A GPS trip to Tonala

Glen and I just got back from an enjoyable Melaque - Tonala - Tequila - Melaque trip and were accompanied by his Tom Tom GPS. First time experience for me and generally it was a pretty good guide but it did have it's issues. It talks to you if you didn't know.

Coming up highway 80 Mrs Tom did not know there was an Autlan bypass and wanted to take us thru town. After many "turn around" requests and distracted we ended up in El Grullo which is not close to highway 80.

Further on 'the voice' wanted us to turn left a few miles before Lopez Mateos but the intersection was vague so we continued. On Mateos it wanted us to turn to Jocotepec so Glen obediently drove along the lake to Chapala. Any clues on that one?

Tonala has redone some exits so we couldn't follow directions and ended up paying an exit and entrance toll at the next underpass. It did find the hotel after we got off the freeway.

Our guide did take us to Tequila on the free road and then back towards Ameca and the cross over road to Cocula and highway 80 but we had to ignore a few instructions on the way. Glen says many areas in the country and smaller towns are unmapped and the GPS gets confused.

Part of the problem is he hadn't updated his maps for 3 years. I drive less and less in Mexico but still interesting experience.

Highway 80 with a little rian

La Huerta, Cuautitlan and Cuzapala for coffee

I was getting low on coffee and very tired of Nescafe. The place(s) here in Melaque are charging 90 pesos a 1/2 kilo when only a few years ago I was paying 50 pesos. I'm referring to Cuzalapa coffee, the best coffee around and the only ones that do a dark roast. Anyway, all my neighbors were busy so I decided to drive up and see what the prices were and how the Coop was doing. It is suggested you call first if you want a lot of coffee ... but my cel phone wasn't working.

It had been over two years since I've driven up highway 80 and I was surprised to find the highway thru La Huerta paved, 4 lanes and nice laterals. They even have a traffic light. It is the County Seat so I guess it's about time. Continue past La Huerta to La Conch and take the next major right. Signs should say Cuautitlan which is another County Seat of the Municipio of the same name. Lots of sugar cane grown in the area

Pass thru Cuautitlan (don't get lost) and continue for maybe 10 miles to the very little town of La Rosa. There you turn left for another few miles to Cuzalapa. Hurricane Jova took out the bridge just before town but it's an easy river ford at this time of year.

The Coop is fine and the prices are still reasonable ... only 55 pesos a 1/2 kilo. I had an order for 20 bags and I should have called the day before because all they had was 8 bags from the morning roast. Anyway I'm set for awhile. I'll add a link from a past visit at the bottom.

La Huertas new highway

Country around Cuautitlan and sugar cane in the background

Entrance to Cuautitlan

Cuzalapa bridge out

Cuzalapa traffic

Cuzalapa Coop Website

Cuzalapa visit 2008