Some Country for an Old Guy: Pictures and Impressions of Mexico

[AdventurePoser]

 

On October 1, left with two friends on what was to be a six-month tour of Mexico, Central and South America. For personal reasons, the tour ended for me in southern Mexico. Still, hoping to make a silk purse from a pig’s ear, I decided to write up my experiences in Mexico, and post some pics I took along the way. I had a fabulous time!

 

So why make the effort to write this up? Several reasons: I hope you’ll come along for a virtual ride especially if you are weather challenged and cannot pull the bike out until March, or later! I also hope that my paltry photography will inspire you to come south. You don’t need an expensive motorcycle or fancy gear, just a willingness to extend your comfort zone and have an adventure!

 

To quote Ferris Bueller: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”

 

Anyway, grab a comfy chair, your favorite cold drink, and spend six weeks in a Great Country for an Old Guy!

 

Planning for this ride began a couple of years ago. I knew I wanted to ride south. Getting the gear and money together, along with a couple of good friends made this trip a reality! I admit to being lucky. I’m retired, so time away wasn’t an issue, I’d saved enough money to travel comfortably, and I am healthy. It all came together for a launch date of October 1!

 

We rode identical bikes, though mine was the faster, yellow one:

 

 

So, checklists were built, too much gear was bought, and the bike was packed. All I needed to do was twist the right hand grip and make the ride a reality!

 

 

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For reasons unknown, my Zumo, which has worked flawlessly since being overhauled a year ago, decided to go belly up… A shame because my faithful GPS, thanks to Rene, was loaded with Mexico, Central and South America maps. Plan B was to run over to WalMart and pick up a Nuvi as a quick substitute…unfortunately, this was not to be as the Nuvi proved to be impossible to mount on the bike in a manner that allowed easy access to it. Here is where my deep-seated, old guy’s biases about electronics first began to surface. ☺

 

Do you remember the pre GPS days? You know, the days of paper maps, and sometimes getting happily lost?

 

 

From here it was a quick ride to Douglas AZ and over the border! I highly recommend Douglas as a great entry port. It is not as crowded as Tijuana, and provides direct access into Chihuahua.

 

Also, there are a couple of places to buy moto insurance, which is now a requirement in Mexico, as well as a “Casa de Cambio,” where you can change your dollars into pesos. Finally, the Gadsen Hotel is amazing. You should stop and check out the incredible stained glass. If you have time, ride the fifteen dirt miles (easy on a street bike) to the John Slaughter Ranch outside of town. You can immerse yourself in the real stories of Indian wars, bandits, and the struggles of the early settlers.

 

On the Mexican side of the border lies Agua Prieta. You will find the immigration offices that include the Aduana and Banjercito offices. This is where you import yourself and your Motorcycle into Mexico. Lili walked me through it, with her perfect command of Spanish. Thanks, Lili! I was surprised how simple the process is…of course, it helped that there were no crowds; it was easy to get my paperwork, pay my fees, and be on my way. Perfect.

 

 

The City of Agua Prieta faded into the background quickly as the immense Chihuahuan deserts surrounded us. Maybe you’ve ridden Montana or New Mexico, but the vast openness of northern Mexico will engulf you. Miles seem to clock by slowly as the never-ending vignette of desert, rolling hills, and occasional estancias roll by. The riding was easy, with little traffic, except for the occasional huge semi trucks heading north. I guess the only way to describe the scenery would be to call it “magnificent!"

 

 

The big trucks roll across the Chihuahuan highlands at blistering speeds, and there is usually no shoulder. The biggest headache with that is finding places to park to take pictures. Pulling off the roadway could be suicide...

 

 

A long, high speed ride later we were in our first motel in Mexico. Not bad for about $30 for the night….

 

Up to this point, long miles were ridden in order to get to the "good stuff." Mexico is a big country, and reflecting on the ride, I realize it was all "good stuff," though it was true that there were few places to stop overnight before we got to Creel.

 

Finally, the plains gave way to rugged, vast stretches of mountains.

 

 

The roads were fabulous; miles of twists and high speed sweepers…

 

 

The issues of personal safety soon were replaced by the warmth of the people. The Mexicans we met were happy, outgoing, and full of life. Admittedly most everyone we interacted with was poor; I read the average Mexican citizen lives on less than 10 pesos per day. This is less than a dollar. Even though the standard of poverty was high, people went out of their way to make us feel comfortable…

 

Here is Rene, furthering international relations, a few people at a time...

