In the next larger town, Chapala, we are lucky to make it to the Malecon and find a really nice parking space on a large meadow. We take advantage of the chance to take a stroll through town on Saturday evening and look forward to the colorful hustle and bustle on the lakeshore. Crowds of people jostle along the countless stands here, you can find everything here, We feel connected to the city right away – a bit like a Spanish coastal town. Hunger slowly sets in and with it the next problem: Mexicans probably all eat in the afternoon, In the evening the restaurants are usually closed 19.00 Clock closed. A landlord takes pity on us and turns the stove on again just for us – we're happy. The ordered molcajete with a mix of meat, Vegetables, Cheese and shrimp is super delicious, For us it's really the best dish in Mexico.

The next morning there is a lot of hustle and bustle around us again: the adjacent sports park is well attended, a baseball tournament is taking place, there are also tennis matches, avid runners and dog walkers.

As we continue our journey we experience a few police checks again, everyone is nice and uncomplicated. Shortly before our destination, however, we are stopped again by a police officer, which draws our attention to it, that we were driving in the wrong lane. He wants a punishment for that 1.000 Collect pesos ?? We have no idea, what we did wrong in the first place ?? Another vehicle stops, joins the discussion with a few bits of English. The police officer refuses to budge, he definitely wants money from us. To 10 We give him a minute of negotiation 200 Peso note, after a moment's hesitation he takes it, puts it in his pocket and lets us drive on. I'm sure the bill will be submerged in a few cervezas this evening. In any case, we learned, that you have to negotiate with the police – We should really practice this more.

See you again with Charly and Denise

Shortly afterwards we turn off to Santa Elena, it feels, like coming home !! We are very happy, Seeing Denise and Charly again, There is a lot to tell about the last few weeks. We've barely made ourselves comfortable, we hear another truck approaching – how nice, Lynn and Phil also ended up here. The joy of seeing each other again is great, Chairs and tables are immediately unpacked and toasted with a beer. In the evening we go out for a delicious meal together at Charly's, end the evening with a glass of wine in front of the car.

Hans-Peter discovered it yesterday, that the V-belt on the air conditioning compressor has broken, that needs to be repaired. Phil offers to help, Meanwhile, Lynn and I walk with the dogs to the lookout point at the cross. After a long time, our washing machine is being used again, because we have enough water and sun, she can right away 5 run one after the other. Changing the V-belt is more difficult than expected, fast 6 The men work non-stop for hours. But at some point everything fits, the engine starts again and the air conditioning works again – a successful day. We end the evening together outside, However, fatigue soon overcomes us, Such a working day is exhausting.

31.10.2023 – one last lap in the cool pool, then we pack up. It is difficult for us to say goodbye to all the people we love, they were so beautiful, relaxing days here. We reach Paracho in the late afternoon, ein Magic Town, which is world-famous for its guitar making. We wisely park Henriette at the entrance to the town, stroll to the church square, where hundreds of skeletons and catrinas walk around. the “Days of the Dead” are celebrated extensively here in the area, Here we get a first taste of it.

Days of Death

The Day of the Dead is anything but a mourning event for Mexicans. On the night of 31.10 – 01.11. the souls of the deceased children come back, whereas the following night the souls of the adults are received. However, at midnight the dead have to return to the afterlife and people eagerly await the coming year, when they can visit their families again.

Marigolds are sold everywhere, a real yellow sea of ​​flowers, wherever you look. Beautiful altars for the deceased (Offerings) are constructed, decorated with photos, your favorite drink and favorite food and of course hundreds of candles. There are of course plenty of food stalls here, so our kitchen stays cold today.

The round 70 Kilometers the next morning lead through many small villages and over hundreds of Topeze – sometimes you get really annoyed by these things. We reach Patzcuaro around midday, a small town on the lake of the same name. It was our plan, standing at the ferry port, However, we quickly discover on the way there, that this is not a good idea: Hundreds of coaches travel in this direction, there is not a millimeter of space left. Henriette struggles back towards the city center, we leave them in the supermarket parking lot, ask when shopping, whether we can stay here for the night and get the OK from a friendly grim reaper. We had read in the travel guide, that the Dias de Muertes are celebrated particularly extensively here, but that there are actually soooooooo many people here, we didn't expect. There is a dense crowd in the main square, it's like notch, May market and Hessentag together. Stalls everywhere, Masked people everywhere, Tacos everywhere, Churros and cervezas – all decorated with millions of marigolds – a colorful one, lively, happy and chaotic hustle and bustle.

After so many impressions, we treat ourselves to a little break in the car, before we make our way to the harbor at dusk. Today everyone wants to go to the small island of Janitzio, to celebrate the Night of the Dead at the cemetery and the statue of Jose Morelos, The boats leave every minute on this day.

The crowd here really cannot be described: there is a kilometer-long queue of people, to get tickets for the ferry to Janitzio Island, the next, There is no less a long queue to get on the boats – we are really fascinated.

renamed by the Teutonic Order, that we will look at the island another time, eat another delicious torta and make our way back. To 12 Kilometers of walking and the unbelievable number of impressions make us fall into bed dead tired.

The next day on the way to Tzintzantzun (no, we are not in China), we stop briefly at the cemetery of Tzurumutaro – Here too, all the graves are beautifully decorated, people eat, drink and chat with their dead, you don't feel any sadness, but above all a celebration of life and the memory of the loved ones who have died. Once again this country surprises and delights us !

When we arrived in Tzintzuntzan we were stopped by the police at the entrance to the town, everything is already cordoned off, We have no way to get to our parking space. An enterprising local takes his chance and offers us, to park in his yard. Clear, this is a perfect place for us, So we arrange Henriette between the old cabinets in his carpentry shop. Now briefly the business part: the owner wants 1.000 Pesos from us – that is a utopian price. On me, Finally we come to an agreement 300 Pesos, everyone is satisfied. Five minutes later we stroll through the small town, Here too, everything is ceremoniously decorated with student flowers, Catrinas, Skeletons and skulls can be found everywhere in all variations. There is also a colorful market here with various handicrafts, Kitsch, food- and beverage offerings.

We also pay a visit to the Yacatas de Tzintzuntzan, You can see the ruins of the ceremonial center of the ancient capital of the Purepecha, seven yacatas, Pyramids typical of the region with slightly stepped side walls.

In the evening we make our way to the cemetery, Meanwhile, the furry friends are snoring in the car. At night everything looks great, very solemn, a real goosebumps feeling. A band plays at one of the graves, we also eat here, drank, laughed and danced – it is unique. At the end of the day we fortify ourselves with tacos, try a Michelada with it (a mixed beer drink with salt, Lime juice, Tabaso sauce and Maggi – really not our taste) and a mezcalita (a cocktail made from lemonade juice and mezcal, tastes a little better :))

Friday, the 03.11.2023 – Peace has returned to the village, the stands have been dismantled, the trash has been swept up, everything goes its normal way. So today we make our way to the island of Janitzio. After a short boat ride we reach the small island, climb the incredibly steep ones 400 Stairs up to the Mirador and the really extremely ugly statue of freedom fighter Jose Morelos. When we reach the top, the usual tacos await us, Churro, Micheladas and kitsch stalls and pretty lake views. But the poverty of the residents is shocking even by Mexican standards, the dirt and garbage everywhere, the begging children scare us here.

In the evening we find a great place at the Yacatas of Ihuatzio, We receive visits from friendly people until nightfall, curious locals.

Morelia

On Saturday we head to Morelia, a large city with over 600.000 residents. Brilliantly, there is a huge one, Free parking next to a city park, From here we walk to the city center in about half an hour. In fact, we can no longer stop being amazed, Morelia really turns out to be a very sophisticated woman, spacious and pretty city, It almost reminds us of Rome because of the high density of churches. Again we are on our feet all day, all the sights run, discover at least 15 newlyweds, who exchange vows today and spend the rest of the evening with their feet up on the sofa.

Monarch Mariposa Sanctuary

Now we feel like some peace and nature, so we drive up into the mountains 3.200 m zu den Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary. Up to a billion monarch butterflies overwinter here from November to March each year – a great spectacle. The phenomenal migration behavior of butterflies, how they are on the up to 4.500 Orientate a kilometer-long journey, cannot yet be completely clarified by science. Because of its short lifespan, each individual butterfly can only cover a partial distance. The females lay their eggs along the way, The hatched caterpillars pupate and a short time later the young monarch butterflies continue their journey and arrive back in the northern USA and Canada in late spring.

