Mexico - Can't get enough

[CeeBee]

Seems like forever since I've been to Mexico. Sharing my thoughts with my wife, I quickly found out that there will be no sympathy forthcoming.

She reads too many bad things in the news about Mexico and gets worried. Guess I can't blame her but still can't shake the desire to go every chance I get.

Then was politely informed that I've been south of the border in 07,08,09,10,and 12. Can't be true!! Must not have been long enough, I think to myself. Anyway, so much for rambling thoughts. ---maybe I'm alone but I don't think so ----

Started packing for a dirt bike trip because for me that's what Mexico is all about. It was short notice so decided to go solo. Fate would have it a riding buddy from Minnesota, I met in Creel a few years back, called to shoot the breeze and decided to go.
Another friend from Arizona, I met in Baja, called and is now on board with a friend. Strange how all that comes together!!!

The ride morphed into a road trip even though my heart is in the dirt. Wanted to see south Mexico with limited time so broke out the Wee Strom and headed to Big Bend to meet Jon from Minn. Then crossed the border.

We were to meet our two other buds at a town called Valle de Zaragosa about 280 miles in. Approaching traffic, noticed two bikes that had gringo written all over them.



Burt

Mike and Jon

and myself
Can;t find one - I was taking most of the pics

Walked down the street from a nondiscript hotel and found a restaurant that was open - kinda half street vendor half building. FRESH Fish

OoH Heres one

Next morning hit the road toward Durango

Stopped by Poncho Villa's compound / Hacienda

Road into Durango, settled in and had a night in town

After a wild ride through town, headed toward Jesus Maria on a road that's not on the map - GREAT ROAD -

Miles and miles of this with occasional groups of indians with there whole family's (40 or 50) cleaning the road by hand with shovels. Keeps you alert and believe it or not it was a lot of fun.

Rolled in to Jesus Maria and found a hotel on the main drag - well the only drag

 

[Tourmeister]

 

[miltonotto]

I Love it.

 

[Gravel Guy]

Ah....Mexico.

 

[Thrasherg]

I have never been to Mexico, but my wife like yours, feels it's too dangerous. I keep trying to convince her that once we are a couple of hundred miles from the border it is fine.. Don't know if I will win this battle, but I love seeing your pics in the hope I will one day be taking the same ones!!

Gary

 

[CeeBee]

What do you do after waking up in the morning at a hotel in an Indian village with no running water?



Use the facilities then grab a bucket fill it up, maybe twice, and give it a good flush.

jon's and mine wasn't nearly that bad but Mike felt compelled to take a picture of his.


Then take a shower and get ready for the day

In the concrete water reservoir ( is there a name for it) 1st compartment is for washing dishes, 2nd is for showering, 3rd is for brushing your teeth etc. and 4th for flushing --- DON'T mix them up!!!!

Which one do I wash my hands in???

Actually these are common in houses with no running water.



Gas up

on to San Blas -- and a restaurant on the beach mostly to our selves

Check in a hotel near El Centro by the town square

Secure parking across the street

The hotel manager keeping the street clean

 

[miltonotto]

Great stuff

 

[miltonotto]

In the concrete water reservoir ( is there a name for it) 1st compartment is for washing dishes, 2nd is for showering, 3rd is for brushing your teeth etc. and 4th for flushing --- DON'T mix them up!!!!

I believe that would be called a pila (like a battery, same word, different meaning). A concrete washing basin. Used all over Mexico and Central America.

 

[CeeBee]

San Blas is a nice little big town. Small enough to be quaint and big enough for things to be going on. Beaches, Old Spanish fort , Inland water tours, fishing and activities etc.

Just watch out for the JeJe's (or whatever you call those no see'ums that bite!) So take some repellant!!

They are localized to just that area which I thought strange but never found out why.


Loaded up and headed for Puerto Vallarta. Stopped on the way and had the best fish tacos - whole filet in each taco. Ate them under Ficus trees they use for shade. They are house plants here!

Can you believe the ficus trees!

Little girl and her parrot - It was on her shoulder but wasn't fast enough with the camera

It was a short ride and arrived early afternoon. Rode through town and stopped at a town called Mismaloya, just south of PV. Great little town just outside most of the tourists.

Can't believe I didn't get any pics of the town or hotel - was just living in the moment I guess.

Went snorkeling, hung out on the beach, went into town (PV) and practiced my Spanish on the locals.

We stayed three days - probably one day longer than we should have, being on a limited time schedule and all.

It was nice to just slow down and get into just being there.

PV in the distance

Having a good time -- Skinny white legs and all

Our Captain

Dinner that evening with the Captain and his family - was fun!!

 

[LaserDave]

 

[Mudclod]

Loving it! Thanks CeeBee.

 

[kiko]

Grrreat photos! What is your planned route for the rest of the trip??

 

[jridge]

Burt is everywhere. Love it.

 

[CeeBee]

Thanks everybody for your comments

Grrreat photos! What is your planned route for the rest of the trip??

Hi Kiko - I;m back already and doing the ride report. I read everybody elses and figured I owe at least a few more reports. Are you back in Mexico?

 

[miltonotto]

 

[kiko]

Thanks everybody for your comments





Hi Kiko - I;m back already and doing the ride report. I read everybody elses and figured I owe at least a few more reports. Are you back in Mexico?