 

 

As we headed south into Creel, the elevation continued to rise, and the scenery got better and better.

 

 

I was a happy camper.

 

In "El Indio" at one of the numerous "Mini Supers." A great place to talk to the locals, grab a snack, and drink some water. Note the Trail Master crash bar bag directly below the roundel.

 

Later, while riding through a small town, a car sideswiped me. I was going about 40 mph when a late model Nissan attempted to pass me. His bumper bounced off the bag, and I stayed upright…this created a pucker factor of ten. Thanks, Trail Master!

 

 

Driving in Mexico is an "every man for himself" kind of operation. More on driving in Mexico later!

 

The weather in Creel was perfect and we found a motel that was reasonably priced, once again in the $35 range.

 

 

 

This little boy should be in kindergarten or first grade, not vending on the street.

 

 

More soon!

 

 

 

 

[Matts_12GS]

 

 

[Marty Hill]

Thanks for posting Steve/sorry it ended sooner than you wanted.

[AdventurePoser]

I thought a lot about the public schools in Mexico. How can it be that six year olds can be on the street selling tourist crap when they should be in school? More on this later….

 

In Creel, the locals mentioned that we should stay out of the small remote towns that are nestled in the rugged mountains that surround the area. By and large, we listened to local advice and planned accordingly. MX is huge, and there are plenty of things to see and do without visiting known Drug Trafficking Organization hotspots.

 

We planned on riding to Batopilas, and the road was closed for the next three days. This was unheard of, as Copper Canyon is a huge tourist mecca. Not to be deterred, we settled on Plan B, which meant next stop, Hidalgo Parral.

 

This is a room at Hotel Acosta, and this is what $22 per night gets you.

 

 

No air conditioning or TV, but the hotel was upstairs from an ice cream shop, and one block from the town square.

 

What to drink first?

 

 

Beer is good, especially at 50 cents a bottle, but personally I love the Mexican soft drinks because they are made with cane sugar…delicious!

 

The City from my room.

 

The glow of a polluted river at dusk…

 

 

Government buildings in town were very well kept!

 

 

Hidalgo Parral is a cowboy town….and the hometown of Pancho Villa. It's also the home of many, many friendly people. Here are some of my new friends:

 

 

 

 

One of the goals of the trip was to visit UNESCO World Heritage Cities, so we set off for Zacatecas. What an amazing place! Colonial architecture, cobblestone streets, and incredible food. It's also on the State Department's Travel Advisory List as a place to exercise extreme caution….as a result, tourism by Americans is very low.

 

 

 

 

Zacatecas is spotless…

 

 

 

When in Zacatecas, eat here:

 

 

A Policia Municipal traffic officer, showing off his moto:

 

Colonial Architecture will blow your mind…

 

 

 

Notice how clean the streets are. You must ride down here, spend a a few days exploring. You won't want to come home.

 

[Bruce H]

Nice! Hope to read more. I would like to read your "checklist" if you would PM or e-mail the list would be great.

 

(my GSA is yellow as well, does that make it almost as fast as yours?)

[AdventurePoser]

Yes, Bruce, I am happy to email it to you. PM me with your email address. Are you planning on making this trip?

 

I'm going back next November, and (this time) making it to TDF and up to Buenos Aires before shipping the bike back…

 

 

[Twisties]

Keep it coming!

 

 

[ArmyGuy]

Great read. Can't wait for more.

 

Mike

[AdventurePoser]

According to the U.S. Department of State: "You should defer non-essential travel within the state of Zacatecas to the area bordering the states of Aguascalientes, Coahuila, Durango, and Jalisco and exercise caution in the interior of the state including the city of Zacatecas."

 

I believe that when you turn off Fox News, and start taking State Dept. Travel Advisories with a grain of salt, you can begin to enjoy traveling. Why does the U.S. government seem to be working so hard to scare us from traveling? My experience, and the experience of other moto travelers is that taking normal travel precautions will minimize any risks you might experience here. If you secure your valuables when off the bike, don't be drunk in public, don't flash money and do not commit crimes here, you should be just fine.

 

Mexico is full of incredibly rich art, design, and food. Zacatecas MX is a great place to experience it all. In fact, I'd pick Zac. over Mexicol City anyway, mostly because of Zacatecas' more centralized, user friendly historical district. There is so much to see that I think you'd need at least 5-7 days to experience it all. Here are more pics of Zacatecas….

 

 

A great way to get an overview of the city is to take the tram. It is a one way ticket, and there is a museum and a battlefield site at the top. Of course, you can purchase another ticket to come back, but the walk back down into the city is nice.

 

 

 

 

Zacatecas was great, and it was time to move on. Next stop, San Luis Potosi. Here we had our first and only run in with the police. Cruising down a busy city street we were stopped and told we were speeding and the fine was $110 US per bike.

 

No freakin' way.

 

First of all, $110 US is a boatload of money in Mexico, especially in the poor 'burbs of San Luis Potosi. Second of all, we were not going to pay this cop one penny. Third, reread the previous sentence.

 

Well, to hear the officer tell it, he clocked us on radar speeding. I asked to see the beat up, probably non operational unit he was carrying, and requested to see the readings. Of course, he could not produce the readings because he didn't have them.

 

Next, he confiscated our international driving licenses, of which we carried several copies.. He told us he was going to keep them and we could pay the fines tomorrow at the police station, which was "several hours away."

 

After a lively give and take, he asked me "what I wanted to do." I told him he should let us go and be on our way. He said he could not because he would have to pay the fine for the ticket.

 

45 minutes later, he gave up on us, and we were on our way. It's important to realize that when stopped by a police officer who wants money that he is breaking the law. He knows it, and you know it.

 

The trick is to dance around this so you pay no money, and he loses no face. Of course if you can get a picture of the guy who was trying to extort money from you, all the better!

 

 

Check out the bike, and notice the officer, a municipal police officer, is unarmed. The Federal Government, over the course of several years, has disarmed many municipal police departments, citing wide spread corruption and ties to DTOs.

 

So, 45 minutes later, we were on our way to San Luis Potosi, another city on State's watch list….

 

 

 

 

 

And you thought they were all gone…

 

 

So far, I was about 800 miles into my ride. The GSA was behaving beautifully. Bikeopotamus loves Mexican gasoline. My mileage spiked up to nearly 50 mpg or better, and the performance was peppy. Pemex, the nationally owned gasoline chain sold me fuel for about $4 US per gallon, and fuel was readily available pretty much everywhere.

 

The adventure continues….

[Traveler1]

Loved the way you handled the cop in San Luis Potosi. It's always a problem, especially for "rich yankees", and a bit of patience and restraint goes a long way in getting things resolved.

[ArizonaAl]

Thor, another way I have found that helps to resolve the situation is to demand a signed receipt for any funds. It seems they don't want to sign for anything.

 

 

[Twisties]

Did you get a handle on the situation with this church? Red on one side, gray on the other. Being restored, or built at different times/materials?

 

[Paul In Australia]

Cleaned versus uncleared I would suggest

Best regards

[AdventurePoser]

Yes, it is a cleaned v uncleaned section. Good eye. Notice the steel netting over both sides of the structures. Everywhere I traveled I noticed on-going renovations of these old churches-pollution, acid rain, etc, etc wreaks havoc on them.

 

 

[AdventurePoser]

Thor, another way I have found that helps to resolve the situation is to demand a signed receipt for any funds. It seems they don't want to sign for anything.

 

 

In this case, the officer was willing to write us an "official" ticket for the $220 US. He was not willing to let us go to the station to pay it immediately. The entire episode was a scam.

 

In our case, firm refusals and patience ultimately resolved the situation. Interestingly enough, San Luis Potosi seemed to have a very large number of municipal cops out trolling for traffic violations, but we saw no one actually pulled over and cited.

 

In general, while the municipal cops were friendly and helpful, I trusted them no farther than I could spit, which isn't very far. They are under trained, under equipped, and in many cases in the pockets of the powerful men.

 

[AdventurePoser]

In Zacatecas, there were several moto shops that catered to sport bikes. I think there may have been a HD shop in town as well, as I saw several I saw no BMWs.

 

 

Zac. had a museum that had thousands of masks, all part of a huge private collection. Here are a few shots I liked…

 

 

 

This wall would be perfect for a kids room, don't you think?

 

 

 

The grounds were magnificent…the structure was originally built in the 16th century…

 

 

 

Seen in a town square. Could be my next bike…

 

 

Riding to Guanajuato, another colonial city and UNESCO World Heritage City, we stopped at a nice little cafe in the rugged mountains surrounding the town.

