tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42005729968890530812024-03-21T04:53:21.543-05:00Jammin thru MehicoA mobile travel blog through MehicoAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00983689221832732908noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200572996889053081.post-32736182991154651202007-11-12T09:24:00.001-06:002014-11-08T00:19:47.449-06:00Mexico Ride Report IndexBelow is an index of all the entries of my ride report. This includes text and pictures.<br />
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<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/09/story-behind-trip.html">Story Behind The Trip</a><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/09/route-plan.html">The Route Plan</a><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/09/about-bike.html">About The Bike</a><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/09/my-packing-list.html">My Packing List</a><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/11/ride-report-day-1-3_08.html">Day 1 - 3, Chicago to Creel, Mexico</a><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/11/ride-report-day-4_08.html">Day 4, Riding down to Batopilas, Copper Canyon</a><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/11/ride-report-day-5_08.html">Day 5, Riding up from Batopilas and on to Hidalgo del Parral</a><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/11/ride-report-day-6_08.html">Day 6, Riding the Espinoza Diablo to Mazatlan</a><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/11/ride-report-day-7-8.html">Day 7 - 8, Sayulita on the Pacific Coast</a><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/11/ride-report-day-9.html">Day 9, Touring Tequila and Guadalajara</a><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/11/ride-report-day-10-11.html">Day 10 - 11, Melaque and Zihuatanejo</a><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/11/ride-report-day-12-13.html">Day 12 - 13, Teotihuacan to Guanajuato</a><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/11/ride-report-day-14-18.html">Day 14 - 18, Monterrey, San Antonio and Home</a><br />
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And here is an interactive Google Map of my riding route with select pictures posted with their location:<br />
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<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=100392622704147085322.00043c2a8a12be2bf643b&ll=31.503629,-99.755859&spn=27.335599,41.791992&z=5&om=1"><img style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/MexicoGoogleMap2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico073.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico073.jpg"/>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00983689221832732908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200572996889053081.post-7733077855082030222007-11-11T17:51:00.001-06:002011-09-19T08:40:24.492-05:00Picture IndexBelow is an index of all pictures that I took on my journey. Enjoy...<br />
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<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/10/pictures-day-1-3.html">Day 1 - 3, Chicago to Creel, Mexico</a><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/10/pictures-day-4.html">Day 4, Riding down to Batopilas, Copper Canyon</a><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/10/pictures-day-5.html">Day 5, Riding up from Batopilas and on to Hidalgo del Parral</a><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/10/pictures-day-6.html">Day 6, Riding the Espinoza Diablo to Mazatlan</a><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/10/pictures-day-7-8.html">Day 7 - 8, Sayulita on the Pacific Coast</a><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/10/pictures-day-9.html">Day 9, Touring Tequila and Guadalajara</a><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/10/pictures-day-10-11.html">Day 10 - 11, Melaque and Zihuatanejo</a><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/10/pictures-day-12-13.html">Day 12 - 13, Teotihuacan to Guanajuato</a><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/10/pictures-day-14-18.html">Day 14 - 18, Monterrey, San Antonio and Home</a><br />
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And here is an interactive Google Map of my riding route with select pictures posted with their location:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=100392622704147085322.00043c2a8a12be2bf643b&ll=31.503629,-99.755859&spn=27.335599,41.791992&z=5&om=1"><img style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/MexicoGoogleMap2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico331.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico331.jpg"/>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00983689221832732908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200572996889053081.post-41537842425141724352007-11-10T17:50:00.000-06:002010-01-26T23:41:25.592-06:00EpilogueMexico is a wonderful country and I'm glad I finally got to experience it for myself. Before I left, I was asked about how I planned to stay safe and secure in this dangerous country of Mexico. First of all, Mexico is not a dangerous country. Of course there are bad parts like the border towns, but as I was told and proved to myself, once you pass the border zone, it's a very friendly and welcoming place. Never once did I feel my security threatened. Well, it probably helped that I am brown-skinned and everyone thought that I was Mexican.<br /><br />The riding in the country was phenomenal. From the awesome dirt-track down to Batopilas in Copper Canyon to the ever winding Espinoza Diablo to the numerous other unexpected twisty havens, Mexico truly is a rider's country. But I have to say the topes (speed bumps) became a little unbearable towards the end of the trip. I guess in trade-off, since the speed limits aren't really enforced allowing for more hooligan-style riding, the topes have to be lived with. Besides my gaffe along the Pacific coast, low-siding into a ditch, traffic was very well-behaved. I felt my riding may have been more of a threat to the locals than them to me.<br /><br />The scenery all across the country was truly marvelous. From staring across the deep Copper Canyon, to the mystical fog-filled Espinoza Diablo, to the picture-perfect sunsets, I was amazed at the diversity of surroundings that are to be experienced in Mexico. The interesting views that are to be seen also include the gorgeous colonial cities of Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende. And pyramids. Seeing pyramids for the first time is definitely a moment to treasure and I'm thrilled I got to experience the Pyramid of the Sun all to myself.<br /><br />My mouth still keeps watering whenever I look at my pictures of the food I had. Nothing was too elaborate or expensive, but it hit just the right spot for me. From Barbacoa burritos on the road side, to grilled fish by the ocean, to the heavenly meat stew of Birria, to the carnita tacos at the local food court, my taste buds have truly been spoilt. Ever since coming back, the blandness of the food here in the States in general has been heightened. But maybe that's because all my taste buds have been burnt off already. I've found the recipe for Birria and it looks complicated, but I'm going to give it a shot to satiate my yearning taste buds.<br /><br />Everyone I met on my journey was warm and hospitable. I already knew that going into it since I generally have greater faith in humanity, but to see acts of kindness and openness was very welcoming. From chatting up with other tourists on their own journeys, to helping an ex-drug dealer practice English, to hearing people's love of Mexico such as an ex-Physicist and accountant, I got an insight into other people's journey through life and what makes Mexico so special.<br /><br />Regarding my ride, the only thing I would do differently would be to mount more street-oriented tires than the 50 street/50 dirt tires that I started on. I'm sure the Kenda K270's would have made the whole journey of 6,400 miles if I didn't ruin them on the first day, but even for the ride down to Batopilas, I think 90 street/10 dirt tires would've been fine. Besides that, before the trip, I was worried about not having hard luggage. I didn't have the time to mount up a new rack and hard cases and just went with my sport-touring saddle bags and they did fine, besides the damage during the low-side. I was wondering how hard cases would have faired during a low-side like that and I'm thinking they would be the better option. But if an aluminum mount for a case broke, it would be very hard to get it fixed and continue the trip. My mini air compressor proved handy during the off-road riding, but the Pemex's had free air at most stations.<br /><br />Regarding cost of the trip, I exchanged $900 in Chihuahua and used it up over the next 14 days in Mexico. That's including lodging, gas, food, cuotas and bribe money. On average that comes out to about $64 per day, which is not bad. I tried to stay in the cheapest lodging possible, but also took into account location and recommendations. I could've gone cheaper for lodging in some locations, but gave priority to proximity to the town square as I didn't want to stay far away and then take a taxi into town, which would negate the cost savings. Food was very low budget for most meals, but I did splurge up to $15 or even $20 for some meals, sacre bleu! I was thrilled that the majority of my meals were under $5, especially for how tasty they all were.<br /><br />The main purpose of this trip, if there needs to be one, was to introduce me to motorcycle travel in a different culture. I wanted to see how well my broken Spanish would do and I'm happy to say I actually managed pretty well. I listened to my Spanish language CDs from Michel Thomas twice before entering Mexico and then had my Lonely Planet Spanish phrase book with me everywhere I went. The language barrier was definitely not an issue.<br /><br />I would like my next trip to be a ride through South America, but for that I would need much more time-off, which might be tricky right now with work and a career. One of the surprises from this Mexico trip that has convinced me that a South America trip would be totally feasible is everyone thinking that I was one of the locals, just for being brown-skinned. If I learnt fluent Spanish and some Portuguese before heading south, I'm sure I could pass off as a local in most locations, which should greatly increase my security situation, or at least help family and friends think that my security situation is not a concern. Plus, not having a number plate for most of the trip didn't disclose my origin to everyone. Next time I head south, I think I'll just remove my plate after I cross the border...<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/11/ride-report-index.html">Ride Report Index</a><br /><br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00983689221832732908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200572996889053081.post-5412804842354202582007-11-09T17:50:00.002-06:002011-09-19T08:55:35.468-05:00Ride Report: Day 14 - 18<b>Day 14 / Friday, October 5, 2007<br />
Start: Guanajuato City, Guanajuato, 8:30 am<br />
End: Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, 8:30 pm<br />
Mileage: 480</b><br />
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The hostel provided breakfast, which consisted of dry, crispy bread with jam, a banana and powdered coffee. It was included, so I'm not complaining. During breakfast, I chatted up with a European couple, a Spanish girl who was here with her English boyfriend. They were studying in Cancun and were currently touring around Mexico by bus. They too didn't know about the Cervantino music festival before they got here and were pleasantly surprised by the liveliness of the city, like I was.<br />
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It was a nice climb out of Guanajuato on the road towards Dolores as it offered a bird's eye view of the city. Houses were sprawled across the mountains and I thought of all the hidden tunnels under the mountains that are part of the city and add to its character.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico538.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico538.jpg"/><br />
<i>The city of Guanajuato with tunnels all through those mountains.</i><br />
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The road was nice and sinuous and lacked traffic probably due to the time of day. Morning twisties are always refreshing. Soon after, the road got flat and I hoped on the freeway, Hwy 57 heading North to Monterrey. Thankfully, it wasn't a Cuota road as I probably would've run out of money. As I was nearing the end of my journey in Mexico, I was trying to ration my use of my remaining Pesos so that I crossed the border with the least amount possible without actually running out. I also didn't want to get anymore change back in coins from gas stations, so I started filling up to round digits of money, such as gas for 50 Pesos, as coins are hard to exchange back usually.<br />
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The highway passed through generally barren landscape, which appeared to be a plateau as I stayed at 6,000 ft throughout the day. With traffic being light, I plugged in my audio book, The Fabric of the Cosmos by Brian Greene, which kept my mind entertained. I still did get very fatigued and my reserve Red Bulls came in handy. I always take two Red Bulls with me for instances when I really need them in remote regions. I also noted that cruising at 60 mph gave me a constant 50 mpg.<br />
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I was going to Monterrey to meet my Mexican friend from work, Cesar who was back home for a friend's wedding. Since he lives on the southern side of Monterrey, I decided to come in through Linares to make the directions easier to get to his house. The road connecting Hwy 57 to Linares on Hwy 85 was surprisingly an awesomely twisty road. I saw on the map that the road twisted a little bit, but did not expect such a nice road. It was recently paved and the road condition was excellent, with some construction still going on. After going through the mid-point town of Iturbide, the road goes through a national park with dramatic scenery of huge granite rock faces. It resembled the ride through Zion National Park in Utah, where the road is flanked by huge towering cliffs on either side. What made the ride more enjoyable was not expecting it. Unexpected nice roads and scenery always leave a bigger impression. It might be similar to what early explorers felt when discovering new worlds. Another fascinating part of this ride is the end, near Linares where the road suddenly spills out of the canyon and is flat as far as the eye can see. Looking back in my mirror, the mountains loomed like big giants. With a few clouds in the air, they could also be mistaken for huge rain clouds. What really makes mountains impressive is when you can stand back and see them in all their grandeur. This mountain chain ran alongside Hwy 85 into Monterrey and the southern part of the city sprawls into the quickly rising mountains.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico540.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico540.jpg"/><br />
<i>Going through an unexpected National Park on my way to the northern city of Monterrey.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico542.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico542.jpg"/><br />
The cliffs were very jagged and views were quite dramatic. The road was running in the valley of some narrow canyons.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico545.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico545.jpg"/><br />
The road was also very twisty and would be the last fun road to ride in Mexico for me.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico546.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico546.jpg"/><br />
Looking up at the jagged peaks.</i><br />
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I had a quick look around downtown Monterrey before heading to Cesar's house, which is set in a nice neighborhood. Arriving at Cesar's house, I gave a quick acknowledgment to the fact that I had made it through all of Mexico solo and was safe and sound. I was never really concerned about my security, or felt threatened in anyway, but there is that unknown risk factor and I was happy nothing major had gone wrong. Cesar's parents were amazed that I rode all around their country by myself, that too without a firm grasp of Spanish. After a big meal of stewed lamb and lot of Don Julio, some well deserved deep sleep was in order.<br />
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<b>Day 15 / Saturday, October 6, 2007<br />
Start: Monterrey, Nuevo Leon<br />
End: Monterrey, Nuevo Leon<br />
Mileage: 0</b><br />
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With the help of Cesar's driver, I found a nice touring tire at the Kawasaki dealership on Pino Saurez road in downtown Monterrey. It was a Kenda of some kind for $76. There were two other dealerships on the same road, but they didn't have a tire in my size. The dealers mainly had dirt bikes and ATVs in the showrooms, with no sportbikes. But all the banner advertising showed their sportbikes, probably to bring in the shoppers.<br />
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The driver, Manuel said it would be too expensive to get the tire changed at the dealers and would instead try and find a mechanic shop who would do it for much less. Surprisingly, around eight mechanic shops didn't want to work on the bike either cause they were too busy or didn't want to mess with it. We finally found Moto Tecina, who would do it for 150 Pesos. It was a father and son team and their shop was quite a mess with numerous bikes in various states of disrepair, including an Ural motorcycle sitting in the front of the shop. The tires were also the originals since they had 'Made in USSR' stamped on them. I suspected the work might be a bit sloppy, which proved to be true when they punctured my tube during the reinstall and had to patch it up. I hoped the patch would hold up till Chicago. While working on the bike, they mentioned a rider who was heading for Argentina who had been through there a few years back. Must be the same guy that the restaurant owner near Melaque talked about.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico548.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico548.jpg"/><br />
<i>Shopping for a new rear tire in Monterrey as my Kenda K270 was flat in some places after around 4500 miles.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico547.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico547.jpg"/><br />
The other side of the tire. I'm sure if I had been nice to the tire initially and not gone 80 mph on the highway it would've lasted the whole way back home. Look how much tread is left on those knobbies.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico550.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico550.jpg"/><br />
Checking to see if the Suzuki dealer has a tire in my size. One of the main streets in downtown Monterrey, Pino Suarez had about 3 motorcycle dealers. The Kawasaki dealer had the best selection of tires and I got a nice street-oriented tire for $70, similar to US prices.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico556.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico556.jpg"/><br />
Surprisingly we couldn't find a tire shop who wanted to change the tire for me. I could've done it, but it would've taken about 3 hours and am saving that for emergency situations. Moto Tecnica agreed to change the tire for $15.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico551.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico551.jpg"/><br />
The mechanics using proven techniques to break the bead of the old tire (using the kick stand of another bike to press down on the tire to remove it from the rim). I did the same thing when I was changing my tires at home.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico558.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico558.jpg"/><br />
I bet there's a Harley hidden in there somewhere… Note the Che sticker on the gray cabinet. These guys mentioned that they changed tires for another adventure rider who was heading for Argentina. Must be the same guy as before…<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico559.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico559.jpg"/><br />
Putting the final bit of air inside after puncturing and patching my tube during the install. I hoped it would last all the way back home.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico555.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico555.jpg"/><br />
Check out this old Ural (a Russian military motorcycle based on a 1941 BMW R71 motorcycle design).<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico553.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico553.jpg"/><br />
The tires were Made in the USSR. Wow, these tires are over 16 years old! I've never seen anything with a 'Made in USSR' stamp before... How cool.</i><br />
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In the afternoon we headed to Cesar's family ranch house to enjoy a big lunch with all of his extended family. The scene looked very characteristic of big Italian family gatherings with the men sitting on one table (drinking Tequila), all the women on another table and the younger generation (us) on a table on the side. The food was fabulous and I had a great time talking with various members from Cesar's family. Most of them thought I was crazy to ride around solo, but I attributed that to them being city folk, as friends back in the States were saying the same thing.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico566.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico566.jpg"/><br />
<i>The ranch house of my friend Cesar, where we relaxed and met with all of his extended family.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico570.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico570.jpg"/><br />
Reminded me of scenes from movies of old world Italian family gatherings, were the men sat at one table (drinking tequila), the women at another table and the kids on the side table. The food was fabulous; stewed lamb, pork and beef. And the Don Julio flowed like water...</i><br />
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<b>Day 16 / Sunday, October 7, 2007<br />
Start: Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, 9:00 am<br />
End: San Antonio, TX, 6:00 pm<br />
Mileage: 346</b><br />
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This would be my last day in Mexico and I wasn't overly eager to cross back into the States. I was thinking that if I had two more weeks of vacation, I'd turn around and ride some more. I was told by Cesar's dad to cross over at the Colombia bridge instead of the two bridges in Laredo as they would have no truck traffic and probably no traffic being a Sunday. The toll from Monterrey on the cuota road to Laredo was 85 Pesos, from my last 100 Peso note. On the road to the Columbia bridge, there were numerous truck cargo sorting facilities. And the sites they occupied were expansive with over a 100 trucks and trailers at each site. This is probably all fueled by NAFTA and these trucks are probably bringing goods from border factories for sorting before crossing over into the US and onto Canada.<br />
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I was heading to San Antonio to meet Bob from advrider.com (tricepilot). He was following my trip report from the road and offered his place for me to crash at. From the experience of his two previous crossings into Mexico, he gave me the run down of what to expect when exiting Mexico. I was supposed to find the customs office and turn in my tourist visa and bike permit to legally exit Mexico. The problem is there are no Mexican exit immigration facilities and the road takes you straight to the bridge to cross back into the US. I went around to the customs checkpoint on the entrance to Mexico side and explained what I needed to do, but they just kept waving me on and saying it wasn't necessary. Not wanting to cause any issues, I crossed the bridge and entered the US. I should've parked my bike and walked into the Mexican Immigration office, but I'll deal with this at my local consulate in Chicago.<br />
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When I crossed into the US, the border agent asked what my number plate was since my plate wasn't there. He was very casual about it and wasn't really bothered that I had no plate. I hoped any more encounters with the law enforcement on my trip to Chicago would go just like this.<br />
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Being a relatively small border crossing, there was only a small 'Welcome to the US' sign. I was expecting a nice big banner, but maybe that's at the bigger crossings. I've entered the US many times on my work visa, but there's always a small amount of hesitation before being fully approved since the immigration officer could chose to do further questioning and detain me if they have the slightest suspicion of anything, like why I wanted to ride around Mexico for two weeks on a bike. Luckily, the immigration officer at this border crossing was very friendly and she did a great job. Two years ago, when I crossed back from Canada after a ten day sport-touring trip, I was a bit more nervous going up to the immigration officer since I was wearing full 'Power Ranger' leathers with torn up rain gear, which was definitely not presentable. But they hardly gave me a second look.<br />
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Regarding tolls at this crossing, there's a $2 toll to cross the bridge from Mexico and then there's a $2 toll to use the two-lane highway from the border to I-35. This was the smallest toll road I've been on in the US and that too, the least used probably. There was one toll booth agent for both sides of traffic, that's how lite the traffic was.<br />
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I continued on I-35 and made it to Bob's house, north of San Antonio, on time around 6 pm. It was really fun to meet another enthusiast motorcyclist and his loving family. We spent the evening drinking brews and talking about travel and other random subjects. Bob was heading back into Mexico for the third time in 12 months and is terribly in love with the country. He has opened up his place as a launching pad for motorcycle trips into Mexico as some other riders had parked their truck and just left for Mexico recently. He truly is an asset to the ADV community.<br />
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Thanx to Bob for the following pictures:<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico585.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico585.jpg"/><br />
<i>Arriving at tricepilot (Bob's) house in San Antonio from ADVrider.com. The border crossing back into the US was a breeze. Bob was following my trip report from the road and offered his place for me to crash at on my way back home. I always enjoy meeting other motorcyclists, cause we all have the same mindset no matter which walk of like we come from.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico582.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico582.jpg"/><br />
Bob and I. Bob's an ex-Air Force Colonel and has ridden to Mexico twice before and was going again in two weeks. He's in love with the country and asked how I managed to do the trip solo.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico577.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico577.jpg"/><br />
This was my response. All I needed for my Mexico trip was the Lonely Planet guide book (which had all the hotel and town info), the Guia Roji Mexico road atlas (used in planning the next day's route), my Spanish phrase book and my GPS with the Bicimapas Mexico maps.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico580.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico580.jpg"/><br />
The phrase book was invaluable to me. I listened to Spanish language audio CDs on the way down to the border, which taught me basic pronunciation and sentence structure and when used with the details of the phrase book, I did all right. Once I even managed to tell a hotel receptionist that the shower had no hot water. I was quite impressed that I could communicate that.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico572.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico572.jpg"/><br />
My trusty Garmin GPS 60Cx, which had the new Bicimapas Mexico maps with auto routing. The maps weren't 100% accurate but it was still a good tool to have especially in the big cities.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico574.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico574.jpg"/><br />
My new rear tire that I mounted in Monterrey, it's a more street-oriented tire for the highway riding.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico575.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico575.jpg"/><br />
The remains on my number plate, which I think broke off after Batopilas, early in the trip. I rode all over Mexico with no one bothering me about it and even rode from Mexico back to Chicago with no cops hassling me about it. Number plates must be overrated...<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico576.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico576.jpg"/><br />
The road rash and bruises from my low-side near Zihuatanejo on my elbow. There's no holes in my jacket, so I think this was caused by the friction as the road surface was quite rough. My jacket has foam armor in the forearm but this was the one place with no armor.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico583.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico583.jpg"/><br />
Enjoying a brew with Bob's brother, Joe.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico581.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico581.jpg"/><br />
And I arrived just in time for pizza!</i><br />
<br />
_______________________________________________________________<br />
<br />
<b>Day 17 / Monday, October 8, 2007<br />
Start: San Antonio, TX, 8:00 am<br />
End: Little Rock, AR, 8:00 pm<br />
Mileage: 560</b><br />
<br />
I got an early start and was aiming to make it to Memphis that night and then Chicago the next night. I went through a little rush hour traffic in Austin and then experienced a vibration coming from the rear tire. Not having a rear tire go flat on me before while riding, I didn't know immediately that it was flat. When I pulled over on the shoulder, since the tire had gone completely flat, my kick stand was now too long to support the bike, so I had to point the bike in the opposite direction of traffic to get the kickstand on a lower ground, which would be the edge of the tarmac. It was starting to drizzle lightly, so I decided to use the Slime compound to seal the leak before committing to doing a tube change.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico586.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico586.jpg"/><br />
<i>Yeah, so that puncture and patch job those guys did on my tube while mounting the new tire in Monterrey… I don’t think it held up, cause the tire went flat south of Dallas. I'm pointing the opposite way because I had to find lower ground for my kick stand because it's too long if there's no air in the tire and the bike will fall over. I put Slime and pumped it back up, hoping it would hold.</i><br />
<br />
A few minutes down the road, the tire went flat again. I called a few knowledgeable friends who said the Slime compound took a while to work effectively. But after riding for about 20 minutes on the shoulder at 30 mph, I figured the Slime was not working and I was committed to doing a tube change. At a gas station, as I was looking for items to prop up my bike, a guy in a van said there was a Suzuki dealership just down the road. I was gladly happy to pay someone $65 to replace my tube than me struggling for probably 3 hours on it. The guys at Action PowerSports Suzuki in Red Oak, TX were a great help and they immediately got working on my bike. The mechanic was amazed that I was able to ride up to their shop after he discovered that my tube had exploded in my tire and somehow the tire held up for so long. I think the heat from running on a flat tire at highway speeds accelerated the puncture and caused it to explode. The Slime had gotten everywhere and sealed the tire to the rim. We had a good chat and I found out he was a local road-racer, originally from Mexico. He was pleased to hear that people were touring on motorcycles around Mexico and expressed an interest to do something similar in the future. He did an excellent job of repairing the tire and also gave the bike a look-over to see if anything else was an issue, such as brake pads, clutch cable and front tire wear. Great service.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico587.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico587.jpg"/><br />
<i>Alas, the Slime was not going to help. This is the remains of the tube. It exploded in the tire and the Slime was just filling up inside the tire. I think the heat from running on the highway when the patch let go was the culprit.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico588.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico588.jpg"/><br />
Luckily I found a Suzuki dealer right by the highway who got working on replacing my tube. I was prepared to do it myself, but was on a time crunch to make it back to Chicago.</i><br />
<br />
I finally got going around 3:30 pm and made it up to Little Rock five hours later. I wasn't too far behind schedule.<br />
_______________________________________________________________<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Day 18 / Tuesday, October 9, 2007<br />
Start: Little Rock, AR, 7:30 am<br />
End: Grayslake, IL, 9:30 pm<br />
Mileage: 730</b><br />
<br />
The last day of my journey. One mistake I made was to end the previous day just south of Little Rock as in the morning, I had to deal with heavy rush hour traffic as I was making my way through the city. I should've spent the night just north of the city. Oh well, besides that, it was an uneventful ride back home. I was truly surprised that I could it make it all the way across the US from Texas to Chicago with no number plate on the bike. They must be overrated.<br />
<br />
As is customary with all my bike trips, the closer I got to home, the more I slowed down and did exactly the speed limit. No use tempting fate after not getting any speeding tickets while on the trip only to get nabbed a few miles from home. As I pulled into my garage, I let out a sigh of relief that I made it back safe and sound.<br />
<br />
<br />
Next: <a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/11/epilogue.html">Epilogue</a><br />
<br><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/11/ride-report-index.html">Ride Report Index</a><br />
<br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00983689221832732908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200572996889053081.post-24548464877040695532007-11-08T17:49:00.004-06:002011-09-19T08:55:15.395-05:00Ride Report: Day 12 - 13<b>Day 12 / Wednesday, October 3, 2007<br />
Start: Zihuatanejo, Guerreo, 6:00 am<br />
End: Teotihuacan, Mexico State, 6:00 pm<br />
Mileage: 315</b><br />
<br />
Even though today marked the trip's turn North, heading back home, there was still a lot of see before the trip was actually over. I was off to see the pyramids of Teotihuacán near México City today. I got an early start and felt bad about having to wake up the hotel owner to let me and the bike out at 6 am. It was still going to be dark for another hour or so, but I knew I had about 350 miles to go today, so even if I had to go slow until the sun came up, it would be better than starting later and having to rush it.<br />
<br />
As I turned onto Hwy 134 heading Northeast to the city of Altamarina and Toluca, I let a pickup truck pass me and then decided to keep up with him, since I could use his headlights to look further down the road. The exciting thing was that this was one serious twisty road, that too in excellent road condition. He was hauling at a pretty good clip and I was easily keeping up with him, but I was conscious not to ride above my limit. After all, I had just low-sided yesterday and here I was ripping up these awesome twisties in the dark. It was a thrilling ride. It was also a little safer actually to be behind him, as there were many animals roaming on the roads that full stops were needed to let them by; donkeys, horses and cattle. Riding alone through here in the dark would definitely have been more dangerous. Also for the topes; we went through many small villages and after riding in Mexico so far, it was easy to predict where the topes will be, but not always. Having the truck slow down for the topes took the guess work out or the worrying about hitting unseen topes at speed. He was also a nice guy and knew that I was tagging onto him as an escort and he would wave back if he went through gravel and kicked some back towards me. As the sun came up around us, the scenery was fantastic. This is a remote road with no real towns between the coast and Altamarina, no Pemex's as well. The road climbed to about 6,000 ft and the lush mountains and the jungles hugging the road made this a special ride. I enjoyed it almost as much as the Espinoza Diablo. I let him go in Altamarina, as I wanted petrol after 140 miles and some desayuno (breakfast).<br />
<br />
I was still a little nervous about riding around without a number plate and didn't really want to get the attention of any local cops, but I knew the bigger cities would have more Fedaralis floating around. What to do, there were pyramids to be seen. So, as I stopped for breakfast, a Fedarali pulls up right behind me, goes in for his breakfast and then takes off. If he didn't notice anything missing from such a close distance, I was probably doing all right.<br />
<br />
The rest of Hwy 134 into Toluca was quite bumpy and there was lots of construction going on with widening of lanes up and down the mountains. On the map, it's clear that the area of Mexico City is quite crowded and you start feeling this as you get closer and the volume of traffic increases on all the roads. However, the road was still quite scenic as it wound its way through numerous towns and climbed to about 10,600 ft before descending to the 8,000 ft plateau where Mexico City lies. All this elevation change was showing how ineffective my Motoport gear was for changing climates. Up to 8,000 ft, the mesh was fine, but above that it gets quite chilly. It wouldn't be a problem if the elevation didn't vary up and down, but the road climbed up and over a few mountains. Putting on the jacket liner was no problem, but putting on the pant liner by the road side would be too much trouble, so my legs felt chilly. For varying climate riding, a textile jacket with zippered vents for warmer riding would seem to be idle, where you could easily control the flow of air unlike the Motoport jacket, which is all mesh. But then again, the exacting custom fit of my riding gear takes the upper hand for riding comfort, so I can overlook this downside as I probably won’t be in varying elevation changes too often.<br />
