Mexico - Mainland Pacific Coast - July 9 to 26

[viatierra]

I am leaving tomorrow for just over 2 weeks of traveling south of the border. There are 4 phases of the trip:

1. Get down there. I'm going to cross in El Paso and continue on Mex 45 all the way to Guanajuto. The hope is to get this done in 2 days... So I don't plan on any diversions. It will be interesting to pass the Zona de Silencio, and I'm ready to escape the AZ heat for awhile!

2. One week in Guanajuato. I'll be taking language classes, living with a family and enjoying what the town has to offer.

3. Exploring Jalisco. Next is 5 days of roaming around this state. There is clearly more here than 5 days of action, but I'll stay busy playing at the beaches, in the jungle, on a volcano... and wherever else we find.

4. Return home. I'll zip up Mex 15 from Mazatlan to Nogales. Again, the goal is 2 days.

The schedule is flexable so the curve balls can be delt with. I'll post the progress and a few pictures here as time and technology permit.

[kcowyo]

You're gonna miss the debut of your niece? For Mexico??

Mark is gonna be sooooo jealous - :sport_box

[CAPTAIN COORS]

just returned from Puerto Vallarta via mex 15, roads are divided and are very good if you stay on the toll roads (roads marked "CUOTA"), toll about $85 mazatlan to nogales, make sure you slow down at all TOPES (speed bumps)they can be very server

[LexusAllTerrain]

Congratulations!

I am very interested to see what your pictures and write -up on the Volcano turns out!:arabia:

If you have any questions please let me know!

[viatierra]

You're gonna miss the debut of your niece? For Mexico??

Mark is gonna be sooooo jealous - :sport_box

I've been poking Brooke for the past week trying to get her kickstarted. At risk of having her tear my arms off... all I can hope for now is that she waits until I return (goes 2 weeks overdue). There was no chance of my Maggiolina & rack being ready, so they are letting my use their EasyAwn. They will be with me in spirit.


just returned from Puerto Vallarta via mex 15

I really appreciate the info... Damn the tolls, Damn the topes.


I am very interested to see what your pictures and write -up on the Volcano turns out!

I picked up a nice map of Jalisco that shows the backroad. I'll scope out the permit situation once I'm down there. Should make a nice day climb from the end of the road at 11,500 to the top 14,000+. Thanks for the great info.

Well, my shotgun seat is suddenly empty! My travel partner backed out within 24 hours of departure. I'll be fine, but it sure is a mental hurdle to suddenly be doing a big undertaking solo. Good to know the Expo is here if I need a lifeline for advice...

Tomorrow's Goal: Camp within attack range of El Paso.

[flyingwil]

Well, my shotgun seat is suddenly empty! My travel partner backed out within 24 hours of departure. I'll be fine, but it sure is a mental hurdle to suddenly be doing a big undertaking solo. Good to know the Expo is here if I need a lifeline for advice...

Tomorrow's Goal: Camp within attack range of El Paso.

Keep us posted!

[cruiser guy]

4. Return home. I'll zip up Mex 15 from Mazatlan to Nogales. Again, the goal is 2 days.

Not a problem in two days. I've done it in one long day (6:00AM till midnight) from Mazatlan to Phoenix with a tranny that only had 3rd and 4th.

You can save a little on tolls if you take the libre road north of Mazatlan. It's nearly as fast as the toll road and best of all, it's free!! The only potential problem is finding your way through Culiacan. If time is of the essence though stay on the toll roads.

[LexusAllTerrain]

Well, my shotgun seat is suddenly empty! My travel partner backed out within 24 hours of departure. I'll be fine, but it sure is a mental hurdle to suddenly be doing a big undertaking solo. Good to know the Expo is here if I need a lifeline for advice...

Tomorrow's Goal: Camp within attack range of El Paso.

