ADIÓS MEXICO!

If you can believe it! 19 days have passed since we arrived at Villa Corona on February 7th - which means we have ONE day left - and that's tomorrow! In some ways it has gone really quite fast and in other ways it has dragged.

Since my last post showing you the Villa Corona Market Day, we have continued to stay close to the van working on feeling better. I'm happy to report that Cassia and I are doing much better (so much so that we went swimming today) with just some lingering sniffles and cough. Derek is a little slower to recover still plagued by his sinuses and cough. 

I haven't posted because - really - there was little to say or show. We've only gone into Villa Corona every few days to replenish our grocery supplies. 

I do have BIG travel news but I'll save that for the end of the post.....

I posted pics of the RV Park here at the Parque Acuatico de Chimulco back in December but it's worth reshowing - pretty busy these days. I hear from a Saskatchewan couple - Judy and Dale - who are on their 14th (WoW!) trip to Mexico - that a few years ago at this time the RV park would be packed, as would the large empty field - and then even more RVs parked by the lake with no services. Boy - times have changed. Busy, but far from full!

Looking back from our site. We parked near the front this time - last time we were in the back corner.

Most of the rigs are at the back - closest to the lake - and in the shade.

The Parque has an RV Park but first and foremost it is a water park. It is much busier now in February then it ever was back in December. The weekends are C.R.A.Z.Y. busy. We tend to hide more during Saturday and Sunday. I did come to take some pictures yesterday just so you can see.

Since the Parque is so close to Guadalajara we are thinking that most of the visitors are from there.

Plus, they are seemingly quite well off - middle to upper class it looks like.

While only one pool is open during the week - the two large pools and three smaller pools are open on the weekends - in addition to the water slides. All the concession stands are open as well.

There are two large picnic areas that are full also. Almost all of the families bring their own food to prepare and eat. As I walk through I can smell BBQing. Lots of music (turned WAY up) and fun going on. Mexicans sure are a social bunch!

This is the internet area right by the office. We can only get wifi from our van with our banda ancha (telcel stick). For Cassia to watch cartoons or for me to look at blogs or post I have to come sit here. I write my posts at night - so right now I am sitting at the white table. Just me and the crickets - it's actually very peaceful at this time.

One of the VERY large bougainvillea trees here at the Parque.

When we walk to town we cut through the front lawn area. For a few days we could not get over the most amazing fragrance. We realized it was coming from the orange tree! 

When we leave here on Wednesday we'll have stayed 30 nights! A blow the doors off record for the Wood Clan. It has been nice - this is a nice place and we highly recommend it to all road travellers in Mexico. The grounds are well maintained, the staff is over the top friendly, and the town of Villa Corona is comfortable - also with friendly people and great food prices. 

I'll be a bit sad to leave.

But leave we must.....

And where to next?

Glad you asked.

A week or so ago I would have started rambling off about our trek back down to the beach and then our stops along the coast going north. I sat down one afternoon and worked out our itinerary all the way back to Vancouver Island arriving April 9th.

But that plan is now scratched - we have a new one!

Late last week when Cassia and I arrived back at the van Derek announced that he had worked out a route back to Saskatchewan not BC, AND it involved going to Texas. 

TEXAS! 

It took me a few minutes to get my head around it - as we had no plan of visiting Texas this year - sadly.

But the more I thought about Derek's plan - it started to make sense. First, after 3 1/2 months in Mexico we are looking to move on, second - we LOVE Texas (most of you know that I think) and third, we are looking for work in Saskatchewan this summer - and it doesn't make a lot of sense to travel all the way to BC only then to have to travel more than 1,200 kms to Sask. (especially with the rising gas prices.)

So - we have a NEW plan (I have mentioned that our plans do tend to change - right?)

We are actually headed to Texas on Wednesday. Yup  - THIS Wednesday - we will be up early - and I mean EARLY - to get ourselves around Guadalajara with hopefully a somewhat lower amount of traffic. Then, it is all north for the next few days. We plan to cross over into Texas on Friday morning via Eagle Pass.

It should be a good ride. We'll see - it will be two full days of driving. 

So - this is officially our last blog post from Mexico. I'm going to spend tomorrow night doing some last minute trip research and getting the van ready for departure. 

We'll see you on the other side - of the border that is. I promise to take a ton of photos so that you can see how our trip went and what the interior of Mexico looks like. I've taken a sneak peak on google maps - I think we'll enjoy the landscape. 

Adios Mexico - It's been fun! You've been a most gracious host! Hasta Luego I should say!

Teresa

TODAY'S INTERESTING LINK: I highly recommend a look at Travel with Kevin and Ruth this week - they've just returned from a 6 day trip (4 days hiking) in Guatemala! What an experience. 

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