September 2008 stay in room 3, at Meling Ranch...

On Tuesday, September 23, 2008, I arrived at Meling Ranch at about three in the afternoon, walked into the dining room, and shouted out a cheery "Buenos tardes," as is the custom in Mexico when you walk into a room, and was greeted by friendly Jicelia, who remembered me from last year. I explained to her that I had reservations for two nights, and I was here to pick up my room. She told me that she'd seen my name on the book for today, so I was all ready to go, and my room was to be room number 3. She didn't hand me the key to the room, as there are no keys at Meling Ranch, as none are needed.

Photo: It's 6 o'clock in the afternoon, and the lights are on. Room number 3 is just to the left of the light in the photo.

Room number 3 is in the older, adobe, section of the building, and according to Andrea Meling, it's one of the original buildings on the ranch. She told me that the walls are thicker, so they're better insulated. Well, on this 80-degree late September day, neither heat or cold was an issue, as the weather was simply gorgeous.

Photo: Clean, spacious and comfortable accommodations are standard operating procedure at Meling Ranch.

This room seemed to be a little bigger than the room I stayed in last year, or was it my imagination? Whatever the case, it has a fine few facing east, towards the Sierra San Pedro Martir mountain range, and one can relax on the porch and watch the daily routine of a real, working, Mexican cattle ranch. Yes, a kerosene lamp was on the night stand, yes, the accommodations were basic and rustic, yes, the room was clean and comfortable, and once again, Meling Ranch is my kind of place. I might add that this room relies on a wood stove for heat, and the aroma hinted at just a touch of wood smoke, which is a plus in my book.

Photo: Room number 3 is heated by a wood stove, which I never had the opportunity to take for a test drive.

Tom Bodett doesn't leave the light on for you, as the generator shuts off at 9 in the evening, and from then on, you use the kerosene lamp, or your flashlight. But as you sit on the porch, in the 70-degree night, you can see a million stars in the clear, dark sky, and electricity is just something that seems so unnecessary. I did have one small mishap, as on Wednesday night, I spent a little too much time outside, and drank too much tequila, and I'd neglected to upload the day's photos to my notebook computer. So when the generator shut off, I lit the kerosene lamp, powered-up the notebook computer on it's internal battery, and uploaded photos from my digital camera to the computer, by the light of the kerosene lamp. Talk about morphing old and new technology!

Photo: It's 8 o'clock on Tuesday, September 23, 2008, and the lights are still on at Meling Ranch. You sit in the comfortable chairs, and just gaze, gaze and gaze some more, as time seems to stand still...

Photo: Believe it or not, it's 10 o'clock at night, and I'm uploading photos to the computer by the light of a kerosene lamp. The flash makes the whole thing seem unreal, but it was real...

I love the accommodations at Meling Guest Ranch, as they're rustic, clean and comfortable. The staff is wonderful, and they treat you like you're a member of their family. Before I left, I left a MEX $100.00 tip on the night stand, under the kerosene lamp.

I can't say enough good things about Meling Ranch, and their wonderful accommodations. Just do it!