During our travels we have met many wonderful people, some of whom we have mentioned on our blog at the 'people that matter section' (see right-hand column). The following three people deserve more than just a mention as they have played a major part in how we have experienced Mexico the last couple of months. They have showed us places we would have never been able to see, offered us their hospitality and explained to us everything about Mexico our 'western' eyes didn't understand.
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| Our home while in Lo de Marcos for two months! |
It started on the 5th of December, when we rolled into Lo de Marcos. We didn't have the exact address of the campground/RV park we found on the web and simply ended up in the 'wrong' park. The owner, Dave, greeted us very friendly and sort of apologetically said he wasn't really setup for tents. Next door would probably have a better tentspot, according to him. The last time someone said they weren't really setup up for tents, turned out to be the best park in the whole of Baja. Apart from that I liked Dave, and also the residents on the first spot, Irene and Harold, who welcomed us with a glass of ice cold water (which always goes down well with motorcyclists on a warm day) and so I asked if Dave had a spot for a night and if I could see it. 'Well, we have spot number 2 just follow me and see if you like it' he said. As Dave knows by now, he is perfectly set up for tents. Dave made us feel very welcome, set up a palapa for us and even gave us a table and chairs!
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| The best RV Resort in Lo de Marcos and so far the best in the whole of Mexico! |
The single night turned into 2, then 3, then a week and a month… We enjoyed ourselves so much that we ended up staying for 2 months and still felt unhappy about leaving. Of course missing parcels had something to do with the length of our stay too, but we could have picked any of the other parks in Lo de Marcos to stay in if we wanted to. We didn't as we felt so at home here. There is no end to what Dave will do for you, even when Jeanette feltsick and a bit feverish just before we were finally about to leave and the park was completely full, Dave offered us his own spare bedroom to use until Jeanette felt better. Luckily Jeanette recovered quickly enough for us to leave but it showed us again how kind Dave is.
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Beautiful Puerto Vallarta, thanks to Karina for taking us
there! |
Dave's wife, Karina is the second person we gladly mention here. Like Dave, she is a very caring person. Karina is born in Mexico and knows her country! She loves it too and it shows! She showed us Puerto Vallarta like we would not have been able to see it. She also alerted us that the road we wanted to take from Lo de Marcos would lead us straight into problem areas and contacted friends all over Mexico to see which would be the best route to take, to experience Mexico the best way.
Only days after we left Lo de Marcos, problems raised to a new level along our original route… how lucky were we to have met Karina!
When we were about to leave Lo de Marcos, Karina was in Guadalajara helping her sister out with her business and offered to show us Guadalajara… and a place to stay! What followed was more than a week of her time in which she took us, in between her busy work schedule, to all the nice places to see, places that gringos never see, she took us around everywhere, we tried all the food in the best restaurants in town and when my back-pain started to take on a nasty form, she not only found a doctor for me, but took me there as well. Our days were full of beautiful events from early morning until late at night. Like Dave, there is no end to Karina's generosity and caring. Our stay in Guadalajara would simply not have been possible without her. We would have only gone through it as parking the bikes somewhere with all our belongings on them is not something we easily do. Apart from that we would have perhaps somehow been able to see the touristy bits, but not the magical real Mexican parts that Karina took us to!
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Daniela a very dedicated vet and a
lovely person! |
Marisa Daniela, known as Dany, is Karina's sister and the third person we love to mention. Dany is a vet, she runs her own clinic in Guadalajara: Veterinaria Valles. Vets are good people in my book anyway as they care for animals, which is more than can be said about most of us. Dany takes it a step higher though. She
really cares. If an animal in her care is seriously ill or hurt, she stays at the clinic all night if she has to. Or she takes him or her home with her. She's not in this work for the money, she simply loves to care. It must be in the genes. She also works with people that look after stray cats and dogs and offers board for domestic animals too. Of course she also opened her house to a bunch of stray travellers. The clinic opens at 10 am and is open until 7.30 pm… but her love for animals means it often becomes much later than that! She's also open on Saturdays until 6 pm and on call day and night. Dany loves what she does, is very good at her job and is a very special person, one of those people the world needs a lot more of.
We love to tell the world about these wonderful people that mean so much to us and countless others. The hospitality, the friendliness, it's just overwhelming. Dave, Karina and Dany; thank you for letting us be a small part of your life and showing us a part of yours. Thank you so much for all you have done for us.