The landscape is beautiful, the temperatures are very pleasant. Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed in the sanctuary, So we just have to split up: On the first day, Hans-Peter is allowed to visit the butterflies, I'll do the tour the next day. Unfortunately, not that many copies have arrived yet, They probably sank in the rest areas on their way here from Canada. All the same, it is incredibly beautiful, the boys run across the meadows full of exuberance, We look forward to a warming campfire.

The next day I set off to see the butterflies in bright sunshine – Shortly behind the entrance I am surrounded by the pretty animals. When I arrive at the Mirador, I see hundreds of butterflies buzzing around in the sky, it is an incredibly beautiful experience, you can watch the Mariposas for hours, I am completely thrilled and fascinated. Back at the parking spot, there are now a lot of fluttering men buzzing over our heads ! Yesterday a passing car asked us, whether we want Mexican food – We jumped on it straight away. So today we wait for the delivery service and we actually get our food (Mushroom soup and vegetarian tacos) delivered. There is a small problem with payment: the lady demands 390 Pesos – an incredibly overpriced price for local conditions. I already want to give everything back, Suddenly she's there 100 Pesos agreed ?? We have encountered this behavior a few times now, you don't really understand it ??

When we walk through the meadows we discover so many pretty plants:

Temple and more temple

Tuesday, the 07.11.2023, we leave this enchanting piece of earth, go to Toluca to do some shopping and then want to – actually – Stay overnight at the Teotenango temple complex. Unfortunately nothing will come of this, the facility is in the middle of town, the parking lot is already closed and there is no option, Henriette to park somewhere. We laboriously make it out of the small maze of streets and try, to find a place to stand somewhere outside. This turns out to be very difficult, the streets, that go off to the right and left, only lead to the next house, the dirt roads are so wet, that we are happy to do without it and so it is already dawning, until we finally found a suitable option: a parking lot in front of the entrance to Malinalco. The policeman, who is currently standing there with his vehicle, we ask and get a friendly nod. By the way, today we drove more Topes than ever before- an absolute horror.

A violent thunderstorm hits us at night, how happy we are, that we didn't turn onto any dirt road – that would have been another mud fight. The next morning we take advantage of the opportunity, We look at the town and are very pleasantly surprised: it has the addition “magic town” really deserved.

A huge Augustinian convent from the year 1540 characterizes the main square, A few streets further away is the entrance to an archaeological excavation site. This time I'm setting off alone (Dogs are not allowed), felt like climbing 500 Up the stairs until I reach the Aztec cult site. This facility was built around 1515, The rock temple is a unique structure in Mesoamerica. In my mind I feel sorry for the construction workers back then, who had to drag every stone up here !

We continue to the temples of Xochicalco, for the route from 40 We need over km 1,5 hours, We stopped counting at the hundredth topes, it's really unbelievable. The place by the lake, which we found in iOverlander, was not passable with our high Henriette, so we see below the temple.

Xochicalco: a wonderful facility, that you really have to admire. This time we visit both (dog-related one after the other) the temples and are really excited. A little information about it: The fortified city of Xochicalco was built in the period shortly after the decline of Teotihuacan (100 v Chr. – 650 n Chr.) built. Although the flowering period is only about 700 until 900 n. Chr. lasted, Because of its splendor and high cultural development, Xochicalco is considered the most important center of the Late Classic in the Central American highlands. The ethnic origin of the residents is unknown. a 900 n. Chr. the city was burned down, destroyed and abruptly abandoned. The city was built according to a complex plan on a 130 m high elevation and was with a maximum extent of 4 square kilometers, the most densely populated place in Mesoamerica at the time.

The most magnificent residential areas and religious sites were in the upper part and were obviously not accessible to everyone, The simplest accommodation, however, was on the lower terraces, which testifies to a strict differentiation and separation of social classes. There was a sophisticated system of drainage and storage of water in cisterns, as well as large storage facilities for corn and other foodstuffs. As in other places in Mesoamerica, there were two main deities in Xochicalco: that of the earth and that of the wind and water.

Then we continue, after 30 We already have kilometers 139 Topes behind us, then there is a detour, which we are not allowed to drive due to the low cables. The police are closing the street for us, lets us back out again. We stop, to count the topes :). In the next city, Cuernavaca, we come across a demonstration – you call on politicians, to finish a job that has been started (Money has apparently become tight and the Mexican president has to sign an approval). After waiting for an hour we continue ! The designated overnight spot in Lagunas de Zempoala NP is closed – injury, because it is a beautiful forest area. Desperate, because it's getting dark again, we drive to a liquid gas plant. First it says yes, we can stand here, But later this will be corrected and we have to 2 Drive kilometer further to a police station. We are safe here, but unfortunately right on the street. On me, it will work for the night.

Visit to Erik in Jilotepec

At iOverlander we discover an entry for a parking space, which is currently being built by a young German. We will contact Erik in advance, whether we can come to him with our fat Henriette – and, he says, no problem. We actually make it to the small place and shortly afterwards Erik himself arrives, to welcome us. He'll show us around soon, We stop by the neighbors Raul and Denis, A beer is also included, everyone is really nice. We arrange to go on a hike together the next day, Erik brings his girlfriend Ruby and his furry friend Luxi with him, People and dogs get along great. There is a great climbing garden here, which is very well attended today on Sunday. Hiking is known to make you hungry and thirsty, So we spend the evening in a nearby restaurant. In a large group of young people, the hamburger and the Indian taste twice as good.

On Mondays Erik and Ruby take time for us again, we scramble together to the summit cross. Unfortunately it's a bit foggy, but nonetheless we enjoy the spectacular view. Erik knows this area very well, can explain and tell us a lot. He is ahead 5 I got stuck here years ago when traveling in a camper through Mexico and you quickly notice, how much he loves his new home. Later we say goodbye to the two likeable young people, the 2 Days together were a lot of fun.

In the afternoon we reach the pretty EcoAlberto square, a wonderful green meadow on the Rio Tula. A herd of goats is already waiting for us, then willingly makes room for us- Otherwise we are all alone here. The next morning we cross the suspension bridge – The two boys are not entirely comfortable with this ??

Unfortunately, the sun only appears very sparsely the next day, we use the morning, to explore the area a bit and do laundry.

Tolantongo Caves

Another trip over countless tops ! When we arrived at the Grutas, we were immediately fascinated by the landscape – a rugged mountain world all around, The winding road down is not for the faint of heart. Shortly before the entrance we find a place to spend the night, are in the park itself – again 🙁 – no dogs allowed. Next to us is a French woman and a young couple from Spain – we communicate in the most widely spoken language in the world: bad English :)! The next morning we meet a young German couple next to us, Annie and Florian, who give us good tips for the Grutas. Our furry friends find their little Chihuahua girl very interesting – I'm a little scared about that, that our clumsy Quappo accidentally steps on them. We now know, drive through the entrance gate with Henriette and the boys and can explore the entire area.

Tonal tone: “Hometown, where it feels warm” – that's what the Nahua people called, that populated the area here, this cookie. Due to a printing error in the 70s it became Tolantongo. Hot water bubbles into the caves from the rock walls and ceiling, ripples down the slope and continues to flow turquoise through the gorge, that's how you felt 3 Kilometer-long swimming pool. The slopes are nestled in total 46 Thermal pool with pleasantly warm water, everyone finds their own little pool. Luckily we are here during the week, It must be really crowded on the weekend – The Mexicans love this place very much – with the whole family, the “normal” picnic- and camping equipment, the days off are spent here.

A really very special spa experience ! We enjoy this special bathing establishment and feel really clean afterwards !!

In the afternoon we continue to the small El Chico National Park – Here we find ourselves in the middle of the forests 3.000 m height again. It is wonderful – but really bitter cold ! After a totally quiet night and a quick morning coffee, we hike to the waterfall – unfortunately without water ! We can hardly tear ourselves away, But then we decide, to drive to Teotihuacan. A distance of just under 90 Kilometer – However, our Erna picks out the extra narrow streets covered with cables for us again. So we almost need it 3 hours, until we reach our destination !!

Teotihuacan

17.11.2023 – when there are no clouds, blue sky we set off to the largest temple complex in Mexico – Teotihuacan – the dimensions are really enormous!! The area was ready since the sixth century BC. Chr. permanently inhabited. between 100 and 650 n. Chr. formed the city's dominant cultural, economic and military center of Mesoamerica. It was by far the largest city in its time (around 200.000 Resident) on the American continent and one of the largest in the world !! Since Teotihuacan did not know a written language, Archaeologists are still unraveling this culture today – really exciting. From about 650 their importance faded, until they are over 750 was largely abandoned for reasons that are not fully understood.

