A ride on the El Camino Real in Willie

Saturday a.m
Just tried to post a short video of our trip into the jungle yesterday. Was taking too long so will leave it for later. And I only took pictures when I didn’t have to hang on. We all had a ball. Except maybe Willie [I think he enjoyed it – after all that is what he is built for.] And The Driver, Bill, got a pretty good work out but seemed to enjoy it too. I know Carol, John and I sure did.
We started off by going past a banana load dock. Many men busy there loading the 18 wheeler

and unloading smaller pickups.

Then through the town of La Palma. It is a pretty good sized town. The owners of the El Chaco RV Park live there.

Then on to the smaller town of La Bajada – their welcome sign.

It’s a pretty little town nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Madre. The road through town eventually reaches the old Camino Real. The Padres Junipero Serra and Kino followed this road from central Mexico all the way to San Blas where they took a ship to Baja where they started to build the first missions. Wow!

After the sign before the town. Road has narrowed done some already.

Going through La Bajada. Keeping on the smoother part of the road was tricky. And it is a two way road.

Heading out of town. We stopped and asked an old man if the road kept going. His answer was yes – it went way up the hill to Tepic. And with the 4 wheel drive we shouldn’t have too much problem. Hummmm… He was laughing when he said it. We asked about the coffee plantations and yes they were up there. He watched us as we pulled away. Willie in 4 wheel drive. View of the jungle – all kinds of plants with some banana trees here and there.

The trees closing in on the road? Trail? Again it was cobblestone and dirt and rocks.

Oops – getting smaller, more jungle. Does it really go around that corner?

Yep almost like being in a Tarzan movie. Lots of bird sounds.

High grass growing down the middle tells us not many vehicles come this way any more.

Just some of the vegetation. Lots of it unknown, mangos, bananas, coffee plants, flowers, ferns etc.

After a particularly rough part of the road we stopped and got out to check out the road in front of us. See John and Bill walking up the road.

As Willie waited patiently. He was having fun.

After walking up the road a ways John discovered an area where we could turn around. It was where another trail came down out of the mountain to join the road we were on. Part of the view from there.

Me Tarzan You Jane – Willie is up the road to the right. Really, really jungle.

Just one of the strangely colored butterflies we saw. Also saw a yellow and black stripped one but I couldn't talk it into landing so I could take a picture of it.

The road that continues up the hill towards Tepic. As it turns out, but we didn’t know it at the time, we’d already been through the worst part of the road – as the plantation people no longer use the lower part of the road. They just go from here up and down. See how nice and smooth it looks. Another day perhaps.

As we were taking pictures and enjoying the scenery a pick up truck came down the other road. He blew his horn to attract our attention and we had to move Willie to let them past. Wonder what he was thinking about us gringos locos!

But we did find coffee plants – this part of the plantation appeared to be abandoned but still lots of plants with beans/ berries?.

A close up of the beans/berries some of them are red others green and some dried up brown.

Even closer.

Soon we were back in civilization - La Bajada. And breakfast and or dinner was just walking down the street. Here chicky, chicky.

Oh oh, Hi Bus – pulled the mirror in for this passing.

Coffee beans drying on a porch. Stopped and asked a man who lives there about the beans. He said they pick them, dry the, roast them, dry them and make their own coffee. They just grow wild in the jungle! Along with bananas, mangos and star fruit. What more could you want? What a country.

Going down through town past some of the neat houses.

As we were passing through town I noticed that the road to the left of us crossed over a fast flowing river. Then I made the mistake of sayin , "Oh look that road goes right through the river." Faster then The Driver could grab the wheel Willie turned left and headed across the river. 

But much to his dismay the road didn't go any where so we had to turn around and go back across it. This area is used for clothes washing. A bottle of detergent and two white plastic buckets of wet clothes were sitting beside the road waiting to be washed.

Uneventful trip through the rest of the town and on past La Palma and the banana loaders and over the beach to home. Willie and The Driver deserve a pat on the back. Maybe next time we’ll try the road from the top of the mountain down………ssssh don’t tell Bill.
So ended our adventure for the day - it was lots of fun.
Today, Saturday, we had another adventure - involving lots of driving and a boat ride. Till next time Adios.