This is what passes for excitement down here. People have been feverously waiting for the grand opening for some time and debating the pros and cons of what it would do to, or for the local economy. Yesterday they had a big parade – I mean a really big deal.

So, I fed Max and headed west and as always you have to be mindful of the topes, they’re ever present and when you least expect them. There are 3 ways to detect topes, first; fall in behind a local who knows where they are and follow. Second: be mindful of odd stacks of rocks on the side of the road, some painted yellow even, they mark a tope. Finally you can follow another dummy like yourself and when you see his car fly wildly into the air for no apparent reason - jam on your brakes big time so as to not destroy your suspension.

 The grand opening of the Bodega Aurrera, which is a small WalMart, was a very big deal. There was much hoopla and excitement and you’ll find a link to some pics at Joco Bodega. The Bodega? - nice, but not a place I’m going to drive 18 miles to shop at, my needs are basic. The store was very nice, the isles are very narrow but well stocked and they seemed to be well prepared for the day. Not being a shopper I can’t really intelligently comment of content or price. When I shop I just go get what I need and pay the bill, price comparison etc. is not a contact sport in which I compete.

After the brief walk through I headed out and I’ve noticed a lot of 4 wheel ATV’s running around towns, they don’t seem to have license plates and are often ridden by kids, so guess it’s a laid-back sort of thing, as was the horse casually walking down the highway out of town as I headed toward GDL. Actually the back way to GDL is a pretty drive through farming country and over a little sort of mountain pass which has a nice view – then it gets serious, as I’ve said, GDL is not for the faint of heart. Drive with conviction, never let the natives sense fear, confusion or lack of commitment on your part, drive like you know where you're going – and as a bonus you get to take unplanned side excursions into new neighborhoods – and today was one of those days.

Actually I was hoping to see the TexMex restaurant sign I saw the other day, but guess I was doing extracurricular excursions in different places today. One scary thing did happen, I missed my turn off the Autopista onto Guadalupe and actually recognized where I was and knew Vallarata was the next exit, so I’m getting better.

I went to the Galleria Mall again, more to go to the WalMart there, they had something I wanted the other stores did not. I decided to eat at Chili’s in the mall as it was about noon. Now, these folks down here run on a different time schedule than me because when I got there they tried to feed me breakfast? – at noon? And while the breakfast menu did look tempting I prevailed and convinced them I wanted a burger and things progressed smoothly from there even though the waitress and I didn't understand a word either said, but I got my lunch, she got her tip - hey, is this commerce or what!

This was the mall with the automated parking, but today I parked in the WalMart lot next door and they do have a guy taking money, they stamp your ticket and it only costs you $5p ($.50).

I walked over to Costco, no thrill there, so I headed back out on the Autopista and fairly near the Chapala road I saw another WalMart out of the corner of my eye, so I careened off and through a neighborhood until I got back to it and it was a whole mall, really big, not as upscale as Galleria, but I like this one, closer, more likely to have something I might need and can afford – so, a bonus day to be sure.

I must say that it’s amazing with all the crazy drivers in GDL you see remarkably few dented cars and that pretty much covers the adventure for the day, back home again to the safety of my compound as it is Halloween. Historic note: many years ago when we first moved to California from Colorado we spent the first night in CA on Halloween night, I’ve always thought that was somehow appropriate.