From Cuyutlan we decided it was as good a time as any to turn inland, get away from the heat, and see some of the cities and ruins of the central highlands. Not too far up the road is the Volcán de Colima. An active volcano that is constantly burping and spitting up.
The drive took us through sugar cane country. We spent a couple of hours crawling up and down mountains, much of it in first gear, passing speeding trucks laden to double their height with cane.
We ended up at a Laguna de Maria, with a brown lake nestled at the bottom of the small valley. We had the grassy field to ourselves, but shared the pool with a few families staying in the concrete bungalows.
We spent a couple of very peaceful days there.
Catching up on a little laundry.
At first we thought we’d found a cute little lone frog. We quickly discovered the truth.
We left right after breakfast this morning with no idea just how far we’d have to backtrack to get on the highway headed north again. We also had no idea how many miles it actually was after we did get back on the highway. Because we just may be the last people on earth to be driving around without at least a GPS and an iPhone blinking wildly at us the whole way—strange voices demanding I take a left or a right when all I really want is to go straight.
We’ve also been sans internet for a while. We have a Mexican wireless internet card, but haven’t charged it up in months.
Anyway, our complete lack of gadgets leaves us a little unsure of our situation at times. Today was one of those.
We drove back through the mountains for awhile, until we came to our first decision. Left or straight? Left or straight? I chose straight—I chose wrong. We ended up winding our way through the center of a town called Queseria—a town whose planners clearly hadn’t envisioned a fifty-year-old RV rumbling through. Left, it turns out, was the bypass route. Fifty-fifty chance.
The libre (free road) was exhausting. We would up and down and up again, climbing to and settling at around 6,500 feet. At one point we spotted some well worn signs pointing us to the cuota (toll-road) which we had been admiring for a couple of hours from hundreds of feet above—its long straight lines looking so enticing.
We followed the sign right to the point where the road should have merged onto the cuota. It didn’t. A cop car sat nearby and I idled up alongside. Literally three feet from the guy on a dead end road and I had to call out to him to get him to look up from his phone. I thought cops were always on high alert. He told us we could go the wrong direction for a few miles and get on the cuota there, or we could continue on ahead on the libre. We forged ahead. And it sucked. On drives like this I am absolutely amazed that a bus of this vintage can continue on—slowly, maybe, but continuously moving forward.
We finally made it to the campground we’d been aiming for in Mazamitla. The gate was wide open and before us stretched a field half a mile deep full of nicely groomed RV camp spots, but without an RV to be seen.
After parking and getting set up I wandered up to the house to see if anyone was around. The entire place was wide open, though the house turned out not to be a house at all, but some sort of party facility. I guess. We also found that there was no running water in the whole place.
We continued on with our day, expecting that at some point someone would come down and say hello, maybe turn the water on for us. Then at six Ali looked up and noticed the gate was closed. We walked up and found that the entire property had been locked tight. We were prisoners. How long our sentence is, we don’t know. Hopefully, we’ll find out tomorrow.
Downtown Queseria. I actually pulled over and parked right here after we spotted a water purification shop. Ran in, filled up our drinking water jugs (we keep four six-liter bottles in the bus), and continued winding our way through town.
We stopped for a play break in some small, horrible smelling, paper mill town. Kids didn’t even mention it.
Right now there is so much good fresh fruit around. Our kids’ diets consist of about 80% fruit, so the abundance of it is always welcome.
This is Ouest posing alongside her fairy house. Every night Ouest writes them a note, and every night we the fairies write one back to her. We may be doing this for the next five years judging by the smile.
In case you didn’t know, about a million years ago I wrote a book about sailing around the world. It’s called Bumfuzzle, and the reviews are still pouring in. Here’s the latest. It’s one-star, but those are always the best.
The book was amusing to read for me as a sailor myself. The writer Patrick and his Wife are extremely lucky they did not lose their lives. They bought and sailed a catamaran around the world, starting without any knowledge of sailing or any knowledge of boat maintenance or gear operation. He continuously referred to parts of and items on the boat incorrectly and his hap hazard ways about long distance passage making are incredible he did not kill the both of them. They must have had a guardian angel with them.
Throughout the book, Pat had a hard time with accepting other cruisers especially older people and was continuously critical of them with a chip on his shoulder. He was adimate to accepting advice and is a total know it all when other people were trying to give him good advice.
