Arrived Tepechitlan on Monday the 30th - wasn't a long day on the bike, but the country site around us so stunningly beautiful, that we kept stopping along the way quite often.....
My faith in Mexico had been restored, partly because (and that is unfair) my health improved and I am able to enjoy the food again, have more strength and so on....choosing a quiet side road helped too, of course - number 23 is where it is at and the weather - even though there is thunder just about every day, but the temperatures are just perfect and after the storm the air is refreshed...you all know what that is like!
Anyhow, we stocked up on water and food, 'cause it was time to spend the night in nature, by the lake Miguel Aleman - not far from T. As we turned the corner into town before setting out into the boonies we saw a pick up truck parked on the side of the road with 2 people waving at us frantically....(nothing new, this happens a lot) and we ignored the gestures and kept on rolling into town, only to be stopped by the shiny, red truck who followed us. Some nice men started talking (in spanish of course) and tried to make themselves understood. Well, what I understood was, that it was the Major himself and he had already called his buddies to help out in the conversation. His buddies arrived with a camera and a couple of english speaking people who interviewed us...where you from, where you going....so on....
The major was SO EXCITED to meet us ......he opened the town for us and send us to dinner in the best restaurant......none of the people joint us, but we got a GRANT dinner - all we needed and a police escort to take us to the camping site of our choice (the lake) - so, promptly, after we finished our food, the police with a pick up was waiting outside. Climb aboard - bikes and all....
They drove us out there with our full bellies and loaded bikes....the lake had been dry only 2 month prior, but the heavy rains and storms had just filled it up again to make it an actual lake. Some families had a good time at the pick nick tables and we chatted a bit - got another offer to eat pizza....they didn't see our full bellies, so we declined. The music stopped (the music: something to get used to...shit, if you didn't grow up with it, it's hard to find the beauty in those tunes.... - so far, I've been utterly unsuccessful)....the place promised to be empty and ready for us to pitch out tent, only to find ANOTHER pick up truck rolling into the parking lot and straight at us. 2 men jumped out of the truck - no english, but trying to communicate never the less.....
What I could make out, was, that one of the nice men wanted us to spend the night at his casa - his wife and family were called and we couldn't deny this excited man the honor - WE WERE HONORED and so, we packed up and followed this truck back into town......a bit back and forth, but sure worth it: Arrived at this families' house - hardly anybody spoke english and us only poco spanish - pocito spanish to be correct. Though, we gestured and "talked" up a storm....got to take a hot shower and slipped between some clean, quiet sheets in a family home..........ah............if it wasn't for these persistent hot flashes (poor me) this was a perfect night/evening. Awakened by the sound of the juice making machine in the morning and not too early.....fresh orange juice/hugo de naranja, papaya like you can not buy anywhere else- the color alone is purely amazing, eggs and toast and a big smiling face of our wonderful hostess. Ahhhh.....again and again....(her husband - the kind man who picked us up by the lake, had left early in the morning to drive to Guadalajara (not without offering us a ride, since we were heading in the same direction - but, of course, that would be cheating, we tried to explain....)).
We left - our bellies full again, our bodies well rested and our hearts swollen with that feeling you get when you meet people that are just kind and wonderful, loving and sweet...
The sad part was, that we did not get to say good bye to the man of the house.....
BUT, even that part was taken care of: Close to the end of the day, riding our bicycles a big portion of the day, James and I were looking out for a place to camp in these wonderful mountains close to G. We had pulled over to enjoy the view, when a truck pulled in from the oncoming traffic. It was our host - big smile, calling out for us: Amigos, amigos.....handing us fresh made sandwiches and 2 bottles of cold water....lots of hugs and hand shakes and - of course- pictures....
The world is beautiful and the people in it fantastic!
