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| Single batch Mezcal Distillery along MEX190 |
Pulling out of Oaxaca I continued south southeast on MEX190. Driving through the surface streets, I was amazed to see the hi-tech signal traffic lights at the many intersections. Picture the typical red green yellow light bar as one solid led screen that could change with movement, arrows, yellow, green, red combos and flashing until solid. I have not seen anything like this in the USA but here in Oaxaca, Mexico it is the norm.
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| Agave for Mezcal production |
Also the pedestrian walk and don't walk shows a stick figure actually walking when green and it counts down the time remaining or red counts the time until you can walk. But don't ask the drivers to stay in their proper lanes, come to think of it there was no painted lanes on the street. It all works and takes a little getting use too, to my advantage I was living in Miami ( they have painted lanes) for the last 24yrs I got use to it pretty darn fast.
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| Building a new Mezcal distillery |
As I topped off my fuel tank Pemex, stopped at the panaderia, bakery that's when I spied a carnitas taco stand. "I Brake for Carnitas". I ordered 3 Tacos carnitas and savored every last morsel with some mighty tasty hot sauce. Ready to hit the road again I jumped back on MEX190 headed out of town.
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| top and bottom The Hundy has landed! Presa Juarez |
MEX190 takes you through a little town called
Santiago Matatlan which seems to be the entrance way to Mezcal Country. The day was right out of the picture books as I cruised down the road passing little Mezcal distilleries on the side of the road. About 200km down the road I tripped into a small village attached to a lake,
Presa Juarez. I had to drive through this little village to get to the lake as the night turned dark, once again I relied on my LED lights to guide me in.
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| top; morning clean up crew bottom: lake side camp Persa Juarez |
The lakes edge was flat with hard packed sand and I saw a camper van parked along the edge so figured this was the place. Positioning myself a distance away from my neighbor I found a flat surface and leveled my rig before popping my
RTT in the dark. Sitting in my new camp site that night I watched a lighting storm in the distance light up the clouds as if on cue. Perhaps the Tequila shots and a couple of beers helped but it was a amazing sight.
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| Lake camp all to myself |
In the morning I woke to some very spectacular views of the lake surrounded by mountains. With no trees in sight I had a 280 degree view that's when I decided to stay here for at least a couple of nights. Then the goats came and munched the little green that was there with bells ringing and all the bahhhing it was great cheap entertainment. The wind was blowing in the late afternoons keeping the temps cool while taking a hike around the lakes edge and the occasional refreshing plunge.
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| top; well camp almost all to myself bottom; a live painted picture |
Well I was not alone even though my camper van neighbors left the following morning I had a pack of man's best friends keeping me company. Watching a lone fisherman casting a net on the lake it was if someone had painted that scene before. It was a stark reality coming from the busy city of
Oaxaca to this little slice of solitude.
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| on the cliff looking back on Salina Cruz Pacific Ocean |
Breaking camp I was headed for the
Pacific Coast about 45km away on
MEX190 to the port town of
Salina Cruz. It was hot dusty and a little dirty so I continued further. This is where I would make the decision to start my way back or continue on further to
Chiapas and the
Yucatan. I weighted my options and after some serious thought I decided to head north up the Pacific coast on
MEX200 and eventually back to the states, marking the half way point.
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| Camp at Tangolunda RV trailer camp |
My thinking was simple I plan on returning to Mexico in the near future so there was no reason to try and see it all in one trip. Now I have a plan of travel for the next time I return but, for now I'll continue north along the beautiful
Pacific Coast. The winding rugged coast lent itself to some amazing vistas.
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| top and bottom Playa Tangolunda |
Wanting to go for a swim I located a old little trailer park on
Playa Tangolunda. Really not much of a trailer park more like a flooded out parking lot with sanitarios and regaderas. Shadowed by a golf course on one side the other a large condo resort which also seemed empty at the time it was perfect. I was the only camper for the night but during the day the place was a parking lot for the few visited beach goers.
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| Trailer park rates |
I was able to go swimming read on the beach, shower and do some laundry by hand, Life's Good!! There was also an interesting array of birds of which I never heard before a loud screeching clucking noise they would chatter back in-forth at all odd hours, along with parrots and many others I don't know the names of.
From here I continued on
MEX200 north along the coast to
Puerto Escondido.
Hope to see you on the Trail!!..
🚙.......
