Aticama - Wednesday

Well here it is Monday again already and I'm still writing about last week. Wednesday afternoon the sun popped out for a while and some of the wind died down. We took that opportunity to go next door and have lunch in a nice outdoor restaurant. The view from our table. And it was snowing in Vegas!

Looking back towards the indoor part of the restaurant.

We both had chicken fajitas for lunch.Came with Mexican rice, salad and much to our surprise - French fries. Good meal.Bill is still being careful so only ate a couple of the fries.

A mural that needs

Walking back to the campground, just like the shadows of the palms. 

Grabbed this off of Google Earth - This is the El Chaco Restaurant, Hotel and Rv park. The beach is in the lower left hand corner. The restaurant next door that we ate at is in the upper left hand corner. Five full hook up RV spaces. Red roof by RV park is the hotel. Square red roof is the restaurant with hotel rooms above it. It is a pretty place. 

From the beach looking towards the hotel, see the Jeep

Panoramic shot  from front of pool to the beach. 

See the road between the houses and the water. For years it was a short cut into Aticama, used by everyone. Basically just a dirt path wide enough in some places for two vehicles. 

If you didn't take the dirt road - the red line - you had to go clear around the big hill on the very narrow curvy almost two lane highway. This year we saw traffic using the red line and asked John if it was travelable (is that a word?) His answer was, "Its a one lane road." Which we interpreted as - it is the same as it always was - one lane in most places with some places able to squeeze two lanes. Sometime maybe one should ask for clarification. 

Wednesday late afternoon we headed out for dinner. Bill again asked about the red road. John again told us it is a one lane road. Well it is a ONE LANE ROAD. One lane of the old dirt road has been paved with concrete. Where we got on it it had the paved part AND the dirt part. We went on the paved part knowing we could always go to the dirt if another car was coming. 
Around the corner and now the paved part had a curb in the center - no way to get to the dirt if another car came. OH OH! And even if we'd taken the dirt part we couldn't have made it to town. See the large rock in the dirt part just beyond where the guy is sitting. 

So we kept going, around the curve and on coming traffic. He flashed his lights and stopped. We kept going. Luckily he was only a few meters past a pull out so he backed up. Thank you! But see the next curve coming up around the bushes. Can't see around it. Hope there was no more traffic. Also by here there was no dirt lane. 

So here is a video from the dash camera from when we first got on the road , all the way across it until we finally get off in Aticama. Enjoy. It was interesting. 

Just a few pictures from the main street of Aticama. It has been paved since last time we were here. And a lot of the buildings have been painted 

Homes and businesses share the main street.

A window display in one of the little stores. 

More homes on a side street. This street also had been paved. 

She wasn't too sure about us driving down her street.

I've always liked this mural and this is about the best picture Ive been able to get of it. 

A huge plant in the lot of the hotel where we went to have dinner. Amazing to see them so big. 

We cut our planned four day trip short. We are terribly spoiled with traveling in the RV. Did not like staying in the hotel at all. For some reason we thought the hotel rooms would have the basics in appliances: fridg, microwave, coffeemaker and maybe toaster. Nope, not a one of them. Also the beds are hard spring mattresses on a concrete stand. Talk about uncomfortable. And to add to it it was quite cool and windy there. Not what we expected at all. We did get to spend time with our friends - who delivered us hot coffee at 6:30 in the mornings - Bless you John! and enjoyed that. 
We headed back to Mazatlan early Thursday morning. I'll write about that next. The toll booths in  Nayarite have been taken over by the people. Except for the new toll road between the 15D and San Blas, that toll booth was open for business.