The Road to San Ramon and San Carlos

The roads are narrow and winding, but I really enjoy the mountain scenery.

It is interesting that they terrace the hillsides and use them for agriculture all the way to the top.

More terraced hillside.

We saw lots of pastures in these mountains.

Several outdoor stands selling all kinds of produce.

This seems to be the season for this particular squash as we saw lots of it for sale.

I have noticed lots of wash hanging out to dry in these towns we have visited. Some have clothes lines, some don't so just use the fence. This is one of the better fence/clotheslines I have seen!

Some of these pasture hillsides look kind of terraced to me.

I wondered why the hillsides would be terraced. Then I figured it out when we saw cows on a particularly steep hillside. The many dairy cows on these steep hillsides stomp their own terraces in the form of little paths. I am sure it is much easier to walk along your own horizontal path instead of walking straight up the mountain.

There are lots of dairy cows in the countryside. They sell locally made cheese in the roadside shops. Most of it is a soft white very mild tasting cheese. It is good but won't keep in the fridge for very long as it is fresh and not aged.

The little roadside refrigerio shops are called "sodas"and we see lots of them in the country and in the towns too.

A very colorfully painted soda. It was Sunday so that is probably why it isn't open.

More wooded hillside pasture land.

A growing fence.

Another colorfully painted soda. This one says it is open.

I took a picture of this factory because we have seen lots of big trucks loaded with sugar cane and to me this looks like a sugar factory. One of these days I'll get a picture of a loaded truck.

There are many areas where they grow things in plastic covered green houses.

Maybe you can tell why I thoght this soda sign was interesting!