The path first takes us to the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, then on the huge one “Street of the Dead” along to the Pyramid of the Sun, at least that one 3. largest pyramid in the world. Countless traders offer their goods along the street, a huge range of obsidian objects, Schmuck, Ceramic figures, colorful scarves and sombreros are looking for their buyer. At the end of the Street of the Dead you reach the Moon Pyramid, it was built around a century after the Pyramid of the Sun. After visiting this massive facility, we feel our feet – knapp 10 We marched for kilometers in the ruins ! In the evening we treat ourselves to a visit to a restaurant (not that easy, because most restaurants close when the tourist buses leave) with a delicious Mexican cactus lasagna, a cold beer and finally an irresistible chocolate cake.

Our contingent of highlights has not yet been exhausted !!! Today we get up very early for once – a 5.00 Our alarm clock rings. Everything is attracted, what the closet has to offer – with 6 It's quite fresh right now. And then….. a breathtaking hot air balloon flight over the ruined city. What can I say: it's simply unbelievable, fantastic, fascinating and goosebump-inducing beautiful !!! We float at sunrise over old and new Mexican landscapes, circle the Sun Pyramid, it goes up and down with the air currents, We are accompanied by around 50 others, colorful balloons. The weather is perfect, the organization too (We had a much more unprofessional flight in Germany), Landing also goes smoothly. Afterwards a glass of champagne to toast, a certificate and a very tasty one, typical Mexican breakfast (You really don't need anything to eat for the rest of the day ::) It was really a dream – you could have continued to float for hours – I think, the photos speak for themselves !!

We stay at this place the next day, they run 2 Kilometers to the city center of Teotihuacan, explore the small market, the church and the plaza. In the evening our car is surrounded by many white taxis, Apparently everyone gets together to celebrate. Clear, is drunk heavily, the music turned up, danced, laughed, eaten – until shortly before 22.00 o'clock the last car leaves (You can easily drive here with a few cervezas)

El Tajin

Since we are already in the area, we have decided, to take a detour east and look at the El Tajin temple complex. On Sundays we come to Tejocotal, find a parking space on a larger lake. An old Mexican woman comes out of the hut behind us, she is happy, that we are standing here and is eagerly talking to us – However, we really don't understand anything, but that doesn't bother her. In the morning we are greeted by one of the many cockerels (mixed with barking dogs) awakened. The onward journey doesn't start well: We accidentally turn onto a two-lane road from the wrong side – Hans-Peter immediately puts the car in reverse, gets Henriette back on the right track – tel, that was exciting. Luckily there was no police car nearby !!! Let's treat Henriette to the paid motorway today – a really great driving experience, 80 km/h to be able to drive without any topics !! This way we get to our destination on time, However, shortly beforehand the police get in our way ?? Once again we are waved out by a motorcycle, Apparently trucks are not allowed to drive on this road. Hans-Peter argues with the police for an hour (3 Reinforcements have arrived), At some point they agree on a fine of 2.000 Pesos (around 100,– Euro). We're pretty tuned in….. – no one follows any rules here, you go along 4 People on mopeds, the cars drive at night without lights, overtake on the right, left and best in the blind curve, no one is wearing a seatbelt ………. It feels like only the tourists are being ripped off !! But good, That's just how it is here, We try to put that out of our minds right away.

Despite the unpleasant experience, we are also impressed by this facility: this city was built in 1. century B.C. Chr. probably founded by the Totonacs. The place experienced its heyday 700 – 900 n. Chr. , versus 1.200 Was he left for reasons that have not yet been clarified?. abandoned. The niche pyramid is particularly striking, she has 365 Niches, which is most likely meant to symbolize a solar year. El Tajin is also known for its ball courts, around 10 Places have so far been discovered here. It is accepted, that in the ball games either the losers or winners were then beheaded – this ritual sacrifice was considered a great honor. How well, that today the Bundesliga players are only applauded or booed, even if it's not that honorable !!!

Our parking space compensates us for the stupid experience: we end up with Luis, the owner of the Xanath Reserva Ecologica – a really little paradise right here in the middle “Rainforest”. The next morning Luis shows us around his garden, shows us, how vanilla grows, explains many other exotic plants and insects to us. A really nice and very interesting man, we were able to learn a lot of new things. Now quickly fill the water tank, We're heading west again.

Tuesday, 21.11.2023: somehow I completely misjudged the area: We really are in no man's land here and in the middle of the jungle: We drive through lush landscapes on the narrowest of serpentine roads, it goes steeply uphill and downhill. Soon we'll notice, that our around 90 A destination kilometer away cannot be reached before dusk – we come with average 15 km/h forward. There is a place to stay overnight right next to the road – I'll quickly go for a walk. However, it comes 15 Minutes later the call from my husband: I should come back, the police are already waiting !!!! I can not believe it, but the police are just friendly and enlighten us, that it wasn't safe here. They bring us 5 Kilometers further to a safe place, other place and promise, to take care of us tonight – that reconciles us with the law enforcement officers – 10 Points for this great campaign !!

The weather report has it (Unfortunately) predicted correctly: Cold snap on 22.11. !! I like to put on my long pants and thick jacket in the morning, it's cool, foggy and a few drops fall from the sky. For the others 40 We need kilometers 1,5 hours, again it goes up and down, in between countless potholes and – who would have thought – Tops in all variations. We reach the Cascadas La Gloria around midday, a great, We have a large meadow all to ourselves. We're about to make our way to the waterfalls, the untamed one, wild vegetation all around is fantastic.

Cantona

It gets very chilly in the evening, the heating can work again. A local comes by during breakfast, who wants to cash in on us again – we explain to him, that we had paid the day before and at some point he leaves us alone. So we continue on the small winding roads through the foggy jungle. Fifty kilometers later we are back in a completely different landscape: there are large fields here, wide valleys – we have left the rainforest behind us. Our goal for today: the archaeological site of Cantona. For the first time we are allowed to take the dogs inside, the facility is huge, we are the only visitors right now. We don't have to pay admission either, no idea why. Fast 2 We need hours for the circular route – it really was once a huge city, alone 24 Ball courts have so far been excavated here. Twelve of them were designed as an architectural group with a pyramid at one end. Lt. Wikipedia estimates an area of ​​for the settlement 12 square kilometers indicated, the city planning and construction differed from most other Mesoamerican cities. There was, probably due to the uneven terrain of the lava flow, no symmetry of the system. the very densely living population of up to 100.000 Residents lived in up to 8.000 Residential units, which were separated from each other by high walls made of broken lava rock in the form of dry stone walls. The inner-city connection was ensured by a wide and complex network of narrow streets.

Unfortunately they won't let us spend the night in the parking lot, So we drive a little further to the Malinche National Park. With 4.420 m, this is one of the highest volcanoes in Mexico, You can probably climb it easily too. Incomprehensibly, there is an absolute ban on dogs in this park, this is how we smuggle ours 2 (with a bit of a bad conscience) just one. Otherwise, the overnight spot in the forest is super relaxed and quiet !

The park rangers don't even want to let us out of the park the next morning, they write down the license plate number, talk on the phone pompously – Panic is slowly rising in me! At some point they pull together and open the barrier for us – tel, everything went well !!

Cholula

Friday, the 24.11.2023: As we continue our journey we see all three volcanoes in bright sunshine: den Malinche, the Popocatepetl and the Iztaccihuatl – a wonderful view. Shortly afterwards we reach the Pueblo Magico town of Cholula, find a perfect parking space right next to the pyramid and immediately set off on an exploration tour. We immediately succumb to the charm of this pretty place, everything is colorful here, cheerful, tidy: There are nice restaurants and shops in the small streets, The large parks serve as the perfect dog meadow, Furry friends of all sizes and colors frolic happily here – Frodo and Quappo are in dog heaven.

The church of Nuestra Senora de los Remedios towers above the city on the largest pyramid in the world by volume. The construction of the pyramid began from 3. century B.C. Chr. , then it was up to about 750 n. Chr. Various peoples continued to work on this building. The scientists have found out, that the pyramid all 52 years was expanded. After the Spanish conquest, 16 The large church was built on the top of the pyramid in the 19th century.

Even after the Conquista, Cholula still remained a holy city, because she has 38 (!!!!!) Churches, which, according to legend, together 365 Have domes. We haven't checked it, but the density of churches here is truly unbelievable.

We've barely returned from our stroll through the city, we hear another vehicle parked next to us ?? A big white brother of Henriette: the MAN from Marcus and Natascha from Cologne. We are very happy, meeting the two here by chance, We had Marcus in mind 5 Met at the Bimobil open day years ago. Of course there is a lot to tell, so we decide, to spend the evening together in a nice restaurant. The next morning I get the small sourdough starter from Marcus “Jose” hand over – hopefully Jose grows and thrives well with us.