<br />
Anyways, I made good time to Toluca, a city west of Mexico City and was hoping to take the freeways around the congestion and head straight to Teotihuacán. This was also my first Cuota road in Mexico and I was impressed to see that I was given a plastic card that kept log of how far I had used the toll road, instead of the paper print outs I've seen here in the States. It was also quite impressive to see a massive six-lane highway snaking around a twisting mountain at around 8,000 ft. And the sprawl of houses as far as the eye could see was also quite impressive.<br />
<br />
The Bicimapas GPS map wasn't fully up to date as it didn't have a new connecting highway, which I saw in Guia Roji maps, so I was down to following the highway signs and hoping I ended up in the right direction heading away from Mexico City towards Teotihuacán. I got around to the northern part of the city and then got turned south right on a big freeway and bam, a motorcycle cop pulls me over. I saw him on the side of the highway pointing a radar gun at traffic and we made eye-contact, after which he pulled up beside me and forced me to pull over.<br />
<br />
It clearly wasn’t for speeding as I was sitting in the middle lane amidst a lot of traffic. So, this biker cop points to my number plate and I explain that it broke off and he nods his head. Then he says he’s pulled me over because no bikes are allowed on the auto-pista into Mexico City. Huh? He pulls out his little hand book and shows me a traffic sign saying no bicycles, trucks or motorbikes are allowed on the auto-pista. We have to use the feeder lane. I never saw a sign like that on the highway. But then again, there were no bikes on the freeway besides me. This guy first says the fine for this offence is 200 Pesos, I’m like, 'not bad, I’ll pay', then he goes, 'No no, 200 Dollares!' WTF! I tried to explain that I’m a tourist, my first time here, I didn’t see the sign, blah blah blah, can you just forget the offence. He keeps saying "Cash, money. Cash, money," implying that I should go to an ATM and pull out the money for him and I keep saying, "No Money left." I tried to call some of my Mexican friends, but the calls weren't going through. I definitely had more than $200 in cash, but didn’t really want to part with it. In desperation, I showed him my 140 pesos from my jacket pocket and he smiles and tells me to put it away quickly. Ohhhhhh, looking for a little underhand kind of payment huh. I offer 100 Pesos and he says ok and points to the top case of his bike and opens it. I drop the 100 Peso note in and he waves and speeds off. My first thought was, phew, didn’t want to spend $200 and then thought, what a cheap cop, he accepted a $10 bribe. Have some dignity man!<br />
<br />
Well, thank goodness I now know how to deal with these situations. Haha, just like back home in India. Get pulled over, leave a few currency notes on the dash and bribe is accepted. A 100 Peso bribe, seriously? What would that even get him, two meals? Still shaking my head at that. So, that’s a lesson, always keep very little cash easily accessible for situations like this or while getting mugged. I later found out from my Mexican friend that corruption runs so deep in the police system here that police chiefs actually setup bribe quotas that their officers have to meet. That is, he might say I need 500 Pesos from you today and the cop has to go out and get that much in bribes. So, you can't really blame one person, you have to blame the whole system or just human nature. Righteous minds could say, well, it's up to the individual to decide whether to ask for a bribe in the first place. However, in life it looks like realistic conditions prevail over idealistic ones. If one officer doesn't meet his bribe quota, he might be released from the force and have to find another job. Or, he could stick with it and do what he's told so that his family can live a decent life. It's a tricky situation.<br />
<br />
After that interesting episode, I finally found my way to Teotihuacán with the help of the GPS and a general sense of direction. I arrived at 5:55 pm, when the park was closing in five minutes. There was no real rush, since tomorrow would be a simple riding day to Guanajuato, so I would check out the Pyramids in the morning. I stayed at the Hotel Posada Sol y Luna (Sun and Moon, named for the two big pyramids at the site) for $33 and had secure parking in their garage. The town center of Teotihuacán was quite active and I had a good dinner at the local food court. I felt very much at home, sitting at the food stalls and observing life of the regular citizens. Being brown was definitely a benefit, as no one batted an eye that a tourist was among them.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico454.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico454.jpg"/><br />
<i>In the small town of Teotihuacan, just north of Mexico city. I was here to see some pyramids the next morning. This guy was providing some dinner music at the food market.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico455.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico455.jpg"/><br />
Locals enjoying some freshly made tasty dinner.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico456.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico456.jpg"/><br />
The food stall that I ate at. Various kinds of meat served with cilantro and onions. Simple and always good. Note the pineapple on top of the meat stand.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico457.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico457.jpg"/><br />
Dinner of some pork tacos with a slice of pineapple - Hawaiian Tacos?</i><br />
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_______________________________________________________________<br />
<br />
<b>Day 13 / Thursday, October 4, 2007<br />
Start: Teotihuacan, Mexico State, 11:00 am<br />
End: Guanajuato City, Guanajuato, 6:00 pm<br />
Mileage: 281</b><br />
<br />
I woke up early and was at the park when it opened at 7 am. It was quite chilly and foggy in the morning. As I entered the park, I was surprised to see that most of the park offices, museum or curio shops were not open as well. I saw store keepers trickling in with me and I guess they were more focused on the regular tourists who were bused in from Mexico City and who would be here from 10 am to 2 pm, when the site is most crowded.<br />
<br />
It was exciting to see a pyramid for the first time, especially noting that the Pyramid of the Sun was constructed nearly 2,000 years ago and was made using only slave labor with no tools. The pyramid is 246 ft high and is the third largest pyramid in the world. The exact purpose of the pyramid is not known, but it's suspected to being built to honor an ancient Teotihuacán deity. The climb to the top took only about 10 minutes, but some parts were quite steep. It was a little surreal to be sitting on top of a pyramid with no one else in sight and pondering what really went on here 1,000 or 2,000 years ago.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico460.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico460.jpg"/><br />
<i>The Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan. It was built around 2000 years ago and was possibly used for astronomy. I came at 7 am when the park opened and had the whole place to myself.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico463.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico463.jpg"/><br />
Climbing the steep steps to the top. It took only about 10 mins.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico464.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico464.jpg"/><br />
The view from the top, which is 246 ft from the bottom, making it the 3rd largest pyramid in the world.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico465.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico465.jpg"/><br />
Sun flare from the top.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico466.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico466.jpg"/><br />
The Pyramid of the Moon as seen from the Pyramid of the Sun.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico473.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico473.jpg"/><br />
Enjoying a peaceful moment at the top of the pyramid.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico474.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico474.jpg"/><br />
Climbing back down the steep steps.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico477.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico477.jpg"/><br />
No wonder it's called the Pyramid of the Sun…</i><br />
<br />
After catching a local bus back to my hotel and packing up, I decided to pay my tourist permit fee at a local bank before I forget when crossing back to the US. The teller wasn't really aware of what I was asking her to do, but a high level manger was familiar with the process and then I was on my way after some breakfast at the food court.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico479.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico479.jpg"/><br />
<i>Taking a local bus back to my hotel as there were no cabs around. Cost $0.40.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico480.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico480.jpg"/><br />
Having breakfast at the food market again.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico481.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico481.jpg"/><br />
These are what they call Quesadillas in this part of Mexico. A thick flour tortilla with various meats and cheese.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico482.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico482.jpg"/><br />
She was making them super fast. The tortillas were being made fresh.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico483.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico483.jpg"/><br />
I had a Picadillo (meat with potatoes) and a Barbacoa (pork). The fried tortilla was really tasty.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico484.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico484.jpg"/><br />
All the various ingredients being used.</i><br />
<br />
Cutting across the northern part of Mexico City, heading towards Querétaro, I once again got turned south on the freeways and was caught up with morning rush hour traffic heading into the capital city. I was a little weary of getting pulled over again for being on a motorcycle on the auto-pista, but I soon figured out how to keep north west towards my destination.<br />
<br />
After paying too much money in tolls yesterday and this morning, totaling around 250 Pesos, I figured I should take some local highways to keep the trip cost down, since I would need to be taking the Cuota roads near the border. But since the roads weren't that exciting and my tolerance for topes wearing thin, I decided to get back on the highway and just relax. But relax I couldn't, since I was limited to a top speed of 65 mph for my tire's sake and that proved too slow for all the trucks and traffic, who were over-taking and causing me some discomfort. The cars were going crazy fast for such dense traffic, maybe over 100 mph with the trucks doing about 70-80 mph. Even though the road conditions were generally very good, pot holes on the freeway did show up once in a while. If the highway went through a city, there was a by-pass option, but that was a Cuota. Since I was done paying cuotas, I went through all the city centers, which weren't that bad in terms of traffic.<br />
<br />
I made it to San Miguel de Allende and was immediately impressed and a bit weary of the very steep cobble-stoned roads leading to the city center. Being declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site to protect the colonial architecture of the city, no traffic lights are allowed and no new buildings as well. With no traffic lights, the use of traffic police is extensive. Almost every intersection is governed by traffic police and for the intersections that aren't controlled, you just slow down, have a look at cross-traffic and keep going.<br />
<br />
I parked to have a little walk around and noted all the chic coffee shops and cafes with gringos going in and out. Most of them looked like they lived here or at least were on an extended vacation. Many ex-pats have made San Miguel their home, probably because it has nice cool climate, it isn't a congested city and the beautiful colonial architecture gives the city some real character. After having an ice-cream in the main square, I continued to Guanajuato and wanted to give myself at least an hour of daylight to find my way through the city, as I knew it was going to be difficult to navigate for a first-timer.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico486.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico486.jpg"/><br />
<i>The picturesque mountain town of San Miguel de Allende.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico485.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico485.jpg"/><br />
It retains its colonial architecture along with the cobble-stoned streets. <br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico487.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico487.jpg"/><br />
Since the town is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, no traffic lights or modern buildings are allowed. Instead, lots of traffic police were at every major intersection.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico489.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico489.jpg"/><br />
The town had many old chapels, which must be at least 200 years old.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico492.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico492.jpg"/><br />
Chapel in San Miguel.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico493.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico493.jpg"/><br />
Chapel in San Miguel.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico494.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico494.jpg"/><br />
Lots of people were just milling about and relaxing around the water fountains and the many parks in the town.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico495.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico495.jpg"/><br />
Chapel in San Miguel.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico496.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico496.jpg"/><br />
All the stores use old houses as their store fronts, since they're not allowed to tear down any of the buildings. This old world charm is what attracts a lot of ex-pats to come and settle in San Miguel.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico498.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico498.jpg"/><br />
San Miguel.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico503.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico503.jpg"/><br />
Chapel in San Miguel in the main square.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico504.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico504.jpg"/><br />
The popular mode of transportation was two or small four-wheelers since the town is very hilly and the streets are narrow.</i><br />
<br />
The road between San Miguel and Guanajuato, Hwy 111 was a pleasant ride with very light traffic and sweeping corners. I went this route, instead of going up to Dolores and back to save time and I would be riding from Guanajuato to Dolores the next day anyways. It was anticipated to be a nice scenic route.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico506.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico506.jpg"/><br />
<i>On the road to Guanajuato from San Miguel. A nice relaxing end-of-the-day ride.</i><br />
<br />
Once in Guanajuato, I was immediately impressed with the city and its beauty. Everything is stone-walled and looked very decadent. I tried to follow the signs to the Centro, since that would be close to my hostel, but got lost once I entered the tunnels. The city is set on a mountain-side and uses the numerous old mining shafts as one-way tunnels under the city. The thing about the tunnels is that all the intersections weren't that well marked and I ended up once being spit out high up from the city in the suburbs and the other times, the tunnels kept me going around in circles. I asked a policeman for directions, but couldn't fully understand what he was saying. I wasn't really complaining, since I was getting a nice unintended tour of the city. This one time I ended up on a pedestrian street and rode right by some cops, who weren't bothered with me at all. After an hour and getting close to using a taxi to lead me to my hostel, these two guys waved me down and asked where I was going. They had seen me going by them multiple times in all directions and figured I was lost. Little did I know that I passed my hostel a few times without knowing it and was glad to have finally made it. <br />
<br />
I was staying at the Hostel Casa del Tio for $17 for a dorm bed. They were part of another international hostel association, HostelWorld.com, which stipulates some basic standards, such as clean bathrooms, personal lockers and usually free internet. The reception girls were stunned to hear that I was from Chicago and excitedly told their colleagues working in the attached Sushi restaurant. I asked where I could park my bike safely during the night and they surprisingly said just to bring it into the lobby. I thought it wasn't such a big deal in Hidalgo del Parral, since no one else was in the hotel, but this was in the centre of a big city and there were others guests there too. People here are just so accommodating of motorcycle travelers.<br />
<br />
I had a roommate, Jason, from California who was here to tour and bum with his friends that were playing in the month-long music festival, Cervantino. What a fantastic time to come to Guanajuato. The city was crawling with people who were here for the music festival and it was a real party atmosphere across the whole city. Yes, it was a little crowded, but the atmosphere was great. There were lots of small shops hidden in nooks and crannies with food stalls and cafes abound, as well. Musical acts were starting up in little squares with crowds gathering and after walking away from a clown-dance music act, I found a reggae/ska band. Ahh, much more to my liking. People were just sitting on steps and park benches and enjoying the free open-air concerts. Guanajuato is known for its university and the influx of students gives the city a youthful feeling.<br />
<br />
The reggae band there was awesome and they knew how to work the crowd. They even sang Bob Marley's Is This Love in Spanish and English. They played songs that the crowd knew, which got them lots of audience participation. During this one particular fast-paced ska song, a group of typical defiant students (blue sagging jeans, black graphic t-shirts, reverse baseball caps, smoking, slouching, wearing backpacks) jumped up and started hitting each other frantically according to the beat of the song. They settled down once the song ended, all in good fun. Then there was this guy next to me who was in a really jubilant mood and would get up sporadically and dance like the world didn't matter. He was feeling the music. Go brother, go! While everyone was enjoying themselves, I found it strange that the store owner, whose steps we were sitting on, found it appropriate to wash the steps of her shop right then and there. She poured water down and with a broom, splashed it on everyone that was sitting nearby, causing people to get up and walk away. This disrupted the experience for some and I was surprised that the store owner didn't really care that a music concert was going on right there. Instead of driving people away and leaving a sour taste, I felt they could've enterprised a bit and sold some cold Cokes or beers, which would have gone over well with the crowd there. Oh well, the music was still great. Another interesting dimension to this concert was that the electricity kept going out every 15 minutes or so. The whole city would be in a black-out, before the power came back on. I think the grid might've been a bit overwhelming with all the concerts and extra lighting that was setup for the festival. A black-out generated lots of howls and cheers from the young audience and the mood was very jovial.<br />
<br />
I really liked Guanajuato and would like to come back to visit properly. It's also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and accordingly there were no traffic lights and no new buildings in the Centro. The feeling was very European and colonial. At some point, I'd like to live in a city like this, unlike the concrete jungle that's usually found elsewhere.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico507.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico507.jpg"/><br />
<i>The unique thing about the city of Guanajuato is their use of old mining shafts as street tunnels under the city, which is perched in the mountains. It is truly quite a maze and takes a while to get oriented.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico509.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico509.jpg"/><br />
Ahh, finally making it to my hostel, La Casa del Tio after going around in circles for over an hour trying to find it. I loved riding in Guanajuato, very unique experience.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico511.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico511.jpg"/><br />
The view from my room at one of the back streets, which leads into a tunnel.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico513.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico513.jpg"/><br />
It happened by chance that I was in town while a month long musical festival, Cervantino was taking place. The whole city was packed with people and lots of open-air musical acts were going on. A very festive atmosphere.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico514.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico514.jpg"/><br />
College kids bumming on the side walk. Guanajuato is also known for its university and corresponding percentage of young adults giving the city a more lively beat.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico516.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico516.jpg"/><br />
Guitar players waiting for a crowd to gather before performing their act.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico517.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico517.jpg"/><br />
Guanajuato is another UNESCO World Heritage Site, meaning all the old colonial buildings are protected.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico519.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico519.jpg"/><br />
A public camera display showing traffic all over the city, including the tunnels.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico520.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico520.jpg"/><br />
I went through this tunnel 3 times while trying to find my hostel. I think a few more days and I could have the city figured out.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico521.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico521.jpg"/><br />
A bunch of clowns dancing on stage. Not a very good act.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico522.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico522.jpg"/><br />
More like it, a reggae/ska band performing in a square. People were just gathering on the steps and enjoying the music. They even played a Spanish version of Bob Marley's Is This Love.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico523.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico523.jpg"/><br />
Crazy hair-do. The young kids around seemed typical of youth in the US or elsewhere; extremely baggy jeans, slouching, smoking, backpacks and large graphic t-shirts. Maybe this image comes from the movies…?<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico526.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico526.jpg"/><br />
Funny thing was that the power kept going out every 15 mins or so, which produced howls from the crowd. Maybe it was an overload on the city's power.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico527.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico527.jpg"/><br />
The band continued playing as soon as power returned to the guitars and mics.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico532.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico532.jpg"/><br />
This scene is great. Here's a guy totally into the moment who bust out crazy dancing every once in a while and on the other hand, there's a store owner who decides the steps need washing just as we're all sitting on the steps enjoying the concert.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico533.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico533.jpg"/><br />
The band played songs that the crowd seemed to know and this one energetic song got these bunch of guys to jump up and start frantically hitting each other. They calmed down when the song finished.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico534.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico534.jpg"/><br />
Lots of street performers were about for the crowds. Here's a girl who's a robot. Couldn't get a better picture as she kept approaching me and I ran out of change.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico535.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico535.jpg"/><br />
The guitar players from before performing for a crowd with two couples dancing. Everyone seemed to know the routine, must be a well known dance.</i><br />
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<br />
Next: <a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/11/ride-report-day-14-18.html">Day 14 - 18, Monterrey, San Antonio and Home</a><br />
<br><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/11/ride-report-index.html">Ride Report Index</a><br />
<br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00983689221832732908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200572996889053081.post-52150277789467187142007-11-07T17:49:00.002-06:002011-09-19T08:54:53.055-05:00Ride Report: Day 10 - 11<b>Day 10 / Monday, October 1, 2007<br />
Start: Guadalajara, Jalisco, 11:00 am<br />
End: Melaque, Jalisco, 3:15 pm<br />
Mileage: 205</b><br />
<br />
From the Internet, I found a motorcycle shop in Plaza Bonita, Motorrad, where someone on a previous trip had got their tire replaced there. I found the plaza pretty easily with the detailed directions from Rodolfo, but alas, Motorrad is closed on Mondays. Just my luck. Not knowing where the other motorcycle shops would be in town, I decided to skip the tire change as it looked like it could handle another 1,000 miles to Monterrey or San Antonio.<br />
<br />
After getting some Birria for breakfast, I was on my way back down towards the coast on Hwy 80, heading towards the small beach town of Melaque, near San Patricio and across the bay from Barra de Navidad. Hwy 80 was a really fun twisty road. In some places, the road was just continuous chicanes for miles as it either wound up or down a mountain. One sign said "Camino Sinuous 18 km" - that means continuous twisties for 18 kms. It was a nice sunny day and the scenery was again beautiful.<br />
<br />
After asking for directions multiple times in Melaque, I found Bungalow Villamar, which was right on the beach. The owner, Roberto was English-speaking and a friendly guy. He let me park the bike right in front of my room, which for $28 was a nice price, that too with A/C. I had lunch at the ocean-side restaurant nearby, but the service and food wasn't that good.<br />
<br />
After a nap, I took a walk along the beach and was pleased to see so many kids and families enjoying the beach, a free activity provided by Nature. Kids were running into the water and being chased by the big waves, that were about 2-3 ft high and they were quite loud when they crashed. Men were fishing by just standing in waist-deep water and throwing nets or lines. The waters must be rich here. Some already had buckets of their catch and it looked like more people were coming to fish around dusk, along with the Seagulls. Another facet that's similar to India was seeing many older women playing in the surf with all their regular clothes on, as swimsuits of any kind would be too embarrassing for them.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico435.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico435.jpg"/><br />
<i>Back down on the coast in the small town of Melaque, where I found this nice bungalow right on the beach for $28.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico434.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico434.jpg"/><br />
Special parking for auDRey.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico436.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico436.jpg"/><br />
A friend of the owner (a retired NASA JPL scientist) who's parked his RV right on the beach. Awesome.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico425.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico425.jpg"/><br />
Having some coconut water at the next door restaurant. Me likes coconut water.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico426.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico426.jpg"/><br />
The beach at Melaque. The bungalow I was staying at is by the Y-shaped concrete pillars.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico427.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico427.jpg"/><br />
Geometric patterns created in the sand by the retreating waves. <br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico428.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico428.jpg"/><br />
Geometric patterns created in the sand by the retreating waves. <br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico431.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico431.jpg"/><br />
Fishermen just using fishing poles and nets a few feet from shore. Lots of people were making small catches at dusk.<br />
<br />
In the evening, I went into town in hopes of finding more Birria. I couldn't get enough of that stuff. The town square was quite lively as the school bus had just dropped off the high school kids (the school must be in another town). It was interesting to see the various dynamics of the social circle here. None of the kids went home and instead hung out in the square, because I guess once they went home, they probably had homework to do or their parents didn't let them out again. Some of boys were cruising around the square in pick-up trucks or motorcycles, probably trying to impress the girls. Others were shopping for new clothes or meeting up with their boyfriend or girlfriend and getting a Coke or ice cream. Some of the cool girls were zipping around the square on scooters and one of them almost hit the other one. Crazy. The scene looked like what small town USA must have looked like back in the 50s and 60s and maybe even today in some remote small towns. Don't get me wrong here, but what was most intriguing was the varied uniforms that the girls were allowed to wear. The skirts ranged from below the knee and full polo shirts to scandalous micro-mini skirts and tank tops. I was a little shocked that this would be allowed as a uniform. And being uniforms, how were they so different? All the boys were wearing the same pants and shirts. It's probably only the 'cool' girls that were wearing the skimpy uniforms. Isn't the point of uniforms that everyone dresses the same?<br />
<br />
Anyways, I didn't find any Birria in all the food stalls that were setup around the square, but I did find a nice taco stand with Barbacoa, which is always good. The two ladies running the food stall were listening intensely to what one of the older school boys was saying at their stall and I figured he must be passing on some juicy gossip.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico433.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico433.jpg"/><br />
Having dinner at a food stand in the main square of Melaque. It's all so tasty and cost only about $0.40 a taco. The best thing was that I got no stomach problems throughout the whole trip.</i><br />
<br />
I took a few fria cervezas (cold beers) down to the beach and enjoyed the clear starry sky. I even managed to see a few shooting stars.<br />
_______________________________________________________________<br />
<br />
<b>Day 11 / Tuesday, October 2, 2007<br />
Start: Melaque, Jalisco, 9:30 am<br />
End: Zihuatanejo, Guerreo, 7:00 pm<br />
Mileage: 315</b><br />
<br />
In the morning, as I was having some tea on the balcony, I chatted up with Chuck, who's a retired NASA physicist. He worked at the Jet Propulsion Lab on the unmanned space missions, such as the Cassini spacecraft, which is currently checking out Saturn. He said he was fed-up with US politics and retired to Mexico, spending seven months here in Melaque in his RV, right on the bungalow property and the rest of the year up in Mazatlan. He liked Clinton, but the last person he voted for was Carter and said smiling that he's part of the problem; people like him who're fed up with the system but don't vote. He also said that not all people's votes should count, referring to how a politician can swing a whole town or county to his side by making a promise for their benefit. He said a questionnaire on the ballot testing people's general political knowledge should be used to determine whose vote counts. Definitely an interesting fellow to chat with.<br />
<br />
I got going and stopped for breakfast in Cihuatlan at the food court in the center of town. To my yearning stomach, I found some Birria! The reason why I'm crazy for Birria is that it hits just the right spot for me. The broth made with dried roasted peppers and the roasted goat meat just go so well together. The restaurant owner was a friendly chap and said another motorcyclist had been through here four years ago, who was from Louisiana and on his way to Argentina.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico440.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico440.jpg"/><br />
<i>Riding south along the Michoacan coast heading to Zihuatanejo.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico439.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico439.jpg"/><br />
Stopping for breakfast at a local food market. The birrieria owner said he served another motorcyclist 4years ago who was from Louisanna and was heading to Argentina.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico438.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico438.jpg"/><br />
Trying to eat as much Birria as I could before I left this region. Funny that they would depict the chef actually chasing the goat on their banner.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico437.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico437.jpg"/><br />
Goat meat (mutton) Birria. Soooo tasty. Need to figure out how to make it.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico441.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico441.jpg"/><br />
Dry ice delivery. If refrigeration isn't available everywhere, this is the best solution. Maybe being delivered to keep fish fresh.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico443.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico443.jpg"/><br />
This picture was taken by a military guard who was playing around with my camera. He also messed around with my GPS. I think they were just more curious than threatening. All the check points I went through were a breeze. I was waved through most of them just cause I was on a motorcycle. This was also the last picture to be taken with this camera as it would soon hit the pavement really hard.</i><br />
<br />
The ride down Hwy 200, along the coast was a beautiful ride. It was a sunny day and the weather felt great, except I was feeling quite tired, maybe it was the big breakfast. At the next gas stop, I had a Bomba, a local energy drink and pumped up the air in my tires, because now they had to last a bit longer, all the way to Monterrey. When I started riding the next bit of twisties, under braking the front tire was feeling quite wobbly and I turned it down a few notches, thinking that I was just too tired.<br />
<br />
Around a left hander, I saw a pick-up truck driving extremely fast and for some reason was in my lane, probably cutting the previous corner. I grabbed all the front brake I could, while already leaned over and the front tire washed out under me. I did some asphalt-surfing into the concrete ditch along with auDRey. It was a very simple low-side for me, as I didn't even roll. I just slid and came to a stop. My helmet hadn't touched the ground and neither had my gloves, so everything physiologically was working fine. As I picked auDRey up, the left saddle bag's inside wall tore off, emptying all my bike-related tools. I managed to stand auDRey upright, and she fired right up but this ditch was at an incline where I wasn't able to walk her out. The rear tire kept spinning. I tried to wave down a few motorists to help me with the bike, but either no one wanted to stop or they couldn't, since it was a dangerous corner with no safe place to pull over. Finally, after 10 minutes of sweating and holding auDRey up, a local motorcyclist on a standard 100cc bike stopped and came over to help. He kept saying 'peligroso' and I said I know it's a dangerous corner, but help me out. A little push and auDRey was back on the road. It was quite dangerous because if a truck of bus came around the corner right at that instance, it would've been a direct hit. Luckily, there was a gap in traffic. I thanked the local biker and continued to collect all my belongings. I used bungee cords to hold the saddle bag together and had to get rid of only my Camel-bak water bladder and a box of granola bars, due to lack of space. I was feeling some pain on my left elbow, but since nothing was broken, decided to push on to a rest stop.<br />
<br />
There was no damage on the bike, besides the shifter platform being broken off, which some duct tape around the rod fixed. The only real casualty was my digital camera, which got flung from my map pocket and wouldn't turn on anymore. That trusty old Canon SD-400 sure went through a lot with me and I figured it was just a matter of time before she kicked the bucket with the way I was treating her (bike trips, ski trips, other rough use, etc.). Not wanting to buy another camera without doing research into what's on the market now, I resorted to using the 2 MP camera from my phone, a Motorola Z6, which is not that bad.<br />
<br />