 

 

 

Guanajuato, a very crowded colonial city, has a network of tunnels underneath the town. Without them, no one would get around.

 

 

 

There are zillions of awesome outdoor cafes, artwork and amazing streets. You should ride your motorcycle to Guanajuato. Very cool!

 

 

You could take in the opera..

 

 

 

Or just walk the auto free zones, of which there are miles. Everyone walks.

 

 

Eat street food:

 

 

The entry to the hostel…$30 per night, but lucky to book it as a huge art and cultural event was taking place. People were visiting from all over Central and South America, the "Festival de Cervantes."

 

Check out "www.hostelbookers.com." It's an easy way to book hostels from city to city. Traveling by hostel as some great advantages. You meet people in a smaller more intimate environment. The price is right too! The disadvantages might be that they can be hard to find, as there is normally only a small sign out front, and when you are wrestling with traffic, pedestrians, and heat, they can be hard to miss. The other thing is that there is rarely parking available. Sometimes they'll let you park inside which may entail riding up over steps…(Thanks RawHyde Class). Or you may have to find parking in a public structure a few blocks away, which may then involve schlepping your gear...

 

It's all part of the adventure.

 

More to come soon!

 

 

 

 

[AdventurePoser]

The colonial cities were quite beautiful, but I was ready to get on the road. The twists through the mountains are incredible…

 

Villages are small and you really feel like you've stepped back in time. Horseback seems to be the preferred method of travel, and services and fuel are further apart.

 

More pics coming soon!

[Bud]

Wow!!!

 

Great trip report.

 

Did you get a penny pressed at that machine? I collect them wherever we go to my wife's dismay!

 

Looking forward to more!

[AdventurePoser]

Wow!!!

 

Great trip report.

 

Did you get a penny pressed at that machine? I collect them wherever we go to my wife's dismay!

 

Looking forward to more!

 

Thanks Bud. More pix to come soon and glad you are enjoying reading it! Nope, no pressed pennies on this ride!

 

[norah]

Awesome stuff Steve....keep the pictures and story coming!

[Lmar]

Great report!!

[AdventurePoser]

Zacatecas was cool, but getting back on the road was important to me. The churches and historical zones were awesome, but so was the sheer adventure of not knowing what would happen next….

 

That was the best part of traveling in Mexico, in my opinion. Here are a few more pictures…

 

Here is a generic Mexican dog. Most of them are in frightful condition. Fleas, injuries, illness, and traffic help insure dogs don't live very long down here. Like many other parts of the world, it seems dogs don't have the cultural status of pets that they do in many western countries. Sure, people seem to like them, but they are largely ignored. None are neutered and most look like they could at least use a good meal. This one was in better shape than most I saw…

 

 

In all of Mexico, I saw this only once…

 

 

I took sometime for some pampering….Here is a shave, haircut, hot oil and steam massage facial…all for about five dollars. Try that in the states. BTW, the barber was awesome. He'd been cutting hair for 60 years. 11 children, all went to universities in the US. A great guy, he was incredibly proud of his kids.

 

 

Mexico is poor, but the colors are rich, and the people warm...

 

 

 

Mexican students have strong opinions…here is a demonstration beginning to form. I saw demonstrations in every town I visited. Better access to education, health care for the poor, student and worker rights, etc, etc.

 

 

 

The city police blocked the streets so the demonstrators could march without being run over by the usual frenetic traffic.

 

 

By night time, the students had gone home and tranquility reigned.

 

 

Here is a 400 year old aqueduct.

 

 

 

Sightseeing in the colonial cities was easy. Follow the signs to the historical districts, or "Zona Historico," or the town square, or "zocalo." This is where the action was every night. Food, music, lights, conversation, laughter seven days a week.

 

Maybe the definition of affluent is having everything we need? Maybe we could learn something from cultures that value home, family, religion more than things to buy? Just maybe.

 

Riding in Mexico is a blast, and there are countless miles of twists. That's the positive side. The other side is that animals abound, and the road are quite often full of dangerous potholes….You have to be careful here because of the road conditions and lack of signage. The Mexicans place more value on personal responsibility than the highway department telling you how to drive your vehicle…

 

 

Eyes wide open and no day dreaming as you blip thru the twists…

 

 

Once off the bike and cleaned up, it was fun to go walking. I enjoyed the markets. In Mexican cities you'd visit several for your dinner. You'd hit up the dry goods store, the fruit and veggie place, and the meat market. Many people did this daily as they did not have refrigerators.

 

 

 

Once fed, it was back to sight seeing…

 

 

 

 

More to come as the journey south continues….

[AdventurePoser]

Thanks for coming along on my ride….Oaxaca was a great little town to hang out in for a few days. Oaxacans pride themselves on mole, a rich chocolatey sauce that goes particularly well with chicken, dark chocolate and great open air markets.

 

Like most of the towns I visited, the town square offered wonderful relaxed dining opportunities…

 

 

 

 

 

Here is where the happiness begins…

 

 

Making a choice at the local carniceria…

 

 

Just to our north, the remnants of the last tropical storm. Fortunately, I missed everyone, but still had to deal with flooded streets, mud and washed out roads occasionally. In all, not bad!

 

 

A hostel cat, not a hostile cat.

 

 

As I headed south, the landscape became tropical and hot. My Klim suit did its job pretty well. I opened the vents and motored on. I'm not sure any riding gear is going to be that comfy when it is 95f and 98% humidity.

 

Step one-go to the house and pay the owner or store keeper three pesos. Step two-do your business. Step three wash your hands using the bucket of rainwater run off next to the "toilet." BYOTP

 

 

I spent a week here at Zipolite Beach...

 

 

Another day in paradise ends….

 

 

My days in Zipolite revolved around getting up late, taking a swim in the ocean or pool, then reading in the shade during the hottest time of the day. Then a very long walk on the beach, followed by happy hour, either back at the condo or at one of the beachside places. In the evening I'd sit outside watching the t-storms flashing across the Pacific…Paradise on earth.

 

I shared the complex with two people.

 

 

 

 

Visiting new found friends!

 

 

After pinching myself several times to make sure I wasn't dreaming, I figured I'd better head home. It was that or never leave… I decided to take the coastal highway, Mexico D200 all the way home.

 

D200 was hot, humid, and beautiful. Much of it was nearly underwater from the tropical storms that had rolled thru. As a rider, you needed to keep your eyes open for debris, potholes and spots where the road was simply gone. It was intense riding but fun.

 

Every day was the same…get on the bike, head north, and then get lost in every city i traveled through. Unfortunately, I was traveling with one map that didn't have much detail. Fortunately, this gave me plenty of learning opportunities and chances to make new friends as I found my way through some of the larger towns.

 

 

I rode 175 kilometers on this goat path. Never saw a car or human habitation. As it began to get dark, I started thinking, "Well, I guess this is the night I break my number one rule." As luck would have it, I turned a corner, and there were palapas for rent on the beach. $22 per night and it was heaven!

 

The only problem was that when I awoke I was covered with hundreds of tiny spiders. My gear, the bike, and everything I owned was covered with the little buggers. They didn't bite, but pesky they were. Most blew off in the next few days of riding in the rain…

 

 

Eventually I found myself in Ciudad Obregon. Lost again, I asked the friendly Policia Estatel to help me out.

 

 

 

 

She with 8 years on, he with 6, they escorted me to the hotel where I stayed for the night. A tough job they have, but they were friendly and professional. I wished them the best, and bade them be safe before I retired for the night. In the middle of the night I was awoken by a cacophony of small arms fire somewhere nearby. Probably crooks v crooks, or crooks v cops, I never heard anything about it in the morning.

 

Now I was close to home. I got up, thumbed the starter and headed north.

 

 

In another day, I found myself turning in my TVIP near Nogales. Once my paperwork was done, I scooted across the border. The wealth on the other side of the border was almost overpowering. I was glad to be home, but I missed the pace, the color, and the food of Mexico. Most of all, I missed the people.

 

I'll be back!

 

[TEWKS]

Great report, great photography! Thank you for taking the time to show us your travels!

 

Pat

[Caddis]

Great stuff. I enjoy your photos and the story.

[AdventurePoser]

Thanks, guys for the acknowledgement! I appreciate you mentioning that you enjoyed reading this little RR.

[AdventurePoser]

Some final thoughts on traveling in Mexico, from my limited perspective…

 

First a note about paperwork and getting in and out of Mexico. You need a passport with at least six months before expiry. You also need Mexican auto insurance, and a driver's license. If you do not own the moto you are riding, a note from the lien holder would be a good thing to have. You also need your documentation of ownership and registration. Traveling to Baja is simple. As I mentioned earlier, they will wave you across. There are approximately 8 military checkpoints between Tecate and Cabo San Lucas. They will ask you your purpose of visit, if you are carrying guns or drugs, and may ask to look in your bags. Searches are quick and professional. I've never been asked for my registration, insurance or license at these stops.

 

Mainland Mexico is slightly different. If you are planning on traveling deeper into Mexico you need two things: You need to import yourself and your motorcycle into Mexico. So, you'll pick up a tourist visa good for up to 180 days, AND a TVIP, or temporary vehicle importation permit. Both of these things are done in most cases at the Aduana, or customs building right after crossing. For your TVIP you will leave a credit card deposit which will be refunded to you when you exit the country. Do NOT lose your paperwork. LOL So, once you have your visa and TVIP, you are free to roam the country…Have fun!

 

f you would like further information on this process email me. Glad to help!

 

Mexico is a great destination for motorcycle travel. The roads are not too busy, except around the big cities, the people are incredibly friendly,and the food is wonderful.

 

When you decide to go, perhaps the most important consideration is where and when? For me, October was perfect. It was still warm in the mountains of central Mexico, such as around Creel and Copper Canyon, and chilly in the mornings. Continuing south the weather continued to be excellent. Most days I rode with my KLIM Latitude 'Misano' suit unzipped in all the ventilation ports and I was fine. The areas around Mexico City and south to Puebla continued to be very moderate. I felt fortunate when lost and caught in traffic jams to NOT be stewing in my suit. I was also fortunate that I dodged two major hurricanes. This is another good reason for leaving in October or November, as the hurricane season is shutting down. Traveling in rural areas can be greatly complicated by the after effects of major storms; washouts, detours with no signage, and lack of electricity to name a few issues.

 

BMW services are available in Guadalajara and Mexico City. I don't know about Acapulco, Mazatlan, or Durango…If you service your bike and put on fresh tires you shouldn't have need of service on the road. Carry a flat repair kit and now how to use it. I always carry one which guarantees I'll never have a flat. I also carried a spare front tube for my Heidenau K60 tires. In a pinch, the front tube can be used in the rear tire as well.

 

Heading into Mexico, security measures consist of a wave and smile. Of course if you are heading down into mainland Mexico you need to pick up a TVIP at the border and pay a fee. You MUST cancel this when you leave the country, because once it expires and you haven't checked out properly, it will be next to impossible to import your bike into Mexico again. Ever. If you'd like more information about this process, email or PM me.

 

Once in Mexico, you should take all the security precautions you might take in any big city in the world. It is accepted practice to put your motorcycle inside hotel lobbies at night. Sometimes the hotel will have a ramp to aid you in this process. Sometimes not Stop by AAA and pick up an International Driving License ($15), and make several copies. I never chained or locked my bike other than the steering head lock that comes with the motorcycle.

 

It is against the law in Mexico for a police officer to ask for money, and it is illegal to offer an officer money. So, the dance begins when you are pulled over for an infraction. Remain calm and listen carefully, but do not give money to the officer. He may ask, 'How do you want to take care of this?' Respond neutrally with something along the lines of, 'I don't know, what is the customary thing a citizen must do when stopped by an officer?' Stay calm and positive. Do not offer money. If you are going to get a ticket, go to the police station to pay the fine if necessary. Chances are, eventually the officer will simply let you go. Remember, if you pay the officer you are only setting up the next moto traveler who rides through for more of the same…

 

Other than one instance of being stopped for a bogus ticket, I found the police to extremely helpful and proud to be of service. In my interactions with officers I was quick to point out their professionalism, courtesy, and helpfulness. In return, they really helped me out a couple of times.

 

Finally, in all of Mexico, I never had any problems with sketchy people. In fact, other than a waiter trying to shortchange me on my bill, people were positive and honest. In fact, the poorest laborers and service people were the most helpful. I'll treasure the memories forever.

 

Food and lodging in MX is plentiful and cheap. I stayed in hostels using www.hostelbooker.com which worked really well. Also www.booking.com is great for Mexico. An advantage of booking dot com is that most properties, when called up, displayed a GPS heading. Pretty handy if you use a GPS. Most comfortable hotel rooms cost about 30-40 per night. At the higher end you would expect AC and a TV. As a tip, carry a rubber drain cover disk to put over the shower drain when you are not using the shower as it will prevent disagreeable odors from leaking into your room via the plumbing. It works well! Also, don't depend on hot water, unless you are staying at the Sheraton, hot may mean lukewarm or cold…

 

I loved the hotel lobbies. Great places to get directions, meet people, and to get a sense of the city I was visiting. Stay at clean mom 'n pop style hotels and motels. You won't be disappointed.