Popocatepetl

After saying goodbye to the two nice people from Cologne, we pack our things and set off on the tour to Popocatepetl. The asphalt road ends after a few kilometers and we find ourselves on a tough off-road route. Above 12 The rocking and bumping goes on for kilometers, everything is shaken up. Arrived at the top, we can control the chaos, that opens before our eyes, can't believe: the parking lot is hopelessly overcrowded, the vehicles are parked all over the place, it is almost impossible to get through. Somehow we make it onto a small dirt road, which should lead to a park. On the way, Henriette takes a few Christmas decorations with her – Equipped with fir branches and exhausted, we reach the Parque Ecologico Apatlaco. At least we're standing up here 3.600 m, At night it gets frosty and in the morning we already have hoarfrost on the grass. There is also a lot of activity here: Hundreds of cars parked, there is the usual taco- and drinks stands, Ziplines, Ride horses, Pedal boating and a go-kart track – a huge spectacle. A young Mexican enlightens us: This weekend half of Mexico City will probably be heading out, to buy a Christmas tree – and here there are the largest fir tree plantations in all of Mexico. We're really exhausted, We didn't expect a soul.

We decide the next morning, to leave early, to get out of this traffic chaos. And yes, it is the same picture again as the day before: the parking lot was completely full, Hans-Peter works with full concentration, to get Henriette through it. Once a few bystanders help, to push a Mustang parked on the curve a few meters forward – otherwise we wouldn't have gotten past without a scratch. As we continue down the mountain we see an incredible number of cars, Motorbikes and bicycles welcome – They all want to get into the crowded parking lot ???

We are so happy, than us from above, have narrow serpentine roads behind us to the right and left, Even the tops don't bother us anymore. We can drive a few relaxed kilometers, Here we are again standing in narrow streets on the way to our parking space in Chalcatzingo, decorated with dangling power cables – it is despairing. Exhausted, we finally reach a small parking lot and take a breather. We decided not to visit the archaeological excavation site: no dogs allowed !!! So we just walk around the village and look for a more Henriette-friendly emergency lane for tomorrow !!!!

It's worked out: The next morning we first look at the temple over the fence, then we can do it, Easily find the exit to the main road around the village. The further journey on the MEX 160 surprises us: a really good road, little topes and no tolls – what more do you want. We find our overnight spot in a dry riverbed, of course comes later 10 Minutes later the first Mexican passed by, who asks us, whether everything is okay. No matter what nowhere we are standing in, Someone always comes by here – it seems, we would have installed a magnet. But the people are really super friendly and ask 10 times, whether everything is okay or whether we need help – super sweet !!

Tuesday, the 28.11.2023 – we drive the MEX190 further south. The road leads through inhospitable cactus terrain, Nothing really seems to be thriving here. The route is very scenic, the serpentine route is in good condition, there are surprisingly few tops! Bei Tamazulapam of Progress (the names of the towns are truly unpronounceable – How are you supposed to remember that?) we find a nice lonely place – Of course, after half an hour a friendly local also comes by, who asks, whether we have a problem ????

Oaxaca

Her reputation precedes her – We've heard it so many times: You will like Oaxaca – this is a really beautiful city – our expectations are accordingly high :). Like so often, our planning does not prove to be effective. We head for our overnight spot in the middle of the city bustle: the entrance to the parking lot, which is supposed to be suitable for large vehicles, is absolutely narrow and winding, It is immediately clear to us, that we don't fit in here – everything is fully parked, Taxis jostle around us, Motorcycles and pedestrians – oh Gott, nothing but get out of this hustle and bustle. Zurück auf der nächsten größeren Strasse erst einmal Durchatmen !!! Also, blitzschnell muss ein Alternativplan her – wir fahren gleich zum CP ins nächste Dörfchen Santa Maria del Tule. Der Platz erscheint uns wie ein Paradies: es gibt einen Pool mit herrlich erfrischendem Wasser, heißen Duschen und einer große Waschmaschine – what more does the camper heart want, gleich mal buchen wir 3 take. Abends schlendern wir gemütlich zum Dorfplatz, hier steht der angeblich größte Baum der Welt: eine wirklich riesengroße Sumpfzypresse, die seit rund 2.000 Jahren den Platz beschattet. Der Baum hat einen Durchmesser von 14 m, einen Umfang von 58 m und ist rund 42 m hoch – also echt gewaltig. Unseren Hunger stillen wir in einer netten Pizzeria – auch die Pizza ist gewaltig !! Ein echter Anfängerfehler, hier in Mexiko darf man wirklich keine 2 Pizzen bestellen – the pieces are as big as wagon wheels and impossible for even the hungriest to eat. But no problem, We'll let us pack up the rest, So dinner for tomorrow is already secured.

The next day we enjoy the luxury: the washing machine will 2 x loaded, We take a long shower and splash around in the pool. In the evening a chat with the Swiss neighbors, with the German neighbors from Cologne, a little stroll and a cool cerveza – a relaxing day!

01.12.2023 – the first door in the Advent calendar !!! We jump into the fray: After a cup of coffee we head into town. Not that easy, to find a taxi for us and the ponies – but a nice driver takes pity on us. Arrived in the center of Oaxaca – gleich ist man überschüttet von Eindrücken: an jeder Ecke Märkte, Churches, Menschenmassen, Düfte, Colors……………… Auf dem Zolaca ist alles weihnachtlich geschmückt, Tausende von Weihnachtssterne sind gepflanzt, Tannenbäume stehen an jeder Ecke – Weihnachtsstimmung kommt trotz allem bei mir überhaupt nicht auf.

Die ehemalige Kloster- und Missionskirche Santo Domingo de Guzman ist einer der imposantesten Bauten dieser Art. sie gehört seit 1979 als Teil des historischen Stadtzentrums zum UNESCO-Welterbe. Im Inneren ist sie so protzig, dass es schon abstoßend ist.

Auf dem Mercado Benito Juarez erlebt man einen Farben- und Gerücherausch – es gibt einfach nichts, was man hier nicht kaufen kann. Frodo und Quappo sind ebenfalls begeistert, überall gibt es Carnercerias, nette (oder weniger nette) Strassenhunde und jede Menge Nachrichten an jeder Hausecke.

En besonderes Getränk aus der Gegend von Oaxacas ist Tejate – ein Erfrischungsgetränk aus Mais und Kakao, das schon die Azteken getrunken haben sollen !! Das muss natürlich gekostet werden – nicht unbedingt mein Lieblingsgetränk, aber sehr interessant !!

To 4 Stunden sind wir gesättigt mit so vielen Eindrücken – wir machen uns auf die Suche nach einem Taxi für die Rückfahrt. Dummerweise kommen uns lauter voll besetzte Fahrzeuge entgegen, nach einer halben Stunde liegen unsere Nerven blank. Endlich findet sich ein Collectivo, das uns mitnimmt – allerdings zum doppelten Preis !! All the same, wir sind glücklich, dass wir wieder in unserem Dörfchen sind. Abends noch zum Abkühlen in den schönen Pool und die Füße hochlegen.

Samstags lassen wir den Tag langsam angehen, we decide, noch einen Tag hier auf dem CP zu verlängern. Später steht Schönheitspflege auf dem Programm: showers, Baden im Pool, Yoga…… auch die Felltiere erhalten eine Behandlung: unter Protest werden sie geduscht, shamponiert und eingecremt – sie sehen aus wie neu !!! Am Nachmittag gehen wir eine Runde ins Städtchen, finden ein super schönes Lokas und essen ganz leckere Spezialitäten: schwarze Mole mit Schweinefleisch, dazu gibt es einen Hausbrand Mezcal. Mole negro aus Oaxaca ist eine typische Sauce hier in der Gegend, die aus einer Vielzahl von Zutaten wie gerösteten Chilis, Schokoladen, Nüssen, Aromen, Gewürzen, Früchten und Gemüse hergestellt wird. Jeder hat hier sein eigenes Geheimrezept, das natürlich nicht verraten wird. Die Sauce schmeckt auf jeden Fall sehr, sehr lecker, das kann ich bestätigen.