The funny thing about the accident was that, yes the on-coming truck was headed straight for me and I grabbed too much front brake, but I was in similar situations before on the trip and the tires didn't break loose under heavy braking. I realized then that the increase in air pressure reduced the braking effectiveness of my front tire. At the last gas stop, I pumped up the front tire from 30 to 37 psi, which was way too much. I reduced the air pressure back to normal on both tires (31 front and 35 rear) and continued on. I was glad that nothing serious was broken on me or on the bike. My confidence wasn't shaken and I wasn't rattled, but I slowed down for the rest of the day.<br />
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Accident aside, the Michoacan coast was a beautiful ride, especially due to the many untouched beaches right by the roadside. There were many signs for various secluded public beaches, with trails that required at least a 4x4. I think most of this land is also protected, because no development was taking place.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico451.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico451.jpg"/><br />
<i>That's the result of being run off the road by an on-coming pick up truck. I grabbed all the brake I could to avoid him and that caused the bike to wash away under from me and we both slid into the ditch. No damage to me besides a little road rash on my elbow and no damage to the bike. But the saddle bags took a beating and the inside wall tore off. I used bungee cords to make it functional. Oh well. Also, from now on, I could only use my cell phone's camera to take pictures. My digital camera was the only thing that didn't survive the crash.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico448.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico448.jpg"/><br />
Taking a break at one of the many deserted beach locations along the Michoacan coast. Miles and miles of untouched beach.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico449.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico449.jpg"/><br />
The picturesque Michoacan coastline.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico450.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico450.jpg"/><br />
auDRrey after a little tarmac surfing.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico452.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico452.jpg"/><br />
Lunch at a highway café of grilled beef with beans and avocado. The meat was tasty but quite tough.</i><br />
<br />
As a contrast to the desertedness of the Michoacan coast, I pulled into the very touristy town of Zihuatanejo. But, it was a nice touristy, with lots of promenades betweens little shops and restaurants, all in close quarters. I stayed at the Hotel Raul Tres Maria for $35 and again got to park my bike behind the gates at night. The room was decent, but lacked any signs of character, feeling very sterile compared to the lively of the streets outside.<br />
<br />
I made my way down a boardwalk by the beach and ate at La Sirena Gorda (The Fat Mermaid) restaurant, on recommendation from Lonely Planet. The restaurant had a nicely done ship theme to it and the waiter was very courteous and spoke good English. On his recommendation, I had the grilled fish of the day, some Mahi-Mahi with an excellent marinade for $12.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico453.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico453.jpg"/><br />
<i>Dinner in Zihuatanejo of grilled Mahi-mahi. It was the catch of the day with a special sauce. Very tasty. Cost was about $12.</i><br />
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Next: <a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/11/ride-report-day-12-13.html">Day 12 - 13, Teotihuacan to Guanajuato</a><br />
<br><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/11/ride-report-index.html">Ride Report Index</a><br />
<br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00983689221832732908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200572996889053081.post-3685477187675632652007-11-06T17:48:00.002-06:002011-09-19T08:54:32.541-05:00Ride Report: Day 9<b>Day 9 / Sunday, September 30, 2007<br />
Start: Sayulita, Nayarit, 10:00 am<br />
End: Guadalajara, Jalisco, 7:30 pm<br />
Mileage: 242</b><br />
<br />
From here my plan was to head to Guadalajara in hopes of finding a new motorcycle tire and stopping by the town of Tequila on the way. I had breakfast at Coco Banana, in the center of Sayulita, and for a change I got some French-toast. Besides the terribly slow service, the food was decent. Lots of Americans were having breakfast as well and this being the low season, I could imagine how crowded Sayulita must get during the peak winter season.<br />
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Being so close to Puerto Vallarta, I figured I might as well have a look. It looked like a nice city, with cobble stone streets and palm tree line boardwalks. But I wasn't enjoying the crazy traffic through town. I headed back north to catch Hwy 15 towards the town of Tequila. From Hwy 200, there's only a Cuota road from there to Hwy 15, without back-tracking a lot. But it only cost 32 Pesos, so not bad.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico367.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico367.jpg"/><br />
<i>Breakfast at the Choco Banana in the main square in Sayulita of French toast and bacon.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico370.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico370.jpg"/><br />
Taking a quick look at Puerto Vallarta, since I was so close. Nice place.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico371.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico371.jpg"/><br />
Looks very much like how a seaside town should be: coconut trees, cobble stone streets (a pain for motorcycles) and nice buildings too.</i><br />
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Hwy 15 Libre to Tequila was a nice ride with the tarmac twisting over the hills that too with reduced traffic, as the Cuota runs right next to the Libre. I could tell I was getting close to Tequila by seeing all the Blue Agave plants being grown all over the place: by the roadside, in little fields on steep slopes and on massive farms. <br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico372.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico372.jpg"/><br />
<i>Enjoying some Birria on the way to Guadalajara. This is basically grilled pork stew, which was so tasty that I sought it out for the next couple meals. It's distinctive of this region. Very nice clay pot that it was served in.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico373.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico373.jpg"/><br />
A torch runner. Perhaps they were practicing for the next round of the Olympic torch run. The runner was following a van with other runners in there, who probably took turns with the torch. An ambulance and a police car followed. They were also holding up traffic for a mile or more.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico380.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico380.jpg"/><br />
Amidst all the green mountains, I saw lots of these sharp edged black rocks… perhaps they're volcanic in nature coming from hot magma (Austin Powers). But Mexico is known to have some active volcanos as it's part of the Pacific Ring of Fire.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico381.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico381.jpg"/><br />
Two wheels - transportation for the whole family. Forget helmets and safety gear, if you can get on, hold on. I must've looked like someone from space with all my safety gear on.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico382.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico382.jpg"/><br />
Blue Agave fields indicating that I was getting close to the town of Tequila.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico383.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico383.jpg"/><br />
This stuff was growing everywhere in these hills.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico384.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico384.jpg"/><br />
It takes 10 years for the plant to mature before it can be made into Tequila, so lots of it is planted all over the place.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico385.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico385.jpg"/><br />
Some twisties near the town of tequila.</i><br />
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I made it in time to take the last tour through the Jose Cuervo distillery. The tour, which is in Spanish, costs $10 and includes a small margarita at the end. I wasn't too fazed about the tour being in Spanish, since I already knew how Tequila was produced (thanx History Channel), but wanted to see the distillery anyway. With the few words and phrases I had learnt in Spanish I could understand most of the tour, which was nicely setup. She took us through the various steps of distillation and we got to try samples from different stages in the process. One sampling was so strong it must've been early in the process; it tasted like pure Ethanol, resembling Ever Clear. The sampling of the three-year aged Tequila was quite tasty. People on the tour were asking for seconds and thirds, while I here had to continue riding my bike for another hour into Guadalajara.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico386.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico386.jpg"/><br />
<i>Damn, that's a lot of tequila in storage there.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico388.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico388.jpg"/><br />
The trucks off-loading the pinas (the heart of the Blue Agave plant, which is used to make tequila).<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico389.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico389.jpg"/><br />
The Jose Cuervo distillery in downtown Tequila. I was here to take a tour of the site.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico390.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico390.jpg"/><br />
The distillery is on the left side here with lots of nice restaurants and cafes flanking the other side.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico407.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico407.jpg"/><br />
Tequillllllla!<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico391.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico391.jpg"/><br />
Pinas with the characteristic blue leaves shopped off. This is how they were delivered from the fields back in the day.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico392.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico392.jpg"/><br />
Touring the Cuervo facility.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico396.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico396.jpg"/><br />
A fleet of old Ford trucks that were used in the distribution of the finished product. Just like Whiskey or any good liquor, its success is partly down to its distribution.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico406.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico406.jpg"/><br />
Some of the tools used to harvest the Blue Agave plant.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico395.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico395.jpg"/><br />
The pinas after being cooked in the ovens for 36 hours. I think it's cooked to release the sugars in the juice.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico397.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico397.jpg"/><br />
After fermentation, it is distilled twice.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico398.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico398.jpg"/><br />
Distillation tanks.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico401.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico401.jpg"/><br />
Pieces of the Blue Agave plant after being cooked in the ovens. These were samples for people on the tour. It's not bad, a caramel flavor, but you have to spit out the leaves.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico404.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico404.jpg"/><br />
Our tour guide giving us samples of product that either wasn't distilled fully or wasn't diluted yet. It tasted like pure ethanol (like Ever Clear). <br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico408.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico408.jpg"/><br />
Tequila being aged in wooden barrels. The final product determines how long the Blanco Tequila is to be aged.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico409.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico409.jpg"/><br />
The full Cuervo product range. The Especial is their lowest quality (and biggest seller) and has only 51% agave instead of 100% like the other products offered.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico410.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico410.jpg"/><br />
Pouring shots of their top of the line brand, 1800. We were sampling the 3 year aged Tequila, which tastes really smooth and nice.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico411.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico411.jpg"/><br />
'We are not responsible if you have to drive after this…'<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico413.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico413.jpg"/><br />
Left to Right: 3 year, 2 year and 1 year aged Tequila.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico414.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico414.jpg"/><br />
I should've swiped a barrel and strapped it to the bike. I could've even used it as fuel…<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico415.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico415.jpg"/><br />
Special reserve Tequila that's being aged a long while in the cool cellar below the main distillery.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico416.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico416.jpg"/><br />
I'm not sure if those are actual pinas or bottled Tequila from more than a 100 years ago.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico417.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico417.jpg"/><br />
Ending the tour in the cellar. The tour is in Spanish but I could follow along and understand the basics. It cost $10 and you even get a small really tasty margarita at the bar at the end.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico393.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico393.jpg"/><br />
The domes from the cellar sticking out above ground.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico419.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico419.jpg"/><br />
The chapel in the main square of the town of Tequila.</i><br />
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After the tasty margarita at the end, and making sure I wasn't tipsy in the least bit, I continued on to Guadalajara. Not knowing were the tire shops would be, I chose to stay near the Centro as that's where most of the hostels and cheap hotels are also located. The first three hotels I wanted to stay at from the LP guide book were all closed for the low season. The next one that was open was Hostal de Maria, part of the Hostelling International chain, which ensures certain minimum standards at numerous hostels worldwide. I've stayed with them in Europe and even in parts of the US. A dorm bed was $14 and being the only guest at the hostel, it was like having a private room. I also did some laundry at $4 a load. The bathrooms were very clean and another good thing about these hostels is that they usually have free Internet for their guests.<br />
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I took a walk to the Centro in hopes of finding some Birria, but most of the restaurants were closed by 8:30 pm. Some of the streets downtown were closed off to traffic and provided a nice promenade, which was mostly occupied by couples. I figured downtown must be one of the places they could hang out at since they probably couldn't go home with their girlfriends or boyfriends. The only restaurant open besides McDonalds was a Chinese buffet place for 38 Pesos. Food wasn't bad, but nothing great either. I found it amusing that the restaurant owner was yelling at her kids in Spanish instead of Cantonese. And here I was, an Indian speaking Spanish to a Chinese woman. Globalization, you gotta love it. I do know a few phrases in Mandarin, but that wouldn't have helped in this situation.<br />
<br />
Back at the hostel, I chatted up with Rodolfo, the night receptionist. He said he was a car mechanic by day and loved working on cars. He was getting quite philosophical about the internal combustion engine. Excellent. He said he mainly worked on Nissan Sentras, which is the most common car in Mexico. I would say that one out of five cars I saw was a Sentra of some kind and they had about five generations of the car on the road. They were being used as taxis, police cars and personal cars too. Some of the older models were being local marketed with the name of Tsuru. Rodolfo said the cars were built really well and they kept going for many years. I guess it's one of those things where Nissan got its foothold early in Mexico's booming car days and now they really can't mess it up, like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry in the US. Rodolfo said he'd love to travel once he saves up enough money and wants to ride around Mexico on a Harley Road King. The bike choice might be influenced by what most people consider to be bikes or maybe it's Hollywood. Someone needs to show him the adventure riding movie, Long Way Round.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico420.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico420.jpg"/><br />
<i>The broad avenues of the big city of Guadalajara. I was here to find a dealer to change my rear tire, then head back down to the coast.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico422.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico422.jpg"/><br />
Something you don't find in the US is pizzas being delivered by motorcycles. Happens in India too.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico424.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico424.jpg"/><br />
My hotel, Hostal de Maria near the main square of Guadalajara for $14. Very clean and a laundry load cost $4. They also had free internet.</i><br />
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Next: <a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/11/ride-report-day-10-11.html">Day 10 - 11, Melaque and Zihuatanejo</a><br />
<br><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/11/ride-report-index.html">Ride Report Index</a><br />
<br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00983689221832732908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200572996889053081.post-39635604670280278572007-11-05T17:45:00.002-06:002011-09-19T08:54:12.661-05:00Ride Report: Day 7 - 8<b>Day 7 / Friday, September 28, 2007<br />
Start: Mazatlan, Sinaloa, 10:15 am<br />
End: Sayulita, Nayarit, 6:30 pm<br />
Mileage: 273</b><br />
<br />
Today would be an easy day of riding the coastal highway towards the small beach town of Sayulita, just north of Puerto Vallarta. After breakfast, I took a stroll along the beach and noted many runners and dog walkers, along with older folks going for a morning dip in the ocean. I also came across some fishermen, who were gutting their fresh catch. As I took a photo of them, one of the guys who spoke English invited me to stay and have some Ceviche that they were going to make. Ceviche is a fish dish, which is just marinated with lime and lemon juice, which cooks the fish without heat. They also asked me for some money to buy tacos for the Ceviche. The smallest note I had was 50 Pesos ($5) and I had to give it over (I was hoping for a 20 Peso note), which caused the other guys to express joy at making a killing with me. I decided to keep moving after being a duped tourist. Oh well, it was a fun encounter.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico289.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico289.jpg"/><br />
<i>The 3 little uninhabited islands just off the coast of Mazatlan. I think you can take day trips there for snorkeling and what not.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico290.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico290.jpg"/><br />
Mermaid statue on the main boulevard by the beach<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico291.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico291.jpg"/><br />
These fisherman had just caught some fish and were gutting them right there on the beach. They invited me to share the Ceviche that they were going to make. They also asked for money for tortillas. The smallest note I had was 50 pesos, and they rejoiced with duping me out of my money. Oh well...<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico293.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico293.jpg"/><br />
Lots of older people were going for a nice morning dip. Some were even wearing full wet suits. Must be refreshing in the morning.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico294.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico294.jpg"/><br />
A nice Renegade motorcycle parking on the beach.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico295.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico295.jpg"/><br />
The fishing must be that good if you don't even need a boat.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico296.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico296.jpg"/><br />
A shot of the beach at Old Mazatlan. My hotel was a block inside.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico297.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico297.jpg"/><br />
Pelicans and other birds waiting for the scrapped fish from the morning catches.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico288.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico288.jpg"/><br />
Breakfast in a little café by the beach. I read in the guide book that instant coffee is easier to find than brewed coffee in Mexico, same as in other developing countries.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico298.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico298.jpg"/><br />
Random Motorola logo being using for a car audio company… Motorola actually started off with car radios.<br />
</i><br />
Hwy 15 was a pretty decent road - traffic and scenery wise. And at one of the big Pemex stations, I was surprised to find sort of a bikini bike wash going on, minus the bikinis and the bikes. There were a few girls who were promoting some of the motor oil products and in return were performing the full service on the vehicle: cleaning the windows, filling up the gas, checking the air pressure, etc. I was also pleased with the attached convenience store, which was similar to ones in the States, with lots of cold drink choices and snacks. I used the A/C to cool off for a bit.<br />
<br />
Even though Hwy 15 runs by the coast, it's not all flat. The western coast of Mexico is dotted with mountain ranges spilling into the ocean and the road repeatedly climbed a couple hundred feet before dropping back to sea level. The only bad thing was waiting over 40 minutes to cross a one-way bridge under construction. I don't understand why they let traffic back up for miles before sending traffic through. How about just making traffic wait for 10 minutes on each side?<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico301.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico301.jpg"/><br />
<i>On Hwy 15 heading south towards the small town of Sayulita, north of Puerto Vallarta. The coastline in this part is defined by wetlands.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico302.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico302.jpg"/><br />
Getting a construction escort around some paving machines. Nice to see new tarmac on many of the roads that I rode.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico304.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico304.jpg"/><br />
Shrimp drying by the road side.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico306.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico306.jpg"/><br />
These girls were promoting certain oil products and performed the full service jobs of filling gas and cleaning the windows. Reminded me of a bikini bike wash minus the bikinis and the bikes.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico307.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico307.jpg"/><br />
Bus stopping on a crowded highway to load passengers. But what to do, there's no shoulders by the road.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico308.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico308.jpg"/><br />
Traffic backing up for a mile or more waiting for one way bridge traffic up ahead. I found his neon green Civic with rims to be out of place. And stereotypically it was driven by an Asian… in Mexico.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico309.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico309.jpg"/><br />
There were no real police cars away from the big cities and I mainly came across these public security trucks. Not sure if they were enforcing the speed or not. But I guess with all the crazy over taking that they were doing, it was all good.</i><br />
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As Hwy 15 goes inland, I took Hwy 200 back towards the coast. The road got quite twisty and the sense of speed was heightened as the thick forest comes right up to the edge of the road, with no shoulders. There was a lite rain with fog in the area and green mountains in the distance. That image seems to be very typical of Central America to me for some reason. Politically, Mexico is part of North America, but I think culturally, it's probably more related to Central America.<br />
<br />
I had a late lunch in the small ocean-front town of San Blas. I made my way to the beach, to Playa El Barrago, where they have a nice outdoor restaurant. It was definitely low season, but food was still being served. Spicy shrimp was a good meal.<br />
<br />
From then on, Hwy 200 was getting quite crowded with traffic, as it's the main road for people from Guadalajara going to Puerto Vallarta for the weekend. And many of them were driving quite erratically and making some hairy passes. The problem was with the trucks whenever we came to an incline. They would slow down to about 5 mph, backing up all other traffic, causing everyone to overtake in blind turns and other dangerous places. Maybe if they improved the trucks and kept them at speed, traffic might flow better and lead to less accidents.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico313.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico313.jpg"/><br />
<i>Finally on Hwy 200, the coastal highway heading towards Sayulita. I liked the mix between thick jungles and palm trees. The coast was only a mile or so away, but the jungle and the mountains continue to the coast.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico310.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico310.jpg"/><br />
This somehow embodies what Central America would seem like to me: thick jungles with mountains and low cloud cover. It was lightly raining too.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico314.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico314.jpg"/><br />
At least they had a red flag on the end of the sticks, but how were they secured? I didn't hang around to find out.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico315.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico315.jpg"/><br />
San Blas, a little sleepy town on the coast.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico316.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico316.jpg"/><br />
Having lunch at a restaurant by the seaside. This was clearly low-season with a few random patrons.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico317.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico317.jpg"/><br />
But they made a cracking spicy shrimp dish with fries. Tasty.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico319.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico319.jpg"/><br />
The beach not looking that inviting with storm clouds about, but still nice to be near water.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico320.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico320.jpg"/><br />
The coconut trees told me I was close to shore but I didn't see much of it as the road was a little inland.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico323.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico323.jpg"/><br />
This was how the road basically looked heading towards Sayulita. Closely cropped thick jungles coming right up to the road, which had no shoulders. But the pavement quality was good. There was also heavy traffic heading to Puerto Vallarta, probably people from Guadalajara.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico327.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico327.jpg"/><br />
Hwy 200 to Sayulita<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico329.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico329.jpg"/><br />
Hwy 200 to Sayulita<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico330.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico330.jpg"/><br />
The little town of San Francisco, just north of Sayulita. I was told that if Sayulita was too crowded, this was a bit more sleepy town. I didn't really find much in terms of hotels or a main strip.</i><br />
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Sayulita is a small beach town, that only recently got discovered by tourists and some say, it has lost its charm as it's becoming more commercialized. I was told beforehand that if Sayulita felt too crowded, I should check out the even smaller town of San Francisco, just a bit north of there. I swung through San Francisco, but wasn't too impressed as I didn't find too many lodging options or restaurants even. I think it's still very much a residential town. Being low season for tourism, I figured Sayulita wouldn't be that bad. <br />
<br />
Just to note that throughout Mexico, I saw many signs for small villages and towns named Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Antonio. Maybe it's a reverse logic compared to the Europeans who named cities in the New World (America) that resembled the cities that they came from. The Mexicans are probably naming their current towns for cities they'd like to be in. Who knows.<br />
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It had just finished raining, so all the pot holes off the main roads in Sayulita became little ponds. Since you can never tell how deep each puddle is, it's always better to go around them or right at the edge. I asked around for directions and made it to El Camaron Campground as I read in the LP guide book that I could get a hut right on the beach. There were a few people relaxing at a bar that was right on beach made of thatched coconut leaves. The bar also doubled as the main office and I got myself a Palapa (beach hut) for $20 a night for two nights. I would be taking a day off and just relaxing as I've always wanted to stay in a hut on a beach. The Palapa was awesome, just what I always envisioned as a beach hut: thatched roof, ceiling fan, bed with mosquito net and a hammock.<br />
<br />
The beach bar was excellent for relaxing and watching the sunset. I had a Mango Margarita while letting the feeling soak in that I rode from Chicago for this very moment. I love beaches and sunsets. The campground is very surfer-centric and I was told that in winter-time when the waves are much higher, the campground is covered with tents with surfers coming down from the States. I had a good chat with the bartender, who was the daughter of the campground owner and also chatted with Jorge, another helper around the campground. He just returned from visiting his girlfriend in Spain, for three months. We shared some common views ranging from our outlook on life, travel, politics, the US, India, etc. I asked how he managed to travel so much and work at a campground, because he sounded very educated and I figured his parents might have wanted him to hold a nice job in a big city. But it made sense when he said his whole family worked at the campground and this was their life. I'm sometimes jealous of the free spirits that haven't been thrust into education and are free to explore the world with no consequences. But then again, education does lead to a nice paying job that also provides for exploring this world. It's a matter of perspective.<br />
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I went into town looking for this Argentinean restaurant that I was told about, but couldn't find it and instead came across another gem, Burrito Revolution, which is a little burrito shack on the corner of a building with a very chill atmosphere. I had a Marlin burrito for $6, which was amazing. The owner of the place, Antonio was very friendly and spoke good English. I got chatting with his finance, Patty, a Mexican-American who just recently moved down to Sayulita to open up this burrito shack with Antonio. She was an account in San Francisco (California) and one visit to Sayulita was all she needed to pack her bags and move down here. She managed to keep her job in the states by tele-commuting. All you need is the Internet these days.<br />
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They couldn't serve beer as they didn't have their liquor license yet, but the grocery store was just nearby. I also got chatting with the guy next to me, Casey who was surfing his way down to Costa Rica. He works in Construction Management in San Diego (who's also a Purdue grad like me) and since his work is all contract based, he decided to take 6 months off between jobs and get some surf time. He'll also be attending Spanish language schools along the way using money that his company allocates for this purpose, almost $5,000 (since all the construction workers are Spanish speaking). How cool. After mentioning that I was on a bike here, he said he rides a Ducati Monster and rode from San Diego back to Purdue and said it was terribly painful and couldn't imagine how I was riding for so many days. I explained how my bike is more comfortable and taking the day off tomorrow was part of the plan in making this a comfortable ride.<br />
<br />
To my surprise, I noticed that my number plate had broken off from the bike. I did notice the rear tire hitting the plate while going down to Batopilas, so I bent it up a bit. Looking back at my pictures, I think it broke off somewhere on the road from Batopilas. Oh well, all I could do was hope that the police wouldn't notice. I thought of making one out of cardboard, but figured that might draw more attention as opposed to having no plate at all. I still had about 10 days to go before getting home. They don't call it Adventure Riding for nothing.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico333.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico333.jpg"/><br />
<i>Ah, I had finally made it to Sayulita and more precisely to the El Camaron Campground. <br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico363.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico363.jpg"/><br />
This is the main office and the bar right on the beach. The campground is run by a really nice family and they told me this place was a surfers paradise in the winter time with tents pitched all over the site.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico335.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico335.jpg"/><br />
Enjoying a refreshing Mango Margarita…<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico336.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico336.jpg"/><br />
The beach<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico332.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico332.jpg"/><br />
The campsite. How awesome.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico337.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico337.jpg"/><br />
I saw lots of these birds who were fishing. They would fly high and then swoop down to the water and try and catch fish.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico338.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico338.jpg"/><br />
I've always wanted to see a sunset on a nice beach… <br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico340.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico340.jpg"/><br />
Nature's canvas of colors are just beautiful.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico362.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico362.jpg"/><br />
One of the palapas (beach hut) right on the beach.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico331.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico331.jpg"/><br />
I stayed in this lovely little palapa for $20 a night. It was so nice that I decided to stay two nights and take a day off from riding.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico344.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico344.jpg"/><br />
It was simply a hut with a ceiling fan, bed with mosquito net and a hammock. Awesome.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico341.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico341.jpg"/><br />
The bed with the mosquito net.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico345.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico345.jpg"/><br />
The hammock in the palapa.</i><br />
_______________________________________________________________<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Day 8 / Saturday, September 29, 2007<br />
Start: Sayulita, Nayarit<br />
End: Sayulita, Nayarit<br />
Mileage: 0</b><br />
<br />
It was cloudy and raining most of the day, so after a walk along the beach with three dogs in tow, I bummed in my Palapa all day; reading, eating and sleeping. It's a vacation after all, isn't it. The dogs, oh my god, there were so many of them at the campground, around ten of them. I love dogs and all, but the barking. All through the night, one of them would start barking and everyone would join in the conversation. It was bearable, but a little annoying. I wonder what they were getting so excited about. <br />
<br />
