Mexico Day 106: The inevitable is upon us

Lazaro Cardenas to Rancho Buganvilias, Michoacán //

A question looms in the air this morning, and I’m anxious for Heather & Adam to wake up with the answer.  They’ve recently determined that it’s time for them to begin making their trek back to Ohio.  After calculating various route options, they’ve determined that either today or tomorrow, they’ll begin heading inland towards Texas while we continue to follow the Pacific coast.  With our entire day’s drive today through the red state of Michoacán, I would love to have each other’s backs for one more day.  However, I didn’t want my fear to weigh into their decision-making, so I never spoke this feeling out loud.  Adam steps outside while Mark is making coffee and says that they’ve decided to take the route through Colima state, meaning we’ll be together one more day.  

The next four hours are spent weaving along the Michoacán coast.  It’s a beautiful coastline with rugged plunging cliffs and massive rock outcroppings protruding from the water.  It’s more mountainous here in Michoacán, and the road twists and turns up and over the terrain.  Not since highway 40 in Sinaloa, several thousand miles and 2.5 months ago, have we been on a stretch of highway as uninhabited as this one.  The lack of people leads to a noticeable lack in topes.  

My only takeaway from Michoacán so far is how little military presence there is.  Nor have I seen a single police car today.  Where Guerrero state was heavily populated with both, Michoacán seems to be lacking.  I have no idea what this means.  

At 1pm we arrive at Rancho Buganvilias RV Park, our next destination for the night.  Sandy, the owner, is no doubt American in his appearance and demeanor but is a long-time lover and resident of Mexico.  He shows us around his property, pointing out bathrooms, showers, a common area for lounging right outside his house, and a nice flat area for us to park with a little bit of privacy.  Five RVs are spread throughout, with many more vacant sites between them.  Sandy tells us it’s been a slow year and that fewer and fewer people seem to be RVing to Mexico.  The US travel advisory for Michoacán certainly isn’t doing him any favors.  

Rancho B is a sprawling property that sits up on a ledge about 200 yards from the Pacific.  A trail leads down to a miles-long beach without a single person in sight.  It appears as though Sandy found himself a desolate piece of Mexico to call his own.  Back at camp, we meet a few of our neighbors and learn that everyone here has been here all winter.  Barbara tells us of her years spent leading RV caravans throughout Mexico and goes on to excitedly share the news that she just bought a small parcel of land from Sandy.  She loves Michoacán and says it’s too bad that it’s gotten the negative reputation that it has.

As our last night as a party of four winds down, it feels strange to bid Heather & Adam “buenas noches” for the last time.  I’m so profoundly grateful to have had them as travel companions these last 2.5 months while we explored such unfamiliar territory.  No one but them will ever fully understand what this adventure has been like, and for that, we’re bonded for life.  

It’s our second and last night in Michoacán.  Tomorrow, it’s on to Colima.

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