RETIRED....Yea right!
The old saying about when you retire you suddenly have more
to do than ever is quite true. We look
at our calendar and really have to plan in order to get everything done. Monday, we had somewhat of a free day so we
took a guided tour to Mazamitla, a Swiss looking village across the lake and
up the mountain. Sitting in a very nice
van from 8 am to 6 pm was an experience we were not looking forward to but with
frequent stops to sight see, some interesting expats and a fun guide, it was quite doable and we have our
eye on another one in the near future.
Our trip began with a visit to a small farm where milk and
cheese and a surprise awaited. Here is
the recipe for the surprise.
Time for a
recipe...the El Pajarete…..begin with a large Styrofoam cup,
Add a spoonful of instant coffee
Spoonful of cane sugar
Spoonful of Cocoa power
A shot of Mexican vanilla
Three shots of tequila
Stir gentlyProceed with your cup to a cow where a man is milking. After handing him the cup he places it between his knees and he fills it with warm milk right out of the “cow faucet” Proceed slowly to drink the foamy mixture and then drink with gusto. When you think you are falling in love with the cow…it is time to stop. Fortunately our back yard is not big enough to support a cow…. One of the first drinks I have been able to enjoy tequila.
The next several towns were mostly inhabited by workers for Driscoll Fruit Fields. From our house across the lake we can see large white patches on the horizon. Up close they are tents protecting raspberry, blackberry and blueberry bushes. The tents continue for miles and produce berries exported around the world. The next time you are at the fresh produce counter and buy a small carton of red raspberries for about $5.00 think of me as I will be eating a container twice that size for about $1.25….closer to the source. Our favorite is a bowl of berries, topped with fresh goat yogurt and sprinkled with a handful of granola made by Angie and Trish.
Other small
towns each had their own personality but all had a plaza and of course a church.Some towns are almost eerie
because they are nearly deserted. The inhabitants left have moved out by the
road and set up stands to capture the tourists.
In Mazamitla you get a mountain feel as it is
high enough to have the pines, white clouds and has many summer homes or
weekend getaways for the “tapitos” (rich folk from Guadalajara who can get
there in about 3 hours.)
Since being
here, I have been really impressed with the wall art, or murals that abound in
all communities. The city hall had a
complete history of Mexico beginning with the Aztec Indians and ending with the
revolution and constitution of Mexico.
Our final
stop on the way back was a place called Vampires, where we were treated to
another Mexican favorite drink.
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