Hello Everybody!
I have fought hard for this sweat I wear right now, and honestly, I don't
mind that I stink. Sorry, if you, too, can smell it, wherever you are.
Where was I? La Paz, Baja, right? I hoped to leave that night to
Topolobampo and Los Mochis, on the mainland. Hehe, the screw-up session
wasn't over, yet. I had to do the administration for my MC, but the office
is open only in the morning. So I spent the nigh in the port of
Pichilingue, feeding the dogs. ... suddenly I had a whole bunch of four
legged friends as well
)
The Banjercito: you need the Drivers Licence, Registration, Proof of
ownership of the vehicle, Passport, Visa/MC Card. 3 set of photocopies are
needed of all these. 1.50 Peso each sheet and it is allowed to put more then
one thing on one photocopy. Paid 38.50 USD worth of Pesos. The ferry costs
550 Peso/motorcycle and 230 Peso/person.
Mailing from La Paz: you need to check the content of the box at the
customs, on Av. Nayarit and Calle Abasolo. It's free. Then you can go to
the Post Office on Revolucion and Constitucion corner. There is Fedex or
something like that in the same building. ... keep smiling!
In the port I met that Japanese guy on a Suzuki XC 250 Djebel I've seen up
in Yukon. Hirotoshi, won't see you in Mexico, read on, and you'll know why.
From Los Mochis I went towards Ciudad Obregon and Barranca de Cobre. The
night was near, and I was riding on roads all surrounded with a plant very
familiar from the TV, and has a caracteristic smell! Yes, it's mariuana. I
needed to get out of the highway and sleep. Finally I found a place,
secluded and I hoped that no one will see me. Well, no one saw me, except
two army guys next day morning. They were looking for plantations. ...
yes, same plant. We talked for about an hour, and at the end I had two more
friends, and all this because of my cool motorcycle!
Highway 16 towards Chihuahua is wonderful! It's a motorcycle paradice. But
if you ride a Harley, ride slow, cause on the road you'll find potholes,
sand, gravel, huge rocks, cows (not wanted dead or alive, but they are still
there) and and donkies peacefully mating! Same on you, animals! The curves
are all marked with crosses. Some of them have more, others less, like
bitter reminders of driving carefully. Not that anybody listens. Perhaps
the crosses in the curves are like stars for the hotels? no? then, level
of difficulty? ... I leave it up to you.
Up high in the mountains was cold, and clouds came. I was very cold, and I
made the mistake to leave my GPS on the bike for the night. Next day the
battery was flat, no spare either. I'm sorry, Alex, I don't have any
coordinates for you. I didn't even dare to spend enough time up there,
because of being afraid of the snow. At night there was some drizzle, but
not much white stuff, only COLD. I gotta head south!!! Yes, I am south,
but not enough, I guess.
At Basaseachic, before visiting the cascade down in the valley, I stopped at
Restaurant Betty (Excellent Enchilada! 36 Peso) I met a military officer (I
have no clue about military ranks, but he might have been a Lieutenant). We
talked long and about everything and became friends in no time. It is
unbelievable how friendly are some of the people in this area. Natives kick
the rocks off the road to protect YOU, foreigher. They wear a white (oh,
well, I always tend to exagerate
) shirt that makes them look like some
weird and lost pinguins, thick black hair with bandera and the Apache-like
faces always smile! And they wave at you. And I wave back.
Some other people when see you wave, the wave back with an uncertain
gesture, or not at all, and I can see from the expression on their face that
they think hard: How is this guy? Do I know him? ...
Then I got this strange state of mind I haven't had for a long time: bad
mood. Lonely, cold, not eating enough, not showering enough (at all, damn
it!), got a front flat and the slime made my life harder then it should be
(I never use slime again!) Then I realized, what's wrong: I'm taking this
Cloroquine, the malaria pills, and one of the side effects is this strange
mood swing. I read somewhere that in high mountain expeditions those who
have similar simptoms due to the high elevation, get a nice bath. Well, I
tried, and it worked. My smile is back on my face!
Hidalgo de Parral, Durango, Zacatecas, San Luis Potosi. The roads are ...
well, I guess, they were built for Dual Sport bikes in mind, so I guess they
are all right. Watch out for anything, and I mean ANYTHING. Especially
close to the cities drivers are descendants of Kamikazes and eager to mark
one of those curves with one more cross. Make sure you don't put your cross
next to his.
East of San Luis Potosi the mountains are wonderful, and they are limestone.
My caver heart started to beat faster, and my muddy soul felt alive again.
All cavers on my list will understand this feeling, 'cause they know the
call of the darkness, the hope of the discovery of new passages.
For Hungarians Santa Claus comes on December 6th night. I was wondering
what will I get as a surprize. I was riding towards Poza Rica and couldn't
find a camp site. I thought I just ride through, and camp somewhere close
to the ruins of El Tajin. I stopped near a side road to let the traffic
pass by. ... and suddenly there is a police car next to me:
-What's up?
-I'm tired, looking for a place to sleep - I said honestly.
-Here?
-Here.
-Not good.
-Why?
-Not safe, someone might kill you for the moto.
-Than what?
-You can sleep at the station.
-At the police station?
-Si. It's nearby.
And they took me there. The place was really great although a little small
for camping in the garden under the hibiscus bushes. We talked with the
guys for awhile, then after dinner I went to sleep. Next morning more talk
with these very nice guys and as the new shift arrived suddenly me and my
motorcycle was surrounded with dozens of police officers interogating me
about everything.
At Cempoala Ruins I met a bunch of school kids. The guys were not only
looking at me curiously, but the girls suddenly surrounded me and my bike
and asked me to pose for a (dozen or more) picture(s). Very cute, sweet
sixteens. Not to worry, I still love you, June!
Veracruz is very nice city. I like it. San Luis Potosi is my second
favorite on this route. Come and see them all!
I'm in an Internet Cafe, Rayon #579-A entre Independencia y Zaragoza, 18
Peso/hr. Previously I've been at Comercial Oro for 2hrs @ 12 Peso/hr. At
the library the computers were down. All of them is in the Centro Colonial,
very busy neighborhood.
I'm heading now towards Laguna Catemaco, Villahermosa, San Cristobal de las
Casas, Cascada Agua Azul, Palenque, Campeche, Merida, Cancun, Chetumal and
Belize for Gingle-Bell-Gingle-Bell.
I wish you all Marry Christmas, All the Bests for the New Year and Gingle
All The Way, because Oh what a fun it is to ride with a dual sport
motorcycle.
Cheers,
istvan + Csardas
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