Thursday, January 27, 2011

First Full Riding Day - Ruins, Volcanos and Twisties









January 27, 2011
Ok we just pulled into our 50th small Town, but this time we pulled right up to La Plaza, the centre of Town to our hotel…yes we are quite a site, 7 brightly coloured BMW's plus the riders decked out in lots of colour whaling' through Town.

I'm now in the lobby of this hotel, having been too quick on the order to have a shower…am sitting by myself waiting for the guys to get back from moving all the bikes….i'm in the middle of some Town i have no idea what or actually where and i can't say a word of anything to anyone!!!  How fun is that!

I can't even describe what the riding was like today, I'm still in shock….we drove on the right side of the road, the left side of the road, passed cars on the shoulder, on the left side with cars coming, drove down the yellow line.  drive through stop signs…..and this is all normal and acceptable down here.

Its not as crazy as it seemed this morning, the drivers all look out for each other, and there is madness to the chaos.

We saw spectacular scenery, including a volcano and some Mayan ruins, which we walked all over and took a ton of pictures of……
Oh and in case your wondering, getting on line down here is a chore….uploading pictures to the blog is not working…not sure why but we cannot get it going.
Our group of travel companions are really great, of course you have no idea what they will be like until you meet….and than you need to ride….there are usually a ton of egos associated with bikes.

341KM today

January 26 - The Market and Test Drive







Up with the birds again…7:00, but today we had the smell of burning wood as well. They burn the compost at the sides of the street to keep the streets clean…even that smells different. A breakfast of fruit and cottage cheese…and for some reason that tastes better than home.

We went for a long walk in the City and saw the market which sets up every Tuesday on one of the local streets. We saw fresh fish ands food on ice, vegetables of every sort, most we could identify, but some we could not, lots of videos, clothes and hand made goods…..took a ton more pictures of doorways….I’m not sure what my obsession is with these, but I'm starting a collection. We walked up the busy market street, a feast for the eyes, ears and nose…what fun.  Not cheap but unbelievable.

We walked along a beautiful waterfront, as the day quickly turned from cool to hot. Now we are in a small "hole in the wall" that open up to a beautiful garden terrace where we are having breakfast and listening to Hall and Oats "Sara". 

Back to the hotel for a short rest before we go out for our check out ride…looking forward to it!

Wow back from the check out ride…unbelievable…riding all over the road, super fast.  Huge speed bumps all over the place, metal caps across the road, signs we can't read, and signals that apparently don't mean anything.

This is going to be quite an adventure!

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Travel Day




January 24, 2011
OK it's minus 22 degrees at 6:30am….we are in the airport, yes the truck started and mom and dad were ready to drive us to the airport.

At the airport, unloaded 7 separate pieces of luggage (4 carry ons), found the Continental desk and checked in in minutes.

On to US customs….scary guys in flak jackets….why does my heart rate always sky rocket…Guilty until proven Innocent!.  The guy asks our marital status, and I crack a stupid joke about being married….Not for long…shit does this guy have a gun?  I think he is going to shoot me!

Ok through…now on to security…..I get my hands scanned for bomb residue, and Mike, having just removed his riding jacket reeking of gas, walks through scot free.  dump the 4 carry ons….find and show them the computer…"yes it is nice ins't it, bought it yesterday", fleece off…back up shoes off….walk through the scanner, of through!

Find the first breakfast place available and buy 25 bucks worth of breakfast…2 bagels, 2 teas and 2 waters….get out the computer and start typing!

Its actually January 25th but i'm going back and trying to update what we did yesterday.

After typing and reading for a while at the breakfast place we decided to walk to our gate……on the way we found a currency exchange and got $6000 pesos, about $600 dollars.  The on the the gate…we walked for a long time then noticed were at the wrong gate which turned out to be at the other end of the airport….so quite a long fazed pace later we arrived at our gate??  This gate, in the Toronto Airport, was like a gate in small town no where….it was freezing, a smaller area that our shop, and packed.  we showed our idea then walked on the tarmac to out plane!  frozen by the time we got there as we packed our coats!