Sonntags packen wir zusammen, der Sonntagsmarkt in Tlacolula, ein knapp 20 Kilometer entferntes kleines Dörfchen, steht auf dem Plan. Der Markt ist sehr ursprünglich, die Anbieter kommen aus den umliegenden Dörfern, sind sehr traditionell angezogen und es wird alles angeboten, was der Garten, die Nähstube und die Werkstatt zu bieten hat. Wie alle Märkte ist es auch hier farbenfroh, chaotic, according to – einfach ein Augenschmaus. I think, die Fotos sprechen hier für sich:

Wir selber sind übrigens auch überall ein Hingucker: alle drehen sich nach unseren Ponys um, wir fallen auf wie weiße Elefanten !! Jetzt noch mehr Fotos, ich konnte mich einfach nicht entscheiden

So, das sind nun wirklich die letzten:

To 2 Stunden sind alle Sinne gesättigt, wir fahren ein paar Kilometer weiter bis nach Mitla. Die archäologische Ausgrabung werden wir uns morgen anschauen, heute begnügen wir uns damit, durch die vielen kleinen Verkaufsstände, die hier vor der Kirche aufgebaut sind, zu schlendern.

Nach dem Frühstück machen wir uns also auf zu der Ausgrabungsstätte, wie immer nacheinander, da Hunde nicht erlaubt sind. Die relativ kleine Freilegung überrascht uns positiv: Die von den Zapoteken um 200 n. Chr. erbauten Gebäude zeigen besondere Friese auf. Sie sind als Mosaik gearbeitet und bestehen aus bis zu 100.000 separaten, exakt gearbeiteten Steinen. Verschiedene Muster sind zu sehen, diese Relief hatten wohl wirklich keine Bedeutung, sonder waren rein als Dekoration gedacht. Die Muster sind abwechslungsreich, kreativ und sehr schön ausgeprägt. Die Forscher gehen davon aus, dass Mitla eine Palaststadt war, in der sogar die Toten in unterirdischen Grabkammern beigesetzt wurden, die Palästen nachgebildet sind.

In the year 1494 eroberten Azteken Mitla und plünderten die Stadt. Als die Spanier später den Ort übernahmen, hatten sie Mühe, sich gegen den ursprünglichen Glauben durchzusetzen und die Menschen zu missionieren. Um das Problem zu beheben, errichteten sie neue Kirchen auf den Fundamenten der alter Tempel, als Baumaterial dafür verwendeten sie die niedergerissenen Kultbauten.

Nach dieser Reise in die Vergangenheit geht es weiter zu einem weiteren Highlight: Hierve el Agua. Es ist hier in der Gegend bei Einheimischen und Touristen gleichermassen sehr bekannt und auch immer gut besucht. Bemerkenswert für so ein Attraktion ist der Weg dorthin: zuerst eine phantastische, gut ausgebaute Strasse, dann schwenkt man auf eine kleine, enge Schotterpiste mit unzähligen Schlaglöchern und Topes ab – wir dachten schon, wir wären falsch abgebogen ?? Doch nein, das ist der offizielle Weg, auch die großen Reisebusse müssen über diese Holperstrecke. Am Wegesrand finden sich unzählige kleine Mezcal-“Fabriken”, die Agaven werden noch mit Eselkraft ausgepresst. Die grauen Langohren müssen den ganzen Tag in einem kleinen Kreis laufen, es blutet einem das Herz, das zu sehen.

After around 10 Kilometer kommt man dann staubig und durchgeschüttelt am Ziel an: ein großer Parkplatz und die üblichen Stände mit Essen, Getränken und Souvenirs. Zum Glück dürfen wir (auch mit Hunden) hier über Nacht stehen, so können wir die Anlage spät abends und morgens früh ohne Besuchermassen bewundern.

Der Name bedeutet “kochendes Wasser”, obwohl das Wasser aus den blubbernden Mineralquellen eher frisch (22 City) is. Es ist übersättigt mit Kalziumkarbonat und anderen Mineralien, läuft seit tausenden von Jahren über Terrassen mit kleinen natürlichen Pools zu einem Felsrand. An den Stellen, an denen das Wasser die Abbruchkante hinabläuft, haben sich im Laufe der Zeit durch Ablagerungen wunderschöne Formationen gebildet. Von weitem sehen sie aus wie große Wasserfälle. Bis zu 30 m hoch sind diese versteinerten, in verschiedenen Ockertönen beeindruckende Naturphänomene. Von Nahem sehen sie aus wie Stalaktiten, die verkehrt herum gewachsen sind.

In den zwei größeren Pools (da wurde von Menschenhand ein bisschen nachgeholfen) kann man baden – das lass ich mir natürlich nicht entgehen !! Zudem soll das Wasser heilende Wirkung haben – so schlage ich 2 Fliegen mit einer Klappe: genieße das kühle Wasser, die phänomenale Aussicht und tue gleich noch etwas für meine Gesundheit !! Auf dem Rückweg stärken wir uns an einem Stand mit Tlayudas – as it turns out, sind das (who would have thought) kleinere Tacos mit Bohnen Fleisch und Guacamole – schmecken jedenfalls lecker.

Am nächsten Morgen stehen wir ausnahmsweise recht früh auf, um den Sonnenaufgang und das Baden alleine im Pool zu genießen – ein grandiosen Start in den Tag !!! Nach dem Frühstück füllt sich der Parkplatz unaufhörlich, so we decide, das Feld zu räumen.

Auf der Rückfahrt nach Oaxaca machen wir einen kurzen Stopp in dem Weberdorf: Teotitlan del Valle, hier steht tatsächlich in jedem Haus mindestens ein Webstuhl. Verwundert stellen wir fest, dass überwiegend Männer dieses Handwerk verrichten. Die hübschen Teppiche in schönen Farben und mit tollen Mustern gefallen uns sehr gut, aber leider haben wir einfach keinen Platz zum Lagern dieser Mitbringsel. So kaufen wir nur ein Minimini-Teppich als Deko für Henriette.

Abends wagen wir uns nochmals in den Stadtverkehr von Oaxaca, um zum Supermarkt Soriana zu kommen. Dort müssen erst einmal wichtige Vorräte wie Hundefutter und Bierdosen aufgefüllt werden. Da man hier über Nacht stehen darf, bleiben wir einfach auf unserem Platz stehen – es wird allerdings eine recht laute Nacht. Irgendeine Alarmanlage geht alle paar Minuten los – That can't be true now. To 2 Stunden geht der Alarm immer noch ?? Wir gehen der Sache auf den Grund: auf dem Parkplatz steht eine Säule, aus der alle paar Minuten eine ätzende Sirene ertönt – we do not know, wofür das gut sein soll ?? Eventuell um ungebetene Übernachtungsgäste abzuhalten ?? Das Ding ist wirklich total nervig, wir parken daher nochmal um und stellen uns ein paar Meter weiter nach hinten. Hier ist die blöde Sirene nicht mehr ganz so laut, so schlafen wir einigermassen gut.

Zurück an den Pazifik

06.12.2023 – Nikolaustag !! Dank der Fürsorge von Hans-Peters ehemaligem Mitarbeiter Reinhold Winderl (er hat in unserem Blog gelesen, dass bei uns keine Weihnachtsstimmung aufkommt :)) bahnen sich jetzt doch weihnachtliche Gefühle an. Auf Grund unserer gleichen Leidenschaft für die Lindenstrasse hat er uns alte Videos der Serie geschickt, bei der Helga Beimer mal wieder ihre Raben anbrennen lässt – danke für diese netten Erinnerungen !!

Nach so viel Stadt und Kultur steht uns der Sinn mal wieder nach Strand und Meer: das lässt sich in Mexiko ganz schnell umsetzen !! Auf der kurvenreichen MEX 131 fahren wir langsam Richtung Küste. Ein hübscher Übernachtungsplatz findet sich in San Sebastian de las Grutas, umgeben von Wald und Wiesen. Nach einer herrlich ruhigen Nacht entdecken wir am nächsten Morgen sogar noch die Grutas: eine gewaltige Höhle, in die man so einfach alleine hineinspazieren kann – impressive !!

Gegen Mittag geht’s weiter über viele Serpentinen den Berg rauf und runter – auf der Gegenspur kommen uns Hunderte von geschmückten Fahrzeugen entgegen ??? Wir recherchieren, was das sein könnte – and lo and behold, wir finden heraus, dass am 08.12.2023 das Fest zu Ehren der Jungfrau Juquila gefeiert wird. Das Städtchen liegt auf unserem Weg, Let's see, was wir da noch alles erleben. Wir übernachten heute auf einer kleinen Wiese in dem Örtchen San Cristobal, direkt neben der MEX 131.