After a late lunch at Antonio's burrito shack, I relaxed by the Bar de Playa at the campground and got talking to the owner's sister, Rosario. She's a singer and is trying to re-start her career with some local bands. She had a hippie-aura around her and was very pleasant to talk to. She expressed distaste with how everything was becoming 'plastico' - referring to how people were becoming more fake as the area became more commercialized. She explained how Puerto Vallarta was this little hamlet by the ocean before it got discovered by Hollywood and became famous. And with fame, came more money and more 'plastico' attitude. She mentioned how Sayulita was slowly becoming like that and was not happy with how the gringos were over-valuing the property, like buying a house for $50,000 and selling it for close to half a million just because it was a beach house. Besides all the negativity about development, we had a nice talk.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico351.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico351.jpg"/><br />
<i>The quaint little town of Sayulita. Lots of foreigners around (since I'm brown, I was considered to be Mexican by everyone).<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico350.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico350.jpg"/><br />
There were lots of real estates offices in town as the gringos were buying up all the beach front houses and over-valuing property (according to one local).<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico349.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico349.jpg"/><br />
The recently opened Burrito Revolution run by friendly Antonio and Patty.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico353.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico353.jpg"/><br />
This place has awesome burritos, with fillings like marlin, shrimp and the usual chicken and steak. The sauces they used were banging. Great atmosphere too.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico354.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico354.jpg"/><br />
The chef (forgot his name), great guy, moved down here from Guadalajara.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico358.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico358.jpg"/><br />
This place just opened in the low season and business is already doing great. They can't wait for the high winter season to start. Good people.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico355.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico355.jpg"/><br />
Some of the signs at Burrito Revolution.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico356.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico356.jpg"/><br />
Some of the signs at Burrito Revolution.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico357.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico357.jpg"/><br />
I saw these two adventure riders from Canada pull into town. The guy up front is doing it the right way by bringing along a new rear tire. They had Alberta plates.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico361.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico361.jpg"/><br />
A neglected dune buggy racer. How cool.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
Next: <a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/11/ride-report-day-9.html">Day 9, Touring Tequila and Guadalajara</a><br />
<br><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/11/ride-report-index.html">Ride Report Index</a><br />
<br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00983689221832732908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200572996889053081.post-79991421519195611442007-11-04T17:44:00.002-06:002011-09-19T08:53:50.529-05:00Ride Report: Day 6<b>Day 6 / Thursday, September 27, 2007<br />
Start: Hidalgo del Parral, Chihuahua, 8:30 am<br />
End: Mazatlan, Culiacan, 7:30 pm<br />
Mileage: 457</b><br />
<br />
After a quick breakfast at the same diner, I was off to the city of Durango to ride the famous Hwy 40, the Espinoza Diablo to Mazatlan. The Espinoza Diablo (the Devil's Spine) is a twisting piece of tarmac, high up in the Sierra Occidental Mountains. The twisties are said to be similar to that of Deals Gap in Tennessee. After the road down to Batopilas, this was the other planned riding highlight of the trip.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico230.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico230.jpg"/><br />
<i>Breakfast at the same 24 hr café. Didn’t really want eggs today, so some Barbacoa (pulled BBQ pork) tacos it was. Simple, but always good.</i><br />
<br />
I didn't think I could make it down to Mazatlan before dusk from Parral, but figured I'd decide on that once I got to Durango. On the map I could see a very long straight section of highway south of Parral and it was indeed very long and straight, about 50 miles of straight road. But surprisingly, it wasn't that bad. I turned on my audio books and the miles flew by. The scenery was decent with some rolling hills and colorful flowers but I was definitely getting the feeling that in Mexico, if they could build a straight road between two places, they would. But then again, so would anyone else, as it's the cheapest way to build a road, but also the most boring. I read that when they built the Autobahn in Germany, they deliberately put in curves and twisties and had the road go around lakes and over mountains to make the journey more interesting. But economics wins in the end.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico234.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico234.jpg"/><br />
<i>On the highway between Hidalgo del Parral and Durango. These yellow flowers went well with the bright blue sky.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico237.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico237.jpg"/><br />
On the highway between Hidalgo del Parral and Durango. <br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico239.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico239.jpg"/><br />
Looks like there's a fine even green carpet laid over these mountains.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico241.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico241.jpg"/><br />
Some bridge construction.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico242.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico242.jpg"/><br />
Crossing the 10,000 mile mark on auDRey. I picked her up used last November with around 4,000 miles on her.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico243.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico243.jpg"/><br />
A nice lake on the highway between Hidalgo del Parral and Durango. <br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico244.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico244.jpg"/><br />
The highway hugged the lake for a while, making for a nice ride.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico245.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico245.jpg"/><br />
Stopping for lunch at a road-side food stall for Gorditas (not related to what Taco Bell serves in anyway). These were more like stuffed pita bread pouches. I had the Picadillo, some shredded pork with small potato chunks, very tasty. And of course, Coke. Did you know that Mexicans consume the most Coke per person in the world! I saw people drinking it even at breakfast. And bottled Coke tastes so much better.</i><br />
<br />
I got to Durango around 2 pm, and had lunch at a road side Gordita shack of Picadillo and Chicahhron on recommendation of the two guys sitting there and having lunch. It looked like the lady cooked the food at home and brought it to the shop to sell over lunch. I really liked the Picadillo. It was like pork with small bits of potatoes. Total cost with a Coke was around $3.<br />
<br />
I wasn't feeling that tired after the morning 300 mile stint from Parral and figured I could make the twisty 150 miles to Mazatlan before dusk, so off I went. I later found out that it's more enjoyable to ride Hwy 40 in the morning as the afternoon is usually blanketed in fog. Durango was at an elevation of 6,000 ft, so I knew I had to be dropping soon as Mazatlan is on the coast. But I ended up climbing to 9,200 ft before starting my descent.<br />
<br />
The curvy roads started right away and since there's no Cuota road between these two cities, there were all kinds of truck, bus and regular car traffic on this road. Sitting behind trucks and buses, waiting for a good place to pass was proving to be a health hazard as a lot of the vehicles didn't look like they could pass an emissions test. It was interesting to see buses overtaking trucks in the middle of the turns. I can totally see how there's so many accidents on these roads all the time.<br />
<br />
The scenery changed from small shrubs to pine forests as the elevation climbed and the air got chillier. There was periods of light rain and of course dense fog as you get closer to the section that's actually called the Devil's Spine, as the road rides on a ridge with drop-offs on both sides. I was most impressed with the scenery; thick jungles with rocks jutting out from the midst and sun rays trying to peak through. There weren't too many safe places to pull over for pictures, but the views were awesome enough to try and distract from the riding. Since the road is designed with the trucks in mind: camber in all the right places, the road swaying from left to right to reduce their speed and gently banked turns, it ends up being highly entertaining for motorcyclists.<br />
<br />
There was definitely a lot of semi-truck passing, some quite hairy as passing room is very limited. And in return there were many semi-trucks that came half way into my lane in the middle of tight turns. They tried their best to stay on their side and being on a bike, I could easily move over to the right edge of the road and avoid them. Being in a car might be a bit trickier. In one section, where the turns are really tight, one semi-truck was using a walking escort to block on-coming traffic so that this truck could cut across the corners.<br />
<br />
I passed through a lot of small towns and by small, I mean the town was only about 200 meters long and all different aspects of village life were being lived out right by the road. Old men were drinking at the open-air bar, young boys were playing volleyball, girls were walking back from school, and women were shopping in the open market. And everyone usually stopped what they were doing to see who was making this loud racket with their motorcycle as I passed through.<br />
<br />
From Durango onwards I saw new construction taking place along this highway for a new cuota road, which should help ease the truck traffic. But then again, there are some really steep and narrow places and I don't think a toll road could be made all the way through. Once the trucks and regular traffic are removed, this will become even more of a motorcyclist's dream road.<br />
<br />
I was in really good spirits and was riding the DR for all she was worth. She handles well on the twisties, even if the Kenda K270s are a bit squirrly at max lean. My knees were killing me about half way through with all the peg dancing, but I knew I had to push on and make it to the bottom before dusk set it. The road isn't on a constant down-hill path. It climbs and drops and stays level for a long stretch. At 6:30 pm I was still at 7,000 ft and I knew I had to get to sea level before dark.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico254.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico254.jpg"/><br />
<i>The Espinoza Diablo! The famed Hwy 40 from Durango to Mazatlan where the road twists and winds from 9,000 ft down to sea level over 150 miles. It's usually fogged in during the afternoons and the section that's actually called the Devil's Spine is where the road runs on a ridge with drop offs on both sides. What a thrill to ride.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico255.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico255.jpg"/><br />
Twisties in the mist.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico263.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico263.jpg"/><br />
Distracting scenery also adds a danger to this ride. Amazing views. Couldn't find too many safe places to stop and take pictures.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico264.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico264.jpg"/><br />
There was rain, sun and fog, constantly changing back and forth.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico276.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico276.jpg"/><br />
The scariest part is hoping a massive semi-truck isn't coming the other way. There is lots of truck traffic on this road, which limits how fast you can ride it.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico277.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico277.jpg"/><br />
The thick forest and the heavy fog gave the road a little mystical aura.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico279.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico279.jpg"/><br />
Down there, past all these mountain ranges is Mazatlan on the coast. Was rushing a bit to get done with the twisties before dark.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico280.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico280.jpg"/><br />
A few last turns on the way down. The road surface was excellent for the most part.</i><br />
<br />
Crossing over into the state of Nayarit brought some newly paved tarmac but also more frequent towns and villages. Once the road started dropping, I found a 'rabbit'. Rabbit in this sense refers to a guide vehicle that’s setting the pace and also providing some protection. The reference comes from horse racing where a rabbit or something similar is used to give pace to the horses. My rabbit was a White Dodge Ram pickup truck that looked like a local construction worker who was making his way down the mountain. And he seemed like a true driver; driving very spiritedly. Once he realized I wasn't going to overtake him but instead wanted to follow, he got into the swing of things and we were hauling. Prior to having an escort like this, I couldn't go that fast around corners as I had to be weary of on-coming traffic and any debris on the road or road damage. But with a pick-up truck clearing the way and indicating all is good up ahead, you can turn it up a few notches. There was one time when an on-coming semi was almost in our lane, prompting some heavy braking from both of us, but all was good and we continued railing. It reminded me of the time when I was in some Arkansas twisties into dusk and found a Ford Explorer to give chase to through the darkness. It was quite exhilarating to be riding faster than I could just by myself as I was using the headlights of the Explorer to increase my safety margin. Similar to this situation where I was using the Ram truck to clear the path for me.<br />
<br />
One fun thing about the GPS, especially in Mexico is keeping track of the altitude change. As I dropped below 1,500 ft, the humidity kicked in and was already becoming uncomfortable and if it wasn't for my love of beaches and water, I'd prefer to stay in the mountains.<br />
<br />
Again, I saw lots of crosses and shrines for people who had died on this road. These are some very technical roads and I could see how a regular driver could easily lose control or not know how to avoid an accident.<br />
<br />
With my usual excellent timing, I hit the bottom of the mountain just at dusk. I know that there are lots of warnings of not to ride in Mexico after dark due to the many road hazards that exist and I was trying to avoid it, if possible.<br />
<br />
Regarding gas, I filled up about 50 miles west of Durango and then only at the bottom near the intersection of Hwy 40 and Hwy 15. I didn't see any other Pemex stations in between, but I did see a few local vendors selling gasolina.<br />
<br />
I can't seem to get over how many parts of Mexico seem very similar to that of India. Up in the mountains, the small towns I went through resembled the hill stations where I went to school in southern India. And now, riding into Mazatlan on Hwy 15 reminded me of my home city of Madras on the eastern coast. The humidity, the road side cafes, the trucks, the way traffic behaved. All very similar.<br />
<br />
The GPS with auto-routing was very beneficial for navigating through big cities for the first time. It wasn't perfect as some roads were blocked or one-ways, which the system didn't know, but with auto-routing it quickly found the next best path.<br />
<br />
From the Lonely Planet guide book, I decided to stay in Old Mazatlan as it would be cheaper than the newer touristy side of town and found Hotel Mexico for $10 a night. That itself might have been too much for the room. The mattress looked very old and the curtains were quite dusty, plus the bathroom was probably the least clean one over the whole trip. And not having A/C with such high humidity was probably not the best idea. But the receptionist allowed me to park my bike in a little underground garage, so that was probably worth staying there. Plus, the hotel was only a block from the beach.<br />
<br />
Again using the guide book, I found a recommended seafood restaurant nearby, which was on the beach front. I had the Filette Zarandeado, which is fish grilled with peppers, tomatoes and onions in a very savory marinade. It was super tasty. Sitting there with the breeze from the ocean blowing through, enjoying a cold Negra Modelo (dark beer), I knew all the aching muscles from the intense day of riding was worth it. It was definitely a push from Parral to Mazatlan, being about 450 miles, but I wanted to keep heading south, so a little muscle ache wasn't a big price to pay.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico299.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico299.jpg"/><br />
<i>Stayed at Hotel Mexico in Old Mazatlan for $10. Was again the only guest at the hotel. This is low season for Mexico.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico300.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico300.jpg"/><br />
And I got to park the bike in a little garage below the hotel for free. How nice of them.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico281.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico281.jpg"/><br />
The room definitely matched its price. It was ragged but clean enough. The curtains were dusty, yes, and there was no A/C, but I survived with the ceiling fan.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico283.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico283.jpg"/><br />
Not the cleanest of bathrooms, but what do you expect for 100 pesos, eh?<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico285.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico285.jpg"/><br />
Dinner at Mariscos El Camichin, right on the beach, recommended by the Lonely Planet guide book. The breeze from the ocean was blowing through the open-air setup. Fantastic.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico284.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico284.jpg"/><br />
I had the Fillete Zarandeado, a grilled fish with peppers, tomatoes and onions. It was super tasty and cost only about $12.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico286.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico286.jpg"/><br />
Taking a little walk after dinner on the beach. It was a long day and a tiring one, but the ride on the Espinoza Diablo is one of the best roads I've ridden. Well worth it.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
Next: <a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/11/ride-report-day-7-8.html">Day 7 - 8, Sayulita on the Pacific Coast</a><br />
<br><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/11/ride-report-index.html">Ride Report Index</a><br />
<br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00983689221832732908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200572996889053081.post-85769091211615099532007-11-03T17:44:00.001-05:002011-09-19T08:53:29.966-05:00Ride Report: Day 5<b>Day 5 / Wednesday, September 26, 2007<br />
Start: Batopilas, Chihuahuaa, 9:00 am<br />
End: Hidalgo del Parral, Chihuahua, 6:00 pm<br />
Mileage: 174</b><br />
<br />
I knew I had to get an early start today as I had the whole canyon to climb out of and wanted to make it to Hidalgo del Parral, about 140 miles away on tarmac. But when I went out at 7 am, I realized the town was still asleep and no one was out and about. Dona Micas opened for breakfast about 7:15 and then suddenly the whole village sprang to life with trucks going through town, children playing in the street, etc. I had breakfast with two local cowboys, but didn't get to find out exactly what they did, as in, were they really herding cows or was that just their normal gear.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico141.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico141.jpg"/><br />
<i>Waiting for the sleepy town of Batopilas to wake up so that I could get some breakfast. Looks like a few others were waiting for Dona Micas to open, as well.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico143.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico143.jpg"/><br />
Breakfast: some Heuvos con Chorizo (scrambled eggs with spicy Mexican sausage), Chile Relleno (big green chilly filled with cheese and deep fried), Frijoles (refried beans) and some Quesadillas (cheese in tortillas). Excellent way to start the day!<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico142.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico142.jpg"/><br />
Nice map of the whole Copper Canyon region under the table mat. Sorry for the poor quality.</i><br />
<br />
As I was packing up the bike, a British couple came over and we chatted. The lady was wondering how I navigated around Mexico and I pointed to my GPS, "Oh, you have Sat-Nav!" Satellite Navigation, the term Europeans use for GPS. She also asked the same question of, "What does everyone do around here? Do they just sit around? Don't they get bored?" I think she was hoping for a Puerto Vallarta kind of Mexican vacation instead of her husband's ride down to Batopilas kind of vacation. She said she wasn't looking forward to journey back up.<br />
<br />
I, on the other hand, was down here specifically to ride that road and was eager to get going. I thought the downhill part was going to be the toughest, since gravity is pulling the bike down faster, but the uphill ride proved to be trickier. In street riding, I prefer going uphill to downhill as you can control your speed with only the throttle, but going downhill, more brake needs to be used to control your speed, which can lead to low-sides on gravel and what not. But on gravel roads, especially this one filled with a couple inch-sized rocks, giving too much throttle would make the wheels slip resulting in a fall. I haven't had any real training in off-road riding and I know if you stand on your pegs you can get better stability, but I wasn't there yet. The first hair pin from the bridge was the trickiest with me almost dropping the bike and stalling her twice trying to feather the throttle. But I made it out alive and took about 3 1/2 hours for the trip up.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico145.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico145.jpg"/><br />
<i>Heading out of Batopilas back up the canyon to Hwy 127 and onwards to Hidalgo del Parral. Note the succession of canyons and their fainter shade of green.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico146.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico146.jpg"/><br />
The easy part of the road.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico148.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico148.jpg"/><br />
Very steep rock faces<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico149.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico149.jpg"/><br />
Nice place for a picture, but hoping there was no on-coming traffic, which is quite rare.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico151.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico151.jpg"/><br />
Are those some canyons or what.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico153.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico153.jpg"/><br />
Looks like a few too many cervezas were consumed when cutting this path, looks a bit slanted. Note the face in the rock, the nose is sticking out.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico155.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico155.jpg"/><br />
And there were mountain goats hobbling about, who got scared as I roared by. Sorry.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico156.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico156.jpg"/><br />
auDRey heading out of Batopilas.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico157.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico157.jpg"/><br />
That's some rough terrain.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico158.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico158.jpg"/><br />
I thought going uphill would be easier (as it is on pavement for me), but one slip on a loose rock and you could lose momentum, possibly leading to a tip over and like here, there's no guard rails anywhere. That's why we come to ride this road…<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico160.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico160.jpg"/><br />
The uphill hair pins were quite challenging and I stalled the bike a few times trying to get over some big rocks.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico162.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico162.jpg"/><br />
All done with the tough riding and was impressed with myself that I didn't fall even once. Yeah.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico163.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico163.jpg"/><br />
The rear tire was holding up just fine and no new knobbies had fallen off, meaning I was good to go down to Guadalajara and try and get a new tire.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico166.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico166.jpg"/><br />
Towards the end of the trail, there was lots of construction going on and looks like they plan to make this a smoother road as there's only one road into and out of Batopilas for all supplies and people.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico167.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico167.jpg"/><br />
I was so thrilled to see the toys that I played with as a kid in the mud being used in real life. I've never seen Caterpillar trucks this big being used in their intended environment. Look at the person on the right to get a size comparison. Wow. It was fun having the dump truck pass real close by... not.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico168.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico168.jpg"/><br />
The detour around the last part of the road. Note how they just turned the sign to the village upside down to have it point in the right direction. Excellent.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico169.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico169.jpg"/><br />
The detour sign that I missed on my way to Batopilas. I wonder why the town names are written backwards... So you can see it properly in your mirror…?<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico170.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico170.jpg"/><br />
Ahhh, putting much needed petrol and air back in my tires. I reduced the air pressure for the dirt road to get better grip. From now on, it would only be pavement riding. I carried my own little air compressor running off the bike's battery to also help when fixing tire punctures.</i><br />
<br />
After gassing up at the same Pemex (11.5 liters for 89 miles = 29 mpg, not bad for 1st and 2nd gear riding) and putting air back in my tires for street riding, I was off to enjoying more twisties heading towards Hidalgo del Parral. The road quality was amazing and I was really pleased with how flowing the whole road was. It made for an enjoyable ride.<br />
<br />
After a quick lunch in Guachochi at Los Pinos restaurant, I continued onwards to Parral (as it's known by the locals). The road condition was so-so but the scenery was interesting as it changed from pine forests to open green valleys, almost resembling a scene from Scotland or Ireland. A few semi trucks were coming into my lane in tight corners, but otherwise I hadn’t seen any other bad drivers. Overall, I really enjoyed Hwy 127 from Creel to Parral: twisties set in the mountains. Once Hwy 127 joined up with Hwy 24, the fun got turned down a few notches as the road was very bumpy and traffic was pretty heavy.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico172.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico172.jpg"/><br />
<i>The beautifully twisting Hwy 127 heading toward Hidalgo del Parral. The road conditions were excellent and the corners were marked very well. There's no suggested speed signs, but it's easy to get into the rhythm of the road and know how much to slow down.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico173.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico173.jpg"/><br />
Nice sweepers and the temps were a bit cooler as I was back up to near 7000 ft.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico176.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico176.jpg"/><br />
Lunch near Guachochi. Very nice and clean highway restaurant.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico175.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico175.jpg"/><br />
Spicy beef in a gravy with rice and corn and beans. Good food.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico178.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico178.jpg"/><br />
More excellent riding on Hwy 127.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico179.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico179.jpg"/><br />
More excellent riding on Hwy 127.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico189.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico189.jpg"/><br />
The scenery changed as the road approached the bigger Hwy 24. We left the pine forests for more simple flora.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico192.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico192.jpg"/><br />
What a view.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico196.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico196.jpg"/><br />
Looks like somewhere in Scotland…<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico198.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico198.jpg"/><br />
Looks like somewhere in Scotland…<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico199.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico199.jpg"/><br />
Excellent riding on Hwy 127.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico200.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico200.jpg"/><br />
Excellent riding on Hwy 127.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico202.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico202.jpg"/><br />
The road goes off to the left and sweeps back around. The views are quite distracting.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico204.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico204.jpg"/><br />
Since they really couldn't put any speed bumps on the highways to slow down traffic before dangerous turns, they've resorted to using painted white lines to get the driver's attention before dangerous turns.</i><br />
<br />
I made it into Parral around 6 pm and after asking directions to the Plaza Principal (main square), I found my hotel for the night; Hotel Acosta for $23. I was the only guest in the hotel, and got a nice room with a view of the city. It started raining as I was unpacking and the owner told me to bring the bike into the lobby. I was pleased to see that safe overnight storage for the bike wasn't proving to be too difficult in each town. There was no hot water in the shower and I managed to convey that to the receptionist in Spanish and they said they'd have it fixed in an hour or so, which it was.<br />
<br />
The city just spreads out across the valley and has a nice feel about it. It's known for being the death place for one of Mexico's famous revolutionary leaders, Pancho Villa. The city was also renamed to honor Miguel Hidalgo, who was the founder of the Mexican independence movement in the early 19th century.<br />
<br />
As I was walking around town trying to find a place for dinner, I came across a big store called Coppel, which is a large Mexican department store chain. It looked like a mini Wal-Mart as it had many various products all crammed in a small store footprint. One aisle was tires, while the next was shoes, then the next TVs, then the next furniture. Must be the wave of the future since all developing countries are probably going towards big department stores with lower prices as opposed to small individual stores. This is probably what happened to retailing in developed countries about 10-20 years ago.<br />
<br />
I had dinner at Morelos, a 24 hour diner and when the waitress figured I was English-speaking, a dish-washer came out from the back who spoke English. Humberto and I had a good chat, through which I learnt he had been all over the US and when I asked what he had done in the States, he calmly said, dealing drugs. Oh. He was jailed for 4 years after a bust, which saw him lose thousands of pounds of mary-jane. We had a good laugh over it. He was surprised that I could understand his English and was pleased with himself. He looked like a good-natured guy who easily got suckered into the underworld once making it across the border. He was set on living a clean life from now on.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico231.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico231.jpg"/><br />
<i>Made it to Hotel Acosta in Hidalgo del Parral, which is right next to the main square, Plaza Principal.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico232.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico232.jpg"/><br />
It started raining just as I got there and the owner told me to bring my bike in to the lobby. How nice of them. I was also the only guest at the hotel.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico206.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico206.jpg"/><br />
My decent room for $22.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico207.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico207.jpg"/><br />
Clean bathrooms, although there was no hot water initially, which they fixed by the time I came back from dinner.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico214.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico214.jpg"/><br />
The view of the streets from my room.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico215.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico215.jpg"/><br />
Talk about a room with a view. The sunset was quite dramatic as it has just rained and the clouds were retreating. The city just seemed to crawl up onto the mountain side.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico217.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico217.jpg"/><br />
Sunset pictures are always nice.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico219.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico219.jpg"/><br />
The Plaza Principal.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico221.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico221.jpg"/><br />
A chapel near the plaza.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico222.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico222.jpg"/><br />
A Suzuki GS500, just like my first bike. Nice to see a real sized bike as most everything else on two wheels is primarily for transportation sporting around 100 cc engines.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico224.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico224.jpg"/><br />
A little courtyard that was open to the public that had some nice gardens. I think it was part of a museum.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico225.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico225.jpg"/><br />
Cowboy Boots. And what a crazy variety of them. There were quite a few boot stores and I'm sure a custom shoe could be made.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico226.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico226.jpg"/><br />
The prices were not even that bad for custom made cowboy boots (divide by 10 for US prices).<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico227.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico227.jpg"/><br />
Had dinner at a 24 hr café, which was the only place that I had tortilla chips with dinner throughout my whole trip. There were nice thick chips with fresh butter and green salsa.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico228.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico228.jpg"/><br />
Chicken Flautas (small fried stuffed tortillas) layered with ham on top (?). Didn't know if I was supposed to eat the ham with the flautas or separately… It all went down anyways.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico229.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico229.jpg"/><br />
The view from the terrace of the hotel looking down at the plaza.</i><br />
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Next: <a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/11/ride-report-day-6_08.html">Day 6, Riding the Espinoza Diablo to Mazatlan</a><br />
<br><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/11/ride-report-index.html">Ride Report Index</a><br />
<br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00983689221832732908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200572996889053081.post-56161109404580665792007-11-02T17:43:00.001-05:002011-09-19T08:53:03.038-05:00Ride Report: Day 4<b>Day 4 / Tuesday, September 25, 2007<br />
Start: Creel, Chihuahua, 11:00 am<br />
End: Batopilas, Chihuahua, 5:30 pm<br />
Mileage: 92</b><br />
<br />
I already knew today was going to be a highlight of the trip, because I would be descending about 6,000 ft down a canyon on a hairy gravel road to the small town of Batopilas. I was just hoping that it wasn't above my skill level.<br />
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Knowing that it was around a 6 hour ride, I waited for the day to warm-up a bit up in Creel before setting off. The breakfast served at Margaritas was decent. It comprised of porridge with banana (which some of the other tourists called banana soup??), scrambled eggs with ham and freshly squeezed orange juice. Good way to start the day. After using the local internet cafe to update my blog, I was off around 11 am.<br />
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Right out of town on Hwy 127 the road twists and turns through pine forests with majestic rock outcrops. There was very little traffic on this road, but lots of wild donkeys running around besides the road. The road was recently paved and a pure joy to ride. Even though the signs for the turns didn't have suggestive speed limits, I soon figured out that the 90 degree arrow meant a 2nd or 3rd gear turn and an arrow with a curve to it could be taken in 4th gear.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico048.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico048.jpg"/><br />
