Manzanillo Beach Boondocking

We finally left Chimulco RV park in Villa Corona and headed for the coast. It took about 4 hours and about $60. in tolls to get to Manzanillo. This is the biggest, deepest port in MX.
We found this site right along the beach, just N of town, and we settled in. We are traveling with a couple from Langley, BC and their dog, a standard poodle named Raz. We wound up staying at this site for 7 days, until our holding tanks were almost full.
No power, no internet, no water. Mexican people are very social, and tend to be very close, so personal space is different. Almost every nite there were people right next to us camping. A few nites the mattress dudes were there, other nites Lovers were there. Always there was music and smoke, trash or cooking smoke. Everywhere in Mexico there is smoke.

The VW from Mexico

Somehow, this old VW came rolling down the RV Park road with 3 boys pushing it, a lady and a puppy giving instructions, and a driver, sort of. You see, the VW had absolutely NO Steering! So to make a turn, the boys would each kick a front tire while the "driver" tried to move forward or back. The only problem was that the boys were kicking against each other, and the engine kept dying. To top it all off, the clutch was bad and the gears were grinding!
I am bit ashamed to say that I was laughing my head off. I tried to help by showing them we could simply lift up the front end and move it over, but that didn't sell well to the Mexicans. After about 30 minutes of grinding, kicking, starting, stopping, they finally got the VW into the RV site. Funniest show we've seen yet.

Chapalla

We are still at Chimulco RV Park in the town of Villa Corona. We usually take a day trip once a week or so, this week was to Lake Chapalla and the town of Chapalla. While in Chapalla we met some Americanos who live there year round. The Guad Int'l airport is 30 minutes away, Costco is 45 minutes, good Dr's and Dentist. The climate is excellent, all year, not too hot, not too cold. It is no wonder there are so many Expats down here. A guy named Bob, has 4 really nice two bedroom apts he rents for $500/month with a daily maid, water, and trash. Nice property.

This is the Cathedral in Chapalla. the town has a Malecon that is new and very nice, the only problem is that the lake water is very dirty, I wouldn't swim in it.
This is a really neat statue right in the center of the Malecon, can you see the peir? there are boat Taxi that will take out to the island. The lake is very full this year, but we have been told that a few years ago, it was almost dry.

Chapalla & the Lake

This Arch is in a park at Jocotepec, (Hoe.Co.Tea.Peck) a small town on the west end of Lake Chapalla. I looks like they started building the arch and then realized that there was a tree in the way. Funny. At least they have public art, Newport could take a lesson from them.
This is showing Mercy looking East over the lake, that white stuff in the water is a herd of big birds. That hillside in the background is the N shore of Lake Chapalla The road along there reminds us of Alii Drive in Kona, and it leads to the town of Chapalla.
This is one of several benches in the park, ornately done with tons of tiles.
This light tower is at the west end of the lake, great brickwork, but as usual, the lights don't work, and the property is unkempt.