I plan to return on the 25th. Here's a photo of a cascada we found riding off road near Comala, Jalisco about 3 weeks ago.

another photo a couple of blocks up the hill from my house in Ajijic

 

[Thrasherg]

another photo a couple of blocks up the hill from my house in Ajijic

Beautiful.

Gary

 

[miltonotto]

It was a short ride and arrived early afternoon. Rode through town and stopped at a town called Mismaloya, just south of PV. Great little town just outside most of the tourists.

Mismaloya is most famous as the site where the 1963 film The Night of the Iguana was filmed. The set and crew quarters rise up the hill on the south side of the Mismaloya cove. Sadly, the set is only ruins now, and the once-famous John Huston Cafe is an empty shell on top of the hill. Huston once wrote that he was the only person who cared for the place. The movie made Puerto Vallarta famous, but the set has been forgotten. On the other side of Highway 200 from Playa Mismaloya is El Eden, a jungle setting where parts of the movie Predator were filmed.
Wikipedia-Mismaloya

 

[miltonotto]

And Yelapa, just a little further down the coast, was an old hideout of the likes of Timothy Leary, Terence McKenna and Alan Ginsberg.
Oh, yeah. You be in God's country fo' sure.

 

[CeeBee]

Mismaloya is most famous as the site where the 1963 film The Night of the Iguana was filmed. The set and crew quarters rise up the hill on the south side of the Mismaloya cove. Sadly, the set is only ruins now, and the once-famous John Huston Cafe is an empty shell on top of the hill. Huston once wrote that he was the only person who cared for the place. The movie made Puerto Vallarta famous, but the set has been forgotten. On the other side of Highway 200 from Playa Mismaloya is El Eden, a jungle setting where parts of the movie Predator were filmed.
And Yelapa, just a little further down the coast, was an old hideout of the likes of Timothy Leary, Terence McKenna and Alan Ginsberg.
Oh, yeah. You be in God's country fo' sure.
Wikipedia-Mismaloya

Hi Milton, You are always such a fountain of youth --SORRY -- I meant "fountain of information"

I Knew about the Iguana and Predator movies because they still like to taik about them down there. They even have a few down home tours you could take.
Had no idea about Yelapa and it's acid history. It was so close and I missed it. Its happened to me before - Guess with limited time, you just can't see it all.
Have to go back What a bummer.

 

[CeeBee]

I plan to return on the 25th. Here's a photo of a cascada we found riding off road near Comala, Jalisco about 3 weeks ago.

another photo a couple of blocks up the hill from my house in Ajijic

kiko, Your photography and the area are fabulous - Post card beautiful. Was going to visit a friend that lives just south of Guadalajara but ran out of time. Had no idea how nice that area is!!!!
Thanks for the pics.
Was going to delete the photos in the quote but couldn't bring myself to do it.

 

[CeeBee]

Woke up (not real early) to sun, mountains and the locals going about their normal routine. Jon adjusted his chain for the upteenth time and we pointed our bikes south, down hwy. 200.

Rode the coast road (not much water visible) all day through the twistyest, hillyest (new words) road, until we were getting tired of leaning from one side to the other, and hoping it would straighten out. It was motorcycle nirvana!!!
Sun was going down and we were still pretty far from our destination. Pulled in a few places with no luck and it was getting dark fast.
Riding in and out of side streets in a little village about a mile off hwy 200, I come across a lot of steps (25-30ft high) leading up to a Large palapa type house. I was sitting on the bike, in the dirt, squinting, trying to read a sign in Spanish, hope fading along with the light, when a man walked down the stairs and asked what I was doing.
After a brief conversation, found out we had happened upon a turtle sanctuary, on the beach near Punta Piedras Blancas.
He said he has individual guest houses off the trail of steps, leading all the way to the top. BINGO!!
We had the run of the place, so we decided to take the one at the top. Sounded good at the time but these two old men **** near died climbing those stairs.

 

[miltonotto]

Ha ! What a spot.

 

[kiko]

De acuerdo,
I will look for this beach in February.

 

[CeeBee]

Next morning we took the trail of a thousand steps down for the last time, loaded up and headed south through the never ending twisties. After enjoying the mountain roads and the surf occasionally, rode into Zihuatanejo. After riding the city decided on the Hotel Zihuatanejo a block off the beach. Parked the bikes by the pool and went to look for Morgan Freeman working on his boat!
It was late and not a lot of restaurants were open. Found one down by the beach - I mean on the beach, in the sand with candles lit on the table in the moon light no less. Jon and I looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders and said why not, we were Hungry!!
I waited for him to pull my chair out for me but I guess it wasn't happening. Good food but we had the whole place to ourselves. Hope they all stay in business.

Sorry no pics

It was suppose to be a 7 day trip and I already pushed it to 10. My very understanding wife was covering for me at work and needed me to come back. Jon was heading to Oaxaca, San Cristobal, Palenque and then into Guatemala. I wanted to keep going pretty bad - It's easy to understand a round the world trip.

Jon stayed in Zihaut. Waiting for a new chain and I made a bee line for home. It took two days and I crossed the border at the International bridge near Mc Allen on Sunday, at midnight, among the machine gun toting military. I made the mistake of calling my wife to look for the best bridge to cross at, which gave her an indication of how late I was nearing the border, not a great move. All is well, again, another misconception of Mexico. (My wife added that) And I like the military anyway - They are the good guys!
The bank was closed so had to spend the night and went back the next morning to cancel my Vehicle permit. 6 more hours and I was back on the block planning my next trip. Having a hard time being planted when I just want to ride.