If your plan is to make it in 2 days to Guanajuato, I suggest you spend the night at Delicias or Camargo, other then Chihuahua, plus you will save some money on hotel, expect to pay 25.00 to 35.00 for a very clean secure location on Delicias or Camargo, plus they are off-the hwy easy on -easy off!
Also if you are interested in spending a good night sleep in your truck, there is a very nice secure rest area just after Jimenez toll booth!However this will put you on a long 13 hour day aproximately if you are departing from Phoenix - Jimenez.

I which i could take the time off- to be your driving partner, however i just took some time off, :(

[viatierra]

So far it has been a great start. Since I am traveling solo, my main concerns for the trip were all the initial border requirements at the border: the crossing, handling all the official paperwork for myself and the Tacoma, translating, navigating the streets and signs. All that can be a bit intense, particularly at the border. I admit being a bit edgy about it. Turns out that it was all a piece of cake! In fact, 1200 miles into the journey and everything has been remarkably... simple. Every Mexican authority I talked to regarding permits & paperwork spoke English. Each was more than happy to play along with my Spanish and fill the gaps when needed.

Monday night I camped at a convenient spot a few miles west of Las Cruces, NM.

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[viatierra]

Tuesday morning I crossed over in El Paso. Once across there is no need to stop, just continue to km 30 where there is the tourist office. I´m still shocked at how easy it was. Then I just did a straight route on MEX 45 for the next 2 days. I made great time and easily covered the necessary mileage. Tuesday night I poached a campsite at an abandoned adobe ranch outside the Zona de Silencio.

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[viatierra]

Since I was easily on schedule, Wednesday morning I made the extra excursion to the Zona de Silencio. The area is actually a wildlife preserve with a museum. It would be a fun place to explore all the trails. Just the dirt road back to the museum was interesting because it was rocky and washed out. At the museum, I learned about the wildlife preserve and the magnetic field that alters wave signals that pass through.

Wednesday, I finished off the drive into Guanajuato. Apparently Aguascalientes has some nice four wheeling and supports quite a 4x4 community. Just driving through town, I couldn´t help but notice 30-40 nicely set up vehicles (ARB bumpers, Rubicon racks, etc.). Mostly Wranglers & CJs, but I saw others as well. Future destination for exploration??

Once in town, I located a friend from last summer who let me sleep on an extra bed. This morning I secured a family to stay with. The big bonus is the carport with extra space for my truck. I received a parking citation last night… I´d forgotten how wonderful this town is. Guanajuato is an experience you´ll never forget. It is truly a special place.

More later…

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[seth_js]

Right on Greg, nice pics.

I somehow missed your buildup thread before, but you are building my next truck almost exactly, color and everything. I must say I'm a little jealous. :p

In your buildup you have the Maggiolina, but in these pics Eezi Awn. What's the deal?

[Ursidae69]

Cool trip so far. :) Thanks for the pictures. What was the parking citation all about?

[BajaTaco]

Nothing like a little crumbling adobe to stir the soul.

Greg, this is great that you are checking in and sharing the adventure with us. I love looking at all of the photos! You are taking some really cool shots. Keep 'em coming.

That Eezi-Awn looks way too cool on your Tacoma... I bet you try to give them the Maggiolina when you get back :p





In your buildup you have the Maggiolina, but in these pics Eezi Awn. What's the deal?

> click here (http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=89893&postcount=5) <

[viatierra]

Right on Greg, nice pics.

I somehow missed your buildup thread before, but you are building my next truck almost exactly, color and everything. I must say I'm a little jealous. :p

In your buildup you have the Maggiolina, but in these pics Eezi Awn. What's the deal?

I&#180;m having a rack made to mount the Maggiolina at the roofline... but it wasn&#180;t ready in time. Mark loaned me his EasyAwn since he&#180;s scheduled to be spending time in the materity ward.


I bet you try to give them the Maggiolina when you get back
Hmmm. This tent is super sweet for sure, but I&#180;m pretty pumped about getting the other one out of the garage and on my truck. The guy who sold it to me is sick because I&#180;m not using it.


What was the parking citation all about?
Okay, this place is really compressed for space and parking is a serious premium. I thought I had scored an awesome space, there were cars on both sides of me... but apparently it was a bus stop. Now, you thinking... Big deal! Skate on paying the ticket. The problem is the authorities took my license plate as a guarantee. I&#180;m off to pay it now and firm up plans for this weekend.

[viatierra]

I´ve gotten settled in Guanajuato, taken my first Spanish class and maintained a typical Mexico schedule (food, beer, siesta, food, beer, explore...) Once I moved into my permenant home, I got really sick on Saturday. So you can add another temporary step into the schedule.

Sunday, I was feeling much better and anxious to get out of town & wander. In the morning I hiked ¨La Buffa¨. It´s a great hike to get acclimated to the altitude and get some great views. There were several local groups or families out enjoying the outdoors. Really nice to see. I made it a quick aerobic climb as I needed to be back to my family´s house for lunch. After being sick, I had missed out on too many good meals!

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[viatierra]

For Sunday afternoon, I selected a few backroads on the map I had. All the maps are inaccurate and incomplete, so I knew not to have expectations. However, I needed a direction and a goal. It was an awesome afternoon. Didn´t go where I intended, but I have the GPS tracks and will try again later this week. There are several great backroads through the mountains north of town. The vegitation was so thick, I couldn´t take any pictures to give justice to the experice. There were great granite cliffs, creek crossings and lots of hidden agricultural pueblos. Almost every bridge or crossing had a group swimming or fishing.

On the trip home, I ran into a man from Oaxca named Eloy and his minivan broken down crossing the pass back into town. I pulled him for about an hour back into Guanajuato. If I ever make it down to Oaxca, I have a place to stay!

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Here are the rest of the pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/viatierra/sets/72157600858585776/

More to come,
Greg

[articulate]

Another "Americano intelegente" moment? You're like the king of tow strap recovery in all parts North American.

1. Is it coming out of your mouth or your butt? You should see what's coming out of the butts at home right now.

2. Are you seeking out a little money and a place to go where you can live high while I lay low?

3. F-up my Eazi-Awn and I'm laying claim to your Maggiolina.

[LexusAllTerrain]

Do not forget to visit the Momias de Guanajuato, it's a must visit if you are in Guanajuato!:)

Oh! are you getting ready for the Volcano climb? It seems as you are working out and getting ready for your next climb!

[viatierra]

Do not forget to visit the Momias de Guanajuato, it's a must visit if you are in Guanajuato!:)

Oh! are you getting ready for the Volcano climb? It seems as you are working out and getting ready for your next climb!

I haven`t seen the Momias yet, but its on the list! As for the volcano, I found this GREAT LINK (http://www.summitpost.org/mountain/rock/151282/nevado-de-colima-zapotepetl-.html). It says that camping and hiking are available here with a small fee at the gate. :D

It looks insanely cool!


1. Is it coming out of your mouth or your butt?

As of Sunday all butt performance and products are within OEM specifications.

[Christian P.]

you are going to make me crazy...I am supposed to be working right now...

Guanajuato is one of my favorite places ever. A few years ago I rode a motorcycle all over Mexico and this town was probably the highlight of the trip. We stopped there mainly because one of my friends's wife is from there.

But somehow I missed the Momias museum, so I will have to go back one day....

By the way, I love your Tacoma!

[viatierra]

As I suspected, I spent the remainder of my Mexico trip unplugged from the internet. I arrived safely in Phoenix on Wednesday night, but I still want to document some details and share my pictures.

Let's start with the house I live in. It is a georgous, modern home at the top of the hill above school. It only takes a 5 minute energetic walk up or down the hill to get back and forth. The host is Cindy, a 22-year old ballet teacher and law student. She is fluent in English and French, but makes a deliberate effort to only speak to me in Spanish. Kirk, a travelling chef for Holsum Foods is another student staying in the home. The three of us have 2 meals per day together and have great lively conversations in spanish each day. The home is owned by Cindy's parents. I've seen her father once. It is a pampered, cozy, well-fed existence.

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Don Quijote Language School... This is my second time studying here. I've returned because I really love it. My instructors from last year are all still here. The reunion has been very sweet. I have 2 new instructors this year: Roman & Chelly. Roman reminds me of a Mexican version of Spicoli from Fast Times at Ridgement High. He is young, full of smiles & jokes and is always open to have a good time. I'm in the minority, but I really enjoyed his classes. Chelly is a very youthful, dynamic and energic teacher. She uses modern techniques and teaching styles. Everyone loves her classes because she really is a fantastic teacher. Although everything I learned was a review, my Spanish skills really leaped to a new plateau during this short trip.

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Although I never did do another backroad trip from Guanajuato, I had a very busy week outside of classes. I went to a Salsa dancing class, saw a cultural film, visited the Museo de las Mommias, and made several new friends. I'm already planning my return next summer!

A few more of the town:

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Here are the pictures from the remainder of the week in Guanajuato:
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More to come,
Greg

[efuentes]

Apparently Aguascalientes has some nice four wheeling and supports quite a 4x4 community. Just driving through town, I couldn&#180;t help but notice 30-40 nicely set up vehicles (ARB bumpers, Rubicon racks, etc.). Mostly Wranglers & CJs, but I saw others as well. Future destination for exploration??



Try www.jeeperos.com, lots of guys from Aguascalientes and Guanajuato.

Saludos

[BajaTaco]

Nice report Greg. Great photos of the city. Glad you had such a great time, and it's good to see you'll be going back! Your truck still looks as cool as when it left :sombrero:

[viatierra]

Try www.jeeperos.com, lots of guys from Aguascalientes and Guanajuato.

Saludos

The Mexico Portal! Very cool.
I tried to contact some locals through a Guanajuato Jeep website but the email was returned. Next trip it would be so sweet to do a trail with locals. That site looks like the way to get it done. THANKS!

[LexusAllTerrain]

Did you had an opportunity to go to the Volcano?

How about the Momias?

[viatierra]

Did you had an opportunity to go to the Volcano?

How about the Momias?

I did them BOTH! The volcano piece will probably get posted tomorrow. The Museo de Momias is pretty strict about pictures, BUT I did buy this postcard to put in my classroom and creep out the students.

:victory:

[viatierra]

As my time in Guanajuato came to a close, I began to prepare for the next leg of my journey: Guadalajara. I met lots of great people in Guanajuato... locals and other students. Cecilia, Andrea & Nicole were 3 students traveling together from New York. They were looking to do a weekend trip to Guadalajara, so they joined my in the truck for the drive. I got to have some company on the road, and they got to do their trip and only endure traveling by bus on the return. Win-win!

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Guadalajara is the second largest city in Mexico... 9 million people. We didn't even scratch what the city has to offer, but we did enjoy exploring the historic central area on foot. One interesting place was Plaza de Mariachis. I think the musicians out number everyone else 30 to 1. It was great! The ladies were serenaded, and we all had drinks & a great meal.

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The next day we all went to the town of Tequila. You may have heard that in order for Tequila to be real Tequila it must come from this town. I was hoping to see the PATRON distillery and hit the road. Well it turns out, as I would later learn, the ordinance says that Tequila must come from the "Tequila Area, which includes the town of Tequila and its surrounding areas... including the state of Jalisco and other designated areas". Patron is not distilled in town and the locals didn't seem to know where it was. The two big distilleries in town are Sauza and Jose Cuervo. Sauza was not open to the public the day we were there so... Cuervo it is. Since I was enjoying the company of 3 fun, attractive ladies it didn't take much to convice me to put volcanoes off and drink Tequilla instead. Make no mistake, the folks at the Jose tour were not bashful about handing out the drinks. Throughout the tour I had 4 full shots, a margarita and a 1/2 shot of unaged firewater straight from the tap in hell. It was ridiculous fun! After a big lunch and a long rest, the girls bought out a Tequila shop and we went our seperate ways.

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Next up, a date with a volcano!
More to come...

Here are the pictures:
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[viatierra]

A couple of other favorites:

Cuervo Taco
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Cuervo Family stash
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Picture of girls taking pictures of dresses
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I'm not sure what proof this stuff is... but it is EVIL!
I thought the little communion cups were funny...
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[LexusAllTerrain]

Wow! great pictures and report!

You should keep the ladies for a while longer!
specially after some tequila shots!:jump:

[viatierra]

Wow! great pictures and report!

You should keep the ladies for a while longer!
specially after some tequila shots!:jump:

Woulda, coulda, shoulda...
That's the story of my life!

[jeffryscott]

great trip report ... I've been to Leon, and was so close to Guanajuato but couldn't get there. After seeing the pics I'm so sad I wasn't able to .. what a beautiful place. Necesito practicar mi espanol, yo quiero una viaje sur or something like that.

[viatierra]

This next part of the trip was definitely my favorite so accept my apologies up front if this gets a bit long. Throughout the entire area east and south of Guadalajara I did not drive any toll roads. I really wanted to enjoy the drive through the tropical mountains. It was fantastic! When I left Tequila in the afternoon, I needed to make camp that night at Parque Nacional Volcan Nevado de Colima. It is a National Park that allows camping in most areas. Finding the dirt road to the park was tricky because at times the signs used a different name. Zapotepeti is the native name for Nevado, the big volcano. I figured out what was going on with the signs later when a park ranger gave me a brochure with lots of great information. It was raining and the sun was starting to hang low in the sky when I finally got some good directions from a Pemex attendant. Worried about navigating in the dark, I asked him how long it would take to get to camp. He stepped back and looked the truck up and down and said, “For you? One hour!” Well, it took about 1 ½ hours and I wasn’t shy at all with the accelerator. The back road was steep, washed out and very curvy. The drive was ridiculous fun! I climbed higher & higher until I finally made camp. The GPS altitude read 12,345 ft. Once I flipped open the EasyAwn, it made a perfect little space protected from the rain. It was just enough room to set up my table & chair, make a couple of quesadillas, prop my feet up on the ladder and watch the rain.

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Spending the day in Tequila worked out perfectly because my original schedule had me driving the park and climbing the volcano on the same day. Sleeping overnight at this altitude gave my body some time to acclimatize. However, the sleep was not uninterrupted. I had the whole place to myself until 4:30am when I heard the unmistakable sounds of tires spinning, digging and excited conversation. It was still raining and I was exhausted so I didn’t get up until daylight broke at 6:00. When I crawled out, I found a gorgeous rebuilt old Jeep with the front axle planted in a 4 foot deep eroded ditch. In the dark, these guys simply drove right into it. One of the three guys had a nasty gash on his forehead, but they had already done a good job of taking care of it. We talked & made fun of the guy digging for a bit when I offered to pull them out. Naturally, they tried one last time to free the vehicle on its own, and it drove right out… They were up to take early morning photographs of the volcanoes. So once they checked everything out, they grabbed their camera gear and headed down the trail. Dead batteries prevented me from taking any pictures of the Jeep in the ditch. It was a sharp looking truck! I loved the Doble Traccione badge.

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[viatierra]

After breakfast and cleaning up, I hiked the volcano Nevado de Colima. It was 5 hours round trip. Now, my words and picture simply don’t provide sufficient justice for how terrifying, bizarre & life changing these volcanoes were for me. At the end, I was physically tired… but also totally emotionally spent. It was a spooky day.

The first part of the trail is an access road to a scientific observatory. At 13,000ft the observatory is situated next to the dead volcano Nevado which was hidden in cloud cover, and it overlooks the active volcano En Fuego from a whopping 5 km away. When I first came around the corner and saw the perfect triangular shape with giant gouges scraped down the sides and plume of steam pouring from the top… only 2+ miles away, I cussed nonsense for 10 minutes. There is no way that was rational place to be. It was awesome.

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I walked up to the observatory and snooped around their seismic & other equipment. Next I ran into a group of 8 well outfitted athletes running the road. They seemed to be a bit older than college age and were ripped. What kind of athletic group trains in the middle of nowhere to run a 13,000ft road? Mexican Olympians? I wish I had the chance to chat with them and find out. They just waved and ran on.

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Next I started to make my way up Nevado. There was no trail and it was covered in clouds, so it was impossible to get a read and plan an attack. At the beginning, there were footprints in the sand traversing around the mountain.

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I followed those as long as I could until I came to a large, steep slope of lava rock. It was obviously the main lava flow. I don’t know the proper technique for climbing volcanoes, but this seemed like a reasonable place to start climbing. The rock was unstable and shifted under my feet regularly. Although it was very steep, I got the sense that I wouldn’t go far if I fell. The rocks created a surface that was quite irregular. A couple of times I found myself dead-ending into a vertical surface I wasn’t comfortable climbing, so backtracked and tried a different route. The scene was intensely creepy as various lava formations became visible through the clouds. Sometimes I thought about hiking on Mars or Frodo returning the Ring on Mt. Doom. I was utterly alone in a place I didn’t belong and truly afraid. I was having a blast facing down all of the fears and doubts.

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[viatierra]

Finally, I could see the top. It has two jagged & vertical peaks with little saddle in between. It took a long time to find a safe route around the towering rocks to the saddle. Near 14,000 ft I had the vertigo-type feelings from the altitude mixed with the queasy feelings from the volcano when I looked over my shoulder to see a huge, churning, cotton-candy cloud rolling in at eye level. Convinced I was going to die, I did everything but soil myself: my knees buckled; I fell to the ground and clawed the sand for something solid to save me. Then as the cool mist blew by, I realized that I’m a dork! From there I made it to each peak and ate lunch. My highest altitude reading was 14,042ft. The brochure said it was 4380m (14,370ft) but I didn’t think my GPS would be that far off.

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I haven’t done too much hiking recently, so I was really pleased at how well my body performed. Altitude has never been much of a problem for me. No headaches, light headedness or stomach aches. I love the sense of accomplishment when making it to the top. Doing it solo, 1500 miles away in another country added new pieces to the experience too. Easily the coolest part of this entire journey…

Here are the pictures:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/viatierra/sets/72157601057989014/

Within a few short hours, I would be at sea level setting camp on the beach.
We’ll save that for the next update…

More to come,
Greg

[LexusAllTerrain]

Great trip report, great pictures, and now how can i top that,













Maybe I need to take pictures from the inside of the volcano, which reminds me maybe I need to take an oxygen mask:oops:





Any way congratulations, you are a brave man!:)

[viatierra]

Great trip report, great pictures, and now how can i top that

Well, all I can say is that I'm in debt to you for the suggestion and info! You really came through for me. Hopefully, I can return the favor some day.

If anyone is interested, I have my GPS data and park pamphlet. I'd be happy to pass them along if someone wants to check the area out. It is an amazing stop...

[4Rescue]

Simply awsome. Question: do you have a route log (i'm interested in driving down to Mexico/central America as it is...), and what is the deal with the school? I work in a hospital (ER) here in Portland (as well as being a trained/hopeful Firefighter) and learning Spanish is at the top of my list for things I need to do. I think an imersion type experience would be the best way for me to learn the language caue that's how I learn best. Again, love the rip and great report.

Cheers and no worries

Dave :safari-rig:

[articulate]

One question:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1213/924118615_171c334ed6.jpg

Was Frodo able to throw away the ring?
I must know how that story ends.

