ROAD TRIP - San Jose de Gracias - Mazamitla - Valle de Juarez June 2009

The phone rang. . .

"Let's Go Somewhere!" Said Kathi.

"Yeah! Let's go! Where you wanna go?" I responded.
"I dunno."
"Where you wanna go?"
"I dunno."
"What direction?"
"I dunno."


"You guys are a pain in the butt!"
"Yeah."
"Ok, meet Jonnie and me at the Pemex and we'll go pick Barb up."
"Cool!"

It's not easy being the driver, and by default - Fun Captain for the day - but Kathi does it with such assurance and efficiency it's hard to want to take over that responsibility. She NEVER misses a tope, drives really well, will go and do ANYTHING (and that's huge!), has a nice car that is safe and doesn't use a lot of gas, speaks fluent Spanglish, and is really fun to hang out with. Today - once again - she was it.

The Cast of Characters.

Pvt Hopkins receiving orders from Sgt Major Hoffman at a clandestine location
deep in the Mexican highlands.

"Ok, lets head up toward Mazamitla and take all the dirt (reality check - MUD) roads we can find." FC said.

"Works for me." I said
"Works for me too." Said Jonnie
"Yeah, I'm in." Said Barb.

We piled out of Kathi's car at the first stop - Valle de Juarez.
Hey! I said it was a safe car. . .

Beautiful Valle plaza.


Fun Captain. Trying to ditch us again.
You can't take your eye off her for a second.

Pretty roses next to an ancient house.


Up to Mazamitla for lunch at the roadhouse La Troje.
Great food, handsome waiters, hunky pictures of hunky guys in the 'Ladies Room'. . .
what more could a girl ask for!


A photo is worth a thousand words. . .


Is this a papaya?
Looks like the jury is still out.


Next stop:
San José de Gracias.


Buddy Holly in his previous life.


What a beauty!


These primarily agricultural and ranching mountain villages are great shopping for cheeses, fresh fruit preserves, candies, honey, ponche (a deliciously rich homemade eggnog-like alcoholic drink),
fruit trees, and anything made of wood.



Pretty bag lady, with pretty braid!


I told you I was a geek. You can take the girl out of EMS
but you can never take the EMS out of the girl.


The End.