<i>An awesome turn on Hwy 127 heading to the Batopilas turn off.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico049.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico049.jpg"/><br />
Rock formations from Hwy 127.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico050.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico050.jpg"/><br />
Rock formations from Hwy 127. Can you see a face on the rocks in the middle? Enchanted.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico051.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico051.jpg"/><br />
Awesome twisties. Note the beautiful road surface. Looks like it was recently paved.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico052.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico052.jpg"/><br />
Rock formations from Hwy 127.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico054.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico054.jpg"/><br />
The winding, twisting road of Hwy 127.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico055.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico055.jpg"/><br />
Hwy 127</i><br />
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After around 40 miles or so, there's a Pemex right in the middle of the forest, but then I saw its importance as the turn off to Batopilas is soon after. I topped up knowing that the ride down to Batopilas would be a fuel consuming 1st or 2nd gear ride. I also lowered the air pressure in my tires to increase grip in the off-road conditions.<br />
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Right at the start of the road, there was big construction going on and a detour sign. I read before that the detour signs basically say you can't go this way, but don't really tell you how to get back on the right track. I was happily following the detoured path through the town of Samachique and onwards for a good 30 minutes over some really rough terrain before I asked a local if this was the right way to Batopilas. He drew a map on the ground to show me how to get back on the right road. I had just struggled over some mighty big rocks in the road with some serious incline and had to cross quite a few streams about a foot in depth (first time for me) and realized I was heading in the wrong direction to the town of Guguachique. Thank goodness I asked when I did because I didn't think I could make Batopilas by sun-down if the road was going to be this rough.<br />
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Back on the right track I found the small detour sign meant to get traffic back on the right path to Batopilas. It wasn't very visible. Oh well, I had fun crossing those streams having never made a water crossing before. Further down there was a temporary mud bridge crossing a 10 ft gorge, where a truck was getting itself stuck in the loose mud. I walked over the bridge first to make sure the ground was stable enough for the bike. This road was already proving to be a nice adventure.<br />
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After getting on some flat ground I had to take a break to calm down a bit after the initial adrenaline rush. As I was having my lunch of a granola bar and Gatorade, a one-legged man on crutches came into view. I must've looked very odd to him or perhaps it was my eating of the granola bar, but he stopped right across and looked at me. I offered a granola bar and he accepted and kept going. I was just thinking about how if he had one slip with his crutches on any of these rocks, he was going to fall pretty badly.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico056.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico056.jpg"/><br />
<i>The turn off from Hwy 127 to the town of Batopilas deep down in Copper Canyon. I would be dropping about 6000 ft over 40 miles of crazy dirt road with hair pins and no guard rails. This road to Batopilas is famed in the adventure riding community and here I was about to embark on it. I was super excited.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico057.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico057.jpg"/><br />
But first thing I see are construction signs. I hoped this wouldn't block the road or delay the journey.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico061.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico061.jpg"/><br />
I missed a detour sign and went a couple miles towards the town of Guguachique over some really challenging terrain for me and was worried I wouldn’t make it to Batopilas before sundown if it was this difficult the whole way. Luckily a local pointed me in the right direction and here I find myself on the right road with some tough road conditions where this truck got stuck. Not too bad for a bike though.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico060.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico060.jpg"/><br />
Arrrgh, a water crossing up ahead. Just kidding, this was the extent of the water crossings on this road, just big puddles. The other road to Guguachique has some more significant water crossings, bigger streams.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico064.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico064.jpg"/><br />
Enjoying the flat smooth road while it lasted because I knew it would get very challenging up ahead. There was no real spot for lunch, so granola bars it was with Gatorade.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico065.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico065.jpg"/><br />
Amazing that he was using crutches on a dirt road, where one misplaced footing and he would fall. He stopped to watch me as I ate my granola bar, so I offered him one and he accepted.</i><br />
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I got the hang of riding the heavily graveled road pretty quickly. It certainly takes a lot of concentration as every foot you travel on the road has to be thought about: if I go through this rut over here, where will that lead me, or if go over this rock here, how is the bike going to handle after that. Will all this concentration required, the ride becomes more taxing with all the awesome scenic vistas in the Copper Canyon. The views really are amazing as the depth of the canyon is very real and close. Stopping for pictures was a bit tricky and I just left her in gear to keep her from rolling away.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico069.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico069.jpg"/><br />
<i>Copper Canyon! The view from the little rest stop before plunging down into the canyon. The little dirt roads on the bottom of the picture is where I'm heading.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico070.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico070.jpg"/><br />
I've seen this picture before from previous ride reports.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico071.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico071.jpg"/><br />
auDRey taking a break and cooling down before the set of hair pins up ahead.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico075.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico075.jpg"/><br />
The rest stop ledge at the top of the canyon.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico073.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico073.jpg"/><br />
I was super thrilled to have made it this far with no issues and my confidence in dirt riding was growing by the minute. Prior to this, I had only ridden a few dirt roads in Mississippi and some in New Mexico.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico076.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico076.jpg"/><br />
That down there is the famed Batopilas bridge where the tough part of this road is done with.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico077.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico077.jpg"/><br />
The awesomely scary (to me) hair pins. One slip and I would've found a short cut to the bottom. It wasn't that bad, but my pulse was racing.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico078.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico078.jpg"/><br />
What makes this ride more demanding is all this stunning scenery, plus stopping to take photos of it all. I think this rock formation is called the Seven Steps.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico080.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico080.jpg"/><br />
My view. What was challenging was having to pay attention to every rock (some were small boulders) on the road and choosing the path to take that would upset the bike the least. I was also recording all this with my helmet camera.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico081.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico081.jpg"/><br />
Admiring the work it took to make this road.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico082.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico082.jpg"/><br />
Was thinking that if I had a big dune buggy, it'd be easier to just go straight down the mountain…<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico084.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico084.jpg"/><br />
Making my way towards the bridge after surviving the hair-pins.</i><br />
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I knew the hair pins were going to be the trickiest because they call for large turning input from the bike over a very loose surface, so one slip could mean getting washed over the edge. I could see that the rains has caused deep ruts in the hair-pins and getting stuck in one of those would make it quite difficult to turn when needed to. I resorted to riding the inside edge of the road as long as possible and then late-apexing the hair-pin to cut across the ruts. This worked well and I never really had any pucker moments - feelings of impending doom of going over the edge. I was conscious the whole time that the edge was very near and one fall could mean a slide down the mountain. But you can't let fear grip you. I was also reminding myself not to get too over-confident and to keep the pace in check.<br />
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The scenery was very impressive as you can see in the photos and it reminded of scenes from the movie Congo, which is shot in Africa, the highlands of Rwanda. The canyons aren't dry like those in the US, but instead covered with lite vegetation.<br />
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Being a single track dirt road I was weary of encountering on-coming traffic around a blind corner. I only saw about 5 vehicles during the 4 hour descent and all of them were on straight sections of the road. In a remarkably high number of blind corners, there are small shrines dedicated to people lost in accidents. It must be a common occurrence. I was hoping my loud exhaust was sounding my presence and now do believe that Loud Pipes do Save Lives.<br />
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Getting down to the first big bridge is a milestone on this road as it signifies the end of the really tough part. There's still another 15 miles to go, but it's mostly level. As I stopped to take a break, a Batopilas police truck pulled up behind me to also take a break and all the occupants got out and relieved themselves right on the road behind their truck. I mean couldn't they at least do that on the shoulder of the road. I guess the rains wash everything away.<br />
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Towards the end of the road it becomes less ragged and 3rd and 4th gear cruising are possible. I was impressed with my first extended day of dirt riding and was pleased not to have dropped the bike even once.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico087.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico087.jpg"/><br />
<i>The Bridge. I was now more than half-way to Batopilas on this road. Still around a further 14 miles to go. The question is whether to ride the parallel beams or the middle part. I thought the middle part would be less sturdy for some reason, so rode the parallel beams, which ended up moving my front tire along the cracks.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico088.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico088.jpg"/><br />
auDRey at the Bridge.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico090.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico090.jpg"/><br />
auDRey at the Bridge.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico093.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico093.jpg"/><br />
Took a little break and climbed down to the river to check it out.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico092.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico092.jpg"/><br />
Nice little river falls and it was a little cooler down here.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico094.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico094.jpg"/><br />
A random shack at La Buffa scenic overlook.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico095.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico095.jpg"/><br />
Don't know what was so special about La Buffa scenic overlook. I found more dramatic views elsewhere…<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico096.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico096.jpg"/><br />
La Buffa<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico097.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico097.jpg"/><br />
Note the road winding off into the distance along the canyon walls. What a spectacular ride. I was very impressed with the views and the thrill from the road.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico100.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico100.jpg"/><br />
auDRrey heading to Batopilas.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico102.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico102.jpg"/><br />
There were a few pull-outs to stop and enjoy the scenery, but not many. Or maybe they're actually used for letting opposing traffic pass.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico103.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico103.jpg"/><br />
auDRrey heading to Batopilas.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico105.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico105.jpg"/><br />
What a road…<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico108.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico108.jpg"/><br />
It looks like the Mama rock is looking down on baby rock… (I was not hallucinating; don't they look similar?)<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico109.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico109.jpg"/><br />
Heading towards Batopilas in the late afternoon isn't ideal as the difference between being in the light and being in the shade was quite dramatic, especially with a tinted shield. But the road now was generally more flat and less challenging.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico110.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico110.jpg"/><br />
A foot bridge across the river.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico111.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico111.jpg"/><br />
Looks like he had massive understeer or brake failure. I'm surprised they've just left the truck there, maybe as a lesson to slow down.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico112.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico112.jpg"/><br />
A little shrine to honor lost ones due to road accidents. These were all over the road, especially in dangerous corners. Seems like lots of people have lost their life on this road. And there were quite a few paintings on rocks with "Vivo Christo" (Christ Lives). I guess traveling on this road makes believers out of people.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico114.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico114.jpg"/><br />
The road near to Batopilas, which is more flat and easier to ride. Was even up to 3rd gear after hobbling in 1st and 2nd the whole afternoon.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico115.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico115.jpg"/><br />
One last awesome rock outcrop before heading into Batopilas.</i><br />
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Batopilas; I was finally here. After reading about it is so many ride reports on ADVrider.com, it's almost surreal to be riding into town. Almost everyone was staring at me as I rode into town, even the few tourists that were milling about. As I took a wrong turn heading to the town square, a little boy immediately pointed me in the right direction. I guess he must've seen other motorcyclists before and knew we all wanted to get to the town square. Nice.<br />
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As I parked in the town square, Martin, the friendly hotel owner of Real de Minas walked up and asked if I wanted a room. How did he know? Yup, I was looking for Real de Minas on recommendation from a fellow rider, Virtual Rider. For $35 I got a nice room set in a homely courtyard. It came with A/C but no TV. I never had time to watch TV anyways. After a quick shower, I walked around town to get a feel for the place.<br />
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There's only one real road into and out of Batopilas, so everything here is trucked down over that rough road. It was originally a silver mining town, but now life is a bit slower and relaxed. The town square had benches all around it and people were duly occupying them and just enjoying the simple life with kids playing in the street and older couples going for walks. But I had to wonder: what does everyone do for a living here? I mean I see the few hotels and shops, but besides that, I didn't really see any fields or farms and mining isn't active here anymore.<br />
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There is an indigenous population in the Copper Canyon region knows as the Tarahamura people, who mainly live out in the canyons and come to town to sell some crafts. They are a shy people and their permission is required before taking photos. It seems that anywhere in the world where there are indigenous and more developed societies living together, assimilation issues will arise. I could see from a mural painted by the school playground that there are attempts to bridge the gap between the Tarahamura and the regular Mexicans.<br />
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There weren't that many restaurants around and the only one open was Dona Micas which is basically a few tables on the front porch of their house. The lady of the house tells you what's for dinner tonight and it's almost like eating at home. I enjoyed it. I had Arroz Frijoles Carne en Chile Rodo (I had her write that in my journal). Very tasty.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico126.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico126.jpg"/><br />
<i>Heading towards the main square in Batopilas.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico122.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico122.jpg"/><br />
The town square, Zocolo in Spanish.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico123.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico123.jpg"/><br />
The main street near the town square.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico121.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico121.jpg"/><br />
My hotel, Casa Real de Minas, run by a real nice guy, Martin who has welcomed many previous adventure motorcyclists.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico137.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico137.jpg"/><br />
He even provided some secure parking for my bike.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico119.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico119.jpg"/><br />
The courtyard of Casa Real de Minas. Very classic setting.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico117.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico117.jpg"/><br />
My nicely decorated room for $35, which came with A/C but no TV (which wasn't missed).<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico118.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico118.jpg"/><br />
Clean bathrooms.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico124.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico124.jpg"/><br />
After a quick shower, I took a walk around the town. The local chapel.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico125.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico125.jpg"/><br />
Indigenous people of this region, the Tarahamura. They are generally very shy and it's recommended that you ask before taking a photo, which I did.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico127.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico127.jpg"/><br />
Walking towards the edge of town…<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico128.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico128.jpg"/><br />
I noticed this girl who was cautiously crossing the river. The bridge was about a 10 min walk away. I think this river is mainly fed by rain fall and its height probably changes throughout the year, allowing for river crossings as the level drops.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico129.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico129.jpg"/><br />
A mural on the school's playground showing a Tarahamura child playing, studying and being cultured with regular Mexican kids. That's the local dress of the Tarahamura men. I think they face some of the assimilation issues the Native Americans endured in the US or any other indigenous people face in other countries.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico130.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico130.jpg"/><br />
Kids playing soccer. Gooooooooal!<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico131.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico131.jpg"/><br />
My dinner at Dona Micas, which is basically the front porch of their house with a few tables. <br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico132.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico132.jpg"/><br />
I'm sitting in their porch and that's the kitchen right there. Talk about a home cooked meal.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico133.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico133.jpg"/><br />
I asked what was for dinner and she said Carne something (steak), which sounded good and tasted awesome. My Spanish is very limited, but I managed with my phrase book. Dinner was about $5. And note all the business cards under the table cover of all previous patrons. Lots of various rider organizations had been there, various BMW dealers and tour operators from around Mexico and Central America. I duly left my card there too.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico134.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico134.jpg"/><br />
Just a picture of a little supermarket where you give your list of items to the store keeper and they get the items for you, just like back in the day or in any less developed part of the world. Higher efficiency brought about the modern super markets where the customers get their own items.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico135.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico135.jpg"/><br />
The town square at night. People were sitting along the benches and just taking it easy.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico139.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico139.jpg"/><br />
The ornate benches lined around the town square.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico140.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico140.jpg"/><br />
Not sure what this place is but looks like it was decorated for the recent Independence Day celebrations of Mexico (Sept 16).<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico136.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico136.jpg"/><br />
La Valencia, which was the only place to get a cold beer (cerveza fria) and relish that I had made it down to Batopilas successfully. Now for the ride back up tomorrow morning…</i><br />
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Next: <a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/11/ride-report-day-5_08.html">Day 5, Riding up from Batopilas and on to Hidalgo del Parral</a><br />
<br><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/11/ride-report-index.html">Ride Report Index</a><br />
<br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00983689221832732908noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200572996889053081.post-73162098375798993052007-11-02T15:58:00.000-05:002014-11-08T00:19:34.278-06:00Picture Gallery<img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://c.gigcount.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.11NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEzMTU1NjMwNTM3MzcmcHQ9MTMxNTU2MzEyNjA3NSZwPTkwMjA1MSZkPSZnPTEmb2Y9MA==.gif" /><object id="ci_84582_o" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" width="700" height="450"><param name="movie" value="http://apps.cooliris.com/embed/cooliris.swf?t=1307582197"/><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"/><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/><param name="bgColor" value="#121212" /><param name="flashvars" value="z=8IJZ4ez9gD1t" /><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><embed id="ci_84582_e" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://apps.cooliris.com/embed/cooliris.swf?t=1307582197" width="700" height="450" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" bgColor="#121212" flashvars="z=8IJZ4ez9gD1t" wmode="opaque"></embed></object><br />
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Right Click on images to go into full screen mode and move cursor away from zoomed-in image to hide captions.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00983689221832732908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200572996889053081.post-68977338051968701962007-11-01T17:42:00.001-05:002011-09-19T08:52:39.062-05:00Ride Report: Day 1 - 3<b>Day 1 / Saturday, September 22, 2007<br />
Start: Grayslake, IL, 4:20 am<br />
End: Texarkana, AR, 9:30 pm<br />
Mileage: 847 miles</b><br />
<br />
Isn't it always hard to relax right before you know you're going to do something exciting and exhilarating? That's the problem with all these motorcycle trips. I know I need to get as much sleep as possible before making my early start, but I'm always too excited the night before. My 'run to the border' plan was to make the 1600 mile highway drone in two days crossing the border into Mexico on Day 3. With two 800 mile days in a row I knew my body was going to take a beating but I figured it was worth it and I could relax once I crossed the border.<br />
<br />
I packed everything on the bike two days before departure and left the last day for small things like adjusting the playlists on my iPod, adding more waypoints to the GPS and trying to learn some phrases from my Spanish phrase book.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070920_Mex_Prep/Mex012Medium.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070920_Mex_Prep/Mex012Medium.jpg"/><br />
<i>auDRey, my 2004 Suzuki DR650SE getting prepped in the garage before leaving.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico001b.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico001b.jpg"/><br />
My dash view. Left to right: Digi Cam, GPS, Camcorder and Radar Detector.</i><br />
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I ended up getting only 4 hours of sleep, but left on-time at 4:30 am. I planned a slightly longer route to the border in order to avoid riding through as many big cities as possible. My goal for today was to get to the Arkansas/Texas border town, aptly named Texarkana. Traffic was very light on the freeways and my body was not waking up in the morning. Red Bull to the rescue and listening to my Spanish language CDs kept my mind entertained.<br />
<br />
In preparing for this trip, I tried to get a rear tire that would last the whole journey, around 6000 miles. My dual-sport bike, which can handle dirt roads and highway, can take a variety of tires. I knew I would be riding two days of dirt in Mexico so in compromise I mounted a 50% dirt, 50% street tire, a Kenda K270. I didn't help the situation by cruising at 80 mph for the majority of the first day, which proved to be too much for the tire and it started to lose some of its knobs. I slowed down to 65 mph and the tire held up fine. I figured if it didn't hold up, I could mount a new tire in any big city in Mexico.<br />
<br />
Regarding the ride down to Arkansas, it wasn't that bad. What most people don't realize is that Illinois is one really long state, about 440 miles long to the southern tip. Thankfully, it's not all cornfields and the scenery is pretty decent in southern Illinois with rolling hills and some forests. I especially liked I-30 from Little Rock to Texarkana where the highway is surrounded with thick forests and it seems like a parkway drive. My energy levels were doing pretty good towards the end of the day and I was considering just doing an Iron Butt Saddle Sore run (which is 1000 miles in 24 hours on a motorcycle), but I didn't want to overdo it today as I had another 800 mile day tomorrow. And I didn't want to push my luck since a tire from a semi-trailer exploded in front of me and I managed to avoid it. It's never happened before but that's another reason not to sit behind a semi on the highway. At that time, I was thinking that it was irresponsible of the truckers to not monitor the wear on the tires and just replace them when they explode on the highway. But after talking to a trucker motorcycle friend, I learnt that a majority of semi tires are re-treaded (gluing on a new tread to an old tire) and if this process isn't done properly, the new tread can fail and break away.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico001d.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico001d.jpg"/><br />
<i>Lunch in Arkansas. I love the South, cause they usually have fried chicken gizzards in cafes attached to gas stations. Mmmmm… and of course Pomegranate Energy Drink; it has juice, must be healthy.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico001g.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico001g.jpg"/><br />
Disaster on the first day - I was going too fast on the highway for my knobby tires (Kenda K270) and some knobs got sheared off while others were starting to shear. I thought this being a 50 street/50 dirt tire it would handle the highway ok. But I guess 80 mph is too much for it. I slowed down to 65 for the rest of the trip and it survived for another 4000 miles.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico004.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico004.jpg"/><br />
This knob was starting to shear, but held up after reducing speed.</i><br />
<br />
One funny incident was when I walked into a Hardees for dinner and the old white guy behind the counter said I looked I was wired with a bomb. WTF? He was referring to my iPod remote and earphones dangling from my riding gear (which looks like riot police gear). I didn't want this guy to pull a gun on me so I quickly showed him the iPod and made a joke. Phew. And people say Mexico is going to be dangerous...<br />
<br />
I arrived at a motel at 9:30 pm having covered 847 miles.<br />
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<b>Day 2 / Sunday, September 23, 2007<br />
Start: Texarkana, AR, 5:30 am<br />
End: Presidio, TX, 9:30 pm<br />
Mileage: 771</b><br />
<br />
I got an early start today as well since my top speed was going to be limited to 65 mph today (in hopes of extending the life of my tire) and therefore I would need more time to cover the remaining 750 miles to the border town of Presidio, TX. It was a little chilly and drizzly in the morning and my distaste for Texas' terrible highway ramps returned since my days at Texas A&M. The freeways in Texas have a service road that runs next to them and they have yield signs and short ramps to get on the freeway. It just doesn't feel right.<br />
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Also, the towns and the road in general were not that well kept with grass growing through the concrete cracks and just a general feeling of untidiness. But that all changed once I got near Dallas. What was most impressive were the sweeping highway interchanges with lanes flying maybe 100 to 200 feet above the ground. At one point, there were four criss-crossing highway ramps. I was very impressed. And the scenery picked up between Dallas and Abilene with rolling hills and wind mills along bluffs for wind power generation, which also meant stiff cross-winds for the bike. The effect of the cross-winds was quite evident when a semi would overtake me, blocking the wind, and sucking me ahead with a 5 mph gain only to slow me down again when he finished passing. <br />
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Throughout the day, I was really engaged with my audio book, A Short History of Nearly Everything, which explains where everything we know comes from: physics, chemistry, life, etc. It was so engaging that I hardly felt tired throughout the day and some gas stops were like race pit-stops: pull in, fuel up, and get going again. If I felt tired at any point, I'd pull over, take a break and continue.<br />
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About 50 miles from Big Spring, there was a huge accident that happened a few minutes in front of me. There was a car on its side with the roof dented in on the east bound shoulder. There were two people lying in the median with lots of bystanders coming to help. The emergency crews were just arriving on the scene. Traffic stopped on both sides of the highway and I'm guessing that somebody punted this car across the median into on-coming traffic for a head on collision. My mind was quickly jumping to conclusions and at the time I conjured up a scenario for the accident where someone overcorrected after realizing their car was going off the highway and this overcorrection hit the second car, which launched it across the median. I immediately thought of the three people that I know who have wrecked their cars and broken legs because they were reaching for something in their glove box and went off the highway. I got frustrated with the fact that many people think highway driving is easy and mindless, when actually things can go wrong very fast. This kept my mind occupied for over an hour as you can tell that I dislike poor drivers, especially ones that have no situational awareness.<br />
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Something else to keep me my alertness up later on was hoping not to get struck by lightning by riding between two huge storm clouds. Storms in the west seem more majestic because I think you can see them from so far away in their entirety. Two huge blobs of grey clouds with persistent lightning were converging on the highway before me and I was hoping to make it through before the clouds were over me. I kept thinking of how it's not very safe to be on a motorcycle in a lightning storm as there's nothing to protect us from a strike, unlike a car. While I slightly feared for my life, I was also admiring the beauty in the clouds. There was one dark rain cloud with lightning that was highlighted by a huge white cloud behind it, which was harboring the setting sun behind it, which caused orange clouds on the fringes of the storm. Lightning and a beautiful sunset all in one view. There's always something to be appreciative of.<br />
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Because of these passing storms, there was lots of water spray that I was being washed with whenever a semi passed me. To reduce the time that I was stuck in these sprays, I would slow down as a semi started to pass to make the pass happen quicker. It worked quite well. The speed difference from the other traffic was more noticeable now as well since the speed limit was up to 80 mph! I've never seen such a high speed limit before. Even Montana, Nevada, Wyoming are all only at 75 mph. I was wishing I was on my Suzuki GSX-R, so that I could be cruising at a comfortable 100 mph, but I was cruising at 65 mph listening to my audio book.<br />
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Another byproduct of the storm was the reflection of the sunset caused by the water that was trapped in rumble strips on the shoulder. Those rumble strips are pretty huge, about 3" wide and at speed, it looked like a continuous foot-wide mirror running next to the highway. You see, it's not hard to keep myself amused...<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico006.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico006.jpg"/><br />
<i>An opening in the storm clouds ahead on I-20 West. I saw lots of lightning to my left and right and was hoping that I wouldn't get struck as I passed under the rain clouds. Don’t they say being on a bike in a thunder storm is not a good idea…<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico007.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico007.jpg"/><br />
Near the I-20 and I-10 merge: Finally done with the Interstate (about 1500 miles) and heading towards Presidio, TX. I've actually never filled up at a Fina gas station (they're rare cause they've been bought by French oil company Total and being phased out). The importance to me is that Fina sponsored the McLaren F1 road car during its racing days in the 90s.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico009.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico009.jpg"/><br />
The moon rising near US-67, heading to Presidio. This is Big Bend National Park area and the scenery was a nice change after all the Interstate riding.</i><br />
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I got done with the Interstate just as dusk was moving in and enjoyed the twilight ride on TX-17 and US-67 into Presidio. The road climbed to 5,000 ft and was a continuous blend of sweepers and straights with some steep cliffs offering majestic views, which stood out in the fading light. There's something to enjoy about riding at night, especially a clear night with bright stars. And being on a motorcycle accentuates that feeling of being part of the surroundings and in this case, part of the cosmos.<br />
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There was a US Border Control checkpoint about 10 miles from Presidio and thereafter about three cops using radar to monitor traffic.<br />