Our seats were great, right up front!  it was a small plane, 1 seat then 2 seats..probably 60 people…

We arrived in Houston taxied for ever, and pulled up to the terminal beside our connecting flight….a 20 min weight and we were back on the same looking plane.  we both spent most of this flight looking out the window, as we were in single seats.

We arrived at the Guadalajara airport, unloaded on the tarmac to a waiting bus and were bussed to the terminal 2 minutes away.

Through customs, pushed the button, GREEN, out to meet our pick up….ok we have never met before, I'k looking for the guy we met at the bike show, John, no john…Mike spots Yvonne with a sign for Mike and Michele…..Yeah we made it!

Yvonne is a great lady, a brit from Canada, and US….she has a great personality and a wonderful laugh.  She answered our million questions, pointed things out to us and provided entertainment on the drive to the hotel……We were pulled over by the local Coppers…who were hassling her about her American Plates.  Ok good she knows her rights and speaks Spanish…the cop drove on.

Ok she got us checked in …then left us…. CRAP!  Ok were on our own for a few days….should be interesting!

We hung out at the hotel for the night, walked the grounds, had dos servasia at the pool before it got too cool and windy to sit there.  We are up at 8,000 feet so it is not hat, just perfect for riding (25 degrees).

We had dinner at the hotel, enchiladas….low in salt and quite different from anything we have had before….they were really great!  We walked around the grounds after dinner and watched the cats that arrived out of no where, watched the herons fly off to roost and hid and ducked when the huge bats came close.

Bed time!  we fell asleep to the sound of the waves crashing against the shore of this huge lake.

One Day til we take off eh

January 23, 2011

Today is the day before we leave….this new computer looks great but there is soooo much to figure out I'm hoping i can post something on the blog!!

haha it will make it all the more exciting for everyone else…no word from us for 2 weeks and were in Mexico!!

Jeff's birthday celebration, 42….wow.

Lasagna, bread and Cesar salad!

Friday, January 21, 2011

3 days to Mexico

3 days before the big trip.....go our shots, drank the anti-runs medicine (Yuk that was tough) and have thought about packing....We'll start packing on Sunday and fly Monday..should make it more exciting that way.

Here is the route we are taking... We start and stop at "I".

We are flying in on Monday but the ride starts on Wednesday for 8 days.


Sunday, January 9, 2011

Our first trip of 2011 is in the works

We just got back for the Toronto Motorcycle show and we are all pumped to ride....sooooo we just signed up for the January 27th to february 3rd Ride the Sierra Madres Mexico.  Its a 8 day ride on BMW motorcycles (a 650 for me and an 800 for Mike), the link is below as I keep having to retype the name and anyone who knows me knows  I can't spell worth beans....

http://www.ridethesierra.com/

Butterflies to Beaches 
8 day tour

Preparing for the tour
After being greeted at the airport in Guadalajara, you will be taken to your accommodations in the charming, cobblestoned town of Ajijic, on the north shore of Lake Chapala, a short ride of just 25 minutes. In the evening we meet at our tour center at Casa Sierra to complete any administrative matters. You will have the opportunity to get acquainted with your bike and fellow travelers and enjoy a hacienda-style dinner.

Accommodations in Ajijic are at the hotel Real de Chapala

Day 1 Ajijic - Morélia
Our support vehicle will be at the hotel to pick up your luggage at 8:00 a.m. You will be wearing your riding gear so should need only one medium sized suitcase (per person) to take on the tour. Any extra travel bags can be stored at Casa Sierra until we return in eight days.
We will gather at Casa Sierra, the RSM Tour Center, at 8:30 ready to ride. A top box will be mounted on each bike to carry your personal items including water bottle and a warmer layer of clothes which will be needed at higher altitudes. There will be a short briefing on the days' ride and we will be on our way.
The first day's trip takes us through Ajijic, past the lakeside tourist zone, around Lake Chapala and up into the alpine forests of the Sierra del Tigre. We will stop to have coffee in the charming mountain town of Mazamitla (7,300 ft.) then, continue south and east crossing into the state of Michoacán through mountains and past volcanoes pausing at the Volcán Paricutín and arrive mid-afternoon in time for some sight-seeing at the incredibly well preserved colonial city of Morélia where we will spend the night near the cathedral at the Saddle time: 6.5 hrs

