north of Puerto Vallarta

 where the mountains start to rise up out of the valley

and all resemblance to Vallarta is gone

you will find Las Palmas

 



 

my friends have built a beautiful house there

 

 

this vine had taken over most of the side and back

this is one of my most favorite plants

I just love the color of the flowers

 

 

"my" room was magical

it is on the first floor, cool and dark

with the most soothing colors painted on the walls

 

you might remember from my visit last year

the other wall was

 

 

this

I love that room

I love staying there

 

 

well who wouldn't in addition to such a special room

this was breakfast

 

 

 

first day we took a drive through the valley

 

 

there was so much water - remember rainy season

that is why it is so green too

this was a good crossing....we were on a main road

 

 

this is on old mutual friend's farm across the valley

he is dead now and I wanted to see the place

too much water to see much

 

 

next trip out was to Mascota

stopping first in this little town just past Las Palmas as you go into the mountains

this is the main corner of town

the building on the cross street is the house of a friend of my friends

 

 

an old hacienda that was his fathers

nice

 

 

it was a lovely old building

 

 

see the sign on the front of it

 

 

 

 

 

 

it says Vallarta that way

wow that must be some road

 

 

the land was beautiful

 

 

stone walls enclosed the fields

all sorts of wild flowers grew on top of the rocks

I brought seeds home and hope they will grow here

 

 

as we left town we drove by this little place

and I was wishing I could live there

 

 

next stop another great restaurant

 - eating my way through Mexico

 

 

how could it not be good

he grilled the meat right then

 

 

and she made tortillas just for us

 

 

after lunch we headed into the mountains

and after too many shear cliffs and hairpin turns

we reached the valley of Mascota

 

 

before you get into town

there are these amazing ruins of an 18th century church

 

I don't know why

but I have always been fascinated with ruins

 

 

the stone work is amazing

 

 

large rocks held together using smaller rocks for mortar

 

 

I like it better with no roof

only sky

 

 

grass for a floor

 

 

the church in downtown Mascota was flying her flags

as the next day was independence day in Mexico

it was also the town's saint day so the celebration was twice as big

 

 

this is the main road heading out of town to a village even further into the mountains

going to visit a primo

 

 

out of town the road became one lane with 2 cement paths

which my friends told me was so much better than the dirt road

it use to be

oh yeah.

 

unfortunately I do not have any photos of that remote village

no photos of the wonderfully kind family who feed us fresh pomegranates

figs and homemade cheese

 

I think I was so out of my element that I forgot to take pictures

 

 

 

 

I was also terrified to go back home on the roads

but it turned out that not seeing the drop offs in the dark

made it so much easier and we had a great ride home

laughing, talking and eating

 

 

the next day was Dia de la Independencia!

celebrating the Mexican's throwing off the pesky Spanish

my friend dressed in the colors of Mexico

 

 

the town held a parade

 

 

with horses

 

 

beautiful girls

 

 

kids in uniforms

 

 

all the kids in school

 

 

mariachis

 

 

and marching bands

 

El Grito!  Viva Mexico!

 

 

the last afternoon was spent at the river

so fun

the current was fast and you had to dig you feet in

before you went over the rapids at the boulders

 

 

M. rode his horse down from the house

and gave her a bath

he has had that horse since he was a boy

it is the horse of my life, he told me

 

 

that was one of the best afternoons of the trip

thank you sweet friends for such a memorable time

 

 

 

next - last few days in Vallarta

where I see something I have never seen before