Pat is a total rogue sailor and I would not ever want to meet him or run into him on the water. Him and his wife are both a couple of know it all yuppies that have no respect for the ocean or other sailors. Pat is a jerk and if it were not for his good luck with weather and a good boat, he would have been in a real fix. Somehow he was able to get through the circumnavigation alive. Most cruisers that set off to sail the globe are not as lucky as him with sea and weather. I would not advise anyone to take on what he did irresponsibly.
34 Comments on “Volcán de Colima”
Maybe it’s time to invest in a paper map?? Or print something out at the next town with an internet cafe??? from looking at mapquest your next big choice left is freeway sd4 and right s4 is winding old road. actually on the map s4 doesn’t look to bad not whin/dy at all.
As to the comment on the book he was right about the sailing luck..you were VERY lucking you didn’t run into any big weather issues as to your character should have bit his tongue and reserved judgement until he knew you.
well, there is the Guia Roji, but it really just gives an optimal view of the roads. there is also the transit department website, but the biggest issue we found in our years of traveling the roads of Mexico is every with a map you sometimes just have to flip a coin. roads aren’t well marked at a minimum unless you’re in a tourist area and are very confusingly marked. and you NEVER go by route number but instead the most obscure tiny town along that route will be listed on teh indicating sign (if there is a sign) instead of the larger and more well known one.
it is a great country to get lost in though… as long as you’re liking the journey…
I have a paper map of Mexico—we’re not wandering around completely aimlessly. Really, the point wasn’t that I don’t understand how to use a computer, it’s that we simply choose not to. Sometimes it takes longer, and sometimes we get lost, but most of the time we don’t really care.
As for being VERY LUCKY, I think you are 100% wrong. We followed the weather, we followed the seasons, and we sailed conservatively. If the forecast called for more than about 15 knots we just stayed put. We got grief for being too conservative and motoring too much. Then we get told we were lucky we weren’t in a big storm. People sailing trade wind circumnavigations tend not to get hit by big storms (50+ knots is what I would consider a big storm). We sail the trade winds for a reason. God, I can’t stand the word luck. We’ve sailed 40,000 miles, 10,000 hours plus, and instead of getting any credit for staying out of big weather it all gets put down to luck. Nobody can be that lucky.
Haters gonna hate. Hardly luck. I think people that have invested their whole lives in the whole “sailing” lifestyle are just bitter that you were able to do what they have never and may never have a chance to do.
Nice review of “Bumfuzzle”. I guess he couldn’t read between the lines or realize your a(the) master of “Risk Assessment”.
I always get a kick out of people trying to judge other people that they don’t even know. You my friend (even though I don’t know you) are like an “Irish Pendant”, pull it and one of three things are sure to happen. 1. It comes right off and everything is “ship shape” 2. It unravels and a button falls off 3. It just keeps pulling until your clothes fall off and you stand there naked, wondering “What was I thinking”. Do I have a point? No, just thought I had a cool story to tell.
What a fantastic review. lol. Obviously the guy finished the book, so he couldn’t have hated it THAT much.
The volcano photos are amazing.
All I remember from family vacations in the 1980s were the “shortcuts” my dad always discovered on the map, and then the resulting turnarounds to make our way back to the highway. I’m not sure I appreciated it at the time, but looking back, there’s something magical about driving without GPS. (I’m not switching to paper charts on my boat, though.)
It’s always nice when you get such uplifting reviews!
That’s a book review? Sounds like an uninformed opinion regarding the character of a person he has never met. Or jealousy. I know I am jealous I haven’t done the amazing things you’ve done. And if you did have weather issues? Just different stories to tell. Thanks for keeping the blog in spite of mean people. It is the first thing I look at every morning! And your last couple weeks without internet has been a problem for me. 🙂
I loved Bumfuzzle and, thanks to your story, we too will seek a way to live the bum life. That review just proves how right you are about sailing and life!
And to think of all the non-sailors you inspired to hop on a catamaran and sail around with no experience?!?
(Ahem, cough cough, raises hand)
Happy to get plugged back in to your adventures!
It would be interesting to find out what the critic has done with their life.
Ouest’s fairy house is so cool! That is so awesome that you guys are giving her such a wonderful childhood.
That review should be good for book sales. No one wants to read another abook about a typical over-prepared, over-cautious, cruiser droning on about weather windows and points of sail. But a book about a haphazard jerk with a chip on his shoulder that’s lucky to be alive, now that sounds like good reading.
