When friends first come to visit, they are amazed that we don't have acres of cacti and sagebrush. After all we are in the middle of Mexico.
Then they see the lakes, the mountains, the pine forests and the quaint colonial towns like Patzcuaro.
If we have time we take them to lunch in Morelia or down to the more warm Uruapan.
If we don't have too much time we hang around the lake and maybe a afternoon trip to Tacambaro. There you go from the cool mountains to the gate way to the "tierra caliente" of Michoacan.
Some friends wander around our house amazed at the trees, the vegetation and the contrast of their preconceived notions of pictures of non beach Mexico.
We ourselves have only been exposed to the highways from the states as far down as Acapulco and Mexico City, then to Cuernavaca.
Never been to Merida, Never been to Cancun. About 15or so years ago in Sonoma County, a friend of mine who was a big time egg rancher invited me to "come on down to his boat" ( use your best Texas accent here) "and come on down to do some fishin" at our place in Baja. ( I never thought about Ba Ja, he pronounced it with a J like Jay bird! And there, that is the perfect Mexico I think all gringos have a concept of, Hot desert climate, lots of cacti, sand and not much else.
( I didn't care too much for BaJa....needless to say, something about trying to cool off in 94 degree ocean water.......but the fishing was great!)
I do know people that enjoy going to Cancun all the time, they are the ones that enjoy 28 hours of partying, too! We have our Cancun on the west coast called Ixtapa....a cookie cutter planned resort row with absolutely no character. You know one of those places where you could be anywhere, the beach in Honolulu, Miami, San Diego or Cancun......
I'm at the age where I am partied out......yep quiet and boring now.
I do have a promise to myself to go and visit the east coast next year and time the trip to consider running away from the path of some confused bulls.
A fellow blogger who lives on the coast ( east ) wrote about a annual event that after reading his blog, and in a moment of fantasizing some Earnest Hemingway or John Steinbeck, I thought to myself that instead of going all the way to Pampolna where the animals are real serious, I would seriously consider a alternative here in Mexico. After all when I make a fool out of myself, whats the sense of spending a fortune to do that?
2010 is the year!
After all, you only live once, and hopefully you would only get trampled once, ok maybe twice, it became a new entry on my bucket list.
Any other takers?
Check out John's blog, Viva Veracruz and see if you want to join me?
So Mexico's diverse land is a surprise to many, it's not only sand and beaches, it's beautiful mountains lakes, forests and rivers. You can toss in a big city in there too.
Big trip for 2010 or 11 is the copper canyon trek.......
Always need a goal, for the dreamer in me!