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I was surprised that I wasn't really that tired after two days of around 800 miles each. I was feeling pretty good about crossing into Mexico the next morning and making it to the town of Creel in the highlands of the Copper Canyon. I stayed at the Riatta Inn for $52 and didn't really get a chance to eat dinner this night since the motel was away from town, but that's where the trail mix and granola bars come in.<br />
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<b>Day 3 / Monday, September 24, 2007<br />
Start: Presidio, TX, 7:30 am<br />
End: Creel, Chihuahua, 7:30 pm<br />
Mileage: 325</b><br />
<br />
I got an early start for the border anticipating some delays at the crossing, but didn't plan for being stuck in line behind a disorganized three-family caravan. They had three vehicles and kept running back and forth with paper work for all the vehicles and trying to get all the babies' passports stamped. I figured they were Mexican-Americans making a visit back home with the new kids. When I finally got to the immigration counter, I think I overwhelmed the officer since it seemed like he never had to process a third country national before (someone other than Mexican or American). I had to guide him through the process a bit, showing which form to take, which to give back to me, where to stamp. He appreciated my help and then it was to wait in line again behind the three families waiting to get my temporary vehicle permit. The whole process took two hours.<br />
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After getting all the paperwork out of the way, I was quite thrilled to actually be riding by the sign "Beinvenidos a Mehico!" and entering the Mexican border town of Ojinaga. I didn't take any pictures at the border for fear of upsetting the border guards. I stopped by a little road side shack right on the main road and had my first awesome Mexican meal of carnitas in burritos and I knew more savory food lay ahead. Since I didn't have Pesos on me, I knew I overpaid when they asked for $4 for 2 burritos. Oh well. There were no banks in Ojinaga to exchange money; it's a very small town, so off to the main city in the region of Chihuahua.<br />
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I read somewhere that the unique thing about the American-Mexican border is that it's the only border in the world between a First-World country and a Third-World country (yes, some can debate whether Mexico is really Third-World or not, but since there's really no Second-World countries besides some Eastern European countries, it's either First-World or not). I didn't think crossing the border would be that dramatic, but just riding through Presidio and then riding through Ojinaga, it was quite evident that something had changed. People were not stopping completely for stop signs, some were stopping right on the road, making u-turns across the median, and things were a little more run-down. Now yes, this is not a prosperous town of Mexico and I knew there were many cosmopolitan cities in the country, but this is just a comparison between two towns across one border.<br />
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As I was told before in Mexico there are many toll roads (cuota) connecting big cities, but next to them, there's also free roads (libre), which are usually more fun to ride since they go up and over mountains and are more twisty. I stopped outside town and a Chihuahua shuttle service driver pulled up along side and asked where I was going. He said there was a better road to the city, meaning the cuota. I managed to get across that I wanted to be on the libre. When I said I spoke only a little Spanish, he asked in English, "Why bother coming to Mexico if you can't speak Spanish?" Ha! Isn't that what all Americans say about immigrants, especially Mexicans in their country? I found that rather ironic coming from a Mexican. But I guess all cultures would like visitors to speak their language. I showed him my phrase book and said I was learning on the go.<br />
<br />
Hwy 16 was a pretty interesting ride. I was expecting a high dry desert or something similar to nearby Arizona and New Mexico but instead found landscape similar to Montana's plains: green valleys accentuated with rugged mountains. I also got my first taste of Mexican twisties and was happy to see that all the corners were well marked albeit with no suggested speed limits, but that's not a big deal.<br />
<br />
The Border Patrol checkpoint, which is 20 miles from the border, was located on the side of a mountain on this road and they were only interested in seeing my vehicle permit, as this is the point from whence a permit is required. 20 miles from the border is considered a sort of free permit area because of all the factories that are located close to the border and the frequent crossings of their trucks.<br />
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A further 20 miles down the road was the military check point, the first of many throughout Mexico. These checkpoints are mainly looking for illegal drug trafficking, but I'm sure they're quite bored as well and don't mind searching through interesting vehicles. They asked me to pull over and take off my helmet and wanted to know what was in all my bags. I quickly showed them that I had mainly tools and clothes and they waved me off. They asked for ID and I handed them my passport, which raised some eyebrows, being a non US or Mexican citizen. I figured next time I'll just show them my US drivers license.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico012.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico012.jpg"/><br />
<i>First picture in Mexico, just south of the border town, Ojinaga. Was quite thrilled to have made it across the border with no real delays. Being an Indian citizen, I needed a tourist visa to enter Mexico and a bit more paperwork is required at border crossings.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico011.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico011.jpg"/><br />
Interesting rock formation near the border. Note the closely separated water erosion marks and the formation of clouds near the top as the hot air cools. Sorry, have been listening to a history of science audio book on the highway (A Short History of Nearly Everything). Throws a different light on everything.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico019.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico019.jpg"/><br />
On Hwy 16 from Ojinaga to Chihuahua, the free road (libre), not the toll road (cuota). In Mexico, usually, whenever there's a toll road between two cities, they also provide a free road, which is more fun to ride and more scenic.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico016.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico016.jpg"/><br />
Hwy 16<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico020.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico020.jpg"/><br />
A big tear in the ground running through the valley on Hwy 16. I love learning about Geology and then seeing it for real.</i><br />
<br />
I had directions from a seasoned rider through Mexico, Gustavo on how to get through the city of Chihuahua without getting lost. However, I needed to go into the Centro (downtown) to find a bank to change money. The central plaza area looked very nice and walkable and I soon found an HSBC branch. While standing in line, being stared at by almost everyone in the bank (because of my motorcycle gear), the man behind me started up a conversation. In my broken Spanish we managed to have a decent conversation and I think I unintentionally silenced him after he found out that I was going to be riding around his country for two weeks on a motorcycle. The concept must be hard to understand for the ordinary non-adventurer, but it seems like a normal thing for me to do. I explained my route plan and got some nods of approval. After 30 minutes of this nice conversation and getting to the front of the line, I was told that the teller computers had crashed and no transactions could take place. Oh well, it wasn't a total waste of 30 minutes.<br />
<br />
Outside, a motorcycle cop had pulled up to my bike and was probably questioning my dubious parking job (right next to another car, close to the front of the bank), but I just asked him where another bank was. He started giving directions but after seeing the quizzical look on my face, he just motioned for me to follow him. Sweet, I was getting a private police escort in Mexico, albeit only for two blocks and a u-turn. We parked illegally on the side of the road and he even watched my bike while I went in. Awesome. This second bank was Santander, unknown in the US, but a major bank from Spain. I also knew of it through their sponsorship of the McLaren Mercedes Formula 1 team. See, sponsoring a Formula 1 team does indeed increase global brand awareness (argument for the effectiveness of sponsorship, which I'll be seeking in the coming years for my around-the-world ride).<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico023.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico023.jpg"/><br />
<i>Entering the city of Chihuahua, where I had to go to the center to change US Dollares into Mexican Pesos. There were no banks in Ojinaga.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico024.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico024.jpg"/><br />
Classic VW Bugs. They've been made in Mexico for decades and they're all over the place. Pretty cool to see the first few since they're quite rare in the States.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico025.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico025.jpg"/><br />
Downtown Chihuahua. Decent sized city, not that crazy to navigate through.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico027.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico027.jpg"/><br />
No, I didn't get pulled over, instead I got a personal escort by the friendly biker cop. I asked him where the nearest bank was and he started giving directions, then just told me to follow him. He even watched my bike as I went in to the bank. And note the special motorcycle 'parking'. He was also lane-splitting, demonstrating that it was legal to do in Mexico. Yeah!</i><br />
<br />
Chihuahua wasn't that complicated to navigate through, but I did have to make two loops on the main canal road since the exit to Hwy 16 libre is hidden pretty well. The way to Cuauhtémoc was a nice relaxing big open freeway with many long straight stretches, which are not that mind-numbing since the scenery is pleasant. The exit to Creel was well marked and after some long straights, the road quickly started winding up a mountain as Creel's elevation is around 7,000 ft. The landscape changed to pine forests with rock outcrops and tight twisties. Traffic was pretty constant, but still an enjoyable ride. The road also got twistier close to Creel.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico028.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico028.jpg"/><br />
<i>On Hwy 16 from Chihuahua to Cuauhtemoc, heading to Creel. This is a libre 4-lane highway with pleasing scenery.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico029.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico029.jpg"/><br />
Looks like the Midwest, doesn't it?<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico030.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico030.jpg"/><br />
Lots of information signs on all the highways. This one's saying to obey all the signs. I felt the roads were very adequately marked for safe driving.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico031.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico031.jpg"/><br />
'Don't Litter'<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico032.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico032.jpg"/><br />
It's not that clear, but there's some black netting on all these plants, probably fruit trees. Maybe it's intended to limit the sunlight. Saw lots of these fruit farms along this highway.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico036.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico036.jpg"/><br />
Ahh, finally on the road to Creel. Hwy 25 from Cuauhtemoc. This was a really fun road, great twisties. Traffic was there, but not too much.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico037.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico037.jpg"/><br />
Hwy 25 to Creel<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico038.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico038.jpg"/><br />
15 Kms to Creel<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico040.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico040.jpg"/><br />
The road started to climb into the mountains the closer I got to creel. I love this kind of terrain. This was probably the start of the Copper Canyon region, a series of connected canyons, which is larger than the Grand Canyon.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico041.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico041.jpg"/><br />
Hwy 25 to Creel</i><br />
<br />
Creel is a small town, which acts as the hub of all Copper Canyon adventures: for motorcyclists, 4-wheelers, hikers and tourists getting off the scenic train ride. The town was bit more run-down than I expected, but charming nonetheless. I stayed at Hotel Margaritas for $45, which included dinner and breakfast. From previous ride reports, I also knew that they allowed motorcycles to be locked behind a secure gate for safety. The room was very nice and the courtyard had a few other tourists gathering in it. I was told the food served wasn't exactly the best, but it was included, so am not complaining. I made it more palatable by asking for salsa picante (hot sauce). There were a few other diners and I chatted up with my neighbor, Reta who was from Berne, Switzerland. He's a psychologist who was traveling around Mexico for 2 months using the buses and trains. He took a 2 day Spanish immersion course in Guanajuato and said it greatly improved his enjoyment of the trip. He also said he was surprised with Mexico City, not being as dangerous as its reputation.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico043.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico043.jpg"/><br />
<i>My room at Hotel Margaritas in Creel. Very nicely appointed room and for $40 it comes with dinner and breakfast. Although the food wasn't very good.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico044.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico044.jpg"/><br />
The bathroom area. The room came with complimentary bottled water.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico045.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico045.jpg"/><br />
The courtyard of Hotel Margaritas.</i><br />
<br />
One thing I noticed on my first day in the country is that Mexicans really like their soap operas. It was running on TVs at the border checkpoint, in the bank, in restaurants and in the bar, as well. These are those overly dramatic soaps (but aren't they all) with good looking Latinas, so I'm not really complaining. In the few minutes that I was forced to watch throughout the day I noticed that the majority of the actors were much fairer in skin color than the regular population, for what it's worth.<br />
<br />
One concern I had before entering Mexico was the availability of gas stations and was pleased to see Pemex (the nationalized petroleum company) in almost every small town. Since it’s nationalized, the price is the same everywhere and it was about $2.50 a gallon. All the stations are full-service and none that I saw had credit card readers at the pump. But with labor being cheap, I think full-service is going to continue for a while. Just like in India, most people were filling up to a pre-set monetary amount instead of just filling up the tank. "How much petrol?" "200 Pesos worth." But me being on the bike, I wanted to fill up the tank and just communicated that with a hand signal. Only problem is that there's a lot of change to deal with. Towards the end of the trip, I started using pre-set monetary amounts to not get any more change back. I can go about 180 miles on a full tank, but choose to fill up around 100 miles just in case there's no gas station at the 180 mile mark, plus I'd probably need a break by then.<br />
<br />
My tire wasn't deteriorating anymore as I kept speeds under 65 mph, which seemed plenty fast for Mexico. I was warned these Kenda K270s act a bit squirrly at full lean and they sure did. Since I hang off the bike in corners, I could keep it upright more and avoid this problem. My plan was to change it in the big city of Guadalajara.<br />
<br />
<br />
Next: <a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/11/ride-report-day-4_08.html">Day 4, Riding down to Batopilas, Copper Canyon</a><br />
<br><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/11/ride-report-index.html">Ride Report Index</a><br />
<br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00983689221832732908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200572996889053081.post-81495858515865764472007-10-18T15:39:00.001-05:002011-09-19T08:52:09.824-05:00Pictures: Day 14 - 18<b>Day 14 / Friday, October 5, 2007<br />
Start: Guanajuato City, Guanajuato, 8:30 am<br />
End: Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, 8:30 pm<br />
Mileage: 480</b><br />
<br />
<i><img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico538.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico538.jpg"/><br />
The city of Guanajuato with tunnels all through those mountains.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico540.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico540.jpg"/><br />
Going through an unexpected National Park on my way to the northern city of Monterrey.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico542.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico542.jpg"/><br />
The cliffs were very jagged and views were quite dramatic. The road was running in the valley of some narrow canyons.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico545.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico545.jpg"/><br />
The road was also very twisty and would be the last fun road to ride in Mexico for me.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico546.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico546.jpg"/><br />
Looking up at the jagged peaks.<br />
</i><br />
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<b>Day 15 / Saturday, October 6, 2007<br />
Start: Monterrey, Nuevo Leon<br />
End: Monterrey, Nuevo Leon<br />
Mileage: 0</b><br />
<i><br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico548.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico548.jpg"/><br />
Shopping for a new rear tire in Monterrey as my Kenda K270 was flat in some places after around 4500 miles.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico547.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico547.jpg"/><br />
The other side of the tire. I'm sure if I had been nice to the tire initially and not gone 80 mph on the highway it would've lasted the whole way back home. Look how much tread is left on those knobbies.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico550.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico550.jpg"/><br />
Checking to see if the Suzuki dealer has a tire in my size. One of the main streets in downtown Monterrey, Pino Suarez had about 3 motorcycle dealers. The Kawasaki dealer had the best selection of tires and I got a nice street-oriented tire for $70, similar to US prices.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico556.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico556.jpg"/><br />
Surprisingly we couldn't find a tire shop who wanted to change the tire for me. I could've done it, but it would've taken about 3 hours and am saving that for emergency situations. Moto Tecnica agreed to change the tire for $15.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico551.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico551.jpg"/><br />
The mechanics using proven techniques to break the bead of the old tire (using the kick stand of another bike to press down on the tire to remove it from the rim). I did the same thing when I was changing my tires at home.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico558.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico558.jpg"/><br />
I bet there's a Harley hidden in there somewhere… Note the Che sticker on the gray cabinet. These guys mentioned that they changed tires for another adventure rider who was heading for Argentina. Must be the same guy as before…<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico559.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico559.jpg"/><br />
Putting the final bit of air inside after puncturing and patching my tube during the install. I hoped it would last all the way back home.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico555.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico555.jpg"/><br />
Check out this old Ural (a Russian military motorcycle based on a 1941 BMW R71 motorcycle design).<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico553.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico553.jpg"/><br />
The tires were Made in the USSR. Wow, these tires are over 16 years old! I've never seen anything with a 'Made in USSR' stamp before... How cool.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico566.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico566.jpg"/><br />
The ranch house of my friend Cesar, where we relaxed and met with all of his extended family.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico570.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico570.jpg"/><br />
Reminded me of scenes from movies of old world Italian family gatherings, were the men sat at one table (drinking tequila), the women at another table and the kids on the side table. The food was fabulous; stewed lamb, pork and beef. And the Don Julio flowed like water...<br />
</i><br />
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<b>Day 16 / Sunday, October 7, 2007<br />
Start: Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, 9:00 am<br />
End: San Antonio, TX, 6:00 pm<br />
Mileage: 346</b><br />
<i><br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico585.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico585.jpg"/><br />
Arriving at tricepilot (Bob's) house in San Antonio from ADVrider.com. The border crossing back into the US was a breeze. Bob was following my trip report from the road and offered his place for me to crash at on my way back home. I always enjoy meeting other motorcyclists, cause we all have the same mindset no matter which walk of like we come from.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico582.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico582.jpg"/><br />
Bob and I. Bob's an ex-Air Force Colonel and has ridden to Mexico twice before and was going again in two weeks. He's in love with the country and asked how I managed to do the trip solo.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico577.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico577.jpg"/><br />
This was my response. All I needed for my Mexico trip was the Lonely Planet guide book (which had all the hotel and town info), the Guia Roji Mexico road atlas (used in planning the next day's route), my Spanish phrase book and my GPS with the Bicimapas Mexico maps.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico580.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico580.jpg"/><br />
The phrase book was invaluable to me. I listened to Spanish language audio CDs on the way down to the border, which taught me basic pronunciation and sentence structure and when used with the details of the phrase book, I did all right. Once I even managed to tell a hotel receptionist that the shower had no hot water. I was quite impressed that I could communicate that.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico572.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico572.jpg"/><br />
My trusty Garmin GPS 60Cx, which had the new Bicimapas Mexico maps with auto routing. The maps weren't 100% accurate but it was still a good tool to have especially in the big cities.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico574.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico574.jpg"/><br />
My new rear tire that I mounted in Monterrey, it's a more street-oriented tire for the highway riding.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico575.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico575.jpg"/><br />
The remains on my number plate, which I think broke off after Batopilas, early in the trip. I rode all over Mexico with no one bothering me about it and even rode from Mexico back to Chicago with no cops hassling me about it. Number plates must be overrated...<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico576.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico576.jpg"/><br />
The road rash and bruises from my low-side near Zihuatanejo on my elbow. There's no holes in my jacket, so I think this was caused by the friction as the road surface was quite rough. My jacket has foam armor in the forearm but this was the one place with no armor.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico583.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico583.jpg"/><br />
Enjoying a brew with Bob's brother, Joe.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico581.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico581.jpg"/><br />
And I arrived just in time for pizza!<br />
</i><br />
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<b>Day 17 / Monday, October 8, 2007<br />
Start: San Antonio, TX, 8:00 am<br />
End: Little Rock, AR, 8:00 pm<br />
Mileage: 560</b><br />
<i><br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico586.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico586.jpg"/><br />
Yeah, so that puncture and patch job those guys did on my tube while mounting the new tire in Monterrey… I don’t think it held up, cause the tire went flat south of Dallas. I'm pointing the opposite way because I had to find lower ground for my kick stand because it's too long if there's no air in the tire and the bike will fall over. I put Slime and pumped it back up, hoping it would hold.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico587.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico587.jpg"/><br />
Alas, the Slime was not going to help. This is the remains of the tube. It exploded in the tire and the Slime was just filling up inside the tire. I think the heat from running on the highway when the patch let go was the culprit.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico588.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071005_Mex14/Mexico588.jpg"/><br />
Luckily I found a Suzuki dealer right by the highway who got working on replacing my tube. I was prepared to do it myself, but was on a time crunch to make it back to Chicago.<br />
</i><br />
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<b>Day 18 / Tuesday, October 9, 2007<br />
Start: Little Rock, AR, 7:30 am<br />
End: Grayslake, IL, 9:30 pm<br />
Mileage: 730</b><br />
<br />
Home.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/10/picture-index.html">Picture Index</a><br />
<br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00983689221832732908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200572996889053081.post-58029107388586083422007-10-17T15:38:00.002-05:002011-09-19T08:51:48.615-05:00Pictures: Day 12 - 13<b>Day 12 / Wednesday, October 3, 2007<br />
Start: Zihuatanejo, Guerreo, 6:00 am<br />
End: Teotihuacan, Mexico State, 6:00 pm<br />
Mileage: 315</b><br />
<i><br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico454.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico454.jpg"/><br />
In the small town of Teotihuacan, just north of Mexico city. I was here to see some pyramids the next morning. This guy was providing some dinner music at the food market.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico455.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico455.jpg"/><br />
Locals enjoying some freshly made tasty dinner.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico456.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico456.jpg"/><br />
The food stall that I ate at. Various kinds of meat served with cilantro and onions. Simple and always good. Note the pineapple on top of the meat stand.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico457.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico457.jpg"/><br />
Dinner of some pork tacos with a slice of pineapple - Hawaiian Tacos?<br />
</i><br />
_______________________________________________________________<br />
<br />
<b>Day 13 / Thursday, October 4, 2007<br />
Start: Teotihuacan, Mexico State, 11:00 am<br />
End: Guanajuato City, Guanajuato, 6:00 pm<br />
Mileage: 281</b><br />
<i><br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico460.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico460.jpg"/><br />
The Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan. It was built around 2000 years ago and was possibly used for astronomy. I came at 7 am when the park opened and had the whole place to myself.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico463.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico463.jpg"/><br />
Climbing the steep steps to the top. It took only about 10 mins.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico464.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico464.jpg"/><br />
The view from the top, which is 246 ft from the bottom, making it the 3rd largest pyramid in the world.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico465.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico465.jpg"/><br />
Sun flare from the top.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico466.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico466.jpg"/><br />
The Pyramid of the Moon as seen from the Pyramid of the Sun.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico473.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico473.jpg"/><br />
Enjoying a peaceful moment at the top of the pyramid.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico474.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico474.jpg"/><br />
Climbing back down the steep steps.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico477.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico477.jpg"/><br />
No wonder it's called the Pyramid of the Sun…<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico479.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico479.jpg"/><br />
Taking a local bus back to my hotel as there were no cabs around. Cost $0.40.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico480.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico480.jpg"/><br />
Having breakfast at the food market again.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico481.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico481.jpg"/><br />
These are what they call Quesadillas in this part of Mexico. A thick flour tortilla with various meats and cheese.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico482.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico482.jpg"/><br />
She was making them super fast. The tortillas were being made fresh.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico483.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico483.jpg"/><br />
I had a Picadillo (meat with potatoes) and a Barbacoa (pork). The fried tortilla was really tasty.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico484.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico484.jpg"/><br />
All the various ingredients being used.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico486.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico486.jpg"/><br />
The picturesque mountain town of San Miguel de Allende.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico485.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico485.jpg"/><br />
It retains its colonial architecture along with the cobble-stoned streets. <br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico487.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico487.jpg"/><br />
Since the town is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, no traffic lights or modern buildings are allowed. Instead, lots of traffic police were at every major intersection.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico489.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico489.jpg"/><br />
The town had many old chapels, which must be at least 200 years old.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico492.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico492.jpg"/><br />
Chapel in San Miguel.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico493.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico493.jpg"/><br />
Chapel in San Miguel.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico494.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico494.jpg"/><br />
Lots of people were just milling about and relaxing around the water fountains and the many parks in the town.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico495.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico495.jpg"/><br />
Chapel in San Miguel.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico496.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico496.jpg"/><br />
All the stores use old houses as their store fronts, since they're not allowed to tear down any of the buildings. This old world charm is what attracts a lot of ex-pats to come and settle in San Miguel.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico498.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico498.jpg"/><br />
San Miguel.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico503.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico503.jpg"/><br />
Chapel in San Miguel in the main square.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico504.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico504.jpg"/><br />
The popular mode of transportation was two or small four-wheelers since the town is very hilly and the streets are narrow.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico506.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico506.jpg"/><br />
On the road to Guanajuato from San Miguel. A nice relaxing end-of-the-day ride.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico507.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico507.jpg"/><br />
The unique thing about the city of Guanajuato is their use of old mining shafts as street tunnels under the city, which is perched in the mountains. It is truly quite a maze and takes a while to get oriented.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico509.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico509.jpg"/><br />
Ahh, finally making it to my hostel, La Casa del Tio after going around in circles for over an hour trying to find it. I loved riding in Guanajuato, very unique experience.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico511.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico511.jpg"/><br />
The view from my room at one of the back streets, which leads into a tunnel.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico513.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico513.jpg"/><br />
It happened by chance that I was in town while a month long musical festival, Cervantino was taking place. The whole city was packed with people and lots of open-air musical acts were going on. A very festive atmosphere.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico514.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico514.jpg"/><br />
College kids bumming on the side walk. Guanajuato is also known for its university and corresponding percentage of young adults giving the city a more lively beat.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico516.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico516.jpg"/><br />
Guitar players waiting for a crowd to gather before performing their act.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico517.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico517.jpg"/><br />
Guanajuato is another UNESCO World Heritage Site, meaning all the old colonial buildings are protected.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico519.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico519.jpg"/><br />
A public camera display showing traffic all over the city, including the tunnels.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico520.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico520.jpg"/><br />
I went through this tunnel 3 times while trying to find my hostel. I think a few more days and I could have the city figured out.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico521.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico521.jpg"/><br />
A bunch of clowns dancing on stage. Not a very good act.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico522.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico522.jpg"/><br />
More like it, a reggae/ska band performing in a square. People were just gathering on the steps and enjoying the music. They even played a Spanish version of Bob Marley's Is This Love.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico523.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico523.jpg"/><br />
Crazy hair-do. The young kids around seemed typical of youth in the US or elsewhere; extremely baggy jeans, slouching, smoking, backpacks and large graphic t-shirts. Maybe this image comes from the movies…?<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico526.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico526.jpg"/><br />
Funny thing was that the power kept going out every 15 mins or so, which produced howls from the crowd. Maybe it was an overload on the city's power.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico527.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico527.jpg"/><br />
The band continued playing as soon as power returned to the guitars and mics.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico532.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico532.jpg"/><br />
This scene is great. Here's a guy totally into the moment who bust out crazy dancing every once in a while and on the other hand, there's a store owner who decides the steps need washing just as we're all sitting on the steps enjoying the concert.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico533.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico533.jpg"/><br />
The band played songs that the crowd seemed to know and this one energetic song got these bunch of guys to jump up and start frantically hitting each other. They calmed down when the song finished.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico534.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico534.jpg"/><br />
