On The Road

On The Road
Dutch Star and Subaru ready to go

Sunday, December 22, 2013

We have a new neighbor in the park. A couple from British Columbia in a 36ft Class A motorhome. Although having been to Mexico before, this is their first time driving an RV down and they say "its a learning experience"  We're not sure how long they'll be staying, but at least for a month.

Here's a few more pictures we took while in Tonala.









      Lots of places to eat










 
 
Hospital with procedure costs listed
 
 
Tonala traffic jam
 


Saturday, December 21, 2013

We just got back from spending several days in Tonala. For those unfamiliar with the city of Tonala, it sits on the southern end of Guadalajara and is one of the biggest market centers in all of Mexico. For about 10 blocks on the main street and on every side street, vendors set up their booths where you are able to find just about anything you want to buy. They are usually set up on Thursdays and Sundays but during the week before Christmas, the vendors are set up everyday. Besides the booths that are set up in the middle of the street laterals, the permanent stores along both sides of the street are also open for business.
 
Many individuals who sell items at local town markets (such as La Penita) stock up on what they resell. You can see lots of trucks fully loaded and heading out of Tonala heading back to other towns.

We went to Tonala with our friends, Fred and Sherry and stayed at the same motel we do each time we go. The Arana hotel's rooms are set up around a gated court yard where you can park your car outside your room. Very secure location and only a block from the main street where the market begins.

While we were gone, Hayley and Leo spent a few days at a nice Groomer/Boarder in Lo De Marcos. We've had them stay there before and know that they're in good hands while we're gone.

      Diane at the Arana motel
 
      A few pictures of the Tonala market







 


 

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Diane had to take her new prescription sun glasses back to the local optometrist for adjustment this morning and from there we walked through the Thursday market in La Penita.  The uneven pavement and cobble stone streets requires careful attention as you walk and Diane tripped over something and scraped her knees. Nothing too serious and several people helped by offering band aids etc.

I bought a new fanny pack and another Myan shirt and Diane bought a pair of sandals at a small shoemaker's shop we visit each year.  Two years ago I made one of my "pull-top" hat bands for the shoemaker and this year his wife showed me a couple of purses made from pull-tops. I'm not sure if she made them but they're way beyond anything that I do with pull-tops. Before we left the market we bought a bunch of fresh green beans and a kilo of fresh strawberries for 25 pesos.

     La Penita Thursday Market

 
 
      Purses made from Pull-tabs

 
 
 
     La Penita Street Scenes  
 
 
 

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

A friend asked how the motorhome turned out after the final buffing..  The answer... It turned out great. We're very satisfied with the work and would recommend them to anyone who is down here for the winter and would like their RV painted.

Victor is the boss: Cell phone 322-229-5208  and
Ivis is an employee who is completely bi-lingual ..Cell phone 664-640-9548

     Newly painted Dutch Star

Monday, December 9, 2013

There really hasn't been much happening with us the last couple of days and is why I haven't posted anything on the blog.
But today we went to the weekly Monday market in Ricon de Guayabitos. The little town on the southern edge of La Penita.
This market is designed mainly for the tourists as you can see in the pictures. In contrast, the weekly Thursday market in La Penita is a mixture of things for the tourists and the local Mexican population.

What was very evident was the fact that there were very few tourists at the market as compared to previous years. I hope that the snow birds arrive soon as many of the locals depend on tourist pesos.


        Ricon de Guayabitos Monday Market

















We met our friends at the market and after walking through and looking at everything we went and had lunch at one of our favorite restaurants.