Tapalpa

The social events are taking a great time and our visiting the country has been seriously curtailed! However, we were able to fit a visit to Tapalpa in our schedule Friday.

We left early (Mexican time...) as we knew that the over 100 km would take a solid three to four hours as we would stop and visit on our way there. First the usual Mex 15 to the 54D, going south to Colima. Then, about 50km on the 54D, we make a turn towards the mountains, and reach Amacueca. It is early... Mexicans are barely out and we stroll in the village, which is a coffee town, in fact. We will get some, and it is so fresh and smell so good... 

Of course these merchants are up to date and seal the coffee bag properly.

It is warm, sunny and really pleasant as we walk and visit the Natural Science Museum. Quite nice, with plenty of information on the local flora, fauna, geology and paleontology. Unexpected in such a small town.  We learn that it rarely freezes here, though we are pretty high (four days a year, may be).

The road to Tapalpa from here, only 50 km, is through volcano peaks and is pretty sinuous. Very slow trucks give us a chance to admire the scenery...The scenery is slowly turning to a pine forest, from the giant cactus trees when we cross the gap in the sierra Tapalpa.

Tapalpa is a 'Magic City', with narrow cobblestone streets, on the side of a volcano. It is always up or down, and the Plaza is dominated by a brand new church, in bricks, built in 1970 to replace the old one that burned then. The brick work is extraordinary. If you need brick work, please hire a Mexican! You will be amazed.

We enjoyed this city very much. During our lunch we did some people watching. We head up for Las Piedrotas (Las Piedras... or the [Big] Rocks), a strange geological formation of big boulders, up to 30 or 40 meters high, sitting in a middle of a wide valley, outside of Tapalpa. The sun was out and we could hear some thunder. We were told that the best time to see these rocks are in the fall, when the valley is green and lush. Definitely a place to come back to.

The return to Jocotepec was without incident. We had to go through the sierras again, and the view on the various lakes surrounding Guadalajara was breathtaking. It was a very pleasant trip and it is on our plans to revisit later this year.

Louise just finished a new Picasa album: