Central y SurAmerica Moto Adventure - Mexico
by Todd Peer

Octobre 2002 - Abril 2003


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    October 25 - 28, 2002: Acupulco

    Odometer: 13,441

    The skys over Guadalajara were graying the day before we left. Matched exactly my morning after Tequilla mood. Hugh managed to find a Gringo newpaper and I recalled there was a Hurricane off the west coast moving north.

    Nothing registered

    The morning of our departure I got up around 6am and went over to the 24hr 7-eleven for milk and juice. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. But by the time we began to load the bikes it started to rain.

    Like always, in almost every city, we got lost leaving. Stopped to ask directions and began heading toward Chapula. Except we wanted to go to Colima! After about ten miles I figured it out, so we pretty much wasted about 1.5 hours in and around the greater Guadalajara metroplex.We even got to ride through the Mexican Silicon Valley. Sign said so, who am I to argue?

    As we road the rain got worse and I had to pull over and don the old Aerostitch jacket liner. We stopped just up road from one of the Autopiste toll booths. Side note: you can get anywhwere in Mexico via the existing Libres routing, but the Autopistes are way faster...and way costlier! We spent close to $18 coming into Guadalajara and so decided where we could manage it we'd stay on the libres. And so does everyone else I imagine, including all the 18 wheelers. Slow going, but free.

    As we approached the coast the rains began to become very bad indeed. Think of a hard spring or summer shower out there in DC land and just keep the spigot opened. It made for very real slow going. We knew we wouldn't make Acupulco in one day (did I mention how twisty all these roads are?) and in fact we didn't even reach our goal of Playa Azul. We ended up staying at some small beach pueblo in a not so great room, but only paid $20 for it.

    Hughs everything got soaked. He uses the Darien pants like me but not like me, he failed to apply Scotch gaurd before we left home. I stayed nice and dry. Hugh on the other hand stood up to get money for the tolls and all the water that had been collecting around his legs poured straight into his waterproof boots. Not a happy camper >:)

    We had a really nice meal at a local restaraunt but only after about an hour of waiting. In some of the restaraunts in Mexico you walk up to the refrigerator and get your own drink, pay for it later. Well we got off the bikes and the proprietoress and others where just hanging out front. I made a jesture to my stomach and said in my best spanish, "Damn I'm hungry. How about some food?". Apparently she didn't understand my accent. She just left us to drink beers. Finally I tried, "Quiermos camidas, entiendes?" "Si, pescado o camarones" "Camarones, claro" Whatever the hell that is. Turned out to be some mighty fine tasting shrimp dinner for about $8 with three beers.

    I think Hugh and I are definitely stopping in Antigua for a week of intensive spanish school!

    Next day we got our very first ever early start, around 8am. It's a good thing too. Even though the roads were dry and the sun was shining, it got hot as hell around 11am, and of course we got turned around in a junction town. When we finally figured out that we had to pay another f-ing toll I was ready. Hot, bothered and let's just get on with it.

    However, the toll booth had been commandeered by some political group or another. As we approached I noted a guy at the exit of the booth holding a rope tied to a board of pointy nails. His job apparantly was to pull the board up once we paid the extortion fee. The guy that greeted us wanted a dollar to pass. "What's that? What did you say?" [something in spanish], "Ah yes now I understand and I smile at you but you don't understand me". About then another gent walks over and says [something else in spanish] and gestures to some fliers they've printed up. "Oh I thought you just wanted to rape people with some f-d up political agenda....smiles". "No entiendes, pass". No problem, nice talking to you.

    None of them were armed and the fact of the matter is we could've ridden right around there naily board. It was good practice nonetheless when the time comes we deal with some crooked official. Smile and shrug. Smile and shrug. Maybe walk around and trip myself to the ground. Idiota!

    We are in Acupulco now. A very hot day along the western coast via ruta 200 with some very brochure picture taking opportunites. Acupulco is large and, like all Mexican townships we've been in, very busy and loud. But the beaches are gorgeous as well as the women. We are staying 3 nights just because. It's pretty nice.


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This page last updated 09/23/2002