Fall 2003 – April, 2004
Alamos, Teacapan, La Laguna Sta Maria del Oro, San Blas, Teacapan, Durango, Texas
We were at the Acosta Trailer Park enjoying the beautiful town of Alamos in the foothills of the Copper Canyon mountains, the Sierra Madre when on Dec. 8 Chris came down with severe chills, high fever, bone and muscle aches and eventually a red rash and itching. The classic symptoms of Dengue fever which was then diagnosed and confirmed by the Doctor and blood test. Recovery is a long uphill struggle. We decided to stay in Alamos and take it easy. It was some time before Chris was able to walk into town about 1 km away.
We made the best of it and enjoyed the Company of other visitors in the park plus many of our friends in town. Again a superb Christmas dinner at the Thompson's. Joanie and Doug are wonderful cooks and gracious hosts. This dinner has become a tradition for us sine 1994.
On January 17 we bid good-bye to Alamos and took the 2 day drive south to Teacapan -about 100 km south of Mazatlan and located on a 30 km peninsula. Our home was Isla Paraiso, a small Palm treed, beach front trailer park attached to a Villa and Condo resort with pools and a tennis court. Chris felt better but still had headaches. We did bike and walk the beach. Most of our fellow campers, less than a dozen rigs, were Canadians.
January 29 We left Teacapan. It is a short 4 hour drive inland via Tepic to La Laguna. We stayed at Koala Motel and Trailer Par where our friend, Ben, has a permanent trailer.
This once beautiful Resort is going downhill fast, a real disaster, dirty, no management, no noise control, days without water. We give it maybe 2 more years. The Laguna is in a beautiful setting. A crater lake being built up by irresponsible new developments – houses with insufficient sewer systems, with runoffs into the lake. Lake water is pumped into the houses and trailer park and used for watering, showers and utilities except drinking. If and when we return to La Laguna we will not be staying in the Koala Trailer Park.
March 8 we left La Laguna for La Noria at the 5000' level. Rancho La Noria is about 12 km from Tepic in the Sierra de San Juan. There are 4 small campsites with shelters and electric, wood fired hot water for showers and water. Several trails and lookout posts are around the Ranch at spectacular areas with views of canyons. Birding is very good in the area. Ben joined us in his VW camper on this part of our trip and we always enjoy his company and the afternoon “Coffee Especial” break.
March 18 we continued back down the mountain and to the coast at Playa Amor and then San Blas. It always is an enjoyable Sunday evening on the Plaza with lots of children, families – young and old, young people, music, balloon and Huichal articles for purchase.
After a return visit to Teacapan we heard that temperatures were very hot in Sonora and the mosquitoes were returning so we made a drastic change of plans. We had never driven the “Devil's Backbone” to Durango and this was our chance. We made two overnight stops on the way with excellent birding at Barranca el Leibre. It is a spectacular drive but you do need to take your time. There is many 18 wheelers and buses on the route but also many areas where you can pull off and marvel at the rugged mountains and canyons.
We continued on to the States and did not have too much difficulty at the Border, but the sniffer dogs were taken all around our rig. The Officers were pleasant and we could stay in the area, not like other reports we had heard of . We had a great stay in Big Bend National Park – at the Chisos Campground and a primitive site at Painted Gap. Both sites have spectacular scenery but the primitive site is very secluded, remote, quiet, and the stars were very bright with no city lights to defuse them. We soaked in the scenery and the beauty.
As we worked our way to Winnipeg, we had stops at Muleshoe Wildlife Refuge, Perryton, Texas and Stromsburg, Nebraska among others. The weather in mid April in the Dakotas was nasty but we made the best of it. We are now preparing our rig and such for the odd adventure this summer and an early departure for Vancouver in September. We will leave our camper in Vancouver and fly to Australia and Japan for 2 months.
Life is an adventure and it is great to be able to enjoy it.
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