Day 2 Morélia - Ciudad Hidalgo
This morning we will have time to visit Morélia's spectacular baroque-style cathedral, see more of this beautiful European-style colonial city, and enjoy brunch before we head through villages via twisty mountain roads to Ciudad Hidalgo (7,740 ft.) where we will spend the night in the hacienda style hotel Ojo de Agua.
Saddle time: 2 hours

Day 3 Ciudad Hidalgo - Huétamo - DAY OF THE BUTTERFLIES
Leaving at 8:30 in the morning, we take the 1½ hour ride to the turn-off to the Parque Nacional el Rosario. From here we ascend by motorcycle to the entrance of the monarch butterfly biosphere (8,700 ft) and then hike up a paved stairway into the trees to see the monarchs which spend the coldest winter months huddled together in the trees, they roost in concentrations so dense that the weight of them can snap off branches. (There is a discovery center for those who prefer not to hike. Note: We will be walking at altitudes of up to 10,000 ft.).
From El Rosario, we begin our ride southwest toward the Pacific across the spectacular Sierra Madre del Sur, winding along mountain roads, through rain forests and past waterfalls to the small town of Huétamo.
We spend the night at the Hotel Las Palmas. 
Total Saddle time: 5.5 hours

Day 4 - Huétamo - Ixtapa
We depart Huétamo after breakfast, continuing through the Sierra Madre del Sur and dropping down to lower altitudes where we will pass sugar cane and corn fields until we reach the modern beachside resort of Ixtapa and its neighbor, the fishing village of Zihuatanejo in the state of Guerrero. We will spend 2 nights here. Hotel options depending on availability include:

Saddle time: 7 hours

Day 5 Ixtapa
A day to relax on the beach or at poolside, or take an optional day ride to explore the area.

Day 6 Ixtapa - Uruápan
From Ixtapa, we head up the coast, cross the Dam at Infiernillo and then back up into the mountains to the high tropics and the city of Uruápan (5,315 ft.). The main natural attraction at Uruápan is the Cupatítzio River, dubbed "the river that sings". Along its flow is the Nacional Parque de Eduardo Ruiz, famous for its lush vegetation and spectacular water features. We will be staying at the beautiful Mansión del Cupatítzio which is located right beside the Parque.
Saddle time: 6 hours

Day 7 Uruápan - Pátzcuaro
Winding our way north from Uruápan, through mountain roads and valleys, we will have time to stop at the archaeological site of Tingambato, which dates to somewhere between 500 and 1000 AD, and then visit the copper artisan center of Santa Clara de Cobre. About 10 miles north is our destination, Pátzcuaro (7,216 ft), a town of crooked cobblestone streets, smooth stucco walls painted white with dark red borders, blackened tile roofs that join to form ramshackle rooflines -- it is a town famous for its artisans, it churches and plazas, its sidewalk cafes and great restaurants. There will be time to visit the town, explore the lake or see some of the Indian villages on the lake shore.
Saddle Time: 5.5 hours

Day 8 Pátzcuaro - Ajijic
We return home via the town of Sahuayo where we will have lunch. A farewell dinner at Casa Sierra ends the tour...for this time at least.
Saddle Time: 5.5 hours

Friday, January 7, 2011

Mikes time to play!!

This explaines a bit about who we are...we love fast cars and racing... this is a picture of our Corvette during the Targa Newfoundland Race a few years ago.  What a great adventure.


Our New Blog Site!

Ok this is the test run of this new blog site.

This is our place to add thought and ideas..when we are home

and

pictures, maps and daily riding logs when we are on our trips.


Hera are a few pictures from our 2010 BC trip as a test.

waiting to cross the lakeon the high speed ferry


nice road! 
yup that's us

here's the new bike

thought this was a cool rest place....