[viatierra]

Simply awsome. Question: do you have a route log (i'm interested in driving down to Mexico/central America as it is...), and what is the deal with the school? I work in a hospital (ER) here in Portland (as well as being a trained/hopeful Firefighter) and learning Spanish is at the top of my list for things I need to do. I think an imersion type experience would be the best way for me to learn the language caue that's how I learn best. Again, love the rip and great report.

Cheers and no worries

Dave :safari-rig:

Here is the school I use. http://www.donquijote.org/
It is a pretty large company with locations around the world so they largely have their act together. Some of the materials provided were for studing "Spain" spanish which is slightly different.

Here's the cool thing... They have special classes for those interested in medical spanish. There were several nurses & med students doing this. Some had even arranged to observe at a local clinic. If you want, I can PM you the email address of the secratary, she runs the show and can answer all your questions.

Also, since you are talking about the emersion thing... most people life with a family during their stay. You can rent an apartment alone or a house with other students. All of this is coordinated through the school. It's a snap. Most family situations are good, but if you are not happy they will find another place for you. It happens all the time. HOWEVER, since I've done it in Guanajuato a couple of times I have figured out who some of the EXCELLENT families are. In the future, I am going to coordinate directly with them so I'm not rolling the dice. I have email addresses and phone numbers of places I would recommend.

As soon as I finish posting the rest of the trip, I'll do a wrap up with some of the other data you're looking for. If I've missed something, just pester me for more details. My route was pretty simple: South on Mex 45 to Guanajuato, bounce over to Guadalajara, North on Mex 15 to Nogalas. I can't beleive how EASY it was. I'm itching to go much further next time!

[LexusAllTerrain]

My route was pretty simple: South on Mex 45 to Guanajuato, bounce over to Guadalajara, North on Mex 15 to Nogalas. I can't beleive how EASY it was. I'm itching to go much further next time!


It is very easy to travel in Mexico, they now have the great toll hwy system and it keeps on getting better!

I remember going into Hermosillo when i was 8 years old and it used to take 12 to 14 hours from El Paso, now I can get there in 7 hours if I need to!

Big change!

[viatierra]

If there was a negative aspect to climbing the volcano in the morning and then driving the free roads through the jungle, it would be that I had to drive well past dark to reach my campsite. Driving into the night is not fun at all. Locals avoid it. Even at a routine inspection point, a police officer asked me, "What are you doing? Aren't you afraid?" Yep, I needed to get off the road ASAP. Not to mention I was exhausted from a full day. I finally located my campsite in the rain at 9:45pm. Playa Boca de Iguanas is about an hour north of Manzanillo.

The beach was beautiful, but it rained and rained. It was hot, extremely humid and the wind rarely blew. Without a doubt, my next truck mod is a fan in the tent. I opened all the screens and suffered a few mosquitoes just so I could feel the slightest breeze. To top it off, the tent started to collect water at both ends. I was stuck with a 4 foot square patch of dry padding to sleep on. When the morning finally arrived, I snapped a few beach pictures and anxiously packed up camp.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1156/924988020_ed43994d6a.jpg
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http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1008/924140957_9c5fe74fb1.jpg

As I approached Puerto Vallarta, I wasn't sure what to expect. I'd heard a bit of everything during my research. Well, I can see why it is such a destination! It is a fascinating location. You have ocean & beaches. You have these incredible mountains that sprout right out of the water, AND they are covered with lush, massive jungle. It is a confluence of gorgeous natural phenomenon. From my early departure, I was ahead of schedule so I tried to locate a couple of back roads into the jungle. My map showed a couple of nice loops and a fleet of yellow Unimogs are doing jungle tours, so I know they exist. However, after 2 hours of dead end garbage dumps I called it quits and moved on.