Am nächsten Tag sehen wir weitere unzählige, mit Blumen, Altären und Marienbildern geschmückte Fahrzeuge, Motorradfahrer mit Schreinen auf dem Rücken, schwitzende Fahrradfahrer, Fackelläufer und zu Fuß laufende Pilger – alle sind wohl auf dem Weg zur Jungfrau. Let's think for a moment, in das Bergdorf Juquila hineinzufahren – aber schon am Ortseingang herrscht buntes Chaos, so lassen wir das dann doch lieber. Am Nachmittag erreichen wir die Küste, finden ein Restaurant an der Lagune Manialtepec, an dem man über Nacht stehen kann. An dieser Lagune lassen sich Biolumineszenzen beobachten, das wollen wir uns natürlich anschauen. So stärken wir uns nach einer kleinen Hunderunde im Lokal erst mit Camarones, dann warten wir auf unser Boot. At first we are disappointed – man sieht nur das dunkle Wasser, nichts leuchtet ?? Aber unser Bootsmann fährt uns an die richtigen Stellen, shows us, dass wir unsere Hände ins Wasser stecken sollen – und schon perlen ganz viele winzige leuchtende Tröpfchen auf. Ich darf sogar schwimmen gehen – das Wasser ist buddelwarm – und mit den Schwimmbewegungen leuchtet alles um mich herum – it is fascinating. Leider lässt sich das Handy nicht dazu bewegen, dieses Naturphänomen festzuhalten – auf dem Bildschirm bleibt alles dunkelschwarz. Nach einer guten Stunde sind wir wieder zurück, die Jungs freuen sich, als ob wir 3 Jahre unterwegs gewesen seien.

Saturday morning, 09.12.2023, wir schauen mal kurz, what's going on at home !!! Johanna und Franzi haben eine Überraschungsparty für Lukas geplant, dafür mussten wir ihn mit einem Vorwand/Notlüge dazu bringen, dass er heute dem “Handwerker” in Erfelden die Tür aufschließt. Es hat wohl alles prima geklappt, Lukas hatte keinen Schimmer, was da zu Hause auf ihn wartet – ich würde sagen: Überraschung gelungen !!

Zehn Kilometer hinter der Lagune kommen wir zum Pazifik, ein einsamer Platz am Strand in der Nähe einer Schildkrötenschutzstation wartet auf uns. Die Ruhe ist grandios, wir machen uns einen gemütlichen, faulen Tag !! Against 18.00 Uhr laufen wir zu der Schutzstation und sehen schon von Weitem einige Menschen vor dem großen Palapa stehen. Auf unsere Frage, was hier passiert, erklärt uns eine sehr nette, junge Mexikanerin in perfektem Englisch dieses Projekt. Auf einer Länge von 27 Kilometer versucht man hier die Schildkröten zu schützen, in dem man die Eier aus den Nestern nimmt und in der abgeschlossenen Station unterbringt. Jede Nacht patroullieren Mitarbeiter der Hilfsorganisation am Strand, um das Klauen der Eier zu verhindern. Schildkröteneier zählen nämlich bei der älteren Generation Mexikos als Delikatesse und Potenzmittel, so dass die Nester gerne geplündert werden. Wenn die kleinen Tierchen nach 40 – 70Tagen geschlüpft sind, werden sie auf ihrem Weg ins Wasser begleitet.

Jeder der möchte, darf gegen eine kleine Spende selbst ein Baby bis zum Startpunkt tragen und dann aus der Schale herauskrabbeln lassen – clear, wollen wir das auch machen. So haben wir kurz darauf einen Korb mit 2 Babys in der Hand und helfen ihnen beim Start in ihr neues Leben. Die beiden sind so putzig, rennen sofort in die richtige Richtung, werden allerdings von den Wellen ein paar Mal zurückgeworfen, rudern aber tapfer weiter, bis sie im riesigen Pazifik verschwinden. So ein schönes Erlebnis, da geht einem wirklich das Herz auf.

Später lesen wir nach, dass es von 1.000 Babyschildkröten nur eine schafft, wieder an diesen Platz zurückzukommen. Wie viele andere Tiere auch, kommen sie an den Ort ihrer Geburt zurück, um dort selbst wiederum Eier abzulegen – schon sehr beeindruckend, wie das funktioniert ! Kurz vor Mitternacht gehen wir ein paar Meter vor unserem Stellplatz am Strand entlang und können unser Glück kaum fassen: wir finden eine Mama-Schildkröte, die gerade ihre Eier ablegt !!! Das ist wirklich ein sehr beeindruckendes Schauspiel !! Nach etwa einer halben Stunde scheint sie fertig zu sein, die schüttet die Grube mit Sand zu, walzt alles ab und verschwindet dann wieder in den hohen Wellen.

Sunday, the 10.12.2023 – heute ist der zweite Advent, leider können wir keine Kerze anzünden – sie würde in kürzester Zeit wegschmelzen. Die Sonne strahlt mit voller Wucht vom Himmel, wir verdrücken uns schön in den Schatten von Henriette, hüpfen ab und zu ins Wasser und bestellen auf Amazon ein paar Weihnachtsgeschenke 🙂

Montags packen wir unsere Sachen und fahren in die Stadt zum Einkaufen. In Puerto Escondido findet sich ein schöner Supermarkt mit einer ganz lecken Bäckereiabteilung – am liebsten würde ich hier alles mitnehmen. In der Stadt selbst finden wir keinen geeigneten Platz, alles ist sehr touristisch, wir können nur direkt an den Restaurants und Bars parken. Der nächste Platz, den wir ansteuern wir kurz vor dem Ziel zu eng – die Bäume kommen von oben und der Seite, Henriette passt einfach nicht durch. So geht´s noch 10 Kilometer weiter bis nach El Tomatal, hier entdecken wir einen perfekten Strandplatz-direkt am Wasser, kilometerlang Sandstrand -was will man mehr. Auch schwimmen kann man hier ganz gut, das Wasser ist flach und die Wellen nicht ganz so heftig. In Kontakt sind wir mit Bodyduck, wir wollten die beiden hier in der Ecke treffen, da sie auf der gleichen Strecke unterwegs sind. Also, Standort durchgegeben – alles läuft. Am Dienstag kommen Emese und Zsolt bei uns an, die Freude ist groß. Gleich wird erzählt, Autos angeschaut, a , respectively. mehrere Bierchen getrunken und schwupp ist es schon 1.30 Uhr in der Nacht.

Bei unserem Strandspaziergang am nächsten Morgen, sehen wir ein junges Mädchen, das einen großen Korb am Strand stehen hat und kleine Schildkrötenbabys in die Freiheit lässt. einen von den kleinen Kerlen finden wir 100 Meter weiter im Sand strampeln – er wurde von den Wellen wieder zurückgespült. Wir nehmen ihn mit zum Auto, so können Emese und Zsolt das kleine Kerlchen bewundern. Gleich wird er auf den Namen “Willi” getauft und gemeinsam begleiten wir ihn auf seinem Weg in die Tiefen des Pazifiks. Die beiden Schweizer/Ungarn sind so nett, dass wir kurzfristig beschließen, noch einen weiteren Tag zusammen zu verbringen. Es wird keine Sekunde langweilig, jeder hat so viel zu erzählen, dass die Zeit viel zu schnell vorbeigeht.

Dummerweise haben die zwei sich für Weihnachten bei Charly angekündigt, injury, sonst hätten wir die Tage gerne zusammen verbracht. Aber, so ist es halt so beim Reiseleben, man trifft immer wieder nette Menschen und muss sich dann wieder trennen. Mittwochs werden noch schnell Fotos gemacht, alle Nummern ausgetauscht und jeder fährt in eine andere Richtung weiter. Unser Ziel für heute ist Mazunte, ein kleines Fischerdorf, dass sich zum Hippie – Hotspot gewandelt hat. Hier gibt es unfassbar viele Restaurants, kleine Hotels, Läden, Saftbars, Kurse für Yoga, Meditieren und Malen, Kunstgewerke – einfach alles, was man sich denken an. An jeder Ecke wird hinein- und drüber gebaut, manche Gebäude sind wieder zerfallen – jeder macht, was er möchte. Am Strand tummeln sich die Boote, die zum Schnorcheln und Angeln hinausfahren, ein Restaurant reiht sich neben das Nächste, es herrscht ein buntes Treiben.

Am Abend haben wir uns mit Steffi und Karsten von Dino-Adventure verabredet, die beiden sind gerade hier mit dem Bau eines kleinen Hotels beschäftigt. we “kennen” die beiden von Instagram und Youtube, nun, da wir gerade in der Gegend sind, bietet sich die Gelegenheit, sich mal persönlich zu treffen. Die beiden jungen Menschen sind super sympathisch und unkompliziert, sie kennen auch die beste Pizzeria von Mazunte. Die Pizza ist mit Abstand die Beste, die wir auf der bisherigen Reise gegessen haben, einfach super lecker !!!

