ME BAD!!!

And me gonna get worse, I'm afraid. We have been very busy here at Hacienda Contreras and are having a grand time. We signed up for one week, but we've extended for a month. It may be a lot cooler than I wanted in Mexico, but the area and people are so nice that it's hard to leave.

One day Helen and I went to Mazamitla, one of Mexico's "Magical Cities". It's a very old city built around a cathedral and plaza. The streets are paved with cobblestone and they are narrow to the extreme. They can be narrow and still be two way streets, but it doesn't really matter because this is Mexico and some people won't hesitate to drive the wrong way if it's where they want to go.

This is a typical street in Mazamitla. One of our fellow campers made the mistake of driving his motorhome here a few years ago. With very narrow streets, curbs that are sometimes 18 inches high, and low overhangs jutting out from buildings, he was lucky to get out. Of course he had the help of the police who guided him and had a number of people move their cars.



This is the center of Mazamitla culture and city. All around the plaza there are numerous shops selling just about anything you might need. I did look at a nice leather jacket, but thought it foolish to have in such a warm climate. A few days later I would have liked to have it on.

Across the street from the cathedral is the Alpine Restaurant where Helena and I stopped for lunch. Now Helen and I are not great lovers of Mexican food, or at least we haven't been, so we were very careful about what we ordered. Nothing hot, as in spicy hot. The hostess gave us a lot of time and allowed us to sample some dish to see if we'd like it. We settled on two orders of mixed grill fajitas. They were delicious.

Another night Barb Contreras, camp owner, put on one heck of a meal for all the campers. There were shrimp, cooked five different ways, and all of them excellent. That alone made it a feast for me, but there was also lamb, chourizo, (Spelling is probably wrong), steak, and several Mexican dishes. I mentioned that Helen and I were not into Mexican food, but we find that there is a world of difference between what we have here and what is available at Taco Bell. We have been told that before but didn't quite believe it.

Last night the whole group of us went up to a restaurant right on the square, or plaza in Valle de Juarez. Everyone ordered the specialty, chicken enchiladas and we were not disappointed. Only after we were done did Barb thank us for sharing her and Sal's 39th anniversary. When we gathered at the campground I thought Barb looked all spiffed up for just a night with the crowd, but I didn't realize the true meaning of the evening to her.

Today the ladies have been up in the kitchen getting tamales ready for tonight. Earlier they were making something else that I would only destroy if I tried to spell it. Suffice to say it was another traditional Mexican dish that was exceptional. Sal's mother, Dona Theresa, was the focal point for making the early dish as well as having all the ladies, Helen included, keep busy making the tamales. Helen said that from now on we'll be having Tamales for Christmas instead of lasagna. Could that really happen???? I like the Mexican food, but I am Italian and lasagna is..........

There could have been and should have been more pictures, but for some reason we got some poor results with the little camera. For really good pictures and commentary, see Kevin and Ruths Adventures.

I will try to be better, but it's so easy to rely on Kevin.