Heading out of Sayulita and the state of Nayarit, we arrived into the state of Jalisco. Puerta Vallerta, a city on the Bahia Banderas of the Pacific Ocean, offered us an opportunity to fully restock our van rations. With water, food, and supplies full, we headed out of the city taking the slow road. Our next destination was colorful Guanajuato, but that was a long ways away.
There were plenty of interesting little Mexican towns to slow our ride, along with beautiful countryside. One evening, pushing into dusk, we arrived at a hostel in Antiguillo which we found closed. Dang! Now what? There was a group of locals hanging out in the parking lot chatting. Well here goes nothing!
I rehearsed my lines in Spanish as I approached, a sort of mental briefing, I have to be focused, you never know where the conversation may go! My Spanglish strategy is to look for the big fragments I know, then just swing at the rest. Let me tell you, it can be exhausting for everyone involved! But before I knew it we were being escorted to a safe spot for the night. We were then treated to a night of free camping and an open bar at a local restaurant. Our new friends entertained us until early morning with Spanglish stories and only the best Jalisco tequila. Although our friends warned us that not all people in Mexico are equally as trustworthy, we find over and over again Mexican hospitality unrivaled. Bienvenidos! truly means welcome.
After sampling so many tequilas, we figured we might as well swing into tequila’s rightfully named mother country, Tequila. We heard of camping on the Volcan Tequila overlooking the city. Endless agave fields were scattered throughout the area, slowly awaiting their destiny. Other than the agua purificado, we didn’t spend any time in the old, famous liquor town. Instead, we followed an old cobblestone road across the tracks and up the mountain. Sure enough, after several miles of climbing, camping was plentiful, and we had it all to ourselves. It was a wonderful feeling to be back in nature, away from everything, after so many days in the heart of town.