Am nächsten Morgen schauen wir uns das Örtchen, die Schildkrötenstation (die leider total heruntergekommen ist) und den Hotelbau von Steffi und Karsten an. Wir haben allen Respekt vor dieser Aufgabe: es ist ein großer, verwinkelter Bau, alles muss mit Manneskraft hochgeschleppt werden, die Hitze brennt gnadenlos auf den Rücken ….. echt eine riesige Herausforderung.

San Agustin

Uns ist ein bisschen zu viel Rummel in dem hübschen Örtchen, so machen wir uns auf den Weg nach San Agustin. Emese und Zsolt hatten uns von dem RV-Platz Chuparosa vorgeschwärmt, hier wollen wir ein paar Tage verbringen. Uns gefällt es sofort hier, die Leute sind alle nett und entspannt, unsere Hunde dürfen den ganzen Tag ohne Leine herumtrödeln, es gibt einen kleinen Pool, eine Waschmaschine und einen Gemeinschaftsküche. Der Ort ist auch hübsch, den werden wir uns in den nächsten Tagen erarbeiten.

Nachdem wir uns in den ersten 2 Tagen hier umgeschaut haben, we decide, bis Weihnachten in diesem kleinen Paradies zu bleiben. Der Ort ist nett, es gibt kleine Lädchen, in denen man das Lebensnotwendige einkaufen kann, in der Bucht lässt sich schön schwimmen und am Strand nebenan können die Hunde herumtoben. Apropos Hunde: die Betreiber des Platzes, Hannele und John – Kanadier, die der Kälte entflohen sind – haben selbst zwei sehr verträgliche Hunde, dazu gibt es Harry, einen 17-jährigen Opi, der ganz langsam über den Platz tappelt und dann gibt es noch Onyx – die große Liebe von Quappo und Frodo. Unsere Felltiere waren von der ersten Sekunde, als das Mädchen aus dem Auto hüpfte im Liebesglück !!! So ist also für jeden etwas dabei.

Abends gehen wir zum Camarones-Essen in eines der unzähligen Lokale, sie unterscheiden sich eigentlich nur durch die unterschiedlichen Tischdecken – ansonsten sehen sie komplett gleich aus: Plastik-Stapelstühle, Strohdächer und auf der Speisekarte gibt es auch überall das gleiche Angebot 🙂

Weihnachten ist hier in Mexiko wie Ostern: alle Einheimischen verbringen diese Tage mit Sack und Pack am Strand, jeder Zentimeter Sand ist besetzt. So kommen gerade jeden Tag mehr Leute in unseren kleinen Ort, die vielen Restaurants füllen sich und auch die Ausflugsboote sind ausgebucht.

Die nächsten Tage verbringen wir gemütlich mit Strandspaziergängen, schnorcheln, read, Cook……… tut mal richtig gut !! Donnerstags fahren wir mit dem kleinen PKW von John ins benachbarte Städtchen, um einzukaufen. Unterwegs finden wir noch eine ganz nette Tierärztin, die unseren beiden Jungs eine frische Tollwut-Spritze verabreicht und Frodo die Flüssigkeit aus seinem Schwanzknubbel zieht. Beide benehmen sich wie immer perfekt, keiner zuckt oder heult. Danach geht es in den Supermarkt: ich fühle mich wie zu Hause: der Laden ist proppevoll, scheinbar kauft heute jeder für die Festtage ein.

22.12.2023 – nun bekomme ich doch noch einen weihnachtlichen Anfall und beschließe, ein paar Plätzchen zu backen. Weihnachten ohne Rumtörtchen geht ja eigentlich auch gar nicht :). Ich brauche mit unserem Mini-Ofen für die paar Plätzchen zwar stundenlang, aber Zeit haben wir ja genug.

23.12.2023 – Endspurt, die Glasur wird auf die Plätzchen aufgebracht, die letzten Weihnachtsgrüße verschickt, Weihnachtsgeld überwiesen – wir sind bereit !!!!

24.12.2023 – tatsächlich kommt auf unserem netten Campingplatz noch etwas Weihnachtsstress auf – bei der morgendlichen Besprechung stellt die Gruppe fest, dass wir zu viel Nachtisch, aber keinen Salat fürs gemeinschaftliche Weihnachtsessen haben. Also nochmals ins Dorf laufen, Karotten und Gurken besorgen. Hans-Peter ist fleißig am schnippeln, die Tische werden zusammengestellt, mit Blumen und Lichterketten dekoriert – es sieht super schön aus, jeder hilft mit. Dazwischen wird natürlich mit der Familie zu Hause telefoniert, we are very happy, dass es allen gut geht und alle einen schönen Abend verbringen.

Am Abend ist alles Perfekt: das Essen schmeckt wunderbar, jeder hat etwas leckeres dazu beigetragen. Bis Mitternacht schlagen wir uns die Bäuche voll, dazu wird getrunken, told, laughed…… einfach ein wundervoller Abend.

Den nächsten Tag lassen alle langsam angehen, schnell ist alles aufgeräumt. Nach dem Morgenkaffee wandern wir eine lange Morgenrunde zur Lagune, lassen uns später von der Sonne und Wärme einlullen und genießen einen weiteren Tag im Paradies. Abends hat Maryan, unsere Mitcamperin aus Quebec, eingeladen zu einem Klangschalenkonzert – das lassen wir uns nicht zweimal sagen. Sie hat ein erstaunlich großes Equipment in ihrem Camper und verzaubert uns mit den unterschiedlichsten Klängen und Resonanzen. Sehr beeindruckend, wie lange die Töne nachhallen !!! Später holt sich Susan noch ihre Okulele und verbreitet mit bekannten Mitsingsongs gleich gute Laune – ein weiterer perfekter Weihnachtsabend.

So, elf Tage sind wir nun schon in diesem kleinen Paradies, es wird langsam Zeit, ein bisschen weiterzuziehen. Schweren Herzens verabschieden wir uns von Elli, Jos, Katrina, Adrian, Susan, David, B.J., Andrea, John, Hannele, Kris and Andreas – war echt schön mit euch !!!!! Bis wir allen tschüß gesagt haben, ist es schon Mittag – dann aber nichts wie ab.

Weiter geht’s nach Chiapas

Around 3,5 Hours later we reach our destination: die kleine, verlassene Ausgrabungsstätte Guiengola, eine Festungs- und Kultanlage der Zapoteken, die aus dem späten fünfzehnten Jahrhundert stammt. Die letzten Kilometer sind abenteuerlich, der Weg eng, rechts geht es steil bergab, es darf keiner entgegenkommen. Henriette schafft es mit Hans-Peters Hilfe heil auf dem kleinen Parkplatz anzukommen, we are sure, das wird eine ruhige Nacht !!

Tatsächlich fährt am nächsten Morgen ein Motorrad an uns vorbei – as it turns out, ist das ein Mitarbeiter der Tourismusbehörde. Er trägt unsere Namen und Adresse brav in sein Büchlein ein und fragt, ob er uns den Weg zeigen soll. Wir verneinen, marschieren alleine los und kommen rund 40 Minuten später am Ziel an. Tatsächlich befindet sich hier einen imposante Tempelanlage, ein großer Ballspielplatz und viele Mauern von zusammengefallenen Wohnhäusern – wir sind beeindruckt. Ein paar Minuten hat uns auch der netten Mexikaner Louis vom Eingang eingeholt, er will uns unbedingt weitere Sachen zeigen: so entdecken wir einen weiteren Tempel, mehrere Gräber und einen tollen Mirador. Auf dem Weg zurück erklärt uns Louis (auf spanisch !) still, welche Pflanzen als Arzneimittel benutzt werden und gegen was sie eingesetzt werden – ein bisschen verstehen wir ihn, den Rest reimen wir uns zusammen. Zurück am Auto bekommt Louis ein Trinkgeld von uns, mit einem breiten Grinsen im Gesicht bedankt er sich dafür.

Auf der Rückfahrt ist die Piste immer noch eng und steil, nur sitze ich jetzt nicht mehr auf der abschüssigen Seite, also ist es nicht mehr ganz so schlimm :)! Auf der Strasse begegnen uns heute hunderte von Flüchtlingen, sie sind auf der Route von Südamerika in die USA unterwegs. Es macht einen betroffen, zu sehen, was diese Menschen auf sich nehmen, auf der Suche nach einem lebenswerteren Leben und um der Armut zu entfliehen. Man sieht junge und alte Menschen, Frauen mit Babys, Kinder jeden Alters, alle bestückt mit Rucksack, Decken und Wasserflasche. In den Nachrichten hatten wir gehört, dass gerade Tausende auf dem Weg sind, besonders aus Venezuela fliehen unfassbar viele Menschen, aber das mit eigenen Augen zu sehen, ist einfach noch mal etwas anderes.

