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May 25 – Patzcuaro is now in our rear view mirror as we head for the coast. Originally we were going to Zihuatenejo but Sharon read something about Playa Azul that sounded inviting. This meant drive to the coast and turn right not left.
Playa Azul. If we could surf, Playa Azul would be entertaining. Since we don’t surf, Playa Azul is a dud. Besides having a good lunch on the beach, there was nothing to keep us there. We hopped back into the car and headed further up the coastline to Caleta de Campos. In short, dud part 2 yet with the edginess of an actual armed militia at the edge of town. It was getting late in the day so we found a room at the only respectable hotel in town. We were also the hotels only guests. We stuck out.
May 26 – Well, the Pacific coast seems to not want us here and supported that statement by sending in a hurricane. It seemed insightful to get out while we could.
“Desperate times call for desperate measures.” With that quote as our mantra, we decided to cross the country and head to the Yucatan. You may need a map at this point. We left Caleta del Campo the way we came in; past the militia, thru Zihuatenejo, around Acapulco, on to the toll road to Mexico City, exit Cuernavaca, to Puebla.
May 27 – We’re not screwing around here. Been to Puebla many time so we loaded up and asked the front desk how to get to Orizaba. Front desk guy pulled out a basic tourist map. Picture this. He draws on the map. Take the “periferico” (the loop). As if on a clock, he draws a route that goes from 6 o’clock three quarters around to 3 o’clock and there, señor, is your highway to Orizaba.
Perplexed.
As we walked to the car we decide that was just silly. Why not just go the other direction? It’s a loop, right? Start at 6, go directly to 3, forget 9 and 12. We’re a counterclockwise kind of couple. The direct route to 3 was a wide 4 lane highway with surprisingly little traffic. We were making time, baby, streaking toward the Orizaba highway. Without warning, our 4 lane superhighway ended. Literally. It just… It… It ended. Like a cartoon, there were 3 or 4 cars in no particular arrangement with giant question marks hovering above them.
Perplexed again.
Off to the side was a rutted dirt path that a bus came from. “Ok, let’s go that-a-way.” Sure… The “path” meandered through a wooded area, though a foot deep flooded part behind a building, then “ta da!” to the entrance to the Orizaba highway. We collectively shake our heads and carry on.
By the way, Orizaba’s volcano is the highest point in Mexico. The drive through was spectacular but we were on a mission and continued on, out of the mountains and into the flatland of the isthmus of Mexico. I don’t know if they really call it “the isthmus” but it’s fun to say. “Isthmus”.
Past the isthmus, we stayed the night in Francisco Escarga. We were positioned to make it to Playa del Carmen the following day. At the hotel, I figured I best check in with the in-laws but my iPhone was nowhere to be found. It must be somewhere in our pile of disorganized “stuff” in back of the Honda Element. No biggie.
May 28 – Up early and out on the one lane highway across the bottom of the Yucatan. We weren’t screwing around and entered Playa del Carmen about 2. Sharon needed beach, I needed tequila. Mission accomplished. We hit the streets in search of accommodations. After several $200 to $300 a night hotel quotes, we were pleased to find our new friend, “Rod”. Rod works at a sort of apartment finders type place. Through him we acquired a GREAT deal on a condo. Rod’s English was exquisite, as it should be, seeing as he graduated from Clark high school in San Antonio. As we got settled in at the condo I continued to look for my phone. I came to the realization that I hadn’t noticed my little laptop computer in a while either. A thieving maid in Caleta del Campo had struck!
We headed to the store. Tequila made it all better.