 

Food is tasty. Northern Mexico sports a preponderance of beef and chicken. As you head south and towards the coast, seafood is king. And, as I mentioned earlier, don't miss the mole (mole-AY) in Oaxaca. Fabulous. In fact, nearly every town had some type of specialty. In Durango it was freshly backed churros to dunk in huge, steaming bowls of hot chocolate. Pure ecstasy… And, the ubiquitous taco stands and other street vendors are everywhere. A plate of chicken or beef tacos, rice and beans is a couple of dollars. Wash that down with a local beer or Mexican soda pop, which is made from cane sugar, not fructose syrup. Tasty!

 

And that's about it. I hope you'll consider Mexico as a destination for motorcycle travel. Beautiful scenery, food, and people make Mexico a tantalizing destination.

 

 

Buen Viaje,

AdventurePoser

 

 

 

[Marty Hill]

Great info. Thanks Steve.

[philbytx]

I agree with Steve, Mexico is a beautiful country and most of the people are very friendly. However, he is fortunate that he only had minor skirmishes with their LEO's. We've been shaken down more than a few times by various forms of governmental agents/LEO's on a road trip down to Real de Catorce and San Miguel de Allende.

 

However, regarding personal safety. Mexico is NOT all that safe and there are banditos everywhere. Those of you that have BMWMOA memberships may well remember the letter written by my friend Carlos Mateus referencing his trip to Mexico in 2012, together with several of my other riding buddies.

 

They were held-up, robbed and shot at while trying to escape. The masked bandits were also attempting to drag one female rider into the bushes.

 

Most of my friends have been riding into Mexico for many years and they will not return. I also know of one rider who was thrown in jail on a phoney gun charge. He never owned or had a gun....it took him several days and cost him a lot of money to get freed.

 

Just giving you the other side of the story.

 

 

[TEWKS]

This visual is more of how I believe Mexico is today. Probably never return (Tijuana as a young adult) unless in an organized tour with safety nets in place.

 

Think Steve did his homework but may have been a little lucky too.

 

 

Pat

[AdventurePoser]

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing."

-Helen Keller

 

I think safety is a relative term. Millions of people visit Mexico daily without an issue. Yet violence does exist, mostly Mexican v Mexican.

 

Here is a good article from the Lonely Planet which sheds some light on crime stats…

 

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/blog/2012/04/30/are-americans-safer-in-mexico-than-at-home/

 

As with all travel, do your research, and then decide. Personally, I avoid the border towns because they are frenetic, dirty, and edgy, especially Juarez and Tijuana.

I think it is important to have a 'spidey sense' when traveling in Mexico, or for that matter anywhere abroad, and listen to your instincts!

 

But I also know that statistically I am safer in Mexico than I am in many larger American cities.

 

So listen to your heart. Adventure when you can, wherever you can. Turn off Fox News and go see Mexico for yourself. Perhaps go with a tour or another rider experienced in the country and its customs as a starter trip!

 

Whether you dive in headfirst, or just put a toe in the water, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at what you find south of our border.

 

Cheers,

S

 

 

 

[One]

Thank you Steve for visiting our country and for being so objective on your comments, I really appreciate that - Thank you again.

[Der Kaiser]

great story, great ride, great pic's, that said, I'm too CS to ride there anymore, did a few rides to TJ, Ensenada, a hundred yrs ago, personally I'm too old and too short fused to put up with CS crooked cops, oh well, my loss

[ArmyGuy]

That really looks like a beautiful place to visit/ride. Thanks for taking us.

 

Mike

[AdventurePoser]

Thank you Steve for visiting our country and for being so objective on your comments, I really appreciate that - Thank you again.

 

Juan, I cannot wait to come back. I loved San Luis Potosi-the one crooked cop I ran into there did not change my love for the country, people, and food!

 

Buen Viaje,

Steve

[One]

You will be more than welcome Steve, and the next time let me know in advance if planning on going thru San Luis Potosi so you won't have crook cops problems.

 

Kepp enjoyin your retirement status

 

Juan