Trip to El Quelite

Below this post is a video of the birds that hang around the campground every night. Zillions of them. Glad they don’t head our way when they take off.

Time to stop the guessing about Bill’s “signs.” Here is Willie’s rear window. I told Bill it is starting to look like the front of a Mexican bus.

And here is Jennie – One on each side.

Yesterday morning we took Derek, Teresa and Cassia to one of our favorite towns – El Quelite. Its about 30 miles north east of Mazatlan inland. To get there we have to drive north on the libre – free road – for a ways. It has been completely repaved and has new lines painted on it. Almost better shape than the Cuota or Autopista – the toll road. As we took the turn inland to El Quelite we were happy to see that all the bougainvilleas that were planted along the road a year or so ago were growing and doing well. [The owner of the restaurant in El Quelite where we usually eat did a raffle a couple of years ago to raise money to buy the bougainvilleas and have them planted.]

A regular site along any country road here.

As always first we went to visit the “bean ladies”. The “bean ladies” are women who sit in a feed warehouse all day sorting the debris out of the sacks of beans. When clean the beans go into sacks to be sold and the debris goes into cattle feed. This picture is from last year just so you can get an idea of the set up. When we first got there last year the ladies were at lunch. We have made friends with all of them and they keep us up on all the gossip – who got married, who left town, who is engaged – all the important stuff. Lovely women.

Then on to the restaurant El Meson d los Laurenos for breakfast. This year we did not sit up under the roof but stayed in the patio under the umbrella to the left.

 

That is the infamous seat I sat in a couple of years ago when the iguana pooped on my head! That was quite a day and every year when we show up I am remembered as “The Iguana Lady.”One way to make an impression.

To retell the story – We were eating lunch sitting at that table – the umbrella was a little more to the side Bill was sitting on so I was right at the edge of it under the trees. I felt something lightly hit my head and looked around to see if the breeze was blowing leaves off the trees. Hum? Then I felt something plop on my head and my back. What the? I kind of jumped and the waitress came running. Grabbing me by the arm and pulling me out of my chair.  “IGUANA” she said. WHAT? By then Bill was translating – the two iguanas were in the trees right over me fighting. I guess when they fight they also poop. Good to know – don’t sit under fighting iguanas – store away for future reference.

Sure enough poop in my hair and down my shirt. The waitresses ushered me into the bathroom where they brought me soap for my hair and a t- shirt to change into. They took my shirt and washed it. When I came out of the bathroom our food had been moved to a table under the roof.

It was an interesting experience to say the least. So since then every time we’ve gone there we’ve sat under the roof until yesterday when we sat under the umbrella.

And it’s been a while since we’ve seen the iguanas – they live in the trees over the restaurant but like really warm weather to crawl around. Well yesterday I saw the big orange one. Keep looking he is there.

While we were eating the chickens walked around looking for dropped food.

And Lola the parrot was complaining in the back ground that no one was paying attention to her.

After breakfast we walked around part of the town. Stopped at the cheese factory and watched them work for a little bit.
It’s always interesting to see the old roofs with the cactus growing out of them.

Then we drove up to see the fighting cocks – where they are raised. Such beautiful birds. Only a couple were out strutting their stuff. Most were in their shelters out of the sun. Hum? Does that make them smarter than us?

We also stopped at the little bakery for Teresa to buy some goodies then just drove around looking at the neat homes and vegetation. Saw this man coming down the street from the school. (We’ve talked to him lots of times before – him and his horse) He was bringing his granddaughter home from school.

Looks like they both enjoyed the ride

This building has just been repainted and turned into a store selling saddles, spurs, horseshoes and everything needed for the horse.

Across the street was a new dress shop. This is a cute dress. Colorful.

On the days that I don’t have anything to write about I’ll post about the tile maker in Malpica and the cheese factory in El Quelite. Also I've posted several times about El Quelite both on this blog and the web site - lots more pictures.
So we left the pretty little village and made our way back to hot Mazatlan. Bill and I stayed in Jennie for the hottest part of the day. Around sunset I went out to watch the birds for a while. A video of them follows this post.
Then we took a ride to see the city lights. Going to have to make another post about that – serendipity at work……..Music, people, dancing and singing.