Well we're all still here so guess the Mayan's just ran out of room on their stone. But it is the shortest day of the year.

We had a really interesting day yesterday – from beginning to end. So this will be a two part blog. The most interesting part being the second part.

Just a quick shot of John and Carol’s 5^th wheel set up here in El Chaco. He is a landscaper is Boise, ID and can seem to leave his job behind – he is forever planting something new around his spot. Very pretty.

I was reading a book yesterday and came across this quote – love it. Pretty true.
“People think getting old happens to everybody but them. Then you hit fifty and go “What the f**k!”
Also downloaded a new book from the library The Help – I’ve been wanting to read it and finally found it available.
So what was so interesting about yesterday? We went up into the hills to visit a family who makes coffee. Not grows it but processes it. We had rather vague instructions to find it. So up the road to Tepic we went to the first tiny town – can’t remember its name. But it started with a T. We were supposed to turn left at the small church to find the patio. Patio? And the owner's house was across from the big church by the basketball court. Oops! I think we passed the tiny church. (It was hard to distinguish it as a church) Then we were in the larger part of the town and there was the big church. We passed it – very narrow road and not many places to turn around. Found a place to turn and back to the big church – across the street was a basketball court. Okay. Bill pulled in and asked a couple of men there where the coffee plantation was. A little mistake of wording there. We should have asked where the coffee plant was. The men told us to turn up a little cobblestone road right next to where they were standing. They indicated it was up there......a ways......It didn’t look like much of a road. This is the best part of it right after the turn.

We drove for a bit. Oh! Oh! there was a truck coming towards us. A produce truck that kept stopping to sell his produce and this is REALLY a one lane road. Bill pulled as far over as he could so when the truck started up he could go around us.

Up the hill we continued – with each turn of Willie’s wheels the road got worse. Finally Bill found a wide spot in the track and turned around. “Sorry” he said, “I’m not going to go any further.” We all were thinking the same thing I think.
So back down the hill we started – and guess who we found. The produce truck. Stopped selling to the women who lived there. We pulled up behind him and stopped. The truck driver waved and laughed. Bill and John got out and talked to the women and the driver.

Turns out that was a very good idea as the ladies knew what we were looking for and how to find it. Just down the hill from us – where the white truck is parked. See the white truck?

Oops there are two white trucks in front of two different houses. Bill stopped and John got out to reconnoiter.  A plant in front of one of the houses.

One of the women who was buying produce had noticed that we were still not sure where we were going so she walked down the hill to the stopped Jeep and pointed out to us the right house. This spider plant was growing in front of it. This thing is 10 feet high and just as wide.

And a huge philodendron.

Also growing along side the house – a papaya plant – see the fruit up near the top.

The plants here are gorgeous and huge. So many different kinds and just growing wild.
The tour of the coffee manufacturing will follow – I need to decipher my notes and sort my photos.
Last night Bill, George and I went into San Blas and had dinner at Chef Tonys again. We all had breaded Filet of fish, rice or potatoes, a “kind of” cabbage salad (delicious) and a slice of fried platano. Very good. I ate so much I’m still full. 
Until later......