I’ll start with the bad news. One of the unknowns of the trip was my back…specifically had it healed enough to travel long distances after my major surgery. The healing/recovery process takes a minimum of one year, which for me will be next July. A long way off.

When we arrived in Ajijic, one of the first things I realized was how rough and uneven the cobblestone streets are….after all, they’re over 350 years old. The first few days went really well and I trucked around town like a local. No problem. However, after nearly two weeks of the constant jarring from the stones (and restraining Tuck so he doesn’t zoom down the street after one of the many local dogs running loose), my back has gotten progressively worse. Walking, which is all I’m supposed to do for the first year, is good for the healing process…..but obviously walking on uneven surfaces, is not. Oh well, these are the things you learn when you travel…just some of the unknowns that can’t be answered until you’re actually “out there” doing it. And so…we’re heading to the coast to explore some popular towns on the sea and (hopefully) find some smoother streets, roads and side walks. If not, I hear they make killer marguerita’s at the local beach-side stands. I’m in.

Today, we’re loading up some of our gear and heading to the seaside towns of Chacala for three nights. Then down the coast to Bucerias for a couple nights before we return to Ajijic to pack up our stuff and head back to Arizona. The weather on the Mexican coast is much like Florida. While we’re there, the temps will be in the high 80’s during the day and around 70 at night. The humidity will also be back to Florida levels. It will be interesting to see how we handle it, after being away from humidity for nearly two years.

Finally, a quick story about finding some great hand-made tortillas and other authentic street food. While heading to a local bakery yesterday, we passed a small house not far from where we are living. Katie spied a hand-written menu (all in Spanish of course) facing the street and behind it, a woman cooking tortillas on a grill alongside maybe a half-dozen pots filled with wonderful smelling ingredients. We passed on by, still headed to the bakery….which was so crowded we couldn’t even get in the parking lot. That’s a common theme around here….once the tourists find a good spot, word gets out quickly on Facebook or Twitter and soon the place becomes standing room only. And so, we headed back down the street and stopped at the little house. Good call.

There were no tourists here, only local residents enjoying real Mexican food. Fortunately for us, the older couple who lived there and did all the cooking, made us plates with the specialty of the day (referred to here as the plata dia). A grilled and baked chile stuffed with local cheese, refried beans, eggs, potatoes, fresh off-the-grill tortillas, salsa and agua fresca to drink. Great food and only $5 apiece. We left with a half-dozen tortillas to eat later.

That’s it for today. The next post will be from Chacala.

Adios,

Wayne, Claudia & Katie