Später erreichen wir einen kleinen, netten Platz an einem See in dem Örtchen Rosendo Salazar. Leider ist die ganze Anlage (die sicher einmal schön war) total heruntergekommen, sehr traurig und einfach für uns nicht nachvollziehbar. Abends gehen wir in das kleine Restaurant nebenan, die Camarones schmecken hervorragend.

Eine weitere, very quiet night – Perfect. In the morning, es ist Donnerstag, the 28.12.2023, werden wir tatsächlich von ein paar Arbeitern geweckt, die den Palapa neben uns reparieren – damit hätten wir nie im Leben gerechnet. Hans-Peter macht noch schnell unsere Toilette sauber, danach gehts weiter. 75 Kilometer später erreichen wir die Wasserfälle Agua Cero – das soll ein Highlight hier im Bundesstaat Chiapas sein. Die Zufahrt ist wie immer eine absolute Herausforderung – aber das sind wir ja nun mittlerweile schon gewöhnt. Touristische Ziele sind nur auf den engsten, schlechtesten, eingewachsensten und steilsten Schotterpisten erreichbar ??

Da Hunde nicht erlaubt sind, müssen unsere 2 Helden inkognito im Auto bleiben. Schnell packen wir die Badesachen, marschieren die 700 (!!!) Stufen hinunter und stürzen uns in die Wasserfälle – es ist wirklich eine zauberhafte Kulisse. Fast kommt man sich vor wie in Disneyland oder im Europapark – nur hier ist alles natürlich gewachsen. Das Wasser kommt zum Teil saukalt von oben, teilweise fließt es lauwarm im Fluß – unusual. Nach einer halben Stunde sind wir erfrischt, sauber und der Rücken ist massiert – so machen wir uns auf den Rückweg – 700 Stufen nach oben. Oben angekommen, könnte man schon wieder eine Dusche vertragen 🙂

Den Übernachtungsplatz finden wir in einem Kinderheim in dem Ort mit dem unaussprechlichen Namen “Ocozocoautla de Espinosa”, here there are 4 betonierte Plätze für Camper auf einer riesigen Wiese. Durch das Eingangstor schafft es unser großes Mädchen nicht ohne anzuboxen, aber der nette Mitarbeiter baut einfach den Zaun an einer Stelle ab, so können wir ohne Blessuren hineinfahren.

Morgens werden wir von den aufmerksamen Dorfhähnen frühzeitig geweckt, auch die Truthähne stimmen in den Weckruf mit ein. Wieder wird der Zaun für uns aufgemacht, damit wir problemlos auf die Strasse zurückfahren können. In Tuxtla steuern wir den erstbesten Walmart an, in the hope, unsere Kaffeekanne ersetzen zu können. Soweit ich mich nicht verzählt habe, ist das die 4. French-Press, die auf der Reise kaputt gegangen ist 🙂 Dieses Mal ist auf die Holperstrecke zu Guingola die Tür des Oberschrankes aufgegangen, den Absturz hat die Kanne leider nicht überlebt. Fündig werden wir nicht, dafür werden aber die Vorräte aufgestockt und wir sind für die nächsten Tage gerüstet. Abends quartieren wir uns auf den Parkplatz der Bootsablegestelle zum Canyon Sumidero ein und schauen uns noch ein bisschen um.

Saturday, the 30.12.2023, gehts gleich morgens los mit der Tour: wie immer ist die Organisation ein wenig chaotisch, aber schließendlich sitzen wir im Boot und die Fahrt kann beginnen. Anfangs finde ich den Canyon gar nicht so beeindruckend, dafür sehen wir einige graue, unbeweglich im Sand wartende Krokodile, Affen, Leguane und Pelikane. To 20 Minuten wird der Canyon immer steiler, rechts und links ragen die Felswände steil – up to 1.000 m – aus dem Wasser heraus. Das Wasser im Grijalva-Fluss ist hier bis zu 250 m deep !!! Unterwegs sehen wir noch eine Pflanzenwand, die von der Ferne wie ein Christbaum aussieht. And, und eine Snackpause muss es natürlich auch geben: wir halten an einem Kioskboot, das uns mit Chips und Soße, Getränken und Tacos versorgt – not, dass noch jemand unterwegs verhungert. Bei der Rückfahrt gibt unser Kapitän alles, so werden wir ziemlich heftig durchgeschüttelt. Unsere Jungs erwarten uns wie immer hocherfreut, sie haben schön auf Henriette aufgepasst.

Kurz noch ein Kaffee, dann sind wir startklar. Auf der wunderschönen Serpentinenstrecke MEX 190 schrauben wir langsam, aber stetig bergauf. Wir kommen uns vor wie in ein anderes Zeitalterversetzt: hier in den Bergdörfern leben fast ausschließlich Indigenas, die alle in ganz eigenen Kleidungsstücken herumlaufen, ihre alten Traditionen bewahren und abgeschieden von der restlichen Welt zu sein scheinen. Die Frauen tragen schwarze Wollröcke, die Männer weiße Baumwollhemden, das Brennholz wird im Wald gesammelt, selbst die kleinsten Kinder helfen bei der Arbeit – es ist ein ganz eigener Kosmos.

Ein paar Kilometer weiter sind wir wieder in der “Neuzeit” back – wir haben San Cristobal de las Casas erreicht. Auf dem Supermarktparkplatz wird Henriette abgestellt, von hier aus laufen wir in einer Viertelstunde ins Zentrum. Gleich auf den ersten Blick hat uns dieses Städtchen fasziniert, the small, alten Kolonialhäuschen sind gut erhalten und gepflegt, auf dem riesigen Platz vor der Kirche sammeln sich die Menschenmassen, es herrscht eine fröhliche, heitere Stimmung. Die Leute sind sehr freundlich, alle finden unsere Felltiere toll, sie bekommen mal wieder unzählige Streicheleinheiten. Bei Einbruch der Dunkelheit verwandelt sich der große Kirchplatz in einen riesigen Markt, unzählige Händlerinnen haben ihre Waren ausgebreitet. Man kann sich gar nicht sattsehen an den vielen schönen Handarbeiten, Stricksachen, bunten Troddeln, Decken, Ponchos ……… Da es mittlerweile empfindlich kühl geworden ist, “muss” ich mir unbedingt eine der schönen Strickjacken kaufen. Wie schade, dass wir so wenig Platz im Auto haben, hier könnte ich den halben Markt leer kaufen. Eingepackt in meiner warmen Jacke schlendern wir durch die Fussgängerzonen, unfassbare Menschenmengen drängen sich hier durch. Auf einem anderen Platz ist eine Bühne aufgebaut, hier soll Punkt 18.00 Uhr eine Tanzvorführung stattfinden. Anscheinend sind die Techniker im Stau steckengeblieben, kurz nach 18.00 Uhr treffen sie hektisch ein und müssen erst einmal die Lautsprecher aufbauen. eine gute halbe Stunde später kann das Spektakel endlich beginnen, allerdings sind die Hunde (und mein Mann) mittlerweile so gelangweilt, dass wir uns nur kurz den ersten Tanz anschauen.

Ziemlich geschafft von den vielen Erlebnissen und Eindrücken, freuen wir uns auf unser warmes Wohnzimmer. Bis Mitternacht wird neben uns noch mit lauter Musik gefeiert und zum Abschied werden die Motoren kräftig aufgedreht. Dafür dröhnt morgens um 6.30 Uhr schon der Lautsprecher vom Pollo-Verkäufer – Stadtleben pur !!!

Sonntags bestehe ich auf einen weiteren Stadtbummel, ein paar Kleinigkeiten muss ich doch noch einkaufen. Wieder ist die Stadt proppenvoll, es ist schwer, hier überhaupt durchzukommen. Nachmittags entfliehen wir dem Gewusel und fahren 10 Kilometer außerhalb in den Parque Ecoturistico Grutas de Rancho Nuevo. Das scheint ein bekanntes Ausflugsziel zu sein, Hunderte von Fahrzeugen kommen uns entgegen. The sun is slowly going down, die Tagesgäste fahren nach Hause. Wir kochen lecker, spielen und entkorken um Mitternacht unsere Flasche Sekt. Ganz alleine stehen wir im Wald, in der Ferne hören wir heftiges Geknalle. So verabschieden wir unser erstes komplettes Reisejahr 2023 und rutschen wunderbar ins neue Jahr 2024 !!!!