Lots of street performers were about for the crowds. Here's a girl who's a robot. Couldn't get a better picture as she kept approaching me and I ran out of change.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico535.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071003_Mex12/Mexico535.jpg"/><br />
The guitar players from before performing for a crowd with two couples dancing. Everyone seemed to know the routine, must be a well known dance.<br />
</i><br />
<br />
Next: <a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/10/pictures-day-14-18.html">Day 14 - 18, Monterrey, San Antonio and Home</a><br />
<br><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/10/picture-index.html">Picture Index</a><br />
<br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00983689221832732908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200572996889053081.post-46026356199364636572007-10-16T15:38:00.001-05:002011-09-19T08:51:19.351-05:00Pictures: Day 10 - 11<b>Day 10 / Monday, October 1, 2007<br />
Start: Guadalajara, Jalisco, 11:00 am<br />
End: Melaque, Jalisco, 3:15 pm<br />
Mileage: 205</b><br />
<i><br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico435.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico435.jpg"/><br />
Back down on the coast in the small town of Melaque, where I found this nice bungalow right on the beach for $28.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico434.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico434.jpg"/><br />
Special parking for auDRey.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico436.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico436.jpg"/><br />
A friend of the owner (a retired NASA JPL scientist) who's parked his RV right on the beach. Awesome.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico425.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico425.jpg"/><br />
Having some coconut water at the next door restaurant. Me likes coconut water.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico426.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico426.jpg"/><br />
The beach at Melaque. The bungalow I was staying at is by the Y-shaped concrete pillars.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico427.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico427.jpg"/><br />
Geometric patterns created in the sand by the retreating waves. <br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico428.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico428.jpg"/><br />
Geometric patterns created in the sand by the retreating waves. <br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico431.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico431.jpg"/><br />
Fishermen just using fishing poles and nets a few feet from shore. Lots of people were making small catches at dusk.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico433.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico433.jpg"/><br />
Having dinner at a food stand in the main square of Melaque. It's all so tasty and cost only about $0.40 a taco. The best thing was that I got no stomach problems throughout the whole trip.<br />
</i><br />
_______________________________________________________________<br />
<br />
<b>Day 11 / Tuesday, October 2, 2007<br />
Start: Melaque, Jalisco, 9:30 am<br />
End: Zihuatanejo, Guerreo, 7:00 pm<br />
Mileage: 315</b><br />
<i><br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico440.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico440.jpg"/><br />
Riding south along the Michoacan coast heading to Zihuatanejo.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico439.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico439.jpg"/><br />
Stopping for breakfast at a local food market. The birrieria owner said he served another motorcyclist 4years ago who was from Louisanna and was heading to Argentina.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico438.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico438.jpg"/><br />
Trying to eat as much Birria as I could before I left this region. Funny that they would depict the chef actually chasing the goat on their banner.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico437.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico437.jpg"/><br />
Goat meat (mutton) Birria. Soooo tasty. Need to figure out how to make it.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico441.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico441.jpg"/><br />
Dry ice delivery. If refrigeration isn't available everywhere, this is the best solution. Maybe being delivered to keep fish fresh.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico443.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico443.jpg"/><br />
This picture was taken by a military guard who was playing around with my camera. He also messed around with my GPS. I think they were just more curious than threatening. All the check points I went through were a breeze. I was waved through most of them just cause I was on a motorcycle. This was also the last picture to be taken with this camera as it would soon hit the pavement really hard.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico451.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico451.jpg"/><br />
That's the result of being run off the road by an on-coming pick up truck. I grabbed all the brake I could to avoid him and that caused the bike to wash away under from me and we both slid into the ditch. No damage to me besides a little road rash on my elbow and no damage to the bike. But the saddle bags took a beating and the inside wall tore off. I used bungee cords to make it functional. Oh well. Also, from now on, I could only use my cell phone's camera to take pictures. My digital camera was the only thing that didn't survive the crash.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico448.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico448.jpg"/><br />
Taking a break at one of the many deserted beach locations along the Michoacan coast. Miles and miles of untouched beach.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico449.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico449.jpg"/><br />
The picturesque Michoacan coastline.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico450.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico450.jpg"/><br />
auDRrey after a little tarmac surfing.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico452.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico452.jpg"/><br />
Lunch at a highway café of grilled beef with beans and avocado. The meat was tasty but quite tough.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico453.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/071001_Mex10/Mexico453.jpg"/><br />
Dinner in Zihuatanejo of grilled Mahi-mahi. It was the catch of the day with a special sauce. Very tasty. Cost was about $12.<br />
</i><br />
<br />
Next: <a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/10/pictures-day-12-13.html">Day 12 - 13, Teotihuacan to Guanajuato</a><br />
<br><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/10/picture-index.html">Picture Index</a><br />
<br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00983689221832732908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200572996889053081.post-90192166553825080542007-10-15T15:38:00.002-05:002011-09-19T08:50:55.705-05:00Pictures: Day 9<b>Day 9 / Sunday, September 30, 2007<br />
Start: Sayulita, Nayarit, 10:00 am<br />
End: Guadalajara, Jalisco, 7:30 pm<br />
Mileage: 242</b><br />
<br />
<i><img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico367.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico367.jpg"/><br />
Breakfast at the Choco Banana in the main square in Sayulita of French toast and bacon.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico370.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico370.jpg"/><br />
Taking a quick look at Puerto Vallarta, since I was so close. Nice place.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico371.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico371.jpg"/><br />
Looks very much like how a seaside town should be: coconut trees, cobble stone streets (a pain for motorcycles) and nice buildings too.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico372.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico372.jpg"/><br />
Enjoying some Birria on the way to Guadalajara. This is basically grilled pork stew, which was so tasty that I sought it out for the next couple meals. It's distinctive of this region. Very nice clay pot that it was served in.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico373.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico373.jpg"/><br />
A torch runner. Perhaps they were practicing for the next round of the Olympic torch run. The runner was following a van with other runners in there, who probably took turns with the torch. An ambulance and a police car followed. They were also holding up traffic for a mile or more.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico380.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico380.jpg"/><br />
Amidst all the green mountains, I saw lots of these sharp edged black rocks… perhaps they're volcanic in nature coming from hot magma (Austin Powers). But Mexico is known to have some active volcanos as it's part of the Pacific Ring of Fire.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico381.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico381.jpg"/><br />
Two wheels - transportation for the whole family. Forget helmets and safety gear, if you can get on, hold on. I must've looked like someone from space with all my safety gear on.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico382.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico382.jpg"/><br />
Blue Agave fields indicating that I was getting close to the town of Tequila.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico383.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico383.jpg"/><br />
This stuff was growing everywhere in these hills.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico384.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico384.jpg"/><br />
It takes 10 years for the plant to mature before it can be made into Tequila, so lots of it is planted all over the place.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico385.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico385.jpg"/><br />
Some twisties near the town of tequila.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico386.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico386.jpg"/><br />
Damn, that's a lot of tequila in storage there.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico388.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico388.jpg"/><br />
The trucks off-loading the pinas (the heart of the Blue Agave plant, which is used to make tequila).<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico389.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico389.jpg"/><br />
The Jose Cuervo distillery in downtown Tequila. I was here to take a tour of the site.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico390.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico390.jpg"/><br />
The distillery is on the left side here with lots of nice restaurants and cafes flanking the other side.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico407.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico407.jpg"/><br />
Tequillllllla!<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico391.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico391.jpg"/><br />
Pinas with the characteristic blue leaves shopped off. This is how they were delivered from the fields back in the day.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico392.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico392.jpg"/><br />
Touring the Cuervo facility.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico396.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico396.jpg"/><br />
A fleet of old Ford trucks that were used in the distribution of the finished product. Just like Whiskey or any good liquor, its success is partly down to its distribution.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico406.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico406.jpg"/><br />
Some of the tools used to harvest the Blue Agave plant.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico395.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico395.jpg"/><br />
The pinas after being cooked in the ovens for 36 hours. I think it's cooked to release the sugars in the juice.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico397.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico397.jpg"/><br />
After fermentation, it is distilled twice.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico398.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico398.jpg"/><br />
Distillation tanks.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico401.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico401.jpg"/><br />
Pieces of the Blue Agave plant after being cooked in the ovens. These were samples for people on the tour. It's not bad, a caramel flavor, but you have to spit out the leaves.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico404.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico404.jpg"/><br />
Our tour guide giving us samples of product that either wasn't distilled fully or wasn't diluted yet. It tasted like pure ethanol (like Ever Clear). <br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico408.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico408.jpg"/><br />
Tequila being aged in wooden barrels. The final product determines how long the Blanco Tequila is to be aged.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico409.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico409.jpg"/><br />
The full Cuervo product range. The Especial is their lowest quality (and biggest seller) and has only 51% agave instead of 100% like the other products offered.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico410.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico410.jpg"/><br />
Pouring shots of their top of the line brand, 1800. We were sampling the 3 year aged Tequila, which tastes really smooth and nice.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico411.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico411.jpg"/><br />
'We are not responsible if you have to drive after this…'<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico413.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico413.jpg"/><br />
Left to Right: 3 year, 2 year and 1 year aged Tequila.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico414.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico414.jpg"/><br />
I should've swiped a barrel and strapped it to the bike. I could've even used it as fuel…<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico415.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico415.jpg"/><br />
Special reserve Tequila that's being aged a long while in the cool cellar below the main distillery.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico416.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico416.jpg"/><br />
I'm not sure if those are actual pinas or bottled Tequila from more than a 100 years ago.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico417.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico417.jpg"/><br />
Ending the tour in the cellar. The tour is in Spanish but I could follow along and understand the basics. It cost $10 and you even get a small really tasty margarita at the bar at the end.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico393.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico393.jpg"/><br />
The domes from the cellar sticking out above ground.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico419.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico419.jpg"/><br />
The chapel in the main square of the town of Tequila.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico420.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico420.jpg"/><br />
The broad avenues of the big city of Guadalajara. I was here to find a dealer to change my rear tire, then head back down to the coast.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico422.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico422.jpg"/><br />
Something you don't find in the US is pizzas being delivered by motorcycles. Happens in India too.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico424.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070930_Mex9/Mexico424.jpg"/><br />
My hotel, Hostal de Maria near the main square of Guadalajara for $14. Very clean and a laundry load cost $4. They also had free internet.<br />
</i><br />
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Next: <a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/10/pictures-day-10-11.html">Day 10 - 11, Melaque and Zihuatanejo</a><br />
<br><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/10/picture-index.html">Picture Index</a><br />
<br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00983689221832732908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200572996889053081.post-60126475650646327872007-10-14T15:37:00.002-05:002011-09-19T08:50:34.786-05:00Pictures: Day 7 - 8<b>Day 7 / Friday, September 28, 2007<br />
Start: Mazatlan, Sinaloa, 10:15 am<br />
End: Sayulita, Nayarit, 6:30 pm<br />
Mileage: 273</b><br />
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<i><img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico289.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico289.jpg"/><br />
The 3 little uninhabited islands just off the coast of Mazatlan. I think you can take day trips there for snorkeling and what not.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico290.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico290.jpg"/><br />
Mermaid statue on the main boulevard by the beach<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico291.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico291.jpg"/><br />
These fisherman had just caught some fish and were gutting them right there on the beach. They invited me to share the Ceviche that they were going to make. They also asked for money for tortillas. The smallest note I had was 50 pesos, and they rejoiced with duping me out of my money. Oh well...<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico293.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico293.jpg"/><br />
Lots of older people were going for a nice morning dip. Some were even wearing full wet suits. Must be refreshing in the morning.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico294.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico294.jpg"/><br />
A nice Renegade motorcycle parking on the beach.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico295.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico295.jpg"/><br />
The fishing must be that good if you don't even need a boat.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico296.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico296.jpg"/><br />
A shot of the beach at Old Mazatlan. My hotel was a block inside.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico297.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico297.jpg"/><br />
Pelicans and other birds waiting for the scrapped fish from the morning catches.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico288.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico288.jpg"/><br />
Breakfast in a little café by the beach. I read in the guide book that instant coffee is easier to find than brewed coffee in Mexico, same as in other developing countries.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico298.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico298.jpg"/><br />
Random Motorola logo being using for a car audio company… Motorola actually started off with car radios.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico301.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico301.jpg"/><br />
On Hwy 15 heading south towards the small town of Sayulita, north of Puerto Vallarta. The coastline in this part is defined by wetlands.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico302.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico302.jpg"/><br />
Getting a construction escort around some paving machines. Nice to see new tarmac on many of the roads that I rode.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico304.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico304.jpg"/><br />
Shrimp drying by the road side.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico306.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico306.jpg"/><br />
These girls were promoting certain oil products and performed the full service jobs of filling gas and cleaning the windows. Reminded me of a bikini bike wash minus the bikinis and the bikes.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico307.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico307.jpg"/><br />
Bus stopping on a crowded highway to load passengers. But what to do, there's no shoulders by the road.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico308.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico308.jpg"/><br />
Traffic backing up for a mile or more waiting for one way bridge traffic up ahead. I found his neon green Civic with rims to be out of place. And stereotypically it was driven by an Asian… in Mexico.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico309.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico309.jpg"/><br />
There were no real police cars away from the big cities and I mainly came across these public security trucks. Not sure if they were enforcing the speed or not. But I guess with all the crazy over taking that they were doing, it was all good.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico313.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico313.jpg"/><br />
Finally on Hwy 200, the coastal highway heading towards Sayulita. I liked the mix between thick jungles and palm trees. The coast was only a mile or so away, but the jungle and the mountains continue to the coast.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico310.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico310.jpg"/><br />
This somehow embodies what Central America would seem like to me: thick jungles with mountains and low cloud cover. It was lightly raining too.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico314.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico314.jpg"/><br />
At least they had a red flag on the end of the sticks, but how were they secured? I didn't hang around to find out.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico315.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico315.jpg"/><br />
San Blas, a little sleepy town on the coast.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico316.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico316.jpg"/><br />
Having lunch at a restaurant by the seaside. This was clearly low-season with a few random patrons.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico317.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico317.jpg"/><br />
But they made a cracking spicy shrimp dish with fries. Tasty.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico319.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico319.jpg"/><br />
The beach not looking that inviting with storm clouds about, but still nice to be near water.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico320.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico320.jpg"/><br />
The coconut trees told me I was close to shore but I didn't see much of it as the road was a little inland.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico323.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico323.jpg"/><br />
This was how the road basically looked heading towards Sayulita. Closely cropped thick jungles coming right up to the road, which had no shoulders. But the pavement quality was good. There was also heavy traffic heading to Puerto Vallarta, probably people from Guadalajara.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico327.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico327.jpg"/><br />
Hwy 200 to Sayulita<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico329.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico329.jpg"/><br />
Hwy 200 to Sayulita<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico330.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico330.jpg"/><br />
The little town of San Francisco, just north of Sayulita. I was told that if Sayulita was too crowded, this was a bit more sleepy town. I didn't really find much in terms of hotels or a main strip.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico333.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico333.jpg"/><br />
Ah, I had finally made it to Sayulita and more precisely to the El Camaron Campground. <br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico363.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico363.jpg"/><br />
This is the main office and the bar right on the beach. The campground is run by a really nice family and they told me this place was a surfers paradise in the winter time with tents pitched all over the site.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico335.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico335.jpg"/><br />
Enjoying a refreshing Mango Margarita…<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico336.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico336.jpg"/><br />
The beach<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico332.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico332.jpg"/><br />
The campsite. How awesome.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico337.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico337.jpg"/><br />
I saw lots of these birds who were fishing. They would fly high and then swoop down to the water and try and catch fish.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico338.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico338.jpg"/><br />
I've always wanted to see a sunset on a nice beach… <br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico340.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico340.jpg"/><br />
Nature's canvas of colors are just beautiful.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico362.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico362.jpg"/><br />
One of the palapas (beach hut) right on the beach.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico331.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico331.jpg"/><br />
I stayed in this lovely little palapa for $20 a night. It was so nice that I decided to stay two nights and take a day off from riding.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico344.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico344.jpg"/><br />
It was simply a hut with a ceiling fan, bed with mosquito net and a hammock. Awesome.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico341.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico341.jpg"/><br />
The bed with the mosquito net.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico345.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico345.jpg"/><br />
The hammock in the palapa.<br />
</i><br />
_______________________________________________________________<br />
<br />
<b>Day 8 / Saturday, September 29, 2007<br />
Start: Sayulita, Nayarit<br />
End: Sayulita, Nayarit<br />
Mileage: 0</b><br />
<i><br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico351.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico351.jpg"/><br />
The quaint little town of Sayulita. Lots of foreigners around (since I'm brown, I was considered to be Mexican by everyone).<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico350.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico350.jpg"/><br />
There were lots of real estates offices in town as the gringos were buying up all the beach front houses and over-valuing property (according to one local).<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico349.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico349.jpg"/><br />
The recently opened Burrito Revolution run by friendly Antonio and Patty.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico353.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico353.jpg"/><br />
This place has awesome burritos, with fillings like marlin, shrimp and the usual chicken and steak. The sauces they used were banging. Great atmosphere too.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico354.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico354.jpg"/><br />
The chef (forgot his name), great guy, moved down here from Guadalajara.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico358.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico358.jpg"/><br />
This place just opened in the low season and business is already doing great. They can't wait for the high winter season to start. Good people.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico355.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico355.jpg"/><br />
Some of the signs at Burrito Revolution.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico356.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico356.jpg"/><br />
Some of the signs at Burrito Revolution.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico357.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico357.jpg"/><br />
I saw these two adventure riders from Canada pull into town. The guy up front is doing it the right way by bringing along a new rear tire. They had Alberta plates.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico361.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070928_Mex7/Mexico361.jpg"/><br />
A neglected dune buggy racer. How cool.<br />
</i><br />
<br />
Next: <a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/10/pictures-day-9.html">Day 9, Touring Tequila and Guadalajara</a><br />
<br><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/10/picture-index.html">Picture Index</a><br />
<br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00983689221832732908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200572996889053081.post-73339760174221920692007-10-13T15:37:00.002-05:002011-09-19T08:50:14.224-05:00Pictures: Day 6<b>Day 6 / Thursday, September 27, 2007<br />
Start: Hidalgo del Parral, Chihuahua, 8:30 am<br />
End: Mazatlan, Culiacan, 7:30 pm<br />
Mileage: 457</b><br />
<br />
<i><img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico230.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico230.jpg"/><br />
Breakfast at the same 24 hr café. Didn’t really want eggs today, so some Barbacoa (pulled BBQ pork) tacos it was. Simple, but always good.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico234.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico234.jpg"/><br />
On the highway between Hidalgo del Parral and Durango. These yellow flowers went well with the bright blue sky.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico237.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico237.jpg"/><br />
On the highway between Hidalgo del Parral and Durango. <br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico239.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico239.jpg"/><br />
Looks like there's a fine even green carpet laid over these mountains.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico241.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico241.jpg"/><br />
Some bridge construction.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico242.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico242.jpg"/><br />
Crossing the 10,000 mile mark on auDRey. I picked her up used last November with around 4,000 miles on her.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico243.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico243.jpg"/><br />
A nice lake on the highway between Hidalgo del Parral and Durango. <br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico244.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico244.jpg"/><br />
The highway hugged the lake for a while, making for a nice ride.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico245.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico245.jpg"/><br />
Stopping for lunch at a road-side food stall for Gorditas (not related to what Taco Bell serves in anyway). These were more like stuffed pita bread pouches. I had the Picadillo, some shredded pork with small potato chunks, very tasty. And of course, Coke. Did you know that Mexicans consume the most Coke per person in the world! I saw people drinking it even at breakfast. And bottled Coke tastes so much better.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico254.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico254.jpg"/><br />
The Espinoza Diablo! The famed Hwy 40 from Durango to Mazatlan where the road twists and winds from 9,000 ft down to sea level over 150 miles. It's usually fogged in during the afternoons and the section that's actually called the Devil's Spine is where the road runs on a ridge with drop offs on both sides. What a thrill to ride.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico255.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico255.jpg"/><br />
Twisties in the mist.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico263.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico263.jpg"/><br />
Distracting scenery also adds a danger to this ride. Amazing views. Couldn't find too many safe places to stop and take pictures.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico264.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico264.jpg"/><br />
There was rain, sun and fog, constantly changing back and forth.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico276.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico276.jpg"/><br />
The scariest part is hoping a massive semi-truck isn't coming the other way. There is lots of truck traffic on this road, which limits how fast you can ride it.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico277.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico277.jpg"/><br />
The thick forest and the heavy fog gave the road a little mystical aura.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico279.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico279.jpg"/><br />
Down there, past all these mountain ranges is Mazatlan on the coast. Was rushing a bit to get done with the twisties before dark.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico280.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico280.jpg"/><br />
A few last turns on the way down. The road surface was excellent for the most part.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico299.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico299.jpg"/><br />
Stayed at Hotel Mexico in Old Mazatlan for $10. Was again the only guest at the hotel. This is low season for Mexico.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico300.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico300.jpg"/><br />
And I got to park the bike in a little garage below the hotel for free. How nice of them.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico281.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico281.jpg"/><br />
The room definitely matched its price. It was ragged but clean enough. The curtains were dusty, yes, and there was no A/C, but I survived with the ceiling fan.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico283.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico283.jpg"/><br />
Not the cleanest of bathrooms, but what do you expect for 100 pesos, eh?<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico285.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico285.jpg"/><br />
Dinner at Mariscos El Camichin, right on the beach, recommended by the Lonely Planet guide book. The breeze from the ocean was blowing through the open-air setup. Fantastic.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico284.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico284.jpg"/><br />
I had the Fillete Zarandeado, a grilled fish with peppers, tomatoes and onions. It was super tasty and cost only about $12.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico286.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070927_Mex6/Mexico286.jpg"/><br />
Taking a little walk after dinner on the beach. It was a long day and a tiring one, but the ride on the Espinoza Diablo is one of the best roads I've ridden. Well worth it.<br />
</i> <br />
<br />
Next: <a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/10/pictures-day-7-8.html">Day 7 - 8, Sayulita on the Pacific Coast</a><br />
<br><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/10/picture-index.html">Picture Index</a><br />
<br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00983689221832732908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200572996889053081.post-16924648785254735002007-10-12T15:37:00.002-05:002011-09-19T08:49:51.596-05:00Pictures: Day 5<b>Day 5 / Wednesday, September 26, 2007<br />
Start: Batopilas, Chihuahuaa, 9:00 am<br />
End: Hidalgo del Parral, Chihuahua, 6:00 pm<br />
Mileage: 174</b><br />
<br />
<i><img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico141.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico141.jpg"/><br />
Waiting for the sleepy town of Batopilas to wake up so that I could get some breakfast. Looks like a few others were waiting for Dona Micas to open, as well.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico143.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico143.jpg"/><br />
Breakfast: some Heuvos con Chorizo (scrambled eggs with spicy Mexican sausage), Chile Relleno (big green chilly filled with cheese and deep fried), Frijoles (refried beans) and some Quesadillas (cheese in tortillas). Excellent way to start the day!<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico142.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico142.jpg"/><br />
Nice map of the whole Copper Canyon region under the table mat. Sorry for the poor quality.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico145.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico145.jpg"/><br />
Heading out of Batopilas back up the canyon to Hwy 127 and onwards to Hidalgo del Parral. Note the succession of canyons and their fainter shade of green.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico146.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico146.jpg"/><br />
The easy part of the road.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico148.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico148.jpg"/><br />
Very steep rock faces<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico149.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico149.jpg"/><br />
Nice place for a picture, but hoping there was no on-coming traffic, which is quite rare.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico151.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico151.jpg"/><br />
Are those some canyons or what.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico153.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico153.jpg"/><br />