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North of Puerto Vallarta, my brother recommended Playa Chacala. Unexpectedly, when I arrived the beach was packed! Apparently it is a popular beach for Mexican family vacations. Everyone enjoying the beach stays at nearby hotels. So it wasn't long before people started to clear out allowing me to claim some prime real estate for my campsite. I soon made friends with the family next to my campsite. Our conversation started off like many others during my journey: "Are you traveling alone? Why? Oh... Here, eat something!" Fransisco and his family kept me entertained and well fed all day. I say we had a great time because they were the last group to leave for their hotel. Then next morning at 7am, I poked my head out of the tent and their they were! The first group back at the beach was set up right next door. "Greg! I have coffee for you!" You gotta love Mexican hospitality... Playa Chacala gets my 5 star recommendation.

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Now play time was over. I had 2 days to get from North of Puerto Vallarta back to Phoenix. I needed to get to the Toll road and put down some serious kilometers. First, there was no Toll road. Then there was construction. Unfortunately, I allowed myself to get frustrated and peeved. When a wide open Toll road appeared, I was unable to deny the temptation to drive pretty fast. It wasn't long before I had a Federale chasing me down. Have you seen what they are driving these days? Black Dodge Chargers with blacked out wheels and lights mounted in those aggressive raked grills. A seriously intimidating looking machine! The Federale characters themselves are no picnic either... What happened next confirmed that my Spanish had reached a new plateau. He quickly informed me that I was just getting a warning, but he kept talking. He talked about the hassle of processing a foreigner with a foreign vehicle. He lectured me about my speed and safe driving. I began to think that he was simply stalling for a 'tip'. Next I jumped in and rattled off the longest continuous talk in Spanish of my life. I apologized, promised to slow down and admitted my mistake. Then, I just started talking about my journey so far, all the places I had been to, all the wonderful people I had met... Soon, He was shifting his weight from one foot to another... then he excused himself and sent me on my way. I bored him. Ha!

That night I camped in an open area a few miles outside of El Fuerte, near Los Mochis. The next morning, I had another Spanish breakthrough filling up with gas at the Pemex. I caught the attendant trying to cheat me out of some money. He had swapped my 200 peso bill for a 20 peso bill when I wasn't looking. Then claimed that I hadn't paid the full amount. The bills are different colors and easy to keep track of. Plus, I knew the 200 I handed him was ripped. I was 100% confident what had just happened, and I was furious. I lit into him with unconscious fury, all in Spanish. He quickly backed down and said that he just wanted to be sure I got my receipt.

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I only tell those last two minor incidents to demonstrate that when I really needed Spanish, it was there for me. After 3 weeks and 3500 miles in Mexico, those were the only 2 negative encounters out of countless positive ones. Both worked out in my favor as well.

The final story of my trip happened outside of Magdelena after passing through the final toll booth. Last year, my brother and his wife had tough time crossing the border because their truck had mud on it. The US guards sent them back into Mexico to get it washed off before they could cross. A huge hassle. I knew that I wanted to just wash the truck before getting in the line to cross. Better safe than sorry. After leaving the toll booth, I pulled up to a store to buy a soft drink and use the restroom. Instantly, a couple of 10 or 11 year old window washers jumped on my truck to do their thing. I said "No, No, NO! I need the WHOLE truck washed. Can you do it?" Their little eyes popped out of their head like they had just hit the mother load. Good stuff.

Here are the pictures: (http://www.flickr.com/photos/viatierra/sets/72157601059578977/)

Thanks for following along and allowing me to share my journey.
Until next time,
Greg Stephens

All of the pictures from the Mexico 2007 trip can be seen here: (http://www.flickr.com/photos/viatierra/collections/)

[articulate]

ROCKIN'.


Boring the Federale, now that's hilarious. Great weapon.

[Mlachica]

great trip, and that federale story was hilarious!

[efuentes]

That night I camped in an open area a few miles outside of El Fuerte, near Los Mochis.


Next time that you come by, let me know i`ll get you a nice place to camp y/o stay and the beers are on me !!

Saludos.

[LexusAllTerrain]

Great looking pictures!