Great photo’s, can get a sense of Mexico off the beaten path, thank you for that.
Reviews…. You don’t need no stink’en reviews!
I can only hope to get a review like that someday.
Hmm. Maybe that reviewer was a share holder in Wildcat!
I was telling a co-worker who is from Central Mexico about you guys traveling around Mexico. I then told her about the blog. The next day she said she was exhausted from staying up late reading the blog and couldn’t wait to read more that night. Then I told her about the book! She’s hooked!!!
I would interested in a whole jerk with chip series because it has been a real joy for me to follow your travels.
Pat & Ali, I think the photos are getting better. Is that possible? Great tone and style on all these.
What does “adimate” mean? lol
I love Ouest’s Fairy house too! I may have to build one for myself.
I felt the same as the reviewer of Bumfuzzle until I followed the Cross Country rally in the Porsche. I have done rallies and know the care and attention to details it takes to get the results you achieved. It came to me that anyone who could do that was doing a lot of careful planning and execution that were not necessarily written about. You take your prudence and skill for granted, like breathing or bodily functions, so you don’t elaborate about them. We, who lack those traits, have to be reminded.
Keep up the good work and your second nature will keep you out of trouble.
Ken
I guess I stand corrected..avoiding bad weather is a good sailing skill too!
The book got me hooked on the blog. I was unable to put it down till I read the last word, then wanted to find out what happened after so read the entire blog. Still here after many years. I always wondered why it did not get the advertising/press I thought it should have.
Glad you put that negative review at the end. I think it distracted people from coming into the comments to tell you about the thousand and one devices that could help you navigate (as if you didn’t already know about them).
You’ve really changed my mind about Mexico. I live in San Antonio (I’ve read your post about your trip to SA aloud to my whole family multiple times and we’re still nodding along in agreement) and I’ve been brainwashed into thinking Mexico is a pit filled with drug lords and murder. Exit visas are pending from the pit that is San Antonio; we’re setting out in September with a fiberglass RV and never coming back. Thanks to your blog, there is a really good chance we will be exploring Mexico.
Your photography has grown leaps and bounds in the last year, and it’s always been great. Safe travels!
Life is full of challenges, too many pussy(cat) types out there. Living life in fear of what may happen and not do it is not living life at all.
I’ve been following you guys for years since the catamaran days, it all looked like just another normal day in living life to me. 🙂
I have been enjoying your adventures for years. Found your site after reading your book. I belong in the ‘over 50 group’, loved your book. You and Ali are doing an amazing job of raising your kids, really living life and letting us all see it! I don’t normally comment, but the book review you posted was entertaining enough to make me want to tell you and Ali how ‘right’ you’ve got it!
Mr. 1 Star obviously missed the boat, car, van, Travco…. I’ve enjoyed your adventures (I’ve read all your blogs..) you are both bright and intelligent with a plethora of common sense:) keep going so you can really live the Dream!
I dont know if you really ignored advice from other “sailors”, but based on the way the sailor expresses him/herself, I expect I would have ignored such advice also. What I cant understand is why the sailor bothered to include an insulting (and incorrect) assertion about the personalities of yourself and your wife.
Smart people dont do such things.
Two observations from a former Naval Flight Officer:
1) “Good Luck” occurs when opportunity meets thorough preparation.
2) “Always listen to experts. They’ll tell you what can’t be done, and why. Then do it.”
Robert A. Heinlein, Time Enough for Love
Best,
Rodger
Pat and family- you are heroes to this Minnesotan! You still come up in conversation as someone to be admired at sailing regattas and chartering locations long after you trade the sailboat for a bus! Thanks for taking us along on your adventures!!
Not to say Bumfuzzle wasn’t seaworthy, but the amount of repairs undertaken at great expense, insuring your and subsequent owners safety and piece of mind would lead me to believe One Star wouldn’t no a good boat from shinola…
The review of Bumfuzzle, which I loved by-the-way, became worthless the minute i read, “Patrick and his Wife”. I wouldn’t sail anywhere near that guy either. Not for his sailing expertise, of which he is his biggest fan, but because he’s a misogynistic ass-hat!
Don’t be fooled that’s the same guy who pulled up in no name bay with his music blaring and threw his hook over the side without a line (or is that an anchor with out a Rhode) he would be critical of the way we sail in South Dakota too, we would love to meet you and your family so if your ever close drop us a line its sure for a good time.
forever young
Agnes J of Minneapolis