Looks like a few too many cervezas were consumed when cutting this path, looks a bit slanted. Note the face in the rock, the nose is sticking out.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico155.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico155.jpg"/><br />
And there were mountain goats hobbling about, who got scared as I roared by. Sorry.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico156.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico156.jpg"/><br />
auDRey heading out of Batopilas.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico157.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico157.jpg"/><br />
That's some rough terrain.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico158.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico158.jpg"/><br />
I thought going uphill would be easier (as it is on pavement for me), but one slip on a loose rock and you could lose momentum, possibly leading to a tip over and like here, there's no guard rails anywhere. That's why we come to ride this road…<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico160.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico160.jpg"/><br />
The uphill hair pins were quite challenging and I stalled the bike a few times trying to get over some big rocks.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico162.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico162.jpg"/><br />
All done with the tough riding and was impressed with myself that I didn't fall even once. Yeah.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico163.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico163.jpg"/><br />
The rear tire was holding up just fine and no new knobbies had fallen off, meaning I was good to go down to Guadalajara and try and get a new tire.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico166.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico166.jpg"/><br />
Towards the end of the trail, there was lots of construction going on and looks like they plan to make this a smoother road as there's only one road into and out of Batopilas for all supplies and people.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico167.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico167.jpg"/><br />
I was so thrilled to see the toys that I played with as a kid in the mud being used in real life. I've never seen Caterpillar trucks this big being used in their intended environment. Look at the person on the right to get a size comparison. Wow. It was fun having the dump truck pass real close by... not.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico168.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico168.jpg"/><br />
The detour around the last part of the road. Note how they just turned the sign to the village upside down to have it point in the right direction. Excellent.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico169.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico169.jpg"/><br />
The detour sign that I missed on my way to Batopilas. I wonder why the town names are written backwards... So you can see it properly in your mirror…?<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico170.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico170.jpg"/><br />
Ahhh, putting much needed petrol and air back in my tires. I reduced the air pressure for the dirt road to get better grip. From now on, it would only be pavement riding. I carried my own little air compressor running off the bike's battery to also help when fixing tire punctures.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico172.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico172.jpg"/><br />
The beautifully twisting Hwy 127 heading toward Hidalgo del Parral. The road conditions were excellent and the corners were marked very well. There's no suggested speed signs, but it's easy to get into the rhythm of the road and know how much to slow down.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico173.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico173.jpg"/><br />
Nice sweepers and the temps were a bit cooler as I was back up to near 7000 ft.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico176.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico176.jpg"/><br />
Lunch near Guachochi. Very nice and clean highway restaurant.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico175.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico175.jpg"/><br />
Spicy beef in a gravy with rice and corn and beans. Good food.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico178.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico178.jpg"/><br />
More excellent riding on Hwy 127.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico179.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico179.jpg"/><br />
More excellent riding on Hwy 127.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico189.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico189.jpg"/><br />
The scenery changed as the road approached the bigger Hwy 24. We left the pine forests for more simple flora.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico192.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico192.jpg"/><br />
What a view.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico196.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico196.jpg"/><br />
Looks like somewhere in Scotland…<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico198.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico198.jpg"/><br />
Looks like somewhere in Scotland…<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico199.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico199.jpg"/><br />
Excellent riding on Hwy 127.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico200.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico200.jpg"/><br />
Excellent riding on Hwy 127.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico202.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico202.jpg"/><br />
The road goes off to the left and sweeps back around. The views are quite distracting.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico204.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico204.jpg"/><br />
Since they really couldn't put any speed bumps on the highways to slow down traffic before dangerous turns, they've resorted to using painted white lines to get the driver's attention before dangerous turns.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico231.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico231.jpg"/><br />
Made it to Hotel Acosta in Hidalgo del Parral, which is right next to the main square, Plaza Principal.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico232.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico232.jpg"/><br />
It started raining just as I got there and the owner told me to bring my bike in to the lobby. How nice of them. I was also the only guest at the hotel.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico206.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico206.jpg"/><br />
My decent room for $22.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico207.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico207.jpg"/><br />
Clean bathrooms, although there was no hot water initially, which they fixed by the time I came back from dinner.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico214.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico214.jpg"/><br />
The view of the streets from my room.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico215.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico215.jpg"/><br />
Talk about a room with a view. The sunset was quite dramatic as it has just rained and the clouds were retreating. The city just seemed to crawl up onto the mountain side.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico217.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico217.jpg"/><br />
Sunset pictures are always nice.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico219.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico219.jpg"/><br />
The Plaza Principal.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico221.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico221.jpg"/><br />
A chapel near the plaza.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico222.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico222.jpg"/><br />
A Suzuki GS500, just like my first bike. Nice to see a real sized bike as most everything else on two wheels is primarily for transportation sporting around 100 cc engines.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico224.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico224.jpg"/><br />
A little courtyard that was open to the public that had some nice gardens. I think it was part of a museum.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico225.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico225.jpg"/><br />
Cowboy Boots. And what a crazy variety of them. There were quite a few boot stores and I'm sure a custom shoe could be made.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico226.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico226.jpg"/><br />
The prices were not even that bad for custom made cowboy boots (divide by 10 for US prices).<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico227.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico227.jpg"/><br />
Had dinner at a 24 hr café, which was the only place that I had tortilla chips with dinner throughout my whole trip. There were nice thick chips with fresh butter and green salsa.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico228.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico228.jpg"/><br />
Chicken Flautas (small fried stuffed tortillas) layered with ham on top (?). Didn't know if I was supposed to eat the ham with the flautas or separately… It all went down anyways.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico229.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070926_Mex5/Mexico229.jpg"/><br />
The view from the terrace of the hotel looking down at the plaza.<br />
</i><br />
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Next: <a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/10/pictures-day-6.html">Day 6, Riding the Espinoza Diablo to Mazatlan</a><br />
<br><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/10/picture-index.html">Picture Index</a><br />
<br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00983689221832732908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200572996889053081.post-16872506885922067612007-10-11T15:35:00.002-05:002011-09-19T08:49:23.370-05:00Pictures: Day 4<b>Day 4 / Tuesday, September 25, 2007<br />
Start: Creel, Chihuahua, 11:00 am<br />
End: Batopilas, Chihuahua, 5:30 pm<br />
Mileage: 92</b><br />
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<i><img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico045.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico045.jpg"/><br />
The courtyard of Hotel Margaritas.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico048.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico048.jpg"/><br />
An awesome turn on Hwy 127 heading to the Batopilas turn off.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico049.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico049.jpg"/><br />
Rock formations from Hwy 127.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico050.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico050.jpg"/><br />
Rock formations from Hwy 127. Can you see a face on the rocks in the middle? Enchanted.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico051.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico051.jpg"/><br />
Awesome twisties. Note the beautiful road surface. Looks like it was recently paved.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico052.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico052.jpg"/><br />
Rock formations from Hwy 127.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico054.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico054.jpg"/><br />
The winding, twisting road of Hwy 127.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico055.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico055.jpg"/><br />
Hwy 127<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico056.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico056.jpg"/><br />
The turn off from Hwy 127 to the town of Batopilas deep down in Copper Canyon. I would be dropping about 6000 ft over 40 miles of crazy dirt road with hair pins and no guard rails. This road to Batopilas is famed in the adventure riding community and here I was about to embark on it. I was super excited.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico057.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico057.jpg"/><br />
But first thing I see are construction signs. I hoped this wouldn't block the road or delay the journey.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico061.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico061.jpg"/><br />
I missed a detour sign and went a couple miles towards the town of Guguachique over some really challenging terrain for me and was worried I wouldn’t make it to Batopilas before sundown if it was this difficult the whole way. Luckily a local pointed me in the right direction and here I find myself on the right road with some tough road conditions where this truck got stuck. Not too bad for a bike though.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico060.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico060.jpg"/><br />
Arrrgh, a water crossing up ahead. Just kidding, this was the extent of the water crossings on this road, just big puddles. The other road to Guguachique has some more significant water crossings, bigger streams.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico064.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico064.jpg"/><br />
Enjoying the flat smooth road while it lasted because I knew it would get very challenging up ahead. There was no real spot for lunch, so granola bars it was with Gatorade.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico065.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico065.jpg"/><br />
Amazing that he was using crutches on a dirt road, where one misplaced footing and he would fall. He stopped to watch me as I ate my granola bar, so I offered him one and he accepted.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico069.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico069.jpg"/><br />
Copper Canyon! The view from the little rest stop before plunging down into the canyon. The little dirt roads on the bottom of the picture is where I'm heading.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico070.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico070.jpg"/><br />
I've seen this picture before from previous ride reports.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico071.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico071.jpg"/><br />
auDRey taking a break and cooling down before the set of hair pins up ahead.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico075.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico075.jpg"/><br />
The rest stop ledge at the top of the canyon.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico073.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico073.jpg"/><br />
I was super thrilled to have made it this far with no issues and my confidence in dirt riding was growing by the minute. Prior to this, I had only ridden a few dirt roads in Mississippi and some in New Mexico.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico076.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico076.jpg"/><br />
That down there is the famed Batopilas bridge where the tough part of this road is done with.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico077.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico077.jpg"/><br />
The awesomely scary (to me) hair pins. One slip and I would've found a short cut to the bottom. It wasn't that bad, but my pulse was racing.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico078.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico078.jpg"/><br />
What makes this ride more demanding is all this stunning scenery, plus stopping to take photos of it all. I think this rock formation is called the Seven Steps.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico080.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico080.jpg"/><br />
My view. What was challenging was having to pay attention to every rock (some were small boulders) on the road and choosing the path to take that would upset the bike the least. I was also recording all this with my helmet camera.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico081.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico081.jpg"/><br />
Admiring the work it took to make this road.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico082.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico082.jpg"/><br />
Was thinking that if I had a big dune buggy, it'd be easier to just go straight down the mountain…<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico084.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico084.jpg"/><br />
Making my way towards the bridge after surviving the hair-pins.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico087.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico087.jpg"/><br />
The Bridge. I was now more than half-way to Batopilas on this road. Still around a further 14 miles to go. The question is whether to ride the parallel beams or the middle part. I thought the middle part would be less sturdy for some reason, so rode the parallel beams, which ended up moving my front tire along the cracks.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico088.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico088.jpg"/><br />
auDRey at the Bridge.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico090.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico090.jpg"/><br />
auDRey at the Bridge.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico093.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico093.jpg"/><br />
Took a little break and climbed down to the river to check it out.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico092.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico092.jpg"/><br />
Nice little river falls and it was a little cooler down here.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico094.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico094.jpg"/><br />
A random shack at La Buffa scenic overlook.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico095.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico095.jpg"/><br />
Don't know what was so special about La Buffa scenic overlook. I found more dramatic views elsewhere…<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico096.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico096.jpg"/><br />
La Buffa<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico097.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico097.jpg"/><br />
Note the road winding off into the distance along the canyon walls. What a spectacular ride. I was very impressed with the views and the thrill from the road.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico100.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico100.jpg"/><br />
auDRrey heading to Batopilas.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico102.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico102.jpg"/><br />
There were a few pull-outs to stop and enjoy the scenery, but not many. Or maybe they're actually used for letting opposing traffic pass.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico103.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico103.jpg"/><br />
auDRrey heading to Batopilas.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico105.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico105.jpg"/><br />
What a road…<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico108.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico108.jpg"/><br />
It looks like the Mama rock is looking down on baby rock… (I was not hallucinating; don't they look similar?)<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico109.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico109.jpg"/><br />
Heading towards Batopilas in the late afternoon isn't ideal as the difference between being in the light and being in the shade was quite dramatic, especially with a tinted shield. But the road now was generally more flat and less challenging.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico110.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico110.jpg"/><br />
A foot bridge across the river.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico111.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico111.jpg"/><br />
Looks like he had massive understeer or brake failure. I'm surprised they've just left the truck there, maybe as a lesson to slow down.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico112.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico112.jpg"/><br />
A little shrine to honor lost ones due to road accidents. These were all over the road, especially in dangerous corners. Seems like lots of people have lost their life on this road. And there were quite a few paintings on rocks with "Vivo Christo" (Christ Lives). I guess traveling on this road makes believers out of people.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico114.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico114.jpg"/><br />
The road near to Batopilas, which is more flat and easier to ride. Was even up to 3rd gear after hobbling in 1st and 2nd the whole afternoon.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico115.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico115.jpg"/><br />
One last awesome rock outcrop before heading into Batopilas.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico126.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico126.jpg"/><br />
Heading towards the main square in Batopilas.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico122.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico122.jpg"/><br />
The town square, Zocolo in Spanish.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico123.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico123.jpg"/><br />
The main street near the town square.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico121.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico121.jpg"/><br />
My hotel, Casa Real de Minas, run by a real nice guy, Martin who has welcomed many previous adventure motorcyclists.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico137.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico137.jpg"/><br />
He even provided some secure parking for my bike.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico119.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico119.jpg"/><br />
The courtyard of Casa Real de Minas. Very classic setting.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico117.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico117.jpg"/><br />
My nicely decorated room for $35, which came with A/C but no TV (which wasn't missed).<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico118.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico118.jpg"/><br />
Clean bathrooms.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico124.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico124.jpg"/><br />
After a quick shower, I took a walk around the town. The local chapel.<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico125.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico125.jpg"/><br />
Indigenous people of this region, the Tarahamura. They are generally very shy and it's recommended that you ask before taking a photo, which I did.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico127.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico127.jpg"/><br />
Walking towards the edge of town…<br />
<br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico128.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico128.jpg"/><br />
I noticed this girl who was cautiously crossing the river. The bridge was about a 10 min walk away. I think this river is mainly fed by rain fall and its height probably changes throughout the year, allowing for river crossings as the level drops.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico129.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico129.jpg"/><br />
A mural on the school's playground showing a Tarahamura child playing, studying and being cultured with regular Mexican kids. That's the local dress of the Tarahamura men. I think they face some of the assimilation issues the Native Americans endured in the US or any other indigenous people face in other countries.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico130.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico130.jpg"/><br />
Kids playing soccer. Gooooooooal!<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico131.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico131.jpg"/><br />
My dinner at Dona Micas, which is basically the front porch of their house with a few tables. <br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico132.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico132.jpg"/><br />
I'm sitting in their porch and that's the kitchen right there. Talk about a home cooked meal.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico133.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico133.jpg"/><br />
I asked what was for dinner and she said Carne something (steak), which sounded good and tasted awesome. My Spanish is very limited, but I managed with my phrase book. Dinner was about $5. And note all the business cards under the table cover of all previous patrons. Lots of various rider organizations had been there, various BMW dealers and tour operators from around Mexico and Central America. I duly left my card there too.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico134.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico134.jpg"/><br />
Just a picture of a little supermarket where you give your list of items to the store keeper and they get the items for you, just like back in the day or in any less developed part of the world. Higher efficiency brought about the modern super markets where the customers get their own items.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico135.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico135.jpg"/><br />
The town square at night. People were sitting along the benches and just taking it easy.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico139.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico139.jpg"/><br />
The ornate benches lined around the town square.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico140.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico140.jpg"/><br />
Not sure what this place is but looks like it was decorated for the recent Independence Day celebrations of Mexico (Sept 16).<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico136.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070925_Mex4/Mexico136.jpg"/><br />
La Valencia, which was the only place to get a cold beer (cerveza fria) and relish that I had made it down to Batopilas successfully. Now for the ride back up tomorrow morning…<br />
</i><br />
<br />
Next: <a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/10/pictures-day-5.html">Day 5, Riding up from Batopilas and on to Hidalgo del Parral</a><br />
<br><br />
<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/10/picture-index.html">Picture Index</a><br />
<br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00983689221832732908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200572996889053081.post-13694905819708083182007-10-10T09:32:00.002-05:002011-09-19T08:48:26.519-05:00Pictures: Day 1 - 3<b>Day 1 / Saturday, September 22, 2007<br />
Start: Grayslake, IL, 4:20 am<br />
End: Texarkana, AR, 9:30 pm<br />
Mileage: 847 miles</b><br />
<br />
<i><img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico001a.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico001a.jpg"/><br />
auDRey, my 2004 Suzuki DR650SE getting prepped in the garage before leaving.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico001b.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico001b.jpg"/><br />
My dash view. Left to right: Digi Cam, GPS, Camcorder and Radar Detector.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico001d.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico001d.jpg"/><br />
Lunch in Arkansas. I love the South, cause they usually have fried chicken gizzards in cafes attached to gas stations. Mmmmm… and of course Pomegranate Energy Drink; it has juice, must be healthy.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico001g.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico001g.jpg"/><br />
Disaster on the first day - I was going too fast on the highway for my knobby tires (Kenda K270) and some knobs got sheared off while others were starting to shear. I thought this being a 50 street/50 dirt tire it would handle the highway ok. But I guess 80 mph is too much for it. I slowed down to 65 for the rest of the trip and it survived for another 4000 miles.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico004.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico004.jpg"/><br />
This knob was starting to shear, but held up after reducing speed.<br />
</i><br />
_______________________________________________________________<br />
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<b>Day 2 / Sunday, September 23, 2007<br />
Start: Texarkana, AR, 5:30 am<br />
End: Presidio, TX, 9:30 pm<br />
Mileage: 771</b><br />
<i><br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico006.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico006.jpg"/><br />
An opening in the storm clouds ahead on I-20 West. I saw lots of lightning to my left and right and was hoping that I wouldn't get struck as I passed under the rain clouds. Don’t they say being on a bike in a thunder storm is not a good idea…<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico007.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico007.jpg"/><br />
Near the I-20 and I-10 merge: Finally done with the Interstate (about 1500 miles) and heading towards Presidio, TX. I've actually never filled up at a Fina gas station (they're rare cause they've been bought by French oil company Total and being phased out). The importance to me is that Fina sponsored the McLaren F1 road car during its racing days in the 90s.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico009.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico009.jpg"/><br />
The moon rising near US-67, heading to Presidio. This is Big Bend National Park area and the scenery was a nice change after all the Interstate riding.<br />
</i><br />
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<b>Day 3 / Monday, September 24, 2007<br />
Start: Presidio, TX, 7:30 am<br />
End: Creel, Chihuahua, 7:30 pm<br />
Mileage: 325</b><br />
<i><br />
<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico012.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico012.jpg"/><br />
First picture in Mexico, just south of the border town, Ojinaga. Was quite thrilled to have made it across the border with no real delays. Being an Indian citizen, I needed a tourist visa to enter Mexico and a bit more paperwork is required at border crossings.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico011.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico011.jpg"/><br />
Interesting rock formation near the border. Note the closely separated water erosion marks and the formation of clouds near the top as the hot air cools. Sorry, have been listening to a history of science audio book on the highway (A Short History of Nearly Everything). Throws a different light on everything.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico019.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico019.jpg"/><br />
On Hwy 16 from Ojinaga to Chihuahua, the free road (libre), not the toll road (cuota). In Mexico, usually, whenever there's a toll road between two cities, they also provide a free road, which is more fun to ride and more scenic.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico016.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico016.jpg"/><br />
Hwy 16<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico020.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico020.jpg"/><br />
A big tear in the ground running through the valley on Hwy 16. I love learning about Geology and then seeing it for real.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico023.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico023.jpg"/><br />
Entering the city of Chihuahua, where I had to go to the center to change US Dollares into Mexican Pesos. There were no banks in Ojinaga.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico024.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico024.jpg"/><br />
Classic VW Bugs. They've been made in Mexico for decades and they're all over the place. Pretty cool to see the first few since they're quite rare in the States.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico025.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico025.jpg"/><br />
Downtown Chihuahua. Decent sized city, not that crazy to navigate through.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico027.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico027.jpg"/><br />
No, I didn't get pulled over, instead I got a personal escort by the friendly biker cop. I asked him where the nearest bank was and he started giving directions, then just told me to follow him. He even watched my bike as I went in to the bank. And note the special motorcycle 'parking'. He was also lane-splitting, demonstrating that it was legal to do in Mexico. Yeah!<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico028.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico028.jpg"/><br />
On Hwy 16 from Chihuahua to Cuauhtemoc, heading to Creel. This is a libre 4-lane highway with pleasing scenery.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico029.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico029.jpg"/><br />
Looks like the Midwest, doesn't it?<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico030.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico030.jpg"/><br />
Lots of information signs on all the highways. This one's saying to obey all the signs. I felt the roads were very adequately marked for safe driving.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico031.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico031.jpg"/><br />
'Don't Litter'<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico032.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico032.jpg"/><br />
It's not that clear, but there's some black netting on all these plants, probably fruit trees. Maybe it's intended to limit the sunlight. Saw lots of these fruit farms along this highway.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico036.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico036.jpg"/><br />
Ahh, finally on the road to Creel. Hwy 25 from Cuauhtemoc. This was a really fun road, great twisties. Traffic was there, but not too much.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico037.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico037.jpg"/><br />
Hwy 25 to Creel<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico038.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico038.jpg"/><br />
15 Kms to Creel<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico040.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico040.jpg"/><br />
The road started to climb into the mountains the closer I got to creel. I love this kind of terrain. This was probably the start of the Copper Canyon region, a series of connected canyons, which is larger than the Grand Canyon.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico041.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico041.jpg"/><br />
Hwy 25 to Creel<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico043.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico043.jpg"/><br />
My room at Hotel Margaritas in Creel. Very nicely appointed room and for $40 it comes with dinner and breakfast. Although the food wasn't very good.<br />
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<img longdesc="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico044.jpg" style="width:690px" src="http://i166.photobucket.com/albums/u109/jammyn/070922_Mex1/Mexico044.jpg"/><br />
The bathroom area. The room came with complimentary bottled water.<br />
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Next: <a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/10/pictures-day-4.html">Day 4, Riding down to Batopilas, Copper Canyon</a><br />
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<a href="http://jamminmex.blogspot.com/2007/10/picture-index.html">Picture Index</a><br />
<br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00983689221832732908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200572996889053081.post-73963249645839220562007-10-09T22:09:00.000-05:002007-10-09T22:10:47.428-05:00Arrived back home in ChicagoJust pulled into the garage. Am back home after an awesome 2 1/2 weeks on the road. I loved it. Mexico was everything I expected and more. Plus, met some really great people on the way.<br /><br /><br />I actually had a flat just south of Dallas. When I got my new rear tire installed in Monterrey, the guys punctured my tube and patched it up and I think the patch didnt hold. Luckily I found a Suzuki dealer right by the highway and got the tube replaced. I know how to do it, but it would probably take me a good 2 hours. Besides that, uneventful slab ride back home.<br /><br />Interesting to note that I made it across the US from Texas to Chicago with no number plate and no one bothered me about it. LOL, they must be overrated.<br /><br />Time to get sleep and will post more pictures soon...<br /><br />Thanx everyone for following along.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00983689221832732908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200572996889053081.post-35242088618813201502007-10-08T22:09:00.001-05:002007-10-08T22:09:50.150-05:00Had a flat tireGot a flat tire this morning, south of Dallas. Got it fixed. Made it to Little Rock, Arkansas tonight. Aiming to get home Tuesday night. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00983689221832732908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4200572996889053081.post-24034162077518345832007-10-07T22:54:00.001-05:002007-10-09T22:11:07.924-05:00Back in the USI crossed back into the US. No problems at the border. Staying with motorcycling friend in San Antonio. Heading to Memphis on Monday.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00983689221832732908noreply@blogger.com0