Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Agua Dulce - La Venta


Agua Dulce  appeared to be not much more than a stop on the way home.   The campground is ok, but they ask too much money for it.    They initially asked for 300 pesos, we were going to leave so they dropped it down to 250 pesos.      We decided to stay, not because 250 pesos was a good price, but because we really didn't want to drive any further.   We were both very tired and our bodies need a rest.    

   The last update on the Rolling Homes website was from John Kobak a couple of years ago.   He had said they were charging 250 pesos, water was not working in the bathrooms, the electricity was only available for a few sites and there was an alligator in the pool. 
The bathrooms are now working with hot water, there are still only a few outlets for electricity,  and the alligator is no longer in the swimming pool.   The swimming pool is full of very dirty water, and I think they are using it for a water hole for the cows that roam freely in and around the campground.

It is however more than just a stop on the way home.   The nearby town of La Venta houses an Olmec archaeological site of the same name that is well worth the trip.  It is thought that the big hill here is the first major pyramid ever built in the Americas.   Much of the site has been destroyed to to oil extraction in the 60's.  To see more pictures you can look at my facebook album here:
  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151506236732464.542713.587442463&type=3








  Walking through the field I was uneasy thinking of snakes,so I was on top alert.  Sure enough I saw one!  Is that a coral snake?


I don't know what kind of bird this is, but they had us entertained for some time.   They were either bringing back food, or bringing back materials for the nests.   It was very hard to tell.   The tree had dozens of nests hanging from it.  






7 comments:

  1. I was wondering if you guys ever left Palenque.

    Doesn't look like a coral snake. Too big.
    (Red on yellow kill a fellow)

    The birds are Ore Pendaule (sp?)
    Name after their nests that are like pendalums.

    The campground is Rancho Graham.

    We leave on Friday, Rob & Shirely leave tomorrow.

    I forgot which way you were heading next.
    Have fun.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks John! I can always count on you to fill in my gaps. We are on the Emerald Coast now at the Trailer Park Neptune (or some such thing). We left Anton Lizardo this morning, and will head to the campground just north of Poza Rico tomorrow or the next day, then Ciudad Mante, then the border.

      It is nice here, empty, rainy and cold, but nice nonetheless.

      What is your planned route home? Gerry thinks you will pass right on by us and beat us to the border!

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  2. Next year I'm going to write on my blog "See turtleondowntheroad.blogspot.com, we were with them"

    Paul

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  3. Take the Poza Rica Cuota bypass. Cheap and Fast.
    Then go through Alamo.
    There is a campground in Cerro Azul. It is also a "No-tell Motel"

    Go right through the middle of Tampico rather than the bypass. If the Trancitos say anything, tell them you are going to the airport. You go right by the airport.

    Why Ciudad Mante? Not good.
    Try Tropicana Resort about 1 km past La Pesca toward the beach.
    It's a fast road right back to a Gulf beach from Soto de Marina. Tell Dadeo that Kobak sent you.

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  4. I had originally thought going through La Pesca was the way to go, but after reading Rolling Homes website I though better of it. It seems Tamaulipas is not a safe state. Coming up this coast you really can't avoid the state, but you can avoid the coastline. When we came down we went through Ciudad Victoria, but the campgrounds were closed, so had to head to Mante. I didn't mind Ciudad Mante at all, so I switched the route to go that way. Why do you say it is not good? Now Gerry and I are rethinking it again. Thanks for the heads up.

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  5. My husband says, yes, it's a Coral Snake and they get big down there. Smiles

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