We don’t need no stinking maps! An adventure with a map is like a kiss on the forehead.

 No DSL yet either, they said today was the day, shows what they know. Actually part of the problem is the account was shut down and so they were going to send over money and it would be on within an hour? – forgot to ask the obvious, what hour of what day?

So, about mid day I headed over to Mom’s restaurant which was very good, today’s special was lasagna with a nice salad and home made bread for $6. Tomorrow will be meatloaf, so I can report to my Mother’s NOB that I’m eating well. The place is nice and light with a courtyard you can sit in or inside, I’ll be there tomorrow.

Then to find LagunaNet, my would be provider, never did find them? – thought I knew where they were, but apparently not, maybe tomorrow. But stopped in the El Torito market and stood smiling as I realized survival is entirely possible here – I was staring at a whole shelf of Van Camp’s pork & beans, also Bush’s baked beans, and most of all, nice little cans of Beenie Weenie. Next to them was the crowning jewel, SPAM – yes, you can make it here.

I headed west through Jocotepec and N to GDL. The valley at the west end of the mountain is open and very green with lots of corn and other crops. Eventually into GDL and I got to thinking I have no map? – but hey, I once flew into Newark and rented a car, drove to Boston and didn’t even have a reservation, how hard could this be? Pretty soon I came across Sam’s/Walmart center and stopped to check it out. They had the regulator I needed and a cordless phone to eliminate some of the wire strung across the pool room and they even take American Express.

There was an Applebees adjacent, so stopped in there and got to talking to a young fellow who had lived in Rifle, CO for a year as a mgr of a Mexican restaurant. He said there was a Home Depot close so I headed out. But, it was getting late and the road at this point is probably at least 4 lanes each way and no way to “returno” and then I saw the sign saying Chapala/Mexico (City) and I headed that way. No map, only my compass in the car, but I knew if I followed it, it would take me back across GDL and to the road to Chapala and the Aeropuerto and sure enough. I stopped at a Pemex and an adjacent 711 – yes, it’s all here.

So, some progress, some regress, but all in all a good day and Pedro my gardener is cleaning up the yard. Oh, and the trailer is completely